I 'attended' Kensington University online beginning in 1993 for a Master's in Psychology. I was a hospital social worker and they were willing to pay for courses and gave me a book of the 100 top online universities and told me they would pay for any of them.
Kensington most suited my needs by providing mentors and one-on-one guidance as needed. Another reason I chose Kensington is because many U.S. Senators as well as Dr. Susan Forward received their degrees from there and it seemed to be a reputable institution - which I'm told by Jeffrey Brunton, state of Hawaii Attorney. According to Brunton, the school was bought out around 2000 - 2003 by a group, perhaps Calabro - who turned the school into a diploma mill, thus ruining it's name and reputation for all former students who graduated from there.
Brunton told me that he gets calls from former students all the time who no longer have access to their transcripts, etc. I happen to have my original contract and plan of courses (curriculum) along with EVERY course evaluation, every book, every bit of correspondence that shows I really did take the classes and was graded for them.
Because I had two small children and was working full time as a director of a large department, I took the courses one or two at a time over 4 years. I had a back bill of $400 so my diploma would not be sent until I paid that - which I had just procrastinated about since I had the notice of graduation, the forms to order the exact way I wanted my name on the diploma (full middle, no middle, initial) etc. Finally, after a couple of years, I sent in the money to get the diploma and asked for transcripts. The reason I didn't do it sooner is because I was set in my job and it was not a major issue at the time.
It was then that I found out that in those few years, the school had been bought out. I had to go through 3 years of hell just to get a copy of my diploma - which now I know means nothing! We can no longer access transcipts. Therefore, I have an invisible Masters degree with nothing to show for it accept a box full of individual course transcripts. If potential clients or employers look up my college, it looks like it is just a diploma mill - which it is now but was not in the early to mid-90's.
I feel that, not only should I be reimbursed for tuition, I should be reimbursed for my time as a consultant which is $150/hour, and damages to my credentials, credibility and reputation. I am extremely embarrassed and despondent that I worked so hard on something and paid the money - and have all the documentation FROM THE SCHOOL to prove it and yet I have nothing to show for it.
Is there any recourse? Shouldn't these jerks be made to pay at the very least, or spend time in prison?
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