For anyone who works in higher education, you know that accreditation means everything. A university could have all the Nobel laureates in the world, but if it's not accredited, any degree the university grants is basically worthless.
A little over a week ago, in my continuous job search, I came across a position for an Education Development Director. It said almost nothing about the job, but the title seemed pretty cool, something that might combine my education background and my MBA. I sent off my CV, not really expecting to hear back, because I don't have much of a "director" background, but what the hell.
I heard back from them the next day, via email, asking me if I could come in for an interview the day after that. I was excited, wondering what the job would entail. I immediately wrote back saying I would be there at the designated time.
I few hours later, I heard back from them, asking me to look at their web page in preparation for the interview. They worked for 2 groups/clubs and the role of the EDD would be to keep help organize group meetings, help the groups grow, and generally, keep the group members happy. I was asked to be able to be prepared to talk about an initial strategy on how to do this. At this point, the job didn't seem as cool as I had thought - it sounded more like a glorified secretary - but the title still sounded cool, so I started looking at their website.
The first thing that struck me was the annoying music on their website. I have a thing about business-type websites that play music; if you're not in the entertainment business, I don't need to hear music on your website.
I decided to look into the education group first. It is a group made up of university presidents (rectors). When I looked at the list of members, I recognized none of the universities (or higher places of learning) these rectors represented. Many of them were from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, so I just thought it was because I don't know those regions very well.
Then, I saw one member from North America, Vancouver University. I'd never heard of Vancouver University; I'd heard of UBC, in Vancouver, UVIC, kind of, but not exactly, close to Vancouver. So I went to Wikipedia.
Vancouver University was closed in 2007, after the president (who was listed as being a member of the Club of Rectors) died. It also mentioned that the university was not accredited. That's when a red flag went up. How many of these universities are accredited???
I then looked up the university of the president of this club, International University of Vienna. Again, according to Wikipedia, it was not accredited in Austria, where it is based. Some more research revealed that the university has accreditation in Alabama. A little bit more research revealed that a lot of these diploma mills set up shop in Alabama because of lax, or unenforced accreditation laws. The degrees from these schools are of no value to anyone other than the schools themselves. I found several lists from other states in the US that do not recognize a degree from the International University of Vienna.
At that point, I decided this was not a job I wanted, but would go to the interview anyway; I wanted to tell the company what I found out, because, after all, it was their suggestion that I research the groups.
The interview lasted 15 minutes.
I went to the designated location and was told it would be a Skype interview - which was great, because I wouldn't have to shake anyone's hands after I told them off.
The interviewer (who I think owns/runs the company) didn't even have the title of the position right, calling it "director of development", forgetting the word "education" and reversing the words "development" and "director".
I told him they needed to clean up the inside before they could get new members, mentioning that a member had been dead for over 2 years. I also said they needed more "brand name" universities, if they really wanted to grow - he said they were hoping to get more American universities (I laughed on the inside - no legitimate American university would join this group).
I asked him to tell me more about who could join the business group the company worked with.
He said, "Any business, as long as it is legal, of course".
I jumped in at this point, "Speaking of legal...."
I told him what I had found out about the president of the Club of Rectors. He responded by saying that the school is accredited in Alabama. I told him that being in Alabama doesn't make the school's accreditation valid anywhere else. He didn't seem to have an answer to that.
I explained that if a student got a degree from that school and wanted to go somewhere else for grad school, it wouldn't happen; they might probably even have problems getting a job, if that school were on their CV. I told him that it would be virtually impossible to get any legitimate American universities involved, as long as the group's president was from an unaccredited school.
At some point in here, I told him I had no interest in the job. He said several times that he would have to bring up this accreditation issue with the president of the club - I doubt he ever will.
I've considered contacting the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, to let them know that one of their members works with a somewhat shady group, but I don't really think that would be worth my time.
After I told him I had no interest in the job, I told him that I had worked in education my entire career, and will probably work in education again, and because I've worked in higher education, I know that accreditation means everything.
23 February 2010
14 February 2010
Give my brother back his watch, or else....
I have two sisters - one older and one younger.
Affie is technically my 1/2 sister, but when someone is around from the time you're born, it's hard to think of them as being 1/2 a relative. She's 11 years and 10 days older than me, but even though there is a big age difference, it's never been a problem. Affie has always had my back, once threatening the mother of a classmate, who stole my watch. I've seen her not back off in an argument with a man at least a foot taller then her (she's 4'11") and probably double her weight.
Emily is 4 years and 360 days younger than me (16 years and 5 days younger than Affie), although, at times, people have thought she and I were twins. For the longest time, Affie and I always saw her as the baby. We have made fun of her when she couldn't speak with a West African accent on a trip to Ghana, but we've always looked out for her, the way older siblings always look out for younger ones - "don't pick on my sister, only I can do that."
Things are a little different now.
My family has been going through some tough times over the past few months. For the purposes of privacy, I'll leave it that. It's been difficult for me to put on a happy face over that time. Getting through the holidays, moving to Europe, and meeting a few new people. It has been difficult trying look one way on the outside, while feeling very much the opposite on the inside.
During this time, I've had the support of Lauren, which has been great, but when I've wanted someone to turn to, it has been my sister. Not my older sister, as one might expect, but my younger one.
She has become like the older sibling, and I'm not sure when this happened. Was it when she got a leadership position at a childcare facility, dealing with parents who are more difficult to deal with than their kids? Was it when she had a child of her own, who had to go through an very tough 1st year of life? I don't know. What I do know is, Emily has been the rock in our family, who seems to be the most calm in the storm, the sibling who I now look up to, who I feel now has my back at least as much as I have hers, the 2nd older sister I never had.
Affie is technically my 1/2 sister, but when someone is around from the time you're born, it's hard to think of them as being 1/2 a relative. She's 11 years and 10 days older than me, but even though there is a big age difference, it's never been a problem. Affie has always had my back, once threatening the mother of a classmate, who stole my watch. I've seen her not back off in an argument with a man at least a foot taller then her (she's 4'11") and probably double her weight.
Emily is 4 years and 360 days younger than me (16 years and 5 days younger than Affie), although, at times, people have thought she and I were twins. For the longest time, Affie and I always saw her as the baby. We have made fun of her when she couldn't speak with a West African accent on a trip to Ghana, but we've always looked out for her, the way older siblings always look out for younger ones - "don't pick on my sister, only I can do that."
Things are a little different now.
My family has been going through some tough times over the past few months. For the purposes of privacy, I'll leave it that. It's been difficult for me to put on a happy face over that time. Getting through the holidays, moving to Europe, and meeting a few new people. It has been difficult trying look one way on the outside, while feeling very much the opposite on the inside.
During this time, I've had the support of Lauren, which has been great, but when I've wanted someone to turn to, it has been my sister. Not my older sister, as one might expect, but my younger one.
She has become like the older sibling, and I'm not sure when this happened. Was it when she got a leadership position at a childcare facility, dealing with parents who are more difficult to deal with than their kids? Was it when she had a child of her own, who had to go through an very tough 1st year of life? I don't know. What I do know is, Emily has been the rock in our family, who seems to be the most calm in the storm, the sibling who I now look up to, who I feel now has my back at least as much as I have hers, the 2nd older sister I never had.
10 February 2010
you're sitting in a chair - in the sky!
In the Fall of 2003, I walked into a Bank of America in Oakland. I wanted to open a checking account. In less than an hour, I walked out of the bank, with an account and a debit card. The woman who set up the account was apologetic for not being able to get me a debit card with my picture on it, because the camera was broken. I was told I could come back in a couple of days, after the camera had been fixed, to get a new card, with a picture.
In January 2010, I walked into a bank in Oxford, hoping to get added to Lauren's already existing checking account. I walked out in an hour, with nothing. Four weeks later, I still don't have a debit card, and I wouldn't want to think about how long it would take if I wanted a picture on the debit card that I don't have yet.
What has bothered me most, during my time in Oxford so far, is how much waiting needs to be done for things that, to me, shouldn't take so long.
The National Insurance Number
The day after I got here, I found out I needed to get a National Insurance Number. I was told of a place to go to start the process. When I got there, they didn't have forms for me to fill out, they had a phone number for me to call (why not have forms there?). I called and was asked for some information. I gave the information then was told I would be sent a form (it arrived a week later).
The form asked me the same questions I was asked on the phone - why ask them on the phone then? I filled out the form, waited another 10 days to get the NI Number. With the letter that has the number, I'm told I will have to wait 6 - 8 weeks to get the official NI Number card. Lauren filled out her paper work in October - still no card for her. So I wait....
The NHS Number
Every resident in the UK is entitled to healthcare (unlike another country I am very familiar with). To get registered with the National Health Service, I was told to go to a medical center and I would be given a form to fill out; it's just that simple. I went, was given the form, but then was told I needed a letter for Lauren's college stating that I was going to be in the UK until October 2011.
I don't have a problem with this except, I have a visa that says I'm in the UK until October 2011 - anyone can write a letter, only the government can issue a visa. I got the letter, went back, and now I wait to be given a number.
The Gym Membership
The MSU gym had one requirement - be a student. The De Anza gym required you to take a class to become a gym member, then register for gym use every quarter. The Wolfson College gym required me to go to a gym induction. This makes sense, I thought, you don't want people hurting themselves, right?
I signed up for the induction, which is only offered once a term. I felt lucky to be one of the 15 people who can go through an induction (over 25 people showed up and no one was turned away). At the induction, we needed to sign a sheet showing we were there - again, this makes sense. You should get your gym card in about a week, I was told. Well, not exactly.
A week came an went, then I heard, through the grapevine known as my wife, that I had to go and get another form, fill it out and sign it, and then wait a week. Why not have these forms at the induction? Why not tell us we need to do this at the induction? So I wait for my gym membership card, as I get flabby.
The Bank
When we met with the bank guy, he was very customer-focused, making sure we were happy. He said some things needed to be checked, so I could not be added to Lauren's account on that day, which seems fair I guess, but I don't really know what is so important that needs to be checked and why a week would be needed to do the checking; we would be putting our money into your bank. We have no credit line, so we can't really overdraft - what needs to be checked?
A week later, he called us, saying everything checked out okay. We then needed to make an appointment to come in and complete "paperwork". "Paperwork" was us sitting in his office while he did a bunch of stuff on his computer, and then us signing a couple of times - we were there for about 45 minutes to sign papers that took us about 45 seconds.
The debit card would be mailed, he said; it would get to me in about a week. A week came, a week went, no debit card. I got a courtesy call from the bank and I mentioned, in passing, that I still didn't have my debit card. The woman on the other end was shocked to find out it was never actually sent. "I'll make sure it gets sent out", she said, "you will have it in about a week". It has been over a week (11 days to be exact), and still I wait for my debit card.
I remember leaving that Bank of America in 2003, a little upset that the camera wasn't working so I wouldn't have a picture on my debit card that day (I never went back to get one with a picture). Looking back, what was I so upset about? I had access to an account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why did I care at all about a crappy picture on the card.
Now, even though I rant about having to wait, every time I get frustrated with the waiting, I ask, what would Louis CK say to me? And I think of this clip...
In January 2010, I walked into a bank in Oxford, hoping to get added to Lauren's already existing checking account. I walked out in an hour, with nothing. Four weeks later, I still don't have a debit card, and I wouldn't want to think about how long it would take if I wanted a picture on the debit card that I don't have yet.
What has bothered me most, during my time in Oxford so far, is how much waiting needs to be done for things that, to me, shouldn't take so long.
The National Insurance Number
The day after I got here, I found out I needed to get a National Insurance Number. I was told of a place to go to start the process. When I got there, they didn't have forms for me to fill out, they had a phone number for me to call (why not have forms there?). I called and was asked for some information. I gave the information then was told I would be sent a form (it arrived a week later).
The form asked me the same questions I was asked on the phone - why ask them on the phone then? I filled out the form, waited another 10 days to get the NI Number. With the letter that has the number, I'm told I will have to wait 6 - 8 weeks to get the official NI Number card. Lauren filled out her paper work in October - still no card for her. So I wait....
The NHS Number
Every resident in the UK is entitled to healthcare (unlike another country I am very familiar with). To get registered with the National Health Service, I was told to go to a medical center and I would be given a form to fill out; it's just that simple. I went, was given the form, but then was told I needed a letter for Lauren's college stating that I was going to be in the UK until October 2011.
I don't have a problem with this except, I have a visa that says I'm in the UK until October 2011 - anyone can write a letter, only the government can issue a visa. I got the letter, went back, and now I wait to be given a number.
The Gym Membership
The MSU gym had one requirement - be a student. The De Anza gym required you to take a class to become a gym member, then register for gym use every quarter. The Wolfson College gym required me to go to a gym induction. This makes sense, I thought, you don't want people hurting themselves, right?
I signed up for the induction, which is only offered once a term. I felt lucky to be one of the 15 people who can go through an induction (over 25 people showed up and no one was turned away). At the induction, we needed to sign a sheet showing we were there - again, this makes sense. You should get your gym card in about a week, I was told. Well, not exactly.
A week came an went, then I heard, through the grapevine known as my wife, that I had to go and get another form, fill it out and sign it, and then wait a week. Why not have these forms at the induction? Why not tell us we need to do this at the induction? So I wait for my gym membership card, as I get flabby.
The Bank
When we met with the bank guy, he was very customer-focused, making sure we were happy. He said some things needed to be checked, so I could not be added to Lauren's account on that day, which seems fair I guess, but I don't really know what is so important that needs to be checked and why a week would be needed to do the checking; we would be putting our money into your bank. We have no credit line, so we can't really overdraft - what needs to be checked?
A week later, he called us, saying everything checked out okay. We then needed to make an appointment to come in and complete "paperwork". "Paperwork" was us sitting in his office while he did a bunch of stuff on his computer, and then us signing a couple of times - we were there for about 45 minutes to sign papers that took us about 45 seconds.
The debit card would be mailed, he said; it would get to me in about a week. A week came, a week went, no debit card. I got a courtesy call from the bank and I mentioned, in passing, that I still didn't have my debit card. The woman on the other end was shocked to find out it was never actually sent. "I'll make sure it gets sent out", she said, "you will have it in about a week". It has been over a week (11 days to be exact), and still I wait for my debit card.
I remember leaving that Bank of America in 2003, a little upset that the camera wasn't working so I wouldn't have a picture on my debit card that day (I never went back to get one with a picture). Looking back, what was I so upset about? I had access to an account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why did I care at all about a crappy picture on the card.
Now, even though I rant about having to wait, every time I get frustrated with the waiting, I ask, what would Louis CK say to me? And I think of this clip...
04 February 2010
A Ramling, Semi-Pointless, Blog Entry
So I've decided to move my blog. I got so frustrated with Wordpress that I decided to move this blog to Blogger. Wordpress looks slicker, but not being able to have things look the way I wanted them to, having blog posts have different font sizes, not getting photos to look like I wanted them - it became too time-consuming.
Speaking of time consuming, I've had little to do over the past week.
I had a "get to know you" session with a company that seemed somewhat interested in me. I can't say I was thrilled with the opportunity, mainly because it was kind of far. Also, me having to go to the US in April and in June was kind of a turn-off for them, so I guess it ended up working out best for both parties.
The whole April and June trips have made the job hunt somewhat more difficult. Who would want to hire a person who would end up missing 3-4 weeks during their first 4 months on the job? I wouldn't.
I think if I had known about the April trip (Lauren is going to a conference in Baltimore, and being that my family is there, it makes sense for me to go), I think I would have stayed at De Anza for the Winter Quarter, and started my leave in April. It would have made more sense, and made me more money. But, what can you do, right?
I've looked at a lot of jobs here, and the one thing that has struck me, is how much lower salaries are here, when compared to the Bay Area. Of course everyone talks about how expensive the Bay Area is, but rents in Oxford are similar to the Bay Area and transportation costs a hell of a lot more, so I've been surprised at how low some salaries are.
On the other hand, I think groceries are cheaper here. I have always loved going grocery shopping - I think it's genetic - my dad is also a fan of the grocery store and even has a "system" that I won't get into here. The combination of knowing the conversion rate, the knowing the math to do the conversion quickly, and the enjoyment of walking around grocery stores, has told me that groceries are cheaper here, for the most part. I've started to mentally log which stores have the cheapest fill-in-the-blank. I still have a way to go before I can tell you which store has the cheapest shampoo, but I'm sure I can get there in a few months.
The highlight of my week so far was winning a copy of the novel Push (which the film Precious is based on) from a website and movie theater promotion. It's the third time I've won something in a city-wide contest (in high school, over one summer, I won $103 and movie tickets to a movie I never bothered picking up, from two different radio stations). Anyhow, as my blog readers know, reading is not really my thing. I'll read this book though, eventually, because I've been told from several people that it's worth the read. One of the recommenders was a counselor who worked with a student I had a few Quarters ago. They recommended I read the book because the student was very similar to the main character in the book so, if nothing else, I'm curious about that comparison.
I feel like this has been quite the rambling blog, making little sense, and probably putting you to sleep, so, for no reason whatsoever, here's Charlie Brown (I've had Charlie for years, and I say where ever his is, is home).
Speaking of time consuming, I've had little to do over the past week.
I had a "get to know you" session with a company that seemed somewhat interested in me. I can't say I was thrilled with the opportunity, mainly because it was kind of far. Also, me having to go to the US in April and in June was kind of a turn-off for them, so I guess it ended up working out best for both parties.
The whole April and June trips have made the job hunt somewhat more difficult. Who would want to hire a person who would end up missing 3-4 weeks during their first 4 months on the job? I wouldn't.
I think if I had known about the April trip (Lauren is going to a conference in Baltimore, and being that my family is there, it makes sense for me to go), I think I would have stayed at De Anza for the Winter Quarter, and started my leave in April. It would have made more sense, and made me more money. But, what can you do, right?
I've looked at a lot of jobs here, and the one thing that has struck me, is how much lower salaries are here, when compared to the Bay Area. Of course everyone talks about how expensive the Bay Area is, but rents in Oxford are similar to the Bay Area and transportation costs a hell of a lot more, so I've been surprised at how low some salaries are.
On the other hand, I think groceries are cheaper here. I have always loved going grocery shopping - I think it's genetic - my dad is also a fan of the grocery store and even has a "system" that I won't get into here. The combination of knowing the conversion rate, the knowing the math to do the conversion quickly, and the enjoyment of walking around grocery stores, has told me that groceries are cheaper here, for the most part. I've started to mentally log which stores have the cheapest fill-in-the-blank. I still have a way to go before I can tell you which store has the cheapest shampoo, but I'm sure I can get there in a few months.
The highlight of my week so far was winning a copy of the novel Push (which the film Precious is based on) from a website and movie theater promotion. It's the third time I've won something in a city-wide contest (in high school, over one summer, I won $103 and movie tickets to a movie I never bothered picking up, from two different radio stations). Anyhow, as my blog readers know, reading is not really my thing. I'll read this book though, eventually, because I've been told from several people that it's worth the read. One of the recommenders was a counselor who worked with a student I had a few Quarters ago. They recommended I read the book because the student was very similar to the main character in the book so, if nothing else, I'm curious about that comparison.
I feel like this has been quite the rambling blog, making little sense, and probably putting you to sleep, so, for no reason whatsoever, here's Charlie Brown (I've had Charlie for years, and I say where ever his is, is home).
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