Preston
The public says...
ST praised for letting public know it’s not recognised. It’s part of a bigger concern with issue of dubious degrees in a global world. Here are views.
Sep 10, 2008

Channel New Asia forum
By singaporeoptionstraders
The latest ST article (6th September 2008) on the Preston University

Degree Mill issue is an interesting one.

The response from Dr Juergen Rudolph, the Managing Director of Centre of Professional Studies (CPS) is pathetic. By the way, is "Dr" Juergen’s qualification from Preston University as well?

The Centre of Professional Studies Pte Ltd is owned by ERC Holdings.

Perhaps the Group CEO, Andy Ong could comment how could a “reputable” organisation such as ERC which boast Advisory Board members such as Kenny Yap and Douglas Foo, could represent Preston University which has been exposed by ST as a degree mill.

Dr Juergen saying that CPS no longer represents Preston University is nonsense.

Check out Preston University's latest catalog and you will find "Asian Centre of Professional Excellence" (now known as ERC Institute) being listed along with the graduation photograph.

Perhaps ST should feature a story on CPS and ERC and their role on misleading the public over the years in recruiting the MBA and PhD/DBA students.

MOE (Ministry of Education) should investigate this matter and the relevant authority should revoke ACPE/ERC SQC for PEO status.
Let's hear from MOE and ST Editor.

This appeared in the ST Forum.
In the States: Accredited courses
I APPLAUD the recent series of articles by Ms Sandra Davie on diploma mills. Students and parents considering tertiary study in any country should apply only to accredited institutions to ensure the degree earned is valid and legitimate worldwide.
In the United States, nearly all colleges and universities participate in a voluntary process of accreditation to establish their status. Accreditation, a process of peer review, is usually seen as the key to determining whether a degree programme meets generally recognised academic, fiscal and structural standards.

Institutional accreditation involves the evaluation of the institution as a whole to determine its educational effectiveness. The institution must have educational objectives appropriate to that institution; resources appropriate to achieve its objectives; and proof that it is achieving and will continue to achieve its goals. Once accredited, institutions are re-examined every 10 years.

There are two simple ways to check accreditation of institutions in the US. The database maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation has information about quality assurance and accreditation organisations from 48 countries, including the US, and contact information for each organisation. Inquiries may also be directed to the EducationUSA advising office at the US Education Information Centre in Singapore
Karen Kaylor (Ms)
Director, US Education Information Centre
EducationUSA Singapore

By singaporeoptionstraders
I was informed recently that CPS-ERC managed to have NMP (Nominated MP) Claire Chiang and MP Ahmad Magad as Guest-of-Honours for the various intake Graduation Ceremonies for Preston University over the years.

On Page 29 of the Preston University 2008 Catalog available from their website you could find Preston University Graduates from Asian Centre of Professional Excellence (now known as ERC Institute).

MOE should investigate CPS and ERC Institute (who is the shareholder of CPS along with Mr Andy Ong, the Group CEO of ERC Holdings). This could be found in the ACRA/ROC Instant Report.

"Dr" Juergen Rudolph, Mr Andy Ong, and the 2 previous Directors, Mr Richard Toh and Toh Puay Yong (of PS Consulting and Certified Consultant Academy) should be held responsible for this Preston University fiasco as they had brought the programme into Singapore and benefited commercially over the past nearly 10 years that program was offered in Singapore.

Perhaps Ms Claire Chiang and Mr Ahmad Magad could explain how could they associate themselves with a "degree supplier" such as CPS and ERC?

Perhaps Ms Sandra Davie and Mr Han Fook Kwang of Straits Times could look into this expeditiously as this a matter of public interest.

sessam
With the opening of Singapore to so many "prequalified" potential citizens and their expertise the matter is of fundamental importance.
My brother is a Medical consultant in one of our public hospitals and I was horrified to learn from him even in the not too distant past the MOH was caught off balance by doctors who were from non accreditated medical schools.
But the scale of this "Preston University" graduates is really of concern and even many of my American colleagues were surprised and thought I was referring to Princeton U.
I did some research after the furore in this forum on Preston U - apparently the level of recognition of university degree in US varies from the Ivy-league class to the unmentionable. This Preston U is registered in Alabama where in the view of my well qualified US colleague has "lax" criteria of registration.

ZhenYuBeng
Our MPs could also have been misled. Don't think they knowingly support something fishy. I also thought originally that Preston U was like Princeton U until CNA forum pointed out otherwise.

black_swan
Notice the "chancellor" admits that it is not accredited by the US authorities - which means the diplomas are useless
excerpts:
- In 2001, Preston University was found to be falsely claiming that it employed faculty, two of whom had never heard of the school.[4] Since then, all Preston faculty are listed prominently on the school's web site and in its online catalog:
- On March 15 2007, the The Chronicle of Higher Education reported, "In response to a crackdown on diploma mills in Wyoming, an entity known as “Preston University” is moving part of its operations to Alabama, where laws are laxer.

Ramzi
My question to the chancellor of Preston Uni is: How would anyone have assurance of his high standards when there are no accreditations at all?
And why won't they want to be accredited if Preston Uni has high standards? If accreditation is no good, why would any university want to be accredited?

kud0s
I got curious after reading the series of articles on Preston University and also logged on to its website to see for myself. It does indeed look highly questionable.
Just click on the "Admissions" link and expect to be told how to get admitted? Sure, but the top paragraph on the page tells you how much you need to pay to get "certification documents" from the university.
Better still, check out the application form - 2 pages in all, can be completed in 5 minutes. With so little information asked from applicants, I wonder how the school screen applicants and make decisions about acceptance/rejection, unless, of course, they accept everybody who has a valid credit card account.
Forget about paying US8,000 for their degree. I will use the money to buy me a country club membership and meet interesting business contacts there.

uneedservice
Extracted from the Straits Times report "... But worryingly, an increasingly long list of private school lecturers and financial consultants openly cite their bought doctorates and masters’ degrees, in their curriculum vitae and client pitches.
A typical example is Be-Mad, a company at Scotts Road, that trains human resource professionals.
Its chief executive officer ‘Dr’ David Ong Kah Seng and two of his associates, ‘Dr’ Ng Sin Keh and Mr Yeo Thiang Swee, have degrees from Rochville University, Preston University and Atlantic International University, which are all commonly referred to as diploma mills in the United States.
On its website, Be-Mad consultancy boasts that its long list of clients includes ministries, banks and educational institutions..."
Issues for concern:
It seems everyone starts to claim theirs is a GENUINE degree. So who do we verify with in Singapore? MOE? MOM?
How can a company HR verify? Is there an efficient system to do so?
I am sure this is not a new happening in Singapore but such social phenomenon is definitely not healthy. On one hand, we are building our reputation to be an educational hub, yet we are ignorant or we choose to be ignorant with educational quality.
Why did this happen? Would it have taken place if we have stringent checks and validation? A person who risks to use a "not so recognised" degree to pass off knows that most companies verify only the PHYSICAL paper only.
Show me the paper out from the scroll and OK, you are employed or engaged by the company. In fact, the risk level is so low.
The mentality is "So what if I am exposed by this company... worst is get sacked... and I can always try my luck elsewhere..." Hence, the cycle repeats. Is there a system to track or even one to deter people to purchase such instant success?
Can we imagine the hardworking population who part with tens of thousands to go through the rigours of strict academic assessment.. is this a fair system?
Are we indirectly encouraging a mindset "Why are we spending so much money, time n effort to study since buying one degree can give you almost instant success"
It is dreadful to imagine the day when everyone is a "Dr" but who is the real "Dr"..

samtap
Upon reading the article, I was pretty intrigued as I already know from background knowledge of US, studying there is pretty complicated.
Even accredited universities may not be recognized. Only in the States there exist accreditation bodies to accredit the accreditation bodies!
I think mills and unaccredited universities are not the same. Mills really are the ones that you buy without any coursework etc. Like the dog.
Basically, I get real irritated by our newspapers giving us their point of view - think they should not take readers as *censored*. We want FACTS.
By the way, from the total number of universities in the US , I think less than a quarter of them are accredited. Are the rest of 75% bogus universities or degree mills? Wow...
I believe even SMU in Singapore is not AACSB accredited!
Anyway, from my experience in the States - not everything is as clear cut as it is here in Singapore!!
Singapore's Ministry of Education website of registered universities - Preston is listed there. You can check other schools for reference if you are doing any programs...
I checked other schools like Rochville and the doggy one, all not approved by MOE.

PL
Now we get to see many kinds and types of foreign and local talents in Singapore..
Talent with high pay-salary jobs thru fake degrees is also another kind of talent Singapore will be getting.
Very soon, imagine a dish-cleaning ah-pek and ah-ma with Preston U degree in their hands ...for interview!

cooldsai
I have checked in MOE website and Preston is a registered.
What is the approval requirement of MOE? Do they really check all the overseas education providers?
Anyway, I am a graduate from Preston MBA from very early intake when Centre of Professional Studies brought Preston here.
To me, I was very technical person and like to enhance my knowledge in business management before I embarked into entrepreneurship. Then I found Preston which provides very flexible learning scheme.
I was very busy and always think of an MBA or BBA which provides "good understanding of business application and knowledge areas". For me, MBA is not to climb the corporate ladder but to embark my dream to run my own business..
So.. Preston was chosen. True enough, I got opportunity to learn from some of our prominent course facilitators such as Mr Sattar Bawany (Now I believe Dr. Bawany may be from Preston too...), Dr. K C Chan, Mr Wong Soon Heng and many other industrial practitioners, local univerties lecturers and leaders.
Whether Preston is accredited or not but surely the facilitators had done their very best and demonstrated their professionalism, shared their knowledge areas.
I am now running my own company which incorpated in 2003 after I graduated from Preston. Day by day, I am applying what I have learnt and truly beneficial.
What I like to say here is "what is your objectives to get MBA, PHD....?"
Is it for showcasing and thought it adds benefit to your profile such as title Dr......?
I am here to say Preston is not a degree-mill..

binafikir
It is laughable when some Preston grads tried to say that it is registered with the MOE like it is a badge of quality.
Preston is listed in the MOE as Preston Uni, PAKISTAN!! And they pretend it is a US institution!
Quote from MOE website:
Translation: They just register - they do not check the QUALITY at all!!
It is important to note that the programme originates from the educational institution concerned which is responsible for its every aspect, including matters relating to curriculum, course structure, admission criteria, academic rigours, programme quality, teaching standard and assessments/examinations.
Local organisations who wish to indicate the registration status of the EDPs with MOE should only use the term “Registered with the Ministry of Education” and not otherwise. Registration of EDPs is not tantamount to accreditation or recognition by MOE.

binafikir
Horrors!! The list of external degree programs on the MOE website may contain TOTALLY FRAUDULENT providers.

khirsah
to binafikir:
You are right in that they MAY contain fraudulent degrees. I think many people have confused themselves on the list of REGISTERED private schools and programs they offered.
They are registered to operate here but doesn't mean they high accredited, recognised or runs high quality programmes.
Also, note that certain programmes offered by certain Uni may be accredited by it's host country... provided the programme is run in that Uni itself and not through overseas distant learning.
CNA forum