Pacific Western University (Hawaii)
Pacific Western University, also called American PacWest International University and registered with the business name Pacific West University (Hawaii) [1] was an unaccredited institution based in Hawaii that was closed in 2006 following a lawsuit filed by the State of Hawaii a year earlier.[2]
Pacific Western University (Hawaii) was incorporated in Hawaii in 1988.[1] According to the State of Hawaii, it enrolled fewer than 25 state residents, but used several websites (including www.apiu.ws, www.open-universities.com, www.warwicks.com and www.imed-pwu.com) to enroll distance education students from other places.[1][2] In 2005, the State of Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection brought a lawsuit against the institution, alleging that it misrepresented itself to prospective students and committed several other violations of state law.[1] On May 9, 2006, a state court ruled in favor of the state agency, ordering Pacific Western to cease operation and assessing a civil penalty of $500,000.[2] The State of Hawaii has taken legal action against more than 66 such unaccredited schools since the year 2000.[3]
Pacific Western University (Hawaii) was not accredited by any accreditation body recognized by the United States Department of Education.[4] As such, its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of PWU (Hawaii) degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.[5]
Pacific Western University in Hawaii and Pacific Western University in California were once owned and operated by the same party.[6] According to Inside Higher Ed, the association ended in 2004 when Pacific Western University in California) was sold and began operating under new ownership, administration, and faculty.[7]
Pacific Western University in California has subsequently changed its name to California Miramar University. On June 6, 2009, California Miramar University received accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d State of Hawaii v. Pacific Western University (Hawaii) Inc., aka American PacWest International University, Complaint (Sec. 8), count VI, count VII.
- ^ a b c Judgment in favor of the State was entered on May 9, 2006 Hawaii Department of Commerce & Consumer Affairs
- ^ List of Law Suits against Unaccredited Schools in Hawaii, accessed July 11, 2010
- ^ Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas
- ^ Diploma Mills and Accreditation
- ^ Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning, 15th edition, John B. Bear, Ph.D. & Mariah P. Bear, M.A., Copyright 2003 by Ten Speed Press, ISBN 1-58008-431-1
- ^ Thacker, Paul (2006-12-15). "What's in a Name?". Inside Higher Ed. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/12/15/calu. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
- ^ DETC 2009-2010 Directory of Accredited Institutions, DETC
