Truemors
Opinion
Barry Artiste, Now Public Contributor
On one hand our Premier was prancing around the province with this official University Conferring Wand, flitting from post secondary institution to institution granting this instituions University status, so much so, the media stated he took a wrong turn somewhere and mistakenly granted University status on a Home Daycare in his zeal to make BC one of the largest number of Universities in the world.
Rutherford University was overlooked by the "Sugar Plum Premier" and his "Wand of Education", and rightly so, as diploma mills like this and others seem to be rampant in this Province versus any other province in Canada.
This "Too little Too late" "Act of Enforcement" speaks volumes on the gullibility of British Columbians and an ineffective Government who knew for years these diploma mills existed and did nothing to close them down.
So typical of the government in this province, do nothing until the media report on your shortcomings.
I, Barry Artiste, grant or should I be so bold "Confer thee a Universal Stupidity" to government officials with my "Wand (with a nail in it) of Stupidity" in which to swat each other daily as a reminder why they were hired by taxpayers in the first place.
Do not wait till the media embarrass you into action, Do it Now!
B.C. blacklists private universityJanet Steffenhagen, Vancouver SunPublished: Wednesday, June 11, 2008BRITISH COLUMBIA - The province has blacklisted another private post-secondary school, more than two years after it became aware the institution was offering university degrees in this province without authorization.
The advanced education ministry posted a statement on its website advising that Rutherford University, Rutherford College and Senior University have been operating in B.C. in contravention of the law and have been ordered to stop.
While saying the institutions appear to have closed their provincial offices, the statement asks anyone with information that suggests Rutherford, its principals or partners are still operating in B.C. to contact the ministry (e-mail PSQ@gov.bc.ca).
Critics say the government is too slow to act against schools that operate illegally.Rutherford University continues to operate a website advertising distance learning through a "global" campus.
It says it is accredited by the International States Parliament, based in Italy, to offer degrees in disciplines from engineering to consciousness studies and sacred traditions.
The website no longer mentions a Richmond office.The university's dean, Abdul Hassam, is listed in B.C. property records as the owner - along with Gulbanu Hassam - of a$1-million home in the 5000-block of Willow Street in Vancouver.
That address was also listed in U.S. registration papers as the mailing address for Rutherford University, Senior University and Stratford International University.Robert Clift, the executive director of the Confederation of University Faculty Associations of B.C., who monitors post-secondary institutions operating outside the law, said he was pleased government officials are taking action, but added that their slow pace in dealing with such issues leaves many students at risk.
He said he recently heard from a student in Ontario who graduated from Rutherford in 2005 with a hefty student loan, but found out that her bachelor's degree was worthless when she applied for a master's program.
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