Scam U

        So, there I was, doing the crossword and sort of listening/watching Good Morning America as I did. They cut to local traffic and weather as usual and then ran a commercial which really took my focus off the puzzle. It started with the off screen voice asking if one had ever felt called to the ministry. That got my attention, as I'd never heard that question asked by a TV announcer (or any other rational human in all honesty). Then the commercial for South University began in earnest, stressing that you could get a doctoral degree in "ministry" ( I assume the ministry of silly walks is included) in "just three years" and without all the bother of actually completing a master's degree along the way. Wow, jumping straight to Doctor!

        Of course this is not to be confused with a PhD, or DD, which is what legitimate theologians (yeah, I know , that's an  oxymoron) frequently obtain after eight  years of University/Seminary. This is a "special" degree apparently  created by the same sort of  for profit education scammers who gave us Trump University and so many more, now under increasing scrutiny as high end con games.

        Of course the real advantage here is that, unlike a degree in a real field with real standards and actual information and processes,  a "Doctor of Ministry" is so vague and undefined, much like the field of study itself, that who could ever say if the awardee could differentiate  excreta from  boot black?

        Of course, in the broader scope of things, I have frequently  found that people of the cloth whom I respect, and there are a number, are in fact talented counselors and  sociologists first and the mumbo jumbo is the fall back position. On the other hand, many so called "divinity degree" holders seem to be very much like the geek who has seen every Star Wars film multiple times, memorized the dialogue, owns a light saber, speaks rudimentary Wookie and has mentally lost the ability to discriminate  Science fiction from and reality.

        A quick Google of South University, which their website  proudly proclaims was established in 1899, reveals that in 1899 it was actually not a university at all, but Draughon's Practical Business College. It became a for profit "University" in the latter half of the 20th century. Most  on line student reviews are similar to the following: "Students are a dollar sign, don't bother them.", "Worst school on the planet!",  etc. The one which truly made me sad, however, is this one: "The Deans do NOTHING but stroke you as long as the financial aid office is stroking you. Right about the last 3 semesters, They start chipping away at your GPA until you are booted out, at which point you have no recourse and no chance to start back where you were, and now you're 25 grand in debt at best, or all of your VA money is used up. We (MANY) want to SUE this institution for the criminally felonious." 

        I think this one sums up South University fairly succinctly:  "DO NOT ATTEND THIS SCHOOL!!!!!! It's a huge scam, all about the money. Tuition for a 2 yr program is higher than a 4 yr university program. What a mistake to let admissions lure me in, but I got out. You need to run!"  

And these are just the credentials a person of the cloth should strive for?