St Clements University is a

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institution An institution is a humanly devised structure of rules and norms that shape and constrain social behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions and ...

which has reported itself to be registered in the

Turks and Caicos The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and no ...

Islands. Its website lists a number of affiliations and recognitions and a network of over 10 centres and offices in a number of countries. Since 2005 it has established locally registered autonomous schools, St Clements University Higher Education School in Niue,St Clements University Higher Education School in Niue website
/ref> St Clements University in Somalia,
/ref> and the ''Université Suisse Privée St Cléments'' (St Clements Private Swiss University).
/ref>

Accreditation status

St Clements University Higher Education School in

Niue Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand. It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is part of Polynesia, and predominantly inhabited by Polynesians. One of the world's largest coral islands, Niue is c ...

states that it was licensed by the Niue Minister of Higher Education in March 2005 and is approved by the Association of Computer Professionals and the Association of Tourism and Hospitality Executives to teach their programs.Accreditation document from Niue Government and other professional bodies
/ref> St Clements University states that its operation in

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

was accredited by the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in 2007. The ''Université Suisse Privée St Cléments'' states that it was registered in the Swiss canton of

Vaud Vaud ( ; , ), more formally Canton of Vaud, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of Subdivisions of the canton of Vaud, ten districts; its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat ...

in 2009 and offers joint programs with the Institute of Professional Financial Managers, the Institute of Management Specialists, Design, Technology and Management Society International, the International Institute of Engineers, the International Guild of Academians and the Institute of Human Resource Management.List of Professional Bodies offering Joint Programs with the ''Université Suisse Privée St Cléments''
/ref> St Clements University has no United States accreditation. It is not accredited according to

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, and

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

official government listings.Unaccredited colleges
,

Oregon Office of Degree Authorization The Oregon Office of Degree Authorization (ODA) is a unit of the Office of Student Access and Completion, with responsibilities related to maintaining high standards in private higher education institutions in Oregon. ODA administers laws and pro ...

Institutions Whose Degrees are Illegal to Use in Texas

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is an agency of the U.S. state of Texas's government that oversees all public post-secondary education in the state. It is headquartered at 1801 North Congress Avenue in Austin. THECB dete ...

state government According to the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a cabinet-level department of the United States government, originating in 1980. The department began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and ...

, unaccredited degrees and credits may be unacceptable to employers or other institutions and restricted or illegal in some jurisdictions, e.g. St Clements University degrees are illegal to use in

and have restrictions to their use in

. The

reports that the government of New Zealand treats the St. Clements operation in Niue as being "substandard" and has requested "that its degrees not be included in international listings." In 2020, St. Clements University appointed Roderick Andrew Lee Ford, an American attorney and former judge advocate attorney in the United States Army, as its chancellor and whose primary mission is to review all university programmes, accreditation status, and policies in an effort to upgrade its academic standing in various states in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the British West Indies, Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Australian controversy

In 1999, under parliamentary privilege, Senator

Kim Carr Kim John Carr (born 2 July 1955) is an Australian former politician who served as a Senator for Victoria between 1993 and 2022. Representing the Labor Party, he was a minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments. Carr is a graduate of the ...

referred to a number of institutions including St Clements University which, in his opinion, were operating from Australia as " degree mills". He said that when a member of his staff contacted the company identified as administering St Clements it was discovered that it was also a whisky distributing company and alleged educational services company. Senator Carr subsequently referred to St Clements as reminiscent of "the famous pirates of old ... using legal devices and incompetence by government ministers and making a bridgehead into this country’s educational institutions" and as being operated out of a "grog shop" (Australian slang for a liquor store).Parliament of Australia website.
/ref>

References

External links

St Clements University website''Université Suisse Privée St Cléments'' website (Switzerland)
*
Information about St. Clements University - TurkeyInformation about St. Clements University - Turkey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Clements University Unaccredited institutions of higher learning Universities and colleges in dependent territories of the United Kingdom Educational organisations based in the Turks and Caicos Islands