Government Relations
UW System Position on Bills Introduced in the Legislature During the 2009-2010 Session
Pending Legislation
AB 624
Full Description
(Hixson/Risser) This bill would prohibit any school from using the term “college” or “university” in its name unless the school provides an educational program for which it awards an associate or higher degree and the school has accreditation recognized by the U.S secretary of education; has the foreign equivalent of that accreditation, as determined by the Wisconsin Educational Approval Board (EAB); or has accreditation recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The bill also prohibits any school from using the term "state" or "Wisconsin" in its name if the use of that term misleads the public into falsely believing that the school is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin System, the technical college system, or the state.
If a school uses any of these terms in violation of this bill, it may be subject to a penalty. Additionally, this bill makes it a crime to knowingly issue or manufacture a false academic credential, or to knowingly use a false academic credential or falsely claim to have a legitimate academic credential.
UW System Position
SUPPORT: This legislation would protect employers and students, and preserve the integrity of degrees granted by the UW System and other academic institutions in the state.
The restrictions imposed by this bill protect consumers and students by ensuring that an organization which identifies itself as an institution of higher education is an accredited college or university and by providing a cause of action against fraudulent institutions.
The bill also protects employers by making academic credentials more easily verifiable and by permitting them to deny employment to, or terminate, individuals who have been convicted of knowingly using a false academic credential or falsely claiming to have a legitimate academic credential.
Additionally, this bill preserves the integrity of the state’s public university system by prohibiting a school from misleading the public into falsely believing that it is affiliated with the UW System or the state.