Unknown Myth About Kennedy Western University

Unknown Myth About Kennedy Western University

Warren National University was established as Kennedy Western University in California in 1984. Its founder was Paul Saltman.The name was officially changed to Warren National University on January 1, 2007. According to the institution, the new name was selected in honor of the first governor of Wyoming, Francis E. Warren, and reflects Kennedy Western University strong ties to the state of Wyoming.The Encyclopedia of Distributed Learning states, "There are some unaccredited, profit-making online universities that have achieved reported economic success. One example is Kennedy-Western University, which has significant history in serving the corporate education markets."The financial success is supported by an article in the Cheyenne Herald that contained the financial statement for what may have been a peak revenue year, 2003, about $25,000,000. The article added, "The $25 million estimate was almost dead-on. As was the estimate of using 50% of the revenue to generate the revenue

Over the university's history, it had offices in, Hawaii, Idaho, and finally to Wyoming, while keeping headquarters in California until December 2007. As of December 14, 2007, WNU closed its administrative offices in Agoura Hills, California, centralizing its operations in Wyoming.^[4]

In 2002 The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that Kennedy Western University was licensed in California up to 1991, "But Kennedy-Western chose not to renew its license after California enacted the Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education Reform Act, a 1989 law that aimed to rid the state of diploma mills." In the same article the Chronicle quoted the school's director of admissions as saying the new California regulations would not have permitted Kennedy Western University "to offer college credit for work experience and a more flexible self-paced model.

In August 2008, WNU announced that it was suspending new student admissions and reactivation of students in order to focus resources on current students. On January 30, 2009, WNU announced that their attempt to achieve accreditation had failed. Therefore, in compliance with Wyoming state law they would cease operations on March 31, 2009. It was also mentioned that future university registrar services would be provided by Preston University.^[11]

On June 5, 2009 a civil suit was filed by former students alleging that WNU had misrepresented itself to the students.

After the school closed, former students who took out loans to pay Warren National University learned that their degree was not accepted by some Government or State employment that required license.^[15]

On March 6, 2012 the Cheyenne Herald reported about the slow pace of the ongoing lawsuit, noting four plaintiffs withdrew, which left 190 on record and the plaintiffs issued a subpoena to the Higher Learning Council in Chicago regarding Warren's attempts to get accreditation.

Types Of Programs Offered By Kennedy Western University:

Business - Accounting

Business - General

Business - Management

Business - Project Management

Business - Small Business

Computers - Basic

Computers - Information Systems

Computers - Information Technology

Computers - Web

Criminal Justice - Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice - Homeland Security

Criminal Justice - Technology

Education - MA Degree

Education - Teaching

Health Care - Administration

Health Care - Medical Assisting

Health Care - Management

Health Care - Nursing

Legal - Office

Legal - Paralegal