"I am a college graduate, sort of…"

University Business, August, 2005 by Melissa Ezarik

No matter how small the type size, it's a disclaimer no hiring manager would miss. Yet, every law-abiding Oregonian with a college degree from a non-accredited institution will now have to draw attention to that fact--on any resume, letterhead, business card, announcement or advertisement in which the person claims to have the degree.

The provision is the latest step Oregon lawmakers have taken in their fight against bogus degrees, diploma mills, and non-accredited institutions in general. White other states have similar laws, the disclaimer requirement is unique to Oregon, as far as Alan Contreras, administrator in the Office of Degree Authorization at the Oregon Student Assistance Commission, knows. His office, typically acting on an outsiders tip, has the authority to levy fines and refer cases to prosecutors.

Even where laws exist, enforcement is no easy task. "Using state legislation to regulate diploma mills is like trying to hit a moving target," notes Christine Walton Siley, senior research and policy analyst at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. "Many are virtual and operate from a P.O. box or from outside the country. They can evade these laws by simply changing their ZIP codes."

As for average job seekers abiding by accreditation laws, some will and some won't, Contreras predicts. Oregon-based resume writer Pat Kendall says most people probably think they'll never get caught. Of the 10,000-plus job seekers Kendall has worked with over the years, only two, who had no degree at all, have admitted to tying about their education. Her warning about false claim consequences didn't phase them. "The only thing that convinced them to remove the degree," she recalls, "was my refusal to work with them if they insisted on including it."

The potential for tying applicants is one reason Legitimate IHEs, as employers, should be minding the store. Contreras points to recent situations where senior administrators and faculty at accredited universities have been proven to have fake or substandard degrees. "You are cheating your students if you use someone with fake credentials. And secondly, you are incurring certain legal risks," he reminds.

Another cause for concern: "Bogus schools are the competition. A person who obtains an MBA in 48 hours through a mail-order house is someone who did not get it from a Legitimate distance education provider," Contreras points out.

And then there's the bigger picture to worry about, with diploma milts putting the college degree at risk, Contreras adds. "If everybody gets a Ph.D. by mail order and we can run around calling each other doctor, all you've really done is devalued the concept of a cortege degree to the point that it doesn't mean very much."