A new art show
is on display in
Pauling
See what's behind
the leaf on Page 8
Wednesday, April 5, 2000
Snively & Porter
take students to
Death Valley
Track star prepares
for an Oympic run
Check out the
story on Page 11
See a special section
on pages 6-7
Clackamas Community College
Oregon City, Oregon
Volume XXXIII, Issue
J8
Darris takes leave
Political science instructor leaves Clackamas as the
legitamacy of his doctorate accreditation comes into question
JOHN THORBURN
Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Dean Darris announced late
last week that he is taking a leave
of absence effective immediately,
along with a sabbatical this fall,
from his political science classes.
The ten-year veteran instructor’s
departure comes amidst recent
controversy surrounding the
if legitimacy of his doctorate.
^aSt Thursday, Darris
r/A told the Print that he
was “leaving for per-
sonal reasons,” but ex-
pressed the notion to
Ja his Honors Class stu-
■ dents that he was leav
ing to represent himself
legally in the event of a
civil trial over the accredi-
#
TIMOTHY A. BELL / Clackamas Print
10-year veteran political science instructor Dean Darris has
taken professional leave while his Ph.D. has come underfire.
tation-
“I want it to be clear to
everybody that I’m
leaving under my
own accord,”
said Darris. “1
wasn’t forced
to leave. I
wasn’t asked
to leave. This is
my decision.”
According to
Darris, he has ten
tative plans to return
to the classroom next
winter or spring term.
The political science
instructor’s doctorate,
which he received in 1998 from
Berne University in the West
Indies, has been declared an in
valid degree by Alan Contreras of
the State of Oregon Office of De
gree Authorization [ODA].
Contreras’ job is to look at in
structors, professors and teachers
around the state and verify
whether degrees earned are in fact
from accredited institutions. Ac
cording to Contreras, he was asked
by someone to check on the de
funding from the United States De
partment of Education. Federal law
states that any foreign institution
that receives federal funding is
deemed comparable to an accred
ited U.S. institution. He believes
that this fact has been overlooked
by Contreras and the ODA.
gree.
Darris would not to go on record
“I received a call from a person
regarding the specifics of the case
that asked that their name be kept
because he wanted to save his ar
confidential,” noted Contreras.
gument for a probable civil trial in
“I’m going to respect their wishes.”
the future.
He feels that Darris’ degree is
not from an accredited school.
The college recognizes the de
“All foreign universities are con-
gree
sidered to be unaccredited be
When Darris received the Ph. D.
cause accreditation is a system
from Berne in 1998, College Presi
setup in the United States,” said
dent John Keyser evaluated the
Contreras. “There are ways, how
university and
ever, that a for
delivered
a
eign institution
memo to the
can receive ac
Iwasn’t forced to
college’s Human
creditation from
leave. I wasn’t
Resource Office.
our office. It sim
In the memo,
ply needs to ap
asked to leave. This
furnished to the
ply for Oregon
is my decision.
Print by Darris,
accreditation.”
Keyser states: “I
Dr. Dean Darris
According to
am pleased to
Political Science Instructor
Contreras, who
evaluate this uni
was appointed
versity favorably
the administrator
... It is an over
of the state office
seas university like many who
last July, Darris has until April 30
would not be accredited by our
to stop using his degree or he will
conventional regional accrediting
turn the case over to the Oregon
organizations. It is accredited by the
Attorney General’s office.
World Association of Universities
When it comes to the question
and Colleges and the Accrediting
of the accreditation of Berne Uni
Commission International... I have
versity on the island of St. Kitts in
every reason to believe that we
the Caribbean, Darris feels confi
should treat the Ph.D. program that
dent no matter what office is in
Dean has completed in a compa
vestigating.
rable way to those of other colleges
During an interview that lasted
and universities.”
more than an hour, Darris ex
plained that Berne is accredited
because it receives Title IV federal
See Darris, page 3
A Special Report ... a look at Berne University
In light of Dean Darris' leave,
the Print took a deeper look at
the school that has come into
question.
The following information was
gathered by Shelbi Wescott from
Darris, professors at Berne and
its website.
Berne University, according to in
formation on its website at
www.Beme.com, is a small graduate
university located in the Eastern Car
ibbean on the island of St. Kitts and
has been a fully operational institu
tion since 1993.
Dr. Dale Berne ofNew Hampshire
founded the university with a mission
to “produce global scholars ready to
assemble their roles as world citizens,”
explains the site. Designed to accom
modate working adults, students ex
perience one-on-one attention
from adjunctfaculty which
consists of Ph.D.'s
from
Oxford,
Harvard, NYU,
Carnegie-Mellon,
Boston University
and many other
distinguished insti
tutions.
When asked about
Berne, Dr. Dean Darris pro
vided The Print w ith names of pro
fessors there; one was Dr. Kenneth
Fishell, retired, a former professor of
Research Methods and Statistics at
both the University of Vermont and
Beme. In a phone interview, Fishell
told The Print that a three month resi
dency on die island of St Kitts is
required to complete the doc
toral program. Duringtheir
three month stay, stu
dents endure a rigor
ous schedule of at
tending classes five
days a week, eight
hours a day. Students
are expected to have
the utmost integrity and
professionalism during the
intense residency.
Back at home, according to Fishell,
students then complete 18 hours of
on-line credit work related to their field
of speciality. Each student is assigned
a faculty member to review the on-line
work and has a supporting network of
colleagues who can vouch for its aca
demic integrity.
“The on-line portion of the program
was very cutting edge for its time,”
stated Fishell. “It allowed people to
continue their careers while attempt
ing to obtain their Ph.D.”
The final step in receiving a doc
torate from Berne, according to
Darris, is to write a dissertation
which focuses on a unique aspect
of the individual’s doctoral pursuit.
A dissertation is the fruit of the pro
gram, Darris said; it is a clear repre
sentation of the time and effort a stu
dent committed to his/her doctoral
studies. His dissertation is entitled
American Democracy: Promise and
Betrayal and is used in political sci
ence classes at community colleges
in Oregon and Minnesota.
“Darris’ dissertation can certainly
stand the test of public scrutiny,"
Fishell said. "He is abrightyoung man
with apromising career ahead ofhim.”
An accredited university
Accreditation is defined by federal
government on the U.S. Department
of Education website as: The status of
public recognition that a nationally rec
ognized accrediting agency grants to
an institution or educational program
that meets the agency’s established
See Berne, page 3