Pacific Western University (Hawaii)

Pacific Western University (Hawaii) was the name of an unaccredited university which was closed in May 2006 following a lawsuit filed by the State of Hawaii a year earlier.

History

Pacific Western University (Hawaii), Inc., also called American PacWest International University and registered with the business name Pacific West University (Hawaii) ^[1] was incorporated in Hawaii in 1988^[1] and operated within the State of Hawaii until May 2006. The University was an unaccredited institution based in Hawaii. This Pacific Western University institution was by far the largest of the three Pacific Western University schools and offered degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. Pacific Western University - Hawaii offered degree programs through several partnerships including Japan, Korea, Mexico, Argentina and Taiwan.^[2]

In December 2001, Pacific Western University (Hawaii) received an official recognition and commendation from the 21st Hawaii State Senate ^[3] and another recognition and commendation from the 21st Hawaii State House of Representatives.^[4] These two State of Hawaii legislative bodies honored the University for their innovative, cost effective and quality distance education programs.

Controversies

Pacific Western University (Hawaii) was the subject of controversy concerning the unaccredited nature of its programs.

In May 2004 the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs conducted hearings to determine whether the federal government had paid for, or governmental officials possessed, degrees from unaccredited schools.^[5] As part of those hearing the US Government Accountability Office presented the results of an eight-month examination and report.^[6] As the basis of the report, the GAO searched the Internet for nontraditional, unaccredited post-secondary schools that offered degrees that met their search criteria. After the passage of the Homeland Security Act, Section 4107 of tile 5, U.S. Code was amended. After this act became law in 2002, the federal government could pay for the cost of academic degree training for federal employees only if the college or university providing that training was accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting body. The Senate Committee official transcript^[5] references Pacific Western University in Los Angeles and Pacific Western University (Hawaii) as two of the unaccredited schools the GAO found online and mentioned during the hearing. The official senate record reflects that Pacific Western University in Los Angeles was recognized as California State Approved. However, because the State of Hawaii had no state approval process, it was noted that it was difficult for students to tell the difference between the two schools who at the time where under the same ownership.

In 2004 Investigative reporters from television station KVOA of Tucson, Arizona,^[7] reported that Pima Community College in Tucson had reduced the salaries of two faculty members who previously had been paid at the PhD level based on their degrees from PWU (Hawaii). The two pay reductions were a result of changes in U.S. law enacted after 9/11/2001 that prohibited government employees from using degrees earned at non-accredited institutions for the purpose of receiving pay increases or job promotions.

In 2005, the State of Hawaii Office of Consumer Protection brought a lawsuit against the institution, alleging that it enrolled fewer than 25 state residents, and 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] On May 9, 2006, a state court received a default judgement in favor of the state agency, ordering Pacific Western University (Hawaii) to cease operation and assessing a civil penalty of $500,000.^[8] The State of Hawaii has taken legal action against more than 66 such unaccredited schools since the year 2000.^[9]

Pacific Western University (Hawaii) and the affiliated Pacific Western University (Louisiana) were not accredited by any accreditation body recognized by the United States Department of Education.^[10] As such, its degrees and credits might not be acceptable to employers or other institutions, and use of PWU (Hawaii) and PWU (Louisiana) degree titles may be restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions.^[11]

Ownership and affiliation structure

Pacific Western University (Louisiana)

There has been confusion regarding the various Pacific Western University institutions. According to the official custodian of records for Pacific Western University (Hawaii),^[2] there was a third Pacific Western University that operated in Louisiana from 1990 to 1994. This was a separate institution that operated under Louisiana state law.

In 1994 Louisiana changed their state laws governing private post-secondary education by way of distance education. After this change of law, Pacific Western University (Louisiana) voluntarily ceased all operations within the state. All active Pacific Western University (Louisiana) students were given the option to transfer to Pacific Western University (Hawaii) and all student records of the Louisiana school were placed in the care of Pacific Western University (Hawaii). Alumni of Pacific Western University (Louisiana) can access their student records through Education Services, who has served as the official custodian of records for Pacific Western University (Hawaii) since January 2012.

It was reported in the Irish Independent in late 2005 that the Chief Science Adviser to the government of Ireland, Barry McSweeney, had advanced his career using a degree obtained from Pacific Western University.^[12][13] Education Services confirms that Dr. McSweeny was a graduate of Pacific Western University (Louisiana).^[2][14]

McSweeney was forced to resign his position as a result although the article stated that McSweeney had other recognized graduate education and had made no attempt to conceal the details of his PhD education and that he was "proud" of his doctorate and "stood over it".^[15]

Common ownership of Pacific Western schools prior to 2005

Pacific Western University(Hawaii) and Pacific Western University (California) were once owned and operated by the same party.^[16] According to Inside Higher Ed, the association ended in 2005 when Pacific Western University in California's assets were sold.^[17]

No relationship with PWU (California) or CMU after 2005

Pacific Western University (California) operated in Los Angeles from 1976 until 2005 when its assets, including its State of California approval status, were sold to San Diego-based California Miramar University (CMU). The asset sale included an 18-month transition plan where PWU California agreed to teach out its active students and fulfill several other key elements. In early 2007 the conditions of the asset transition were complete and PWU California officially ceased operations and transferred its California State Approval to CMU. When California Miramar University filed for accreditation later in 2007, the accrediting agency ruled that CMU and PWU California were separate schools that operated with separate academic standards. The accreditation agency stipulated that graduates of Pacific Western University (California) would not be eligible to receive CMU diplomas or transcripts.^[18] As CMU did not purchase the assets of Pacific Western University (Hawaii) or Pacific Western University (Louisiana) alumni of these two institutions as well as alumni of Pacific Western University (California) are ineligible to receive CMU diplomas or transcripts and should not call themselves alumni of California Miramar University.^[2]

Alumni

Pacific Western University (Hawaii)

• David Reardon, biomedical ethicist, holds a PhD in Biomedical Ethics from Pacific Western University (Hawaii).^{[18][19][20][21]}
• Jun Tang (唐俊), president and chief executive officer in Xin Hua Du Industrial Group Co., former CEO of SHANDA, former executive of Microsoft China Co., Ltd., received a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Pacific Western University (Hawaii) in 1996.^[18][21][22]
• Dan Voiculescu – Romanian politician and founder of the Conservative Party (Romania) holds a PhD from Pacific Western University (Hawaii).^[18][21][23]
• Rafael Galeano Andrades, Docente Universidad de Cartagena; doctorando 1988-1992 Decano Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales 2004-2014 ^[24]
• David Iadevaia, Ph.D. in Science Education 1992; Arizona Professor^[18][21]
• David Bishop, Ph.D. in Religious Studies 1994; Arizona Professor^[18][21]

Pacific Western University (Louisiana)

• Einbarr "Barry" McSweeny - Former Chief Science Officer to the government of Ireland holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry with emphasis in Biochemistry from Pacific Western University (Louisiana)^[2][15]

Pacific Western University (California)

• Earl Ofari Hutchinson, journalist, author, and broadcaster, has a PhD in sociology from Pacific Western University.^[25][26]
• Bingu wa Mutharika, President of Malawi^[27]
• Eddy Shell, Louisiana educator and Bossier Parish Police Jury member, held a PhD from Pacific Western University.^[28]
• Sam Vaknin, Israeli author, lists a PhD from Pacific Western University in Encino, California, on his curriculum vitae, for study of the philosophy of physics.^[29]
• Romulus Whitaker, herpetologist and wildlife conservationist, reports receiving a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Management from Pacific Western University in 1986.^[30]

References