THE
term 'degree mill' is used widely to refer to institutions that offer
degrees to students who do not have to do much work to graduate.
Some
operate with no more than a mailing address to which people send money
in exchange for a piece of paper that looks like a degree. Others
require some nominal work to be done but do not require college-level
coursework.
This MP gave speech at Doggie University
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This MP gave a speech at a University which sold degrees by the roadside. A Straits Times/New Paper reporter even bought a degree for her doggie........
Great leaders we have in our Parliament/.........phui !
CHAN Soo Sen
Director (Chairman's Office)
Keppel Corporation LimitedMr Chan Soo Sen was born in Singapore on 1 October 1956, and educated in Catholic High School , Singapore from 1963 to 1974. He was awarded Columbo Plan and President's Scholarships in 1975 to study Mathematics in University of Oxford , United Kingdom . He returned to Singapore in 1978, completed his full-time National Service, and joined the Administrative Service in 1980.
In 1986, Mr Chan was awarded a Post Graduate Scholarship to study Management Science in University of Stanford , USA . He graduated with a Master of Science degree in 1987.
As an Administrative Officer, Mr Chan served in the Ministries of Defence, Education and Home Affairs. He became the founding Executive Director of the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) in 1992, and then the first Chief Executive Officer of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Development Co Ltd (CSSD) in 1994. He was instrumental in starting up these two key projects.
Mr Chan was returned unopposed as one of the six Members of Parliament for the East Coast Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the 1997 General Election. He was elected Member of Parliament for Joo Chiat Constituency in the 2001 and 2006 General Elections.
Mr Chan was appointed Parliamentary Secretary on 22 January 1997 and promoted to Senior Parliamentary Secretary on 1 May 2001. As a political appointee, he had at various times served in Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Community Development and Sports. He was appointed Minister of State on 23 November 2001 and served in Ministries of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Education and Trade & Industry
Mr Chan has been active in the labour movement, having served as a Director in the National Trades Union Congress, and as Executive Secretary to Building Construction and Timber Industries Employees' Union . He had been a Board member of the People's Association from 1997 to 2006.
Mr Chan retired from ministerial appointments in May 2006. He continues to serve as Member of Parliament for Joo Chiat Constituency. He is now with Keppel Corporation Limited as Director, Chairman's Office. He is also serving as Independent Directors in a few listed companies.
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Worthless degrees
76 people graduate from unaccredited university known as a degree supplier
By Sandra Davie and Cassandra Chew 
Students of the unaccredited West Coast University, garbed in full academic regalia, celebrating after their graduation ceremony at Old Parliament house on Monday, which even came with an inspiring speech from the university's honorary president. -- ST PHOTO: CASSANDRA CHEWTHE ceremony in the Old Parliament House had all the pomp and circumstance associated with any graduation.
The professors and graduands were in full academic regalia. Speeches flowed in English and Mandarin. And afterwards, a gala dinner at a hotel.
At the ceremony, the university's honorary president, a Professor Bernard Cadet, delivered an inspiring speech, urging graduands to transform the world.
'Believe nothing is impossible. West Coast University (WCU) will be proud of you in the future,' he told the 76 graduands from Singapore, Indonesia and China, before handing them their doctorates, master's and bachelor's degrees.
But this was a ceremony for an unaccredited university based in Panama, not Los Angeles, as its school in Singapore had claimed.
The Asia-Australia School of Management (AASM), a Case-certified school in Middle Road, offers West Coast University programmes here with a related company, Huanyu Training Expert.
At least two American states have outlawed degrees from WCU, describing it as a 'degree supplier' that offers 'fraudulent or substandard degrees'.
The Texas State Higher Education Coordinating Board warns on its website that WCU 'is used by multiple unaccredited entities. The extent to which they are related is unknown, but more than one operator is suspected.'
In some parts of the United States, it is a criminal offence to use degrees from unaccredited institutions.
'Dr' John Huang, one of the owners of AASM and Huanyu, insisted that the university is based in Los Angeles and faxed The Straits Times documents showing West Coast University International registered as a business in California.
But he confirmed that it was not the California-based West Coast University reputed for nursing and health science-related degrees. He admitted that WCU was unaccredited, but said his students had been given the facts.
His doctorate is from Ashwood University, the same degree mill that granted this reporter's pet dog a doctorate for US$599 (S$886) just two months ago.
The guest of honour at Monday's ceremony was MP for Joo Chiat Chan Soo Sen, who delivered a speech in Mandarin and English.
Contacted afterwards, he said he had been invited by a grassroots leader and accepted as he wanted to encourage the habit of life-long learning.
Told that WCU was unaccredited, he said he had not been given any information about it. 'If my presence there had given the university credibility, that was not my intention,' he said.
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Life long learning.
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nabeh....tupac shakur used to rule the east side until dr dre `lured' him to the west coast....that's why he got wasted.
i know this is OT but can someone check if Dr Dre is a lecturer there at WCU?