According to the Education Inspectorate, the Groningen Academic Education Foundation (AOG), founded by the University of Groningen, issued 45 diplomas six years ago that were not recognized by law.
The Education Inspectorate, which examined these so-called master degrees, recently came to this conclusion. The contents of the report became known on Tuesday. General director Albert Jan Postma of the Groningen Academic Education Foundation finds it extremely annoying for those involved. “This was not necessary.”
The Foundation is for workers with a bachelor’s degree
AOG was created by the RUG in 1988 and is intended for workers who have already completed a bachelor’s degree at academic level. “So that people with part-time jobs could also obtain an academic degree. The university only offered programs in its own faculties, but for many people this was not possible to combine with work and family. The RUG wanted to do something for these people. That’s what I started doing. RUG employees form the board of the foundation. They monitor the quality of the training courses.”
The foundation itself was allowed to issue diplomas recognized by the RUG. This changed with the introduction of the ‘Protection of Names and Degrees Act in Higher Education’ on September 1, 2017. University, college, bachelor, master and doctor are protected names. This means that organizations are not allowed to simply use them in documents.
Foundation wanted to change date on diploma
Postma: “Only a government-recognized organization for higher education, such as a university, was allowed to do that. So from that time on it was no longer possible, but there was a group of 45 students who had started the course before September 1.”
The majority received a diploma with the title ‘Master of Business Administration’. Unjustified, according to the Education Inspectorate. “Because the name of the foundation was still on the diploma. This group was in danger of ending up between two stools. The participants received their diploma in December 2017. That date was also stated on the diploma. We exchanged that diploma for another copy that said August 28, 2017. But the Education Inspectorate does not accept that. I honestly don’t understand that. The quality of education has not changed.”
Part of the reason for the investigation, as the inspectorate states in its report, is: ‘A diploma for a ‘Master of Business Administration’ (MBA) course issued on December 8, 2017 that the inspectorate came across on LinkedIn. This diploma states: “The Groningen Academic Training Foundation declares this [naam deelnemer] has met the requirements and is entitled to hold the title Master of Business Administration (MBA).”
’45 diplomas not recognized by law, but recognized by RUG’
The inspection found a total of 45 diplomas that were illegal. ‘This concerns: 34 Master of Business Administration (MBA) diplomas; 10 Master of General Management (MGM) degrees; 1 degree Master of Marketing Strategy (MMS).’
The inspection also established that the foundation did not inform the students involved in a timely and incomplete manner about the status of their diploma. The foundation sees it differently, as is evident from its response included in the report. ‘The 45 participants in the investigation have been informed several times, both verbally and twice by letter, about the Inspectorate’s investigation, in which the situation that has arisen has been explained and an appropriate solution has been offered to them.’
‘Free transition arrangement for affected students’
Postma: “We have – also at the insistence of the Education Inspectorate – offered all those involved a free transitional arrangement. This means that you still have to take a number of exams. Of course we offer this for free. Five make use of it.” The other forty now have a diploma that is not recognized by law. “But by the university. Again, it is and remains annoying. For everyone.”
Due to a merger with an educational institution in Enschede, AOG has been authorized to offer the same courses as before since September 1, 2017.
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