Tag Archives: Credential Evaluations

February 1, 2020 · 10:12 pm

ACEI-Global Consulting Group® (ACEI-GCG): A new division of ACEI, Inc.

February 1st, 2020

In this week’s blog post, we would like to shine the spotlight on ACEI-Global Consulting Group® (ACEI-GCG), a new division of ACEI, launched on January 28, 2020. ACEI-GCG has brought together experts in the field with experience and know-how in various specialties such as:

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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There is a lot of pressure on universities today to be more diverse and inclusive in their student body – not just in terms of race but also gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, social class, national origin, and more. According to Peterson’s, “Diversity means that the campus is viewed as a welcoming environment for anyone who wants to apply. Having an inclusive mission at an educational institution says something progressive and important about their campus that they value diversity and will allow their students to express themselves as they see fit.”

Typical Clients

Faculty and staff at colleges and universities.

Study abroad and exchange university departments, Third-party providers of study abroad.

What is Involved?

ACEI’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Consultancy team will meet with client to discuss and assess current D&I strategies (if any are in place) and budget. From there we offer consulting on the following areas:

Strategy for recruiting non-traditional students to study abroad and exchange programs
Creating counseling and support services for non-traditional study abroad and exchange students
Locating funding sources and scholarships
Strategies for continued involvement of non-traditional students – creating a self-perpetuating program

Program Review & Articulation for Pathway Initiatives

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Providing customized solutions to reach students in key and emerging markets, attract international students, develop an articulation agreement with an international institution, and promote your institution/program.

Typical Clients
Colleges and universities, qualification awarding bodies seeking partnership opportunities through pathway and/or dual degree programs.

What is Involved?

ACEI’s Global Pathway Consulting provides a number of customized solutions to help you overcome enrollment challenges, uncover opportunities, and devise an innovative and holistic approach to international enrollment. Our Global Pathway Consulting provides all the tools you need to achieve a successful articulation agreement with your partner institution:

Determines international institution’s accreditation
Establishes the entrance criteria
Confirms required length of study
Reviews curriculum & syllabus
Assesses program content
Prepares a course-by-course listing of subjects
Recommends credit conversion
Reports grading scale & recommends a grade conversion scale
Suggests subject levels (e.g. undergraduate lower division or upper division)
Recommends an approximate U.S. equivalency

Media and Branding (Marketing)

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The Media and Brand Consultants’ expertise covers specialties that support and promote internationalization within higher education organizations and their communities by creating branded videos and campaigns that will increase student awareness and interest in your institution.

Typical Clients

Schools, colleges and universities, education-service organization.

What is Involved?

Whether you are a school, college or university or an education-service organization, you are concerned with creating dynamic strategies that communicate the right messages to the right people at the right time. ACEI’s Media and Brand Consultants have a wealth of knowledge and relevant experience in national and international education to help promote and market your programs, products and or services. We understand the consumer behavior of your student population which is essential for assisting you to adapt your communications to influence your target market’s perceptions.

Expand your brand by creating a video, or a video campaign, that can bring new energy into your recruiting efforts.
Create compelling marketing messages.
Develop or enhance an existing online and digital marketing strategy.
Branding with a cause. What kind of impact are your graduates going to make? What cause should you align with? How do you demonstrate your alignment? We create and implement impact campaigns for schools that will draw new interest from international students. Topics include: Analyzing The Environment, Making Change, Developing the Vision & Strategy, Drafting Your Strategic Plan, Impact Budgets, Partnerships, Implementation, Evaluation and Reporting.

ACEI-Global Consulting Group® create awareness, trust, loyalty, and advocacy for your brand and institution.
As a leader in international applied comparative education, ACEI excels in blending the needs of international professionals with business expertise with decades of industry know-how.
Through ACEI expert services, webinars, and careful examination, our Global Consulting Group works with you to address today’s challenges and tomorrow’s – whether it’s to grow your diversity programs, quality branding and marketing, or program reviews to minimize risk and to streamline your admission processes.

Contact:
ACEI-Global Consulting Group
W: https://www.acei-global-consulting.org

The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI), was founded in 1994 and is based in Los Angeles, CA, USA. ACEI provides a number of services that include evaluations of international academic credentials for U.S. educational equivalence, translation, verification, and professional training programs. ACEI is a Charter and Endorsed Member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators. For more information, visit www.acei-global.org.

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Tagged as college, Credential Evaluations, education

June 7, 2019 · 12:14 pm

A 1st Timer’s Reflections on the NAFSA 2019 Annual Conference

June 7th, 2019

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My excitement and expectations as a first-time participant to the NAFSA Annual Meeting were exceeded. It was a great experience to see how united and collaborative the community of international higher education is. I think this was the first time when I truly understood what networking really means. I was waiting by the information desk to meet with my IEM mentor (via the IEM Connector Program) and I happened to glance over the long hallway of the Convention Center. Everywhere I could see, there were people with a big smile on their face and arms open wide, recognizing and old friend or collaborator. My experience with the conference was one of belonging to a community wholeheartedly dedicated to excellence in higher education.

Two prominent plenary speakers at the conference were former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Collin Powell. Both talked about the importance of international education and the role of the government in creating supporting policies for attracting international students. They shared their own experiences in the White House and expressed intense criticism for the current government’s actions against internationalization. They were so funny and witty!

The recurrent theme of this year’s NAFSA Annual Conference was the anticipated diminishing numbers of international students. The main reasons for predicted lower numbers are the following: difficulties in obtaining student visas, higher visa processing fees, perceived racism and discrimination, higher tuition costs, unstable political discourse, future USCIS plans for restructuring the OPT and CPT, rise in H1-B visa denials.

Where do international students go and why? International students mostly go to Canada and Australia, with the US and UK seeing lower numbers than ever. Canada is seen as more welcoming, with less visa restrictions and more opportunities for securing work after study completion.

At the conference, I attended sessions on how to develop recruitment, admissions and retentions strategies in response to the current unsteady global enrollment climate. I basically tried to learn from what other institutions are doing to develop and implement systemic change to deal with future enrollment. What I found was not a surprise: apply cross-cultural competencies to understand the incoming international student population, make data-driven policies and procedures, and create informative communication plans to teach students/applicants how to navigate the US academic system.

One of the most informative session I attended was Canada’s International Students: A Study in Diversity. This was an exceptionally interesting presentation with a tremendous amount of government data. Contrary to the perception that increased numbers or international students are due to the US and UK’s detrimental policies, the Canadian Government had created a plan to enhance the international student population back in 2013. US and UK’s discriminatory environment has indeed helped their numbers but only because they already had a very structured plan in place to absorb the high number of international students. It was not just luck, it was tremendous work and strong support from the government.

POLIXENIA TOHANEANU, has been working as an International Admissions Specialist and Credential Evaluator in the Graduate Admissions Office at University of Idaho since 2016. She holds an M.A. in Francophone Studies from University of Cincinnati. As a previous international graduate student herself, she is passionate for researching new ways to make the process of evaluating international credentials more efficient. Email: polixeniat@uidaho.edu

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Tagged as Credential Evaluations, credentials, education, NAFSA

April 5, 2019 · 7:00 am

Dispatch from the 105th AACRAO Annual Meeting – Los Angeles CA

April 5th, 2019

AACRAO’s Annual Meeting held its largest meeting of higher education professionals from around the world this week in Los Angeles California. The Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE), of which ACEI is a Charter and Endorsed Member, joined more than 2,000 administrators to address the issues that affect our work, collaborate on goals and guidelines for meeting those challenges, and provide a forum for learning and sharing experiences.

The Annual Meeting provided an extensive program of over 200 sessions, roundtables, poster sessions, and workshops.

AICE Endorsed Member, ACEI, FCSA, Scholaro, shared their expertise in these workshops and several sessions regarding credential evaluation, country profile of Cuba and the AACRAO Cuba Project, the Alphabet Soup of International Credential Evaluators, updates on the standards for AACRAO EDGE, and how to conduct armchair recruiting.
The meeting was kicked off with half-day workshop on how to use the AACRAO EDGE, which AICE President, Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert together with Drew Carlisle from AACRAO led.

The meeting then continued with the opening plenary featuring a warm awards ceremony, honoring the years of service of Janie Barnett, AACRAO’s Associate Executive Director. The awards ceremony also honored an AICE Affiliate and an Endorsed Member.

AICE is proud of the latest AICE Endorsed Member, Incred Evaluations, Inc., Leah McCormack, Director, who won the AACRAO award for Emerging Leader in the profession.

AICE Affiliate, Karee Head, International Admissions Specialist of University of Idaho, won the Thomas A. Bilger Award for her dedication to the profession. AACRAO was also the perfect arena to share the collaboration of AACRAO and AICE, as an MOU was signed by both parties to agree to partner on various issues surrounding applied comparative education. It was definitely a moment for AICE Endorsed Members and Affiliates to shine!

The plenary continued with a moving discussion led by Nightline’s Byron Pitts, who overcame many obstacles to reach his life goals. He provided motivation for change and gave us a sense of hope during these trying times in International Education.

The Annual Conference continued with several more sessions, including, “Alphabet Soup for International Credential Evaluation” with AICE Endorsed Members, Aleks Morawski, Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert, and Robert Watkins.

Laura Sippel, AICE Director of Communications, represented AICE Charter Endorsed Member, Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI) through her session: “International Student Recruitment Without Leaving Your Office,” with California State University Northridge.

The International Luncheon brought together dedicated professionals for a inspiring informational presentation by Dr. Keith David Watenpaugh, Director of Article 26 Backpack Project, that assist refugees and displaced persons. He said through the Backpack enrollment, refugees guide their peers and this program also helps digitize their documents and create profiles that put a story to their accomplishments. AICE will be working with AACRAO to foster this initiative.

The evening continued with the lively International Educators reception sponsored by AICE Endorsed Member FCSA’s William Paver and the Paver Family Foundation. We then continued to an intimate gathering to truly honor the years of service of Janie Barnett, with AACRAO Executives and sponsors providing moving speeches, wonderful stories of working with Janie, and wishing her well.

On Wednesday, AACRAO Annual Meeting came to an end with the closing plenary featuring George Takei, Author, Actor, Director, and Activist, who used humor and warmth to address the large crowd. George Takei is of course well known as Sulu, on the USS Enterprise in the long running TV series, Star Trek. He spoke of his early days as a five-year old having lived with his family in the Japanese internment camps in Arkansas and California during WWII.

It was truly a week of collaborating, celebrating new partnerships, and honoring our colleagues and friends.

AACRAO indicates on their website, “Our programming reflects the diverse nature of our members’ roles and responsibilities, and strives to meet the changing demands and needs of the professions we serve. Join us in Los Angeles to gain the knowledge and skills that ensure personal, student, and institutional success.”

As the meeting closed, we felt the positivity of the meeting, as we discussed new initiatives, gave each other encouragement to be a strong advocate for our profession and have the right tools to serve those affected by our work so we can change lives.

As the sun set on the 105^th AACRAO Annual Meeting, we very much looked forward to moving on to the AICE Symposium, directly following the productive meeting.

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Tagged as Association of International Credential Evaluators, Credential Evaluations, credentials, education

March 8, 2019 · 7:00 am

Diploma to Degree: A Global Progression Pathway Made in Scotland

March 8th, 2019

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Introducing the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
SQA Qualifications
Quality Assurance
SQA International markets and SQA Diploma to Degree offerings
Partnership working with ACEI
Working with us

SQA wants to establish progression pathways for its international students who, on completion of an SQA Advanced Qualification in their own country wish to articulate to a related Degree program at an institution in the U.S.

U.S. colleges may wish to work in partnership with SQA and deliver SQA Advanced Qualifications either jointly with their own provision or as an alternative provision. In doing so, U.S. institutions can internationalize their campus by working with SQA, SQA’s existing progression partners and centers around the world. Once a pathway is established, SQA will work in partnership with the receiving institution and promote the progression pathway to its students and centers around the world.

Who Will Benefit

Admissions Officers interested in recruiting international students
Staff with an interest in progression pathways from college based learning into higher education
Higher education policy makers with an interest in progression routes for lifelong learning and bridging the academic/vocational divide
Credential Evaluation Bodies
Community College Staff
University Staff

Thursday, March 21, 2019

10 AM – 11 AM PST

Free Webinar

Register Now

Your Presenters:

Margaret
Mags Hutchinson
International Articulation Manager
Scottish Qualifications Authority

Mags has been employed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority for 18 years. Initially she worked in Qualifications Development, developing and maintaining qualifications to service the Engineering sector. In her current role as International Articulation Manager she seeks to build relationships with Community Colleges and Higher Education Institutions in the US.

Jasmin_Photo
Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert
President & CEO
Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute

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Jasmin is a leading expert on international education and credential evaluation methodologies. She has authored several publications on world education systems, and is a regular presenter at regional, national and international conferences. She is currently the Acting President of the Association of International Credential Evaluators, and serves on the International Education Standards Council of AACRAO (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers).

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February 15, 2019 · 7:00 am

Institutional Accreditation: A Standard Under Attack? Misunderstood? Ignored?

February 15th, 2019

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Last year, the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE), of which ACEI is an Endorsed Member, hosted its annual Symposium in Orlando, FL and tackled the issue of institutional Accreditation. Those of us in the credential evaluation field live and breath accreditation. Determining an international institution’s recognition status is the first step any junior or seasoned credential evaluator takes. It is what sets an international school or institution of higher education on a par with its accredited counterpart in the U.S. There are many types of accreditation in the U.S. and I will not go into each of them in this blog (CHEA would be a good source to visit for details), but the one we focus on and use as the standard is regional accreditation.

Unlike most countries where the Ministry of Education is responsible for the oversight and recognition of schools and institutions of higher education, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) does not have this authority. It does, however, recognize accreditation boards and provides this information to the public. In most countries, when evaluating international credentials, we look to see if the studies were completed at an institution that is formally recognized and endorsed by the country’s Ministry of Education (MOE). I’m over simplifying but as I said, in most cases, we look for MOE recognition.

Lately, I see there’s a disconnect between educators, school/college counselors, and admissions professionals in relation to accreditation. In some cases, it’s an afterthought or entirely forgotten. As if accreditation is a bad thing, a nuisance. I even find that many, even those in the education sector, are unfamiliar with what is meant by accreditation and the different types of accreditation available in the U.S., especially regional. For example, I recently read a question in a forum intended for admissions officers at local colleges here in Southern California about a “university” in Downtown Los Angeles. The individual was asking whether anyone had heard about it and did not even consider checking the list of regionally accredited institutions CHEA has available on its website. A quick online search found this so-called university to be nothing but a diploma mill with a defunct website.

Everyone involved in education or counseling students for further education must, I repeat, must keep this link handy for reference. The USDE also dedicates a page to Diploma Mills and Accreditation. Many of you who follow my posts on this blog know that I frequently write about Diploma and Accreditation Mills, warning fellow credential evaluators, educators, admissions officers, counselor, and prospective students against the perils of falling prey to these fraudulent entities.

Every day, I come across news of yet another individual holding a prominent position in government, whether here in the U.S. or overseas who has been discovered to have a degree from a diploma mill or misrepresented him/herself as a degree holder from an institution never attended. Examples abound, but I’ll share a couple in this blog. First, there is the Deputy Foreign Minister of Malaysia who had falsely claimed to have a degree from the prestigious University of Cambridge in the UK. He has now admitted that he had misspoken and his degree is from Cambridge International University in the U.S., which is still dubious in status given it lacks regional accreditation by one of the accreditation boards recognized by the US Department of Education. A little digging on the Internet shows it to be yet another diploma mill. Read this piece and you’ll see all the red flags. Click here.

Next, we have Nigeria where the Minister of Education announced last month that the government will shut down and demolish 68, I repeat, 68, institutions discovered to be operating illegally and without accreditation and will apprehend and prosecute their owners. What is disconcerting is the following quote in the article posted by University World News: “Some academics are asking if closing down “illegal” universities is the answer, in view of the inability of Nigeria’s current legally-established universities to absorb the number of school leavers wanting places.” Begs the question, have we slipped so far down the slippery slope of mediocrity that attending a sub-standard “university” or one operating illegally is better than none at all?

Accreditation in the U.S. is also under scrutiny. The USDE, under Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, released newly proposed changes to rewrite several rules concerning regulation of colleges, universities, and their respective accrediting agencies. The proposed changes would loosen federal oversight of these institutions. In an article for Inside Higher Education, a former for-profit college executive speaks out against plans by the USDE to weaken requirements for oversight of college quality. It’s a disturbing expose of the misappropriation of funds and other unethical activities. Just as I was about to post this blog, a new report came out by Inside Higher Education that USDE is rolling back or toning down some of its proposed changes in the face of strong opposition.

Right now, the jury is out as to how USDE’s proposed changes will impact accreditation regulations. Personally, I don’t have a good feeling about the direction it is headed. Do we really want less oversight of our schools, universities, and accrediting agencies given the proliferation of questionable for-profit schools and the booming diploma mill industry?

Additional Links:

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b024016f-e13c-4897-8290-817c71b7a3f1

http://www.insightintodiversity.com/u-s-department-of-education-plans-to-overhaul-several-college-accreditation-rules/

Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert is the President and CEO of the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI).

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February 8, 2019 · 7:00 am

Fighting Diploma Fraud & Protecting Credential Integrity with Technology

February 8th, 2019

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Diploma mills are here to stay as long as there is little or no regulation monitoring them and there is a demand for degrees which do not require classroom or online attendance, exams, research papers or thesis. Fake degrees are purchased from online sites offering an à la carte menu of “products” at a fraction of the cost of an actual earned academic degree. Their websites can range from the tacky, cluttered with advertisements to the sophisticated boasting a litany of institutional accreditations with equally fraudulent accrediting entities. Individuals visiting these sites can select a degree of their choice in their preferred major from the menu and even select their graduation date. They can order class rings, mugs, sweatshirts and other paraphernalia with the fake university’s emblem. At the strike of a few keys on the keyboard, and payment of fees with a credit card, they walk away with the promise of a Bachelor, Master, and even a Ph.D. As employers post job openings requiring degrees, and in most cases, advanced degrees such as a Master’s or Ph.D., the absence of an earned credential has driven many to willingly seek a diploma mill or fall prey to sales schemes and tactics that lure the naïve and unsuspecting consumer to purchase a degree they were promised from what they assumed to be a prestigious, though non-existent, university.

Earlier this week, we came across a question on an online quorum where a counselor at a local community college here in California was asking about a “university” a student at his college was considering transferring to because, and I quote, “he could get a bachelor’s quickly.” The college counselor could not find any information on the so-called university that cited its physical address in the Downtown Los Angeles area. A quick search on the Internet took me to the university’s website that was “under maintenance” and thanks to GooleMaps, found its campus to be a strip mall with a “For Lease” sign posted on the door. I warned the college counselor to advise his students against applying to this university as it was not regionally accredited and most likely a diploma mill.

And, just when we thought diploma mills are set up by nefarious entities, we recently learned that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had set up a fake university in Michigan to crack down on illicit operations allowing foreign citizens to stay in the U.S. illegally. The sting operation was to catch recruiters and others engaging in immigration fraud. Indictments were issued with charges of conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harboring aliens for profit. Fighting fraud with fraud. To read more, click here

Clearly, there is a market for fake degrees. Where there is demand, there is supply. And it’s proven to be a very lucrative industry…a billion-dollar industry.

What is being done to protect against fraud when it comes to academic credentials?

Blockchain Platforms

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We are beginning to hear about Blockchain technology being used as a platform to help combat against falsified diplomas and certificates. There are several companies offering Blockchain platform to address this issue. One that I read about recently is EchoLink Foundation that has designed the EKO Blockchain Platform with the goal to provide verified education, skill, and work experience information. To avoid tampering from third parties, EchoLink Foundation allows only approved educational, training, and other institutions access to enter their information. To read more, click here and for learn more about for more on how universities are adopting blockchain technology , click here.

There are many institutions and countries that have adopted digital platforms for the secure archival, verification and transmission of their academic credentials. Here’s a partial list of countries that have sprung into action by using technology to fight against fraud and protect credential integrity:

Republic of Georgia

The Business and Technology University in Tbilisi, Georgia has implemented an educational credential verification system using the blockchain technology powered by Emercoin. To learn more, click here

Russia

We just learned that the Russian Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Education and Science, (Rosobrnadzor) will implement blockchain technology in the country’s main graduation examination. To learn more, click here

Caribbean Examination Council:

In November 2018, the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) started distributing blockchain-based certificates to “24,000 shortlisted candidates” to ensure a faster verification process of educational credentials. To learn more, click here

South Africa

Fake degree from diploma mills is one problem, the other is falsification of academic documents from legitimate institutions. South Africa is taking steps to tackle fake degrees and its universities have the ability to verify qualifications through a fully-automated centralized online degree verification systems called MiE. To learn more, click here

Switzerland

In 2018, University of Basel started using blockchain technology to protect and verify academic credentials. It has partnered with the Center for Innovative Finance, a research group within the University of Basel which focuses on financial technology and another company called Proxeus. This partnership is intended to end reliance on traditional paper-transcripts and adopt a digital platform for the archiving and distribution of academic credentials. To learn more, click here

This is just a sample of countries and steps they’ve taken to protect against credential fraud. In future blogs, we will showcase other digital platforms set up by institutions, third party providers, and governments to protect against falsification of academic documents.

As technology progresses, so do the entities operating diploma mills. They are using sophisticated tools to reproduce believable documents. At the same time, institutions and some countries are taking measures to fight these mills by taking advantage of advances made in technology.

Is the blockchain platform for credential verification deemed effective? It’s too early to tell, but according to retired FBI Agent, Allen Ezell, “as long as everyone gets on board and participates, it may be practical towards the future. (Similar to a chain link fence, with electronic record keeping.) Also, keeping out just one rogue entity will also keep the ‘chain’ trustworthy.”

Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert is the President and CEO of the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI).

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Tagged as blockchain, Credential Evaluations, credentials, edtech, technology

December 7, 2018 · 7:00 am

The Tale of 3 Countries and Fake Degree

December 7th, 2018

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There has been a spate of fake degree-related news recently, and though we associate fake degrees mostly with diploma mills, the recent scandals concern legitimate accredited universities. Our focus in this week’s blog is on the sting operation carried out by Israeli law enforcement and its arrest of 40 Israelis holding fake medical and pharmacy degrees from three universities in Armenia and unauthorized distance learning centers set up by a UGC-recognized university in India that awarded degrees not approved by the UGC.

Armenia and Israel: The case of Fake Medical & Pharmacy Degrees

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Early Sunday, December 2nd, Israel police arrested 40 Israeli doctors, medical interns and pharmacists who had presented false credentials to the Health Ministry. These individuals are suspected of having purchased medical and pharmacy degrees from 3 universities in Armenia even though they had never completed studies at the institutions. The 3 universities are St. Tereza Medical University, Haybusak University and Mkhtiar Gosh Armenian-Russian International Universities. Representatives from these Universities are denying any such wrong doings. Israeli police, however, have presented as evidence the diplomas held by these 40 individuals each of which were issued by one of the universities cited. Apparently these individuals had attended institutions abroad to study medicine but did not complete their education, and sought the help of a middleman who referred them to the three Armenian universities mentioned. These individuals had then presented their fake degrees to the Israeli Ministry of Health and passed the accreditation examinations which permitted them to work as doctors or medical interns at hospitals and public institutions in Israel.

Recognizing that this scandal can cast a negative light on the country and its education system, the Ministry of Education and Science of Armenia has stepped in and declared it will conduct a full investigation into this situation.

India: The case of Punjab Technical University

Punjab Technical University (PTU) has been the subject of several controversies this year. First, two of its vice chancellors, Dr. HS Guram and Dr. Rajneesh Arora, were arrested for alleged financial irregularities. Next it found itself under the spotlight for allegedly issuing fake degree. And, then four of its administrators were arrested for helping failed students pass. The fake degree scandal apparently is rooted in PTU’s distance education and examinations branch where between 2010-2012 the University opened more than 2,500 centers throughout India without the approval of the UGC.

The negative publicity and attention brought on by these recent spates of fraud have prompted the PTU to set up a secure portal to assist with the verification of its academic documents. PTU’s electronic verification portal is http://support.ptu.ac.in/

Sources:

North India Times: http://www.northindiatimes.com/canadian-ngo-wes-refuses-to-evaluate-ptu-degrees/

The Print: https://theprint.in/report/rss-man-vice-chancellor-ptu-arrested-fraud/27451/

Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/PTU-employees-held-for-fraud/articleshow/2860090.cms

ArmInfo: http://arminfo.info/full_news.php?id=26308&lang=3

Panarmenian Network: http://panarmenian.net/eng/news/262984/40_Israeli_medics_arrested_for_buying_diplomas_from_Armenia

HAARETZ: https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-40-israeli-physicians-and-pharmacists-arrested-for-buying-medical-certificates-1.6703483

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Tagged as college, Credential Evaluations, credentials, education

November 9, 2018 · 7:00 am

AN EVALUATOR’S JOURNEY

November 9th, 2018

Sunset

When I accepted my mother’s invitation to accompany her to a cocktail party, I did so reluctantly. It was July 1982 and as a freshly minted college grad with a BA in Political Science the last thing I wanted to do was attend a party with my mother. It turned out to be the best thing I could have done as I left the party with not one but three job offers. I decided to forgo the offer of working at a law office (even though I was toying with the idea of going to Law School), or a real estate office (numbers were not my forte) and chose instead to accept the hostess’s invitation to work at her private not-for-profit Foundation that specialized in international education research and evaluation. The rest, as they say is history. Over a course of thirteen years, I worked my way up the proverbial ladder from file clerk, to junior then senior evaluator, assistant to associate director and finally as Executive Director. Bitten by the entrepreneur spirit and an MBA in hand, I bid goodbye to my mentor and founded the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI) in 1994.

You can say I was born into the field of International education. Beginning from an early age by insisting on “working” at the education firm my mother headed in Tehran, Iran, to attending an international boarding school in England, and continuing my higher education in the U.S. The same is true for my brother and business partner, Alan Saidi, who joined me at ACEI in 1996 as Senior VP and COO. Together, we have infused into ACEI our personal life experiences of having lived in three different continents and benefiting from three different education systems (Iran, UK, and USA). Our mission has always been to make ACEI a company that truly cares for and values its international candidates who are considering to further their education, or qualify for employment, immigration or professional licensing or maybe they are displaced because of war and conflict and seeking refuge in the U.S.

Our own experiences, as international students morphed into immigrants, have enriched our understanding of the dreams of international students, immigrants and the plight of refugees. We have also garnered a deep appreciation of world cultures and the varied nuances of education systems around the world. Together with a team of expert evaluators we pride ourselves in ACEI’s history of over 22 years of dedicated service in international credential evaluation and helping our colleagues at U.S. schools and colleges with the admission of students from around the globe. We continue to share our experience through our e-learning training programs, our blog AcademicExchange, our monthly newsletter The Report, and by contributing to publications on world education systems, and speaking at various international education conferences.

As an Endorsed Member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators, we at ACEI are committed in preparing evaluations by recommending U.S. educational equivalencies that are consistent and in compliance with the Association’s Standards and Best Practices.

If you are exploring opportunities of outsourcing your international student credential evaluations, we hope you will consider ACEI as your number one source. You and your international students will receive the personal care and attention we know you deserve. It is our mission to be of service and we want to be your trusted source for international credential evaluations.

Kind regards,
Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert

Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert is the President and CEO of the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI).

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October 26, 2018 · 7:00 am

Value Of Scottish Qualifications Authority Advanced Certificates And Diplomas Recognised By The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute

October 26th, 2018

SQA_logo_INT_CMYK

The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute (ACEI) and the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) today announce the publication of the ACEI’s Advisory Services ‘Program/Curriculum Review’ Report, which provides detailed analysis of four of SQA’s Advanced Qualifications.

The report, based on ACEI’s key principles in international credential/program evaluation, gives higher education institutions in the United States a better understanding of the value of SQA qualifications, the calibre of those who have achieved them, and how they compare with programs of study offered in universities and colleges across the United States.

The ACEI has found that SQA’s Advanced Certificate in Business equates to 26 semester units of credit, just under one year of undergraduate study at a college or university in the United States. The SQA Advanced Diploma in Business and the SQA Advanced Diploma in Computing: Software Development each equate to 60 semester units – 2 years of undergraduate study, while the SQA Advanced Diploma in Accounting equates to 62 semester units.

The report, which is available to colleges and universities, also provides sample credential evaluations and sample certificates for each of the four SQA qualifications along with the equivalent US level for these qualifications.

SQA Advanced Qualifications are internationally recognised Higher Education qualifications at certificate and diploma level. They provide students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills in a given subject that universities and employers expect. The qualifications have been designed in partnership with colleges, universities, employers and industry experts, and enable advanced entry into many undergraduate degree programs in universities and higher education institutions.

SQA’s Diploma to Degree program is a well-established and respected route for SQA Advanced Diploma graduates to progress directly onto the second or third year of a related undergraduate degree.

Many students study in their own country before moving abroad to complete a related degree, entering directly into second or third year. This is a cost effective route for students to gain international experience and achieve a degree.

SQA has partnered with many highly regarded international institutions, who recognise the SQA Advanced Diploma for advanced entry into their degree programs, enabling them to attract a diverse student population.

President and Chief Executive of ACEI, Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert, said: “At ACEI, we believe in the global mobility and integration of people in the academic and professional community and foster this vision by availing our expertise in international credential evaluation. We are honoured by our partnership with SQA given our shared belief in expanding education opportunities across borders.”

Ms. Saidi-Kuehnert continued: “ACEI’s Advisory Services conducted a detailed analysis and evaluation of SQA’s Advanced Certificate and Advanced Diploma program offerings to facilitate acceptance of these qualifications by higher education institutions and employers.”

SQA Chief Executive, Dr Janet Brown, said: “At SQA, we believe that partnership is essential in the education and training sectors and we are committed to working with our partners for the benefit of students by providing them with high quality, internationally recognised qualifications, which will enhance their futures.”

Dr Brown continued, “Our certificates and diplomas have been the foundation upon which generations of successful careers have been built, providing students with the skills and experience they need to excel for over 90 years. Increasingly our SQA Advanced Qualifications allow graduates to progress onto top-up degrees at a host of prestigious universities around the world.”

“We are delighted to be working with the Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, to help increase the opportunities available to SQA students who wish to progress onto second or third year study of an undergraduate degree, in the United States.”

SQA

The Scottish Qualifications Authority is an international leader in education and qualifications development.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority is the national awarding body in Scotland – a not for profit government sponsored organisation accountable to the Scottish Government – sitting at the heart of Scotland’s world-renowned education system.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority helps people to realise their potential and to achieve their ambitions by providing a wide range of high quality, internationally recognised qualifications and associated services. We currently offer Advanced Certificates and Diplomas, jointly certificated customised and vocational qualifications in more than 20 countries worldwide.

We have over 100 years of experience in developing qualifications and qualification systems and over 20 years of experience of working internationally in partnership with governments, colleges, universities, schools, employers, training organisations, professional bodies and industry. We have a growing number of international centres, in countries such as America, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Oman, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates.

Find out more:

www.sqa.org.uk/advancedqualifications

www.sqa.org.uk/diplomatodegree

ACEI33

The Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc. (ACEI), founded in 1994 and based in Los Angeles, California, USA, is dedicated to promoting the advancement of international academic exchange and understanding through research on world education systems and the evaluation of international academic credentials.

ACEI is a Charter Member of the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE), a professional organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of State, committed to establishing standards and best practices for credential evaluation services in the U.S.

ACEI’s leadership team and analysts bring more than 50 years of solid experience in international education and hands on expertise in evaluation of academic credentials from around the world.

ACEI keeps abreast of international education trends and developments through its on-going research, site visits, partnerships and maintains working relations with institutions, ministries of education, and other education organizations worldwide.

Find out more: www.acei-global.org

ACEI334

Academic Credentials Evaluation Institute, Inc.
9461 Charleville Boulevard, Box 188
Beverly Hills, CA 90212, USA
T: 1-310-275-3530
website: www.acei-global.org
email: acei@acei-global.org

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October 5, 2018 · 8:00 am

Which approach do you use when evaluating international credentials? Year-counting or Benchmarking?

October 5th, 2018

benchmarking

At the recent TAICEP conference in Philadelphia, PA, ACEI President & CEO, Jasmin Saidi-Kuehnert and Melanie Gottlieb, Deputy Director at AACRAO presented a session on Understanding the Different Credential Evaluation Philosophies. In this week’s blog, we will provide a recap of the key points addressed in the presentation.

Why are there different credential evaluation philosophies?

• Absence of a governmental body that helps shape standards to guide and monitor international credential evaluation
• U.S. institutions base their evaluation philosophies on their admissions models (open vs. threshold vs. holistic)
• Credential evaluation service providers are autonomous and are trying to produce a universally acceptable product to both university and the client
• State/Territorial Licensing Boards have unique academic requirements
• US Customs & Immigration Service enforce unique criteria for the purposes of employment-based visas
• Economics of higher education shape the way credentials are evaluated

What are the two credential evaluation approaches?

• Benchmarking
• Year-counting (Quantitative)

What is the Benchmarking approach?

• Benchmarking is usually more readily accepted at the pre-university level. (11 years, even 10, is not usually rejected by most institutions and credential evaluation services).

What is the Year-Counting (Quantitative) approach?

• Year-counting is much more rigidly followed at the post-secondary level where three year degrees/diplomas are not widely accepted for academic or professional purposes

Why Year-Counting?

• Used because an internal qualitative comparison is not always easy to do
• Quality is impossible to measure
• Quantitative comparisons, using the US model, are quick and easy
• It avoids the quality pronouncements that are just too subjective when comparing degrees

Why Benchmarking?

• The benchmarking method is where the significant achievements are compared throughout the education system
• Conclusion of primary, lower secondary, secondary, first post-secondary degree, terminal post-graduate degree

What is the best approach? Combination of Year-counting and Benchmarking?

• The best way to approach international credential evaluation is a judicious application of BOTH methodologies

What are the dilemmas of the dual philosophies?

• General Education courses (unique to US and US-patterned education systems
• Inequity (3-year Bologna-compliant Bachelor’s degrees treated differently than 3-year Indian Bachelor’s degree)
• Inconsistency in credential evaluation outcomes (e.g. evaluation prepared for a graduate admission differs than one for professional board)
• Stunted growth aka “Theory of Retarding Lead” (Has U.S., once leading in international ed, stopped innovating?)
• Global competition (more countries entering the field and vying for the international student market)

What are the practical concerns for credential evaluators?

• Credential Evaluation services prepare multi-purpose evaluations (for admission to HEIs, employment, professional licensing, immigration, each having unique requirements)
• Adopt one or continue with the dual philosophies (benchmarking for high school completion, year-counting for graduate degree comparability, or a combination)
• Remaining consistent
• U.S. HEI: autonomy does not allow for national evaluation standards and the staff at HEI’s who are most engaged with the topic may not have either the influence or the sophistication to make change
• The growing movement of the global recognition convention and its implications for the US

How do we resolve the concerns?

• Need for transparency from HEI’s on performance of those admitted to graduate studies based on 3-year degrees
• What are US HEIs doing to remain competitive globally?
• Some credential evaluation services have a mutual understanding of fundamental standards (e.g. AICE and its Endorsed Members adhere to the AICE Standards)
• Increased focus on training for HEIs to understand their role and increase their sophistication in the evaluation process
• Increased engagement with professional accreditors and state licensing boards

At ACEI, we apply both year-counting and benchmarking approaches when evaluating international credentials. Let us know which approach you use or prefer using and why. We look forward to hearing from you.

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