Columbia Pacific University

Columbia Pacific University (CPU) was an unaccredited nontraditional distance learning school in California.^[1] It was founded in 1978 by Richard Crews,^[2] a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, and Lester Carr, a former president of Lewis University,^[3] and operated with state approval. Distance learning and education authority John Bear gave "high marks" to the school in his 1982 "Bears' Guide to Non-Traditional College Degrees, 8th edition.

CPU was closed by California court order in 2000.^[4] The court also ruled that CPU had granted degrees legally between 1978 and mid-1997, a period when it was approved for operation by the State of California.

CPU alumni acquired all rights to the CPU name and registered a "Columbia Pacific University," a non-profit organization in Delaware. Until 2007, the CPU Press continued its publication program.

History

Initial licensing in California

In 1983, after four years of operating under a basic authorization licensing, CPU's programs in administration and management received institutional approval from the California Department of Education. On June 2, 1986, the California Department of Education granted all of CPU's programs full institutional approval for a three-year period, ruling that CPU's curricula met California Education Code Section 94310(b)'s statutory requirement of being "consistent in quality with curricula offered by appropriate established accredited institutions which are recognized by the United States Department of Education."

Changes to California licensing law

In 1989 California passed the Private Postsecondary Education Act, changing state regulations for approved schools in 1989.^[5] The Act placed CPU under the authority of the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (BPPVE). The BPPVE was not a recognized accreditor, nor did its approval serve as a substitute for educational accreditation. State approval was, however, a prerequisite in order for a private institution to become accredited. BPPVE informational materials stated "Approval is not the same as accreditation."

Site visits and CPU's response: 1994-1995

In 1994 Marin County inspectors discovered eight permitless dormitories on CPU founder Les Carr's property. Marin County officials cited Carr for "multiple zoning, safety, and health violations". Carr was forced to remove the dormitories, as well as to remove references to the property as "a retreat center on a beautiful 14-acre (57,000 m²) ranch in northern Marin county" in CPU's promotional literature.^[6]

An August 1995 site visit committee of the Council for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education found that CPU had not met the new regulations. It failed the 1995 visit on the basis of 88 points. The council's review of CPU listed numerous violations of academic standards, including:

• "One master's-degree student was given credit for "a learning contract describing how he would continue taking dance lessons and watch dance demonstrations in order to improve his skills as a Country Western dancer.""
• "A Ph.D. dissertation written in Spanish was approved by four faculty who cannot speak the language."
• "One dissertation "had no hypothesis, no data collection, and no statistical analysis. A member of the visiting committee characterized the work as more like a project paper at the college freshman level." The dissertation, The Complete Guide to Glass Collecting, was 61 pages long."
• "At least nine students who received the Ph.D. degree in 1994 had been enrolled less than 20 months, four of them less than 12."^[7]

On November 15, 1995, CPU submitted a response challenging the CPPVE findings. CPU's response argued that the CPPVE's August report “is grossly in error in most details, as documented in the 86 errors of fact enumerated”, and therefore argued that the CPPVE report was "utterly unreliable as an objective and thorough evaluation of CPU.”^[8]

CPU's response argued that the CPPVE Visiting Committee’s review of CPU dissertations was based on superficial judgments. In “Error of Fact No. 27,” for example, CPU's response says that the complaint about the lack of “evidence of competency in statistical research” was erroneous because “many dissertations do not require statistical analysis”. In "Error of Fact No. 28" and "Error of Fact No. 31", regarding CPPVE's finding that a Ph.D. dissertation was submitted in Spanish and reviewed by faculty who could not speak the language, CPU responded that the indicated student "provided an authenticated English translation" and had been working with a Spanish-fluent mentor who resided in Venezuela.

Closure and appeals: 1995-2000

CPPVE director Kenneth Miller issued CPU a Denial of Application for Approval in December 1995.

CPU administrators appealed the decision to close the school, but an administrative court judge ruled against the appeal on June 10, 1997. Among other items, the administrative appeals judge found that CPU:

• awarded excessive credit for prior experiential learning to many students;
• failed to employ duly qualified faculty; and
• failed to meet various requirements for issuing PhD degrees.^[4]

In the state's 1997 lawsuit to compel CPU to close, California Deputy Attorney General Asher Rubin called the correspondence school "a diploma mill which has been preying on California consumers for too many years" and "a consumer fraud, a complete scam". The suit also referred to Columbia Pacific University as a "phony operation" offering "totally worthless [degrees]...to enrich its unprincipled promoters".^[7]

On December 2, 1999, the Marin County Superior Court ordered the school be shut down,^[9] also levying $10,000 in fines against CPU for its "deceptive and unfair practices" in operating without authorization and failing to disclose its status to prospective students during the appeals process. Judge Lynn Duryee noted in her decision that "The decision is not whether or not the students are dissatisfied... I mean that is not the test. It's like saying, you know, that prostitution should not be illegal because the customers are satisfied. It's not the test."^[6]

This appeal was lost in 2000 and CPU was ordered to close. The Supreme Court of California upheld the denial of CPU's approval to operate.^[4]

Columbia Commonwealth University and CPU founder Les Carr

Soon after CPU's closure in California, founder Les Carr relocated to Missoula, Montana and formed "Columbia Commonwealth University" (CCWU).^[10][11][12] Columbia Commonwealth University obtained approval from the Republic of Malawi to operate as an accredited educational institution in the African nation.^[11][13][14] In 2001 CCWU moved to Jackson, Wyoming,^[11] and was based in Rock Springs, Wyoming until 2007; CCWU continues to operate in Malawi.^[15] CPU founder Les Carr still serves as chairman of the board of trustees of CCWU.^[16]

Legal status of CPU degrees

California recognizes CPU degrees earned before June 25, 1997, as "legally valid" for use in the state. CPU degrees earned on or after June 25, 1997, are "not legally valid" for use in California.^[4]

Michigan "Please note that individual degree programs that have not been accredited by the recognized programmatic accrediting body might not be accepted."^[17]

Texas "Texas has recognized CPU degrees recognized by California as legally valid" ^[18]

Notable alumni

• Barbara De Angelis: relationship consultant, lecturer and author, TV personality, relationship and personal growth adviser^[19]
• Four Arrows (Don Trent Jacobs), Native American educator and author ^[20][21]
• Hans Baumann, inventor and engineer^[22]
• Chellis Glendinning, ecopsychologist, author, activist ^[23]
• John Gray, author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus^[24]
• Anodea Judith, therapist, author of Wheels of Life^[25]
• Bernard Meltzer, talk radio host ^[26]

References