As Graduate professor throw jibes
Professors at the state-run University of Liberia (UL) Graduate Programs are entangled in a degree “wahala” aimed at challenging the validity of the degrees allegedly being paraded by colleagues.
The latest lecturer to be besmeared by colleagues is Dr. Jeremiah Whapoe, who doubles as the political leader of the Vision for Liberia Transformation Party (VOLT).
Dr. Whapoe, like few other professors have been accused of parading with fake doctoral degrees at the University.
But in a reaction Tuesday, March 1. Dr. Whapoe termed as clueless, a claim by Martin Kollie and others that the opposition leader has no doctoral degree and that his doctoral degree was fraudulent.
Dr. Whapoe told a press conference at his VOLT party headquarters in the Old Road Community Tuesday, 1 March 2022 that the allegation levied by his “self-proclaimed enemies” that he does not have a doctoral degree “is a lie and they have no evidence to substantiate their claim.”
“I have not come to throw anything in their Pandora-box, but I have come to reaffirm to my friends and followers that my education and a doctoral degree is solid, confirmed and highly respected by the State of Illinois, and the United States of America,” said Dr. Whapoe.
He said he earned his Doctoral degree following a five-year rigorous study of sleepless nights for the thirst for education at Argosy University, a prestigious private University in Chicago, Illinois.
The VOLT political leader displayed documents, institutional website links and contact numbers of relevant academic authorities that he said could be contacted to authenticate information he has provided surrounding the acquisition of his terminal degree.
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“You covetous, and doubting “Thomases” if you like, I would suggest to you for further Clarification you may do so by following the below link www.ibhe.org or contact the telephone number provided below: +1217-782-2551 Illinois Department of Higher Education, Dr. Bryon Coon, Ph.D. +1345-947-1100, President, Cayman Island University, Dr. Kenneth Arndt, +1-847-456-2738. Prof. of Leadership and Organizational Psychology.”
Whapoe indicated that Lester Tunny and Gibson Keykpo who provided information to Martin Kollie had revealed that Argosy University ceased operation in 2019, but they also neglected to acknowledge that he graduated from Argosy University in 2014, five years before the school was closed.
Dr. Whapoe said Argosy University “ceased to exist” five years after his graduation and it had a merger with another university.
He argued that any company, any business can do a merger, adding that the university runs as a business and so if it cannot continue to operate, it can do a merger.
He rejected a claim that he was recently thrown out of class while on a thesis committee for his students, saying this is a fallacy.
Dr. Whapoe explained that for the past four weeks or a little more, there has been a wave of allegations from “Lester Tunny, John Gibson Keykpo that was fused through Mr. Martin Kollie on social media” on his hard-earned five years rigorous study of sleepless nights for the thirst for education that his Doctoral degree was fraudulent.
“These individuals who are making their own story that I do not have a doctoral degree are a little moronic and feeble-minded individuals who have no clue of my mental sophistication,” Dr. Whapoe said.
He said he owes “these supercilious and disdainful individuals” no explanation because of their feelings.
He narrated that his life in the US was characterized by studiousness and hard work, as his first undergraduate was in Computer Science from the College of Office Technology on Division St. in Chicago, IL from whence he graduated with distinction and further obtained an A+ certificate in Network Administration.
Dr. Whapoe said he later enrolled at the University of Illinois at Chicago and studied a dual degree at an Undergraduate level in Political Science and Sociology, respectively.
Due to his hard work and excellent academic performance, he said he earned the highest academic honor and was placed on the National Dean List for four consecutive years.
After graduating with honors at the undergraduate level at UIC, Dr. Whapoe said he pursued graduate studies at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the UIC, the first and elite Social Work College in the world.
“I also graduated from this college with honor and earned an MSW with an emphasis in Community Health and Urban Development,” he continued.
In order to diversify his educational portfolio, he said he matriculated at Argosy, a prestigious private University in Chicago, Illinois that specialized in training world-class leaders and business executives.
After five years of rigorous laborious studies, he said he again obtained the highest academic honor in Business (Beta, Gamma Sigma,) and was subsequently enrolled in the Beta Gamma Sigma Academic Honor Society.
“This honor is the highest any business student around the world can receive. No one receives this honor if the institution he or she graduates from is not accredited by the Federal Department of Education, State Department of Education and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International,” he argued.
He noted that these are the pride he has brought to this great nation Liberia.
At this academic echelon, he said his dissertation title was: The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility, Poverty Reduction and Consumer Satisfaction.
“This was a Mixed Methods empirical study that targeted the population of the Republic of Liberia; hence, the dissertation that crowned my terminal degree was conducted right here in Liberia,” he noted.
“The following Individuals were on my dissertation committee: Sharon McNeely, Ph.D., Herb Hupfer, Ph.D., and Byron R. Coon, Ph.D. and Program Chair. These individuals are all alive in the United States going on [with] their normal life activities.”
Prior to the conduct of the study in Liberia, he said he contacted the University of Liberia through his University (Argosy University) to obtain IRB approval before conducting overseas research.
“However, since the UL was not offering a terminal degree, I was referred to the Commission on Higher Education. The Commission on Higher Education at that time was directed by Dr. Marcus Sleweon,” he recalled.
“An Approval letter from the Commission signed by its director was given to me through my university and the study was allowed to be carried on in Liberia,” he noted.
Dr. Whapoe said his next course of action against his accusers will be announced later.
