Oregon Statutes 348.594 – Definitions for ORS 348.594 to 348.615
As used in ORS § 348.594 to 348.615:
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 348.594
- 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.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- public body: means state government bodies, local government bodies and special government bodies. See Oregon Statutes 174.109
- United States: includes territories, outlying possessions and the District of Columbia. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
(1)(a) ‘Diploma mill’ means:
(A) A school against which a court or public body, as defined in ORS § 174.109, has issued a ruling or finding, after due process procedures, that the school has engaged in dishonest, fraudulent or deceptive practices related to the award of degrees, academic standards or student learning requirements;
(B) An entity without legal authority as a school to issue degrees valid as credentials in the jurisdiction that authorizes issuance of degrees; or
(C) A school or entity that:
(i) Offers fee-based degrees, diplomas or certificates that may be used to represent to the general public that the individual possessing the degree, diploma or certificate has completed a program of post-secondary education or training;
(ii) Requires an individual to complete little or no education or coursework to obtain the degree, diploma or certificate; and
(iii) Has not been accredited by a post-secondary accrediting agency.
(b) ‘Diploma mill’ does not include:
(A) A school operating legally under ORS § 348.604; or
(B) A school that is actively seeking and able to show evidence of reasonable progress toward institutional accreditation with a post-secondary accrediting agency.
(2) ‘Post-secondary accrediting agency’ means a legal entity, or part of a legal entity, that:
(a) Conducts accrediting activities through voluntary peer review;
(b) Makes decisions concerning the accreditation or pre-accreditation status of institutions and programs; and
(c) Is recognized by the United States Department of Education as an entity that conducts the activities and makes the decisions described in this subsection.
(3)(a) ‘School’ means a person, organization, school or institution of learning that confers or offers to confer an academic degree upon a person or to provide academic credit applicable to a degree.
(b) ‘School’ does not include:
(A) An Oregon community college;
(B) A public university listed in ORS § 352.002; or
(C) The Oregon Health and Science University. [1997 c.652 § 8; 1999 c.59 § 93; 2005 c.546 § 8; 2007 c.325 § 1; 2016 c.30 § 2; 2023 c.557 § 7]