Ezell, Allen and Bear, John. (2005). Degree mills: The billion-dollar industry that has sold over a million fake diplomas. Reviewed by Mitiku Adisu, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University

Ezell, Allen and Bear, John. (2005). Degree mills: The billion-dollar industry that has sold over a million fake diplomas. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books. Pp. 318 including Appendixes, Bibliography and Index $19 (paper)     ISBN 1-59102-238-X Reviewed by Mitiku Adisu Peabody College of Vanderbilt University May 26, 2005 The proliferation of fake diplomas poses a real threat to core principles governing higher education. First, it greatly impairs the belief that integrity, commitment to public good, and the search for truth characterize universities. Second, distrust in institutions ultimately undermines that which keeps societies together. In other words, the prevalence of doctored documents to gain access to training, jobs, and national borders has local, institutional, and global implications. The statistics are staggering. In 1986, one in six education doctorates was found to be fake (p.33). The same year, a congressional Subcommittee on Fraud documented half-a-million fake degrees in the United States (p.16). One “degree mill” alone has sold an estimated 200,000 fake diplomas to citizens of the United States and Canada since the mid-1990s for a sum of $400 million (pp.13-14). Accrediting agencies grew from half a dozen to over 400 within a decade following the early 1990s (Clayton, 2003); accreditation fees by the Liberian Ministry of Education fetched between $1,000 and $50,000 (p.68). Not surprisingly, what was once a nuisance has now become a global billion-dollar industry. What changed to bring about this event? First is the expansion in global information technology (p.92, #45). Second is the possibility that the “mills” could operate in anonymity. Third is the growing demand and internationalization of higher education. Fourth is the realization recently of the fact that colleges and universities are not immune to corrupt practices (Altbach, 2004). Fifth is the escalating overhead and infrastructural cost of running traditional institutions and, conversely, the revenue generating capacity of cost-and-time efficient web-based services. Finally, pressing issues at the local and state level have converged to make violators of educational standards nearly impossible to track down or control. But how much longer can these be tolerated? Not much longer, advise Ezell and Bear. Their book seeks to elucidate this central theme and propose useful strategic information. Nothing New Forging diplomas to “deceive rivals” (quoting J.M. Wallace-Hadril, p.29) has been going on since antiquity. More recently, periods of economic hardship, the intolerable length of time and the resultant debt burden required to earn the doctorate may have forced aspirants to seek shortcuts and hence to sustain the “mills” (pp.29-32). Scholars have attempted to bring this issue to public attention with little or no effect. Certainly, the failure is not of their doing but of circumstances emanating from the political and social climate and the unresponsiveness of the relevant institutions (See Reid, 1963; Stewart and Spille, 1986; Levicoff, 1990; pp.181-182; CBSNEWS.com). What Ezell & Bear do different this time is to pull together their expertise (Ezell as former head of FBI’s DipScam, Bear as educational consultant and expert witness, and Marina Bear as ethicist) and give urgency to the problem by re-defining approaches in a shifting global and legal environment. Thus, they compare the diploma mill phenomenon to an epidemic: Unlike a medical epidemic, in which one can observe large numbers of people suffering from smallpox, measles, and so forth, these fake degree cases are uncovered one at a time, often far from the glare of publicity. And when there is publicity, it is generally local at best and quickly forgotten (p.18; Italics original). In light of the above quote, it is not difficult to comprehend the scale and gravity of the issue in societies where information is disorganized and/or controlled and disseminating them could cost livelihood, if not lives. Aggravations Higher education in the past two decades has become less national, less government regulated, more private and for-profit, and international. Students are customers looking for bargains in a world of retailed and customized training and/or knowledge. The Internet simply enhanced the competition among profiteering providers. Will the further loss of quality and standards be the unintended consequence of privatized and decentralized education system, especially, in low-income countries? Lack of access to amenities could also mean millions without health insurance, for example, are forced to seek the services of the instant and/or uncertified physician. Prosecuting the culprits has not been easy for the simple reason that these are either outside the jurisdiction of particular states and/or nation-states or operate in the virtual world and effectively post creative disclaimers and ads. An American in Rumania using Estonian bank and a mail service elsewhere traverses financial, political, institutional, and cultural boundaries (pp.7-9, 56). In other cases, the “mills” take cover in the separation of church and state clause (pp.61-63) and abuse the tax-exempt status of the former to fraud the public. Consequently, the misleading term “victimless crime” has come into vogue to identify these activities (Foster, 2003, p.4). The fact that those perpetrating the fraud elude the law could only mean everyone is bound to lose—the innocent public by not receiving its fair share of public funds and the perpetrators by losing in trust what they seem to be gaining in dollars and status. There is also a socio-political culture that awaits massive public outcry to properly address a policy issue. The pubic in general is accommodating of degree mills, as could be observed in the growing demand. States have other priorities. Rising tuition, convenience of non-traditional education, and a worrisome rate of attrition in higher education further militate against a coordinated effort to control violators. Not insignificant is the legitimization of the “mills” through reputable magazine ads. Often, legitimization takes approximating identities of elite institutions (pp.179, 121, 89, #37). Real Cases Considering the significance of real-life cases in Degree Mills and the speed and sophistication of the fraudsters, we may indeed be fighting for the very soul of higher education as an institution. Obviously, country cases may vary: China, because of the sheer size of its population and the recent surge in education drive, is different from the United States. Accreditation procedures in Malawi are different from those in the United States. In the latter it is highly decentralized and difficult to regulate; in the former, accreditation is centralized and often falls prey to corrupt government officials and local and transnational agencies diving for the bottom line. Security issues are also involved. A high-ranking official at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with inadequate training and access to restricted space and information poses an immediate security risk than, say, a high school teacher using false credentials to gain promotion or a salary raise (p.119, Appendix I). Fake transcripts and/or standardized test results to gain student visa not only diminish quality of education but become a national security issue (Mangan, 2002). There is also cost and credibility involved in attempting to curb the problem: it is logistically time-consuming as well as an exercise in mistrust for applicants, employers, and admissions officers to check every document that crosses their desk. Hence, a third party may be called in to verify documents. Institutions may not be too enthusiastic to delve into such matters for fear of losing to competitors or tarnishing their image or diminishing the marketability of diplomas they award. The screening process may become too cumbersome and encourage foreign students to take elsewhere a portion of the $12 billion yearly revenue they generate for U.S. colleges and universities. How will these institutions react to the proliferation of “mills” in a time of revenue shortfall? The Real World Most of the major degree mills, though located overseas, are run from the United States or Britain (pp.68, 83.7, 85.16; BBC News, 2004). Malawi in Africa is linked to Montana/Wyoming; St. Kitts and Nevis to Texas. Other nations in Africa where fake diplomas are becoming a growing concern include Kenya, Liberia, South Africa, and Nigeria. A common feature to the “top mills” is that they have strong connection to low-income communities; cater to price conscious clientele, to the ambitious and the uninformed, and are largely operated by middle-aged male Caucasians (pp.73-75; see also http://www.degree.net/news.htm). In education, as in other spheres, it is safe to state that when America sneezes the rest of the world catches cold. Indeed Africa may be contracting pneumonia as it buys indiscriminately into virtual education, education services provided by religious and quasi-religious organizations of questionable intent and credibility, and as its trained professionals are lured away to the West. The real question may now be how one distinguishes the real from the phony in societies where the institutions are weak and the officers corruptible. Even disconcerting is the possibility that some international development workers and advisors may have doctored resumes to determine outcomes inimical to target populations and make a living off the poor (Perkins, 2004, pp.131-140). In sum, the risk and criminality of having a physician with a fake medical degree treating HIV/AIDS patients in Africa is not unimaginable anymore. Rectifying the Problem The problem of fake degrees, not unlike the problem of poverty, is hard to root out. It requires a concerted effort and creating awareness both at the local and international level. Even so, there are going to be variations in academic standards and systems between developed and low-income countries and in their capacity to absorb shocks coming from subversive elements. What terms of adjudication could be established, considering the fact that the home base for the more influential traders and their commodities is in the developed world? Ethical lapses need not be restricted to fake degree holders either. Kenneth Lay and company are products of elite institutions. Perhaps the question ought to be how to design a “new bottom line for education” that impacts heart, mind, and soul (Shapiro, 2005). Qiang and Wolff (n.d., p.2) have argued that the erosion over the years of Confucian virtues of honesty, courtesy, and loyalty may have led to the current widespread academic corruption in China. For those trusting the market to kick in its corrective gear the issue herein may amount to a temporary flaw in the educational body politic. For others, the issue lies in the region of justice and fairness. Polarizing the complexity would only lead to ineffective strategies and aggravates disparities across gender, region, race, and socioeconomic status. Conclusion Degree Mills may be a wake-up call. Some resumes have ticking “time bombs” planted in them (Appendix F). As the case of the official at DHS showed, few have already exploded, though without the mushroom cloud. In the time of the Internet this fact should create uneasiness and serve to warn the innocent and the deliberate violator. The book is straightforward in its presentation, as it ought. Despite having six chapters, the book could be divided into two distinct parts. The first part (pp.13-187) deals with history, trade in fake diplomas, and the complexity of adhering to and enforcing the law. The second part, the Appendixes (pp.191-301) lays down specific strategies to educate the public and also to suggest the consequences of indecision (pp.81-102). To that end a select bibliography and websites are provided for a quick reference and for further research. In recounting the history of degree mills the authors seem to limit higher education to a European origin (Chapter 1). That may be misleading in that the question of origins is debatable (Mcintire, 2003); faking diplomas to gain access to power, status, and resources need not be synonymous with Western (modern) higher education. In the final analysis, the utility of Degree Mills can only be as good as the concerns it attempts to raise and the willingness of local/global actors to realize them. References Altbach, Philip. (2004). The question of corruption in academe. International Higher Education, No.34, Winter. BBC News. (2004/01/05). Fake universities thrive on the web. Posted on http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk CBS News. (May 10, 2004). Top Officials Hold Fake Degrees. CBSnews.com Clayton, Mark. (June 4, 2003). Degree duplicity: Fake diplomas are easy to buy online, but colleges are becoming more wary. CSMONITOR.com Foster, Andrea L. (2/7/2003). On the Web, It's Easy to Earn Straight A's: Colleges face uphill battle in fight against sites selling fraudulent transcripts. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(22), A25 Mangan, Katherine S. (2002). The Fine Art of Fighting Fakery: Admissions officers and credentials consultants increasingly have to check documents for forgery. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(10), A39. Mcintire, C.T. (2003). Hegemony and the historiography of universities: the Toronto case. University of Toronto Quarterly, 72(3), Summer. Perkins, John. (2004). Confessions of an economic hitman. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Qiang, Niu and Wolff, Martin. (n.d.). Chinese university diploma: can its international image be improved? Posted at http://www.usingenglish.com/esl-in-china/diploma.pdf Shapiro, Svi. (3/3/2005). Education and moral values: seeking a new bottom line. Tikkun, 20(2), 23-29. About the Reviewer Mitiku Adisu Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations Peabody College of Vanderbilt University Mitiku Adisu’s expertise is in indigenous initiatives and youth development through vocational/technical education. His research interests include political leadership, education policy and their impact on social cohesion in the Africa region.