Jeff Wooller's response
As my blog post on the Jeff Wooller matter has been attracting a lot of attention - and because we have been running follow-ups in Accountancy Age too - I thought I'd publish a fuller copy of a letter we received from Wooller on the matter. We're running a shorter version in print this week.
He writes: 'In the letter page of 17 Jan, Professor Gerald Vinten asks how many millions I have made from my connection with the Irish International University.
'Five years’ ago I was offered payment by the university. I turned this down and asked for the money to be used for a student scholarship.
'The exposé of the Irish International University (IIU) by BBC TV London has received widespread publicity. The BBC TV report does not, in my view, accurately represent the views that I expressed at the interview with an under-cover reporter Plus, the BBC has used a photograph completely out of context.
'There is a picture of me with Professor Sandhu (Chief Executive of IIU) It was taken at a function in London over five years ago. The caption is "The university staged an award ceremony in Oxford". I have never been to Oxford!
'The BBC also implies that I am a major player in the university. I must emphasise that my role with the university has been that of a figure-head .This is also how IIU described my role to the BBC. I have attended several IIU convocations in UK and in Malaysia at which I have met hundreds of students. I have never received any complaint about the university.
'I have never been happy with the IIU website and have made my views clear to IIU. It said that the accreditation body in the UK was independent when I knew that it was not. On several occasions, I have told IIU that the website was misleading. It also appears that IIU has said that it had a campus in Ireland. The BBC found that it was not a campus but a telephone line! I was not aware of the lack of campus in Ireland.
'The BBC reporter suggested that my position with IIU is untenable and that I should resign. As a result, I told the IIU that I would resign if my required changes to the website were not met. The BBC has now confirmed that the misleading aspects of the website have gone.
'The BBC has highlighted the fact that I am resident in Monaco and has tried to insinuate that this is in some way related to income from IIU students. I have lived in Monaco since 2000 ie before my involvement with IIU. I must emphasise that I do not get paid to be on the IIU website or for any other services rendered to IIU.
'Professor Sandhu is one of my old students and when he set up the university, he invited me to become Vice Chancellor. I held that position until it was taken over by Professor Ralph Thomas at one time a close friend of Professor Vinten Since then I have become Honorary Chancellor which is a more accurate description of my position.
'The "Honorary" title was used to indicate that it is position in which one does not expect payment. It is highly likely that the IIU will be taking legal action because it has been represented as "Not a University" and "Not Irish". However, the registration of IIU as a university in Ireland is there for all to see. It has Irish Government approval also to use the word "International" in its title.
'The Irish Constitution allows any organisation that is set up as a university in Ireland to operate as a university, albeit not accredited. The IIU operation was described as a scam. Yet visas are given only to students attending colleges approved by Government agencies. I have no doubt that the quality of the education provided was better than that in some fully accredited universities and certainly better value than most accredited courses.
'Professor Vinten is, of course, well known as a leading player in the accreditation field as is Professor Thomas. At the BBC interview, I had suggested that rather than looking at the Irish International University they should be looking at the whole sordid business of accreditation.
'The BBC chose not to publish my comments in this connection. But for an independent assessment on the whole saga go here.
'Bear in mind also that the BBC reporter is an Oxford graduate and therefore perhaps not completely unbiased in the battle between the accredited and the unaccredited.'
I've published Wooller's comments in full in the interests of balance. He is right to question the whole 'sordid business of accreditation'. But if he considers it 'sordid' - a strong word - why allow himself to become so aligned with an organisation that used the term accreditation dubiously?
And while the rest of hat he says may well all be the case, it implies judgment on his part that is very much at the margins of what is and isn't acceptable.
And, as I wrote before, none of this reflects well on Wooller.
As an aside, the Professor Ralph Thomas that Jeff Wooller has so much respect for is the one on this page: http://web.archive.org/web/20070514052939/http://www.widu.us/professors_since_2005. Draw your own conclusions! I particularly like the profile of FRANK T. BOZEMAN, Ph.D, Int. PhD, Grand PhD, Prof., but there are gems of humility and conciseness to be found in Ralph's profile too. I'm not sure that it's accurate to call Ralph a leading player in accreditation, especially as the webpage for his efforts (http://www.uk-ccl.org) is now a link farm. A case for his being a leading player in sordid accreditation might be easier to make.
Posted by Tom | January 23, 2008 5:14 PM
Sorry, malformed link in that post - delete the full stop on the end, and it works: http://web.archive.org/web/20070514052939/http://www.widu.us/professors_since_2005
Posted by Tom | January 23, 2008 6:05 PM
Read article with interest and wonder about his integrity. He may not be getting paid by IIU but I've looked at the Institute of Professional Financial Managers http://www.ipfm.ru/docs/IPFM_autumn_07.pdf and payments are to be sent to Jeff's home in Kensington or his Paypal account jeffwooller@yahoo.co.uk. What is this all about?
Posted by Kimberly | January 24, 2008 7:32 PM
Looking at that PDF, the degrees of St Clements University (headed by Jeff Wooller) are heavily publicised - and, with fees under £2000 for a BSc, it's not surprising that it's unaccredited: http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.aspx. It all seems a bit like the Hydra.
Posted by Tom | January 25, 2008 9:20 AM
It was because of my excellent credits from accredited educational establishments that I was accepted by St. Clements.
Many clever students are often at a disadvantage because of colour, race, nationality, etc;
St. Clements and Dr.Jeff Wooller offer such students the opportunity to claim a recognition for their true intellectual ability.
Posted by Edna Crabbere | May 1, 2008 9:29 PM
If Iam to say anything, I should repeat this statement: "Many clever students are often at a disadvantage because of colour, race, nationality,poverty etc;"
Secondly, the graduates of conventional universities, do not in anyway want others to have access to University education, For sure they are never more intelligent. Make a research and tell me the result.
Everyone has right to education. It is the duty of governments to help any institution to meet standard not by denying the student of those institution an opportunity to be educated.
THE WORLD IS SAFER WHEN WE ARE ALL EDUCATED.
LIVE and let Live.
Joshua.
Posted by joshua | August 12, 2008 7:52 PM
SO IIU in fact legal in ireland? if mcdonauld or kentakey frightchiken can set up university why not others?
Big muistake made iiu was bogus website full of dogy infromaions like degree programme in dublin and bogus accredition in uk.
Now new website still operate but looks like iiu still legal?they had their convocation in oxforand and cambridge in 2008 after the bogus scaldal/ get it cleared so those 1000's of students are having a fair future.
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Posted by Dante Lyster | January 17, 2010 11:10 AM
It is a democracy university and i graduated from this . while writing the 15,000 words and answering assingments (9 topics), i have a good experience of university off campus life which i didnt have the opportunity earlier because i have to work to support my self and parents. It all depend on individual weather there can apply what they had learned while looking for materials/ researh in order to satisfy the degree programme in 24-36 months . My course has a relation to the years of my working experience has had assisted me to put my though on paper in book form /to comply the requirement for the degree and managed to do it systematically. Thank you IIU
Posted by Osinggang ,Jeprol | January 23, 2010 12:17 PM
It is a democracy university and i graduated from this . while writing the 15,000 words and answering assingments (9 topics), i have a good experience of university off campus life which i didnt have the opportunity earlier because i have to work to support my self and parents. It all depend on individual weather there can apply what they had learned while looking for materials/ researh in order to satisfy the degree programme in 24-36 months . My course has a relation to the years of my working experience has had assisted me to put my though on paper in book form /to comply the requirement for the degree and managed to do it systematically. Thank you IIU
Posted by Osinggang ,Jeprol | January 23, 2010 12:25 PM