Pacific Western University (Hawaii)

Pacific Western University (Hawaii) was an unaccredited university closed in May 2006 following a lawsuit filed by the State of Hawaii a year earlier. Pacific Western University (Hawaii), Inc., also called American PacWest International University and registered under the business title Pacific West University (Hawaii) was incorporated in Hawaii in 1988 and operated within the State of Hawaii until May 2006. The university was an unaccredited institution based in Hawaii, and was by far the largest of the three Pacific Western University schools offering degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. Moreover, Pacific Western University (Hawaii) offered degree programs through partnerships with various countries, including Japan, Korea, Mexico, Argentina and Taiwan. In December 2001, Pacific Western University (Hawaii) received official recognition and a commendation from the 21st Hawaii State Senate and another recognition and commendation from the 21st Hawaii State House of Representatives. Both legislative bodies honored the university for its innovative, cost effective and quality distance education programs. In May 2004, the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs conducted hearings to determine whether the federal government had paid for, or federal employees possessed degrees from unaccredited schools. At the hearings, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (G.A.O.) presented a report summarizing an eight month investigation. As the basis of the report, the G.A.O. searched the Internet for nontraditional, unaccredited post-secondary schools offering degrees that met their search criteria. After the passage of the Homeland Security Act, Section 4107 of tile 5, U.S. Code was amended. When the act became law in 2002, the federal government could pay for a federal employee's academic degree only if the school was accredited by a nationally recognized accreditor. The Senate Committee official transcript references Pacific Western University (Los Angeles) and Pacific Western University (Hawaii) as two unaccredited schools the G.