Warnborough College
Encyclopedia
Warnborough College UK provides a variety of educational programs, both on-site in Canterbury
, England, and by distance learning. Warnborough College Ireland offers distance-learning programs from Ireland
. The name Warnborough is also associated with several related institutions of higher education
existing from 1973 to the present, including Warnborough College Oxford and Warnborough University.
, England
, in 1973 by Brenden Tempest-Mogg, an Australia
n who had attended Hertford College
in 1970. In no way affiliated with the University of Oxford
, it offered study abroad
programs and catered largely to American
undergraduate and graduate students who would spend a semester or year abroad as part of their academic program. Other offerings included Warnborough College International Summer Schools and a venue for summer conferences. It was founded on Warnborough Road in North Oxford
in 1973 and moved to Yatscombe Hall, former home to the Greek scholar Gilbert Murray
and Lord Shawcross, at Boars Hill
about four miles from the city of Oxford in 1976. The Boars Hill facilities included a lodge for the teaching staff and two Victorian Gothic mansions, one used as the women's dorm and one used as a men's dorm and for classes.
In 1985, Warnborough College began offering a study abroad program in Sydney
, Australia and later expanded to Brisbane
.
In 1995 Warnborough College enrolled its first group of students onsite in a four-year academic program. It has been alleged that Warnborough misrepresented itself as being related to Oxford University. When some of the students discovered that Warnborough had no connection with Oxford University they withdrew from the college and demanded refunds. The college denied that it had represented itself as being formally associated with Oxford University.
Although the college continued to deny any misrepresentation, Oxford University threatened Warnborough College with a lawsuit over these alleged misrepresentations and the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board
and former students sued Warnborough, its president, and Mark Huck, its recruiting co-ordinator in Seattle. The lawsuit by former students resulted in a judgement against Warnborough College by the Superior Court of King County, Washington
of nearly $300,000. In October 1995 the United States Department of Education
suspended and then, in 1996, terminated the eligibility of Warnborough College to participate in the federal student financial assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
on the basis that (i) it was not a degree-granting institution, (ii) its credits were not freely transferable; and (iii) it had no eligible vocational programs. It also fined the college for (i) failing to make refunds to students in accord with Title IV and Warnborough's own refund policies; and (ii) responsibility for misrepresentations to students that it was a part of Oxford University and had degree-granting authority.
These events created significant financial problems for Warnborough College. Hertford College was reported to be pursuing legal action against Warnborough College to recover a property rental debt of 6,000 pounds. Other creditors who were owed tens of thousands of pounds hired a private detective to track down the principals after they abruptly returned to Australia.
The Boars Hill properties were repossessed by creditors and its corporate owner, Oxford International Educational Enterprises Ltd, directed by brothers Brenden and Daryl Tempest-Mogg and their mother, Ethel Tempest-Mogg, was wound up on a petition by the Inland Revenue
. In the summer of 1996, Warnborough relocated temporarily to offices rented from New Road Baptist Church in central Oxford. The Tempest-Moggs returned to Australia in July 1996 and the New Road office closed in August 1996. In October 1996 Warnborough went into liquidation
.
Notable former students of Warnborough College Oxford include former surgeon and businessman Kneeland Youngblood
.
and later moved to Canterbury
. It offered graduate and undergraduate residential and non-residential degrees in liberal arts, scientific and professional studies. In November 2005 the Department of Education and Science
said that Warnborough University in Ireland was in breach of the Universities Act 1997 by calling itself a university and requested that they not use the word "university" to describe themselves.
In the early 2000s Warnborough University generated controversy by issuing graduate and undergraduate degrees in Australia because neither Warnborough nor any of its consortium partners through which it was offering degrees were authorised or accredited to do so. The Australian state of New South Wales included Warnborough on a list of five “unrecognized universities”. As of 2005, some Warnborough graduates were being denied employment in Australia because Warnborough was not on the list of recognised institutions in Australia.
The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, in its listing of unaccredited universities, comments in its notes about Warnborough (under the name of Warnborough University): "Also (known as) Warnborough College. 'Warnborough University is not a recognized institution in Ireland' - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland 'Not a UK degree-granter. Appearance on UK registry of training providers does not confer or represent authorization to issue degrees' - British Higher Education Governance office. Also operates jointly with St. Theresa's Medical University of St. Kitts
."
Alan Contreras, administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, has characterized Warnborough College as "a diploma mill that has managed to move back and forth between Britain and Ireland for decades without either government's being able to put an end to it." On its website, Warnborough College Ireland claims that its degrees are legal even though not accredited.
According to its website university foundation programs are offered in the areas of:
Distance learning courses are currently offered in the following 15 general areas:
and is designated as an "ASIC Premier College". Warnborough UK is an accredited training provider for distance-education and onsite bookkeeping
courses leading to Level 1 and Level 2 certification from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
. Warnborough College UK is an accredited training provider for the Association of Business Executives (ABE) and offers certificate and diploma tuition services by distance-learning or onsite covering business management and tourism and hospitality.
Warnborough College UK certificates and diplomas are not degrees and are considered unaccredited as specified in the following government websites: Texas
, Oregon
, Michigan
, and Maine
. A Warnborough degree is not accepted in South Korea
for purposes of obtaining an E-2 Visa.
in Drumcondra
. In February 2008, the Irish Independent reported that All Hallows officials were concerned that the college had falsely represented itself as linked to All Hallows, which had no involvement in its academic programs or arrangements. At All Hallow's request, Warnborough removed photographs of All Hallows from its website. All Hallows said that it would not renew Warnborough's lease after August 2008.
that because Warnborough College is not a recognised higher education institution or awarding body, the qualifications are "effectively worthless".
In July 2008, HETAC denied the college's application for accreditation because it had failed to agree to quality-control procedures, which were the first step in the accreditation process. Warnborough sought leave to take judicial review of the denial but withdrew its appeal in November 2008 after HETAC agreed to permit Warnborough to submit a new accreditation application.,
In the United States, Warnborough College Ireland degrees are not accepted in Texas
, Oregon
, by Michigan
civil service, or Maine
. A Warnborough degree is not accepted in South Korea
for purposes of obtaining an E-2 Visa.
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, England, and by distance learning. Warnborough College Ireland offers distance-learning programs from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The name Warnborough is also associated with several related institutions of higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
existing from 1973 to the present, including Warnborough College Oxford and Warnborough University.
1973–1996: Oxford
Warnborough College was founded in OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 1973 by Brenden Tempest-Mogg, an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n who had attended Hertford College
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
in 1970. In no way affiliated with the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, it offered study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
programs and catered largely to American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
undergraduate and graduate students who would spend a semester or year abroad as part of their academic program. Other offerings included Warnborough College International Summer Schools and a venue for summer conferences. It was founded on Warnborough Road in North Oxford
North Oxford
North Oxford is a suburban part of the city of Oxford in England. It was owned for many centuries largely by St John's College, Oxford and many of the area's Victorian houses were initially sold on leasehold by the College....
in 1973 and moved to Yatscombe Hall, former home to the Greek scholar Gilbert Murray
Gilbert Murray
George Gilbert Aimé Murray, OM was an Australian born British classical scholar and public intellectual, with connections in many spheres. He was an outstanding scholar of the language and culture of Ancient Greece, perhaps the leading authority in the first half of the twentieth century...
and Lord Shawcross, at Boars Hill
Boars Hill
Boars Hill is a hill hamlet southwest of Oxford, straddling the boundariy between the civil parishes of Sunningwell and Wootton. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-History:...
about four miles from the city of Oxford in 1976. The Boars Hill facilities included a lodge for the teaching staff and two Victorian Gothic mansions, one used as the women's dorm and one used as a men's dorm and for classes.
In 1985, Warnborough College began offering a study abroad program in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia and later expanded to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
In 1995 Warnborough College enrolled its first group of students onsite in a four-year academic program. It has been alleged that Warnborough misrepresented itself as being related to Oxford University. When some of the students discovered that Warnborough had no connection with Oxford University they withdrew from the college and demanded refunds. The college denied that it had represented itself as being formally associated with Oxford University.
Although the college continued to deny any misrepresentation, Oxford University threatened Warnborough College with a lawsuit over these alleged misrepresentations and the Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board
Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board
Washington State Higher Education Coordinating Board is a Washington state agency with a 10-member citizen board to improve higher education.-External links:* – Official website...
and former students sued Warnborough, its president, and Mark Huck, its recruiting co-ordinator in Seattle. The lawsuit by former students resulted in a judgement against Warnborough College by the Superior Court of King County, Washington
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
of nearly $300,000. In October 1995 the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
suspended and then, in 1996, terminated the eligibility of Warnborough College to participate in the federal student financial assistance programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
Higher Education Act of 1965
The Higher Education Act of 1965 was legislation signed into United States law on November 8, 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society domestic agenda. Johnson chose Texas State University–San Marcos as the signing site...
on the basis that (i) it was not a degree-granting institution, (ii) its credits were not freely transferable; and (iii) it had no eligible vocational programs. It also fined the college for (i) failing to make refunds to students in accord with Title IV and Warnborough's own refund policies; and (ii) responsibility for misrepresentations to students that it was a part of Oxford University and had degree-granting authority.
These events created significant financial problems for Warnborough College. Hertford College was reported to be pursuing legal action against Warnborough College to recover a property rental debt of 6,000 pounds. Other creditors who were owed tens of thousands of pounds hired a private detective to track down the principals after they abruptly returned to Australia.
The Boars Hill properties were repossessed by creditors and its corporate owner, Oxford International Educational Enterprises Ltd, directed by brothers Brenden and Daryl Tempest-Mogg and their mother, Ethel Tempest-Mogg, was wound up on a petition by the Inland Revenue
Inland Revenue
The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation tax, petroleum revenue tax and stamp duty...
. In the summer of 1996, Warnborough relocated temporarily to offices rented from New Road Baptist Church in central Oxford. The Tempest-Moggs returned to Australia in July 1996 and the New Road office closed in August 1996. In October 1996 Warnborough went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
.
Notable former students of Warnborough College Oxford include former surgeon and businessman Kneeland Youngblood
Kneeland Youngblood
Kneeland Youngblood is an African-American physician, businessman, and political figure. He is the co-founder of the venture capital firm Pharos Capital Group, LLC, which specializes in raising private equity for undercapitalized businesses in underserved regions across the nation...
.
1997-2005: London and Canterbury
In 1997 Warnborough University was registered as a limited company in Ireland, directed by Brenden Tempest-Mogg and Kee Guan Ng, a Malaysian national and registered a branch office in the United Kingdom. It initially operated an office in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and later moved to Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
. It offered graduate and undergraduate residential and non-residential degrees in liberal arts, scientific and professional studies. In November 2005 the Department of Education and Science
Department of Education and Science (Ireland)
The Department of Education and Skills is a department of the Government of Ireland. It is led by the Minister for Education and Skills who is assisted by two Ministers of State.-Departmental team:...
said that Warnborough University in Ireland was in breach of the Universities Act 1997 by calling itself a university and requested that they not use the word "university" to describe themselves.
In the early 2000s Warnborough University generated controversy by issuing graduate and undergraduate degrees in Australia because neither Warnborough nor any of its consortium partners through which it was offering degrees were authorised or accredited to do so. The Australian state of New South Wales included Warnborough on a list of five “unrecognized universities”. As of 2005, some Warnborough graduates were being denied employment in Australia because Warnborough was not on the list of recognised institutions in Australia.
2006-present
In January 2006 two separate companies were established, in Ireland and the United Kingdom respectively, under the Warnborough College name.The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, in its listing of unaccredited universities, comments in its notes about Warnborough (under the name of Warnborough University): "Also (known as) Warnborough College. 'Warnborough University is not a recognized institution in Ireland' - National Qualifications Authority of Ireland 'Not a UK degree-granter. Appearance on UK registry of training providers does not confer or represent authorization to issue degrees' - British Higher Education Governance office. Also operates jointly with St. Theresa's Medical University of St. Kitts
St. Theresa's Medical University (St. Kitts)
St. Theresa’s Medical University was a medical school formerly located in Basseterre, St. Kitts.-History:STMU was opened in August 2005, and closed in August 2009....
."
Alan Contreras, administrator of the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization, has characterized Warnborough College as "a diploma mill that has managed to move back and forth between Britain and Ireland for decades without either government's being able to put an end to it." On its website, Warnborough College Ireland claims that its degrees are legal even though not accredited.
Offerings
Warnborough College UK issues certificates and diplomas in a number of university foundational, short-course vocational and personal-enrichment subjects. It does not offer and is not authorized to offer, British degrees.According to its website university foundation programs are offered in the areas of:
- marketing
- business management
- human resources management
- travel, tourism and hospitality
Distance learning courses are currently offered in the following 15 general areas:
- agriculture
- business and management
- ecotourism and adventure activities
- education, training and research
- environmental studies
- health, fitness and recreation
- horticulture
- hospitality and tourism
- information technology
- landscaping
- permaculture and self-sufficiency
- photography
- psychology and counselling
- science
- writing and journalism
Accreditation issues
According to its website, Warnborough College UK became accredited in 2008 by the Accreditation Service for International CollegesAccreditation Service for International Colleges
Accreditation Service for International Colleges is a private body in the business of validating institutions.- External links :* *...
and is designated as an "ASIC Premier College". Warnborough UK is an accredited training provider for distance-education and onsite bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
courses leading to Level 1 and Level 2 certification from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
Institute of Certified Bookkeepers
The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers is a British not for profit organisation that promotes and maintains the standards of bookkeeping as a profession, through the establishment of a series of relevant qualifications and the award of grades of membership that recognise academic attainment,...
. Warnborough College UK is an accredited training provider for the Association of Business Executives (ABE) and offers certificate and diploma tuition services by distance-learning or onsite covering business management and tourism and hospitality.
Warnborough College UK certificates and diplomas are not degrees and are considered unaccredited as specified in the following government websites: Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. A Warnborough degree is not accepted in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
for purposes of obtaining an E-2 Visa.
Irish college
Warnborough College Ireland is located in Dublin. From 2006 to 2008, it rented offices from All Hallows CollegeAll Hallows College
All Hallows College is a Roman Catholic college located in Drumcondra, Dublin, Ireland. All Hallows is one of six linked colleges of Dublin City University, meaning that the college's degrees are validated and accredited by the university.-History:...
in Drumcondra
Drumcondra, Dublin
Drumcondra is a residential area and inner suburb on the Northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is administered by Dublin City Council.The River Tolka and the Royal Canal flow through the area.-History:...
. In February 2008, the Irish Independent reported that All Hallows officials were concerned that the college had falsely represented itself as linked to All Hallows, which had no involvement in its academic programs or arrangements. At All Hallow's request, Warnborough removed photographs of All Hallows from its website. All Hallows said that it would not renew Warnborough's lease after August 2008.
Offerings
The college offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines, principally by distance learning. According to its website it offers the following degrees:| Bachelors | Masters | Doctoral |
|---|---|---|
| Arts | Arts | Arts |
| Applied Science | ||
| Business | Business | Business |
| Fine Arts | Fine Arts | |
| Philosophy | ||
| Science |
Accreditation issues
Warnborough College Ireland courses are not recognized by Ireland's Department of Education, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council (HETAC) or the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (NQAI). In February 2008, Sean O'Foghlu, chief executive of NQAI told the Irish IndependentIrish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
that because Warnborough College is not a recognised higher education institution or awarding body, the qualifications are "effectively worthless".
In July 2008, HETAC denied the college's application for accreditation because it had failed to agree to quality-control procedures, which were the first step in the accreditation process. Warnborough sought leave to take judicial review of the denial but withdrew its appeal in November 2008 after HETAC agreed to permit Warnborough to submit a new accreditation application.,
In the United States, Warnborough College Ireland degrees are not accepted in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, by Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
civil service, or Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. A Warnborough degree is not accepted in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
for purposes of obtaining an E-2 Visa.
See also
- St. Theresa's Medical University (St. Kitts)St. Theresa's Medical University (St. Kitts)St. Theresa’s Medical University was a medical school formerly located in Basseterre, St. Kitts.-History:STMU was opened in August 2005, and closed in August 2009....
- Educational accreditationEducational accreditationEducational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
- List of unaccredited institutions of higher learning