§ 10801 Definitions
§ 10802 Unlawful to issue, manufacture, or use false academic degrees; penalty
§ 10803 Unlawful to use degree or certificate when course work not completed; penalty
§ 10804 Consumer protection

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 20-A > Part 5 > Chapter 410 - False Academic Degrees or Certificates

  • Accreditation: means a formal status granted by an accrediting agency to an institution meeting or exceeding the educational quality criteria as stated in the accrediting agency's publication in order to assess and enhance the educational quality of an institution, ensure consistency in institutional operations, promote institutional improvement and provide for public accountability. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Accreditation mill: means an entity that is created to give the appearance that certain substandard schools or institutions of higher education are legitimately accredited organizations, that is not recognized by any authorized state, professional or national agency and that has few, if any, standards for quality. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Degree mill: means a school or institution of higher education without accreditation that meets any one of the following conditions:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Department: means the Department of Education. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 1
  • Diploma mill: means an institution of higher education operating without accreditation or supervision of a state or a nationally recognized professional agency and granting diplomas that are either fraudulent or, because of lack of proper standards, worthless. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Duly authorized institution of higher learning: means an institution that:
    • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • False academic degree: means a document such as a degree or certification of completion of a degree, course work or academic credit, including a transcript, that provides evidence or demonstrates completion of a course of instruction or course work that results in the issuance of an associate or more advanced degree by an institution that is not a duly authorized institution of higher learning. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Substandard school or institution of higher education: means an entity without accreditation that offers credentials purported to be degrees without requiring the type and level of academic work typically needed to earn a degree and that:
    • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A Sec. 10801
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72