Canbourne University

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Not to be confused with Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, United Kingdom.

Canbourne University is an unaccredited degree-issuing body, which claims to be a distance learning online university based at a fictional address in London, United Kingdom. According to its website, in 2002-2003 it had some 14,000 students, the majority (88%) from outside the United Kingdom or the European Union.[1] However, a British Trading Standards department has called it a "bogus university".[2]. Canbourne is not accredited by any recognised accreditation body. As such, its degrees should not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.

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[edit] Background

The Department for Education and Skills, a branch of the British Government with responsibility for education and training, does not list Canbourne University as a "recognised body" (which has degree awarding powers) [3] or a "listed body" (an institute that may offer courses which lead to a degree of a recognised body).[4] As a result, it may be seen as a degree mill. Canbourne's website is on the .org.uk top level domain; bona-fide academic institutions in the UK are found on the .ac.uk TLD.

As of May 2006, Canbourne claims as its Chancellor a "Paul C. Crosbie", titled "The Lord Paul of Coleshill GBE KCB DSO". Burke's Peerage do not list any person by that name and the biography appears to be a copy of that of Richard Vincent, Lord Vincent of Coleshill, Chancellor of Cranfield University, taken from that university's site; it even uses "Lord Vincent" towards the end.[5][6] Furthermore, although the Canbourne website claims that "Lord Paul" is a life peer, the only "Coleshill" sitting in the House of Lords is Lord Vincent.[7][8] Ian Moseley, a Trading Standards officer at Tower Hamlets Council in London, said in a press release that "Although the site appeared to offer UK degrees, Canbourne was not authorised to do so. The postal address given did not exist and the details on the website, including the biography of the Chancellor, were copied from an existing, registered university." The press release added that "the operators of the website are based abroad and getting them closed down can be a slow process."[2]

The Canbourne website offers prices in US dollars and lump sum prices for its degrees.[9]

The identical information (including staff, student numbers and address) is used on another website for a Denbourne University [1]

The identical telephone number is used on another website for the "University" of "Lamberhurst", another unaccredited institution of dubious reputation [2]

As the University is not authorised to issue UK degrees anyone quoting a qualification from this body should make this clear in the quotation. A failure to do so in some jurisdictions may constitute fraud.

[edit] Alumni

According to his biography on web-based Biographical Directory of members of the United States Congress, John Paul Hammerschmidt, former Representative from Arkansas, attended two different U.S. universities in the 1940s, but received his degrees from "Canbourne University, London, England" only after retiring from his political career: a B.S. in 1993, and an M.A. in 1997.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Key Facts And Figures", Canbourne University website
  2. ^ a b "Council crackdown on dodgy degrees", London Borough of Tower Hamlets Trading Standards department, Tower Hamlets Council website
  3. ^ "Recognised Bodies: Institutions with their own degree awarding powers", DFES website
  4. ^ "Colleges and other institutions offering courses leading to a degree of a recognised body", DFES website
  5. ^ "Key Personnel - The Chancellor The Lord Paul of Coleshill GBE KCB DSO", Canbourne University website (accessed 10 May 2006)
  6. ^ "Chancellor of Cranfield University", Cranfield University website
  7. ^ Search for "Coleshill", Public Whip website
  8. ^ "House of Lords : Alphabetical List of Members", UK Parliament official website
  9. ^ "Tuition Fees", Canbourne University website
  10. ^ "HAMMERSCHMIDT, John Paul - Biographical Information", Biographical Directory of members of the United States Congress

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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