Verification of the Integrity and Legitimacy of Academic Credential Documents in an International Setting

Autor/in	Gollin, George D.
Titel	Verification of the Integrity and Legitimacy of Academic Credential Documents in an International Setting
Quelle	In: College and University, 84 (2009) 4, S.75 (5 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0010-0889
Schlagwörter	Credentials; Integrity; Databases; Evaluation Methods; Higher Education; Technology + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Studienbuch; Integrität; Datenbank; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Technologie
Abstract	The global demand for higher education currently exceeds the world's existing university capacity. This shortfall is likely to persist for the foreseeable future, raising concerns that frustrated students might choose to purchase fraudulent credentials from counterfeiters or diploma mills. International efforts to encourage the development of reliable, authoritative lists of recognized universities are currently underway. An employer might use such lists and related databases to determine the legitimacy of a school attended by a prospective employee. An additional approach to credential authentication is possible in which degree verification is performed automatically using the same information security tools that permit secure financial transactions to proceed over open communication networks. It is possible that the development of reliable databases (which require active engagement in order to be useful) in combination with a widely adopted standard for self-authenticating academic documents could drive nearly all counterfeiters and diploma mills out of business. Public-key cryptography can provide a technical solution to the problem of authenticating academic documents such as transcripts and diplomas. When combined with an appropriate system to manage universities' public keys (so that only legitimate universities are issued keys by a "certificate authority"), it becomes possible to determine whether a document is genuine or counterfeit, and also whether or not it was issued by a legitimate postsecondary institution rather than a diploma mill. Interesting lessons can be learned from the history of efforts to suppress fraud in financial transactions. After discussing these, the author describes a model for the generation of secure, verifiable diplomas and transcripts. (Contains 7 footnotes.) (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). One Dupont Circle NW Suite 520, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-293-9161; Fax: 202-872-8857; e-mail: pubs@aacrao.org; Web site: http://www.aacrao.org/publications/candu/index.cfm
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10