Campaign Against AUOL, The American University of London

The University has become aware of a campaign currently being conducted by http://fakedoctoratesa.blogspot against this university.  This campaign has no foundation whatever, and is based entirely on misrepresentation, and unsubstantiated rumours.  The University is at a loss to understand why this blogsite would take up such a personalised campaign of attrition against a University with whom he has never had any dealings.

Whilst every individual is entitled to their opinion, (freedom of speech and constructive criticism is actively encouraged by the University), uncorroborated attacks with no basis in fact, are strongly resisted.

The University has always been happy to enter into dialogue with anyone who has concerns with regard to our standard of education and/or service. For instance, on occasions in the past we became aware of unscrupulous agents who did not work in the best interests of our students.  Their agreements with AUOL were instantly severed. As a result of that experience we now encourage prospective students in the country to study through AUOL directly and we no longer appoint agents in Saudi Arabia.

http://fakedoctoratesa.blogspot have however seen fit to malign this University in both the press and the media in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. http://fakedoctoratesa.blogspot has unilaterally taken it upon yourself without any contact with us, or thorough investigation, to appoint yourself an expert on the University and to condemn us, without any foundation. In other words you have appointed yourself Judge, Jury and Executioner. In addition, you have also threatened to punish hard working Saudi students who have put in a great deal of time and effort gaining their degrees, and whose only “crime” was to seek an education and to try to better their situation in life.  Saudi Arabia is the cradle of the great Islamic civilization. We consider this one -sided attack on an institute of learning to be unjust and wholly un-Islamic.



In light of the above, please permit me to furnish you with some relevant facts pertaining to the University and its status in the world.

FOUNDATION
 
The American University Of London was originally founded in 1984 as the American College of Science & Technology. AUOL, the international distance learning centre, was subsequently incorporated in 1999 as an independent Online and Distance Learning University.

 STATUS

AUOL is a private international institution.  The University is specialized in Distance Learning education (in other words an “open” university) and as such we have no requirement for a campus or elaborate offices.

“DEGREE MILL”

Our students work very hard in order to obtain their degrees. Our prospectus clearly states:  “If your intention is to “buy” a degree, beware!  This university is not now nor has it ever been a   “degree mill” and we will instantly reject such applications”.
QUALITY OF EDUCATION

Our main emphasis has always been to offer the highest quality of education to our students. Our study modules , both in digitised or in print format , are on par with those  used by the top universities in the UK .( I’ll be happy to send you a copy on any subject of your choice)  .
SUPERVISORS

The supervisors  in our Worldwide Adjunct Faculty are highly qualified professionals in their field and mostly holders of PhD  degrees  who work for some of the most prestigious  universities in the world .Every student is allocated  a  one- on- one supervisor  whose task it is to guide and supervise  the student throughout his/her program of study until graduation.   

RECOGNITION

This reputation for academic excellence meant that degrees conferred by the American University of London have become internationally recognized by the private sector and accepted by multinational businesses as well as by colleges and universities worldwide for further study.

ACCREDITATION

AUOL has not applied for accreditation with any American regional association nor with similar British official agencies.  Many good colleges and universities in the USA are not accredited either by their own choice (since accreditation is a totally voluntary procedure) or because they are new (all universities were unaccredited at one time in their lives)
The process of accreditation is lengthy and costly. It can often take many, many decades. Whilst this university   may not be accredited yet in the traditional sense, AUOL is nevertheless recognized as a “provider of excellent quality education”.

EQUIVALENCY TO USA DEGREES

The quality of the education we offer has been rigorously tested by various external specialized agencies.  Consequently, AUOL has an agreement with a renowned agency in the USA for the issuance of Equivalency Certificates to AUOL graduates.  This Equivalency Certificate states that AUOL degrees are equivalent to similar degrees awarded by US universities.The agency  is one of only three evaluation firms in the United States which are recognized by the US Department of Education and the only one recognized by the California Department of Education. They are also unique in the fact they are recognized by the US National Accreditor, ACICS. Based on their Equivalency Certificates AUOL graduates subsequently   obtain the Apostille of the State Department in Washington.

MEMBERSHIP OF AAHEA

The American University of London has also been admitted as a member of the American Association for Higher Education and Accreditation: AAHEA which has been in existence for over 140 years. 

EDUCATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE

The concept of a global university –not rooted in a particular country- such as AUOL is often misunderstood by conventional educators in some parts of the world.  In the digital age of information technology and in the global village we live in, AUOL is a pioneer.  We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovative technology and that is why we are unsurprised when, from time to time, we experience resistance from those who are not so technically aware.  In this day and age, to give but one example,  a  business or an individual may execute all their banking needs from a single  Smart phone  from anywhere in the world. Why then does it still cause raised eye brows to discover that numerous universities around the world   transmit their programs of study from computer terminals.

Since its foundation in 1999, AUOL’s motto has always been, “We bring the University to you” We continue to live by this to the present day.

TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY

In conclusion, this University has always been transparent and upfront with its students.  All the above information has been in the public domain (www.americanuniversity.eu) and published in all our correspondence and printed literature.
Please feel free to contact us at any time. We would be happy to provide you with any further information that would help you make a fair and balanced understanding of what this university stands for.