La Salle Extension University

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For the Catholic university in Philadelphia, see La Salle University.

For the university in Manila, see De La Salle University-Manila.

La Salle Extension University (LSEU) was a private, nationally accredited university, originally based in Chicago, Illinois at 417 South Dearborn St., in the downtown 'education district' near Grant Park. The University was in operation for about 70 years, from 1908 to 1980, and was affiliated with members of the faculty of the University of Chicago.

Contents 1 About 2 Alumni 3 Controversies 4 References

[edit] About

La Salle Extension University was licensed to operate as an institution of higher education by the Illinois Department of Higher Education. ^[1] and consisted of several schools, including Business, Finance, Law, and Science. In its earlier years, LSEU became one of only two schools in the US authorized by the National Home Study Council (now the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and the State of Illinois to grant academic degrees to students for completing distance study programs; the other was Grantham University. The DETC is recognized by the US Department of Education as a formal accrediting agency.

The Veterans Administration funded scholarships for US military personnel to attend LSEU under the 1944 G.I. Bill of Rights. Qualified students of the University were authorized by the US Dept. of Education to receive full Pell Grants.^[2]

Around 1978, LSEU re-located from downtown Chicago to Wilmette, Illinois,approximately 20 miles north. A branch campus was also located in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequent to this move, the University was acquired by Macmillan Publishers in a leveraged corporate buy-out. La Salle Extension University voluntarily relinquished its accreditation of its law school program on September 29, 1980 [Source: DETC]. LSEU resources were absorbed into MacMillan & Company's vast global training system [Source: C.Salovesh, former Dean, LSEU 1970/Law].
The last known director of the La Salle Law School was Dr. Charles B. Marshall. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Alumni

According to degree.net, at the time of the LSEU buy-out, the university had over 120,000 enrolled students. ^{[citation needed]}

La Salle Extension University produced many alumni in the legal and insurance fields, as well as state and local political administrations, and a spectrum of US military officials. ^{[citation needed]} E. Seigel served as Alumni Director of the LaSalle Alumni Club. E.B. Menager (LSEU 1976/Business) manages the online LSEU Directory of Graduates. ^[3]

[edit] Controversies

In the University's declining years, its marketing officials became practically legendary for their overly-aggressive advertising practices (rivaling those of the University of Phoenix, today), and, as a result, the University was embroiled in several lawsuits and counter-suits by the FTC. Most notable was the University's use of ads on paraphernalia such as matchbooks, ink pens and pencils and in various types of magazines, with a grinning graduate and the famous headline "Look who's smiling now!" ^[4]

In 1973, La Salle Extension University was charged by FTC (D. 5907) in the Seventh Circuit (Chicago) "involving misrepresentations about obtaining law degrees through a correspondence course." ^[5] FTC ruled that the University be required to include a disclaimer in ads for its law distance program that read: "No state accepts any law home study course, including La Salle's, as sufficient education to qualify for admission to practice law." This disclaimer was subsequently proven not to be factual, as some states, such as California and Georgia, had already sanctioned distance education in law as sufficient preparation to sit for their respective bar exams. ^{[6] [7]}
Colleges such as the University of Wisconsin have ruled that distance law study programs are adequate preparation for continued studies in the legal academics, and have accepted students on that basis. ^{[citation needed]}

La Salle Extension University closed its law school program in 1980 following further litigation involving the FTC ^[8] and the MacMillan Publishing Co. buyout.

LaSalle Extension University closed only its Law School in 1981 following the litigation involving the FTC - "LaSalle Extension University v. Federal Trade Commission," 627 F.2d. 481 (DC Cir. 1980). LaSalle Extension University under MacMillan continued to operate other degree programs until 2000 at Wilimette, Il and Detroit, MI.(E.B. Menager (LSEU 1976 Business) manages the LSECU Directory of Graduates (See Alumni, www.ebmnet.com/co/lasalle/directory.htm.

[edit] References