Top WSU lecturers in fake degrees claim

Walter Sisulu University is investigating the qualifications of two senior engineering lecturers alleged to have bought fake masters degrees  from  a dodgy United States university.

Senior lecturers Dr Danie Bessinger and Dr Christoffel Louw  claimed to have  obtained their Master of Science (Mechanical Engineering) degrees from LaSalle University in the US in 2001.

The Dispatch has learnt that LaSalle University was shut down in 1996 after an investigation by the US crime fighting unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Their  investigation found the university  to be  a “diploma mill”, which sold  degrees and diplomas via the Internet for a maximum  bargain price of $3700 (R47000).

WSU’s mechanical engineering prospectus says Bessinger  and Louw  have masters qualifications among other degrees.

Louw is said to have a doctorate in technology education from WSU; the master’s degree from LaSalle; and a national higher diploma in mechanical engineering from the erstwhile Technicon of  Orange Free State.

He is also listed as being a registered professional technical engineer and a member of the South African Institute of Mechanical Engineering (SAIMechE).

Bessinger is listed as also having a doctorate in technology education from WSU;  master’s from LaSalle; and higher diploma in technical education from the erstwhile University of Port Elizabeth.

He is also a registered professional technical engineer and member of SAIMechE.

It is only their degrees from LaSalle University that are being questioned.

When the allegations were brought before the university this week, the institution responded by launching its own investigation.

WSU  acting spokesman Thando Cezula said the university took the allegations seriously.

“Due to the seriousness of the allegations, WSU has resolved to investigate the matter immediately. The staff members in question have indeed completed their doctorates with WSU,” said Cezula.

In an interview with the Saturday Dispatch yesterday, Bessinger and Louw both denied their masters degrees were fake.

They said they had enrolled at LaSalle  in 1998 and graduated  in 2001. They showed the Dispatch exam papers dating back to 2000.

“This is to show that we did our degrees with the university and we passed,” said Bessinger.

The two never  attended their graduation ceremony as it was “too expensive” for them to travel.

Throughout their studies, the two claimed,  material was faxed to the school.

“We have second-hand textbooks that were posted to us to prove that the university existed,” said Louw.

“If this was a con, then we were conned but we still believe that it was all legit,” said Bessinger.

The  WSU employee who alerted the Dispatch to the two lecturers’ possibly fake qualifications asked not to be named.

The source said that after Louw and Bessinger received their degrees they applied to complete their doctorate theses with WSU in Mthatha.

“With the pool of fake degrees from unknown universities it is worth checking theirs,” said the source.

It is  the latest in a string of fake qualification scandals which has embarrassed the country recently.

Among those found to have bogus qualifications were  prominent South Africans, such as ANC stalwart Pallo Jordan.

He was found to have lied about having a PhD when in fact he did not  even have a degree.

Others, whose degrees’ authenticity have been investigated by different institutions include:

lDaniel Mthumkulu of Prasa who claimed to have an engineering degree with Wits University and a PhD from a German university.  Wits later said it did not have records of him;

lEllen Tshabalala, the former SABC chairwoman, who claimed to have a BCom from Unisa;

lMohau Pheko, South Africa’s ambassador to Japan, who had  claimed to have a PhD from La Salle University (spelled differently from LaSalle); and

lJohannes Phungula of Prasa who claimed to have a PhD.

In an attempt to prove their degrees were not fake, Louw and Bessinger provided the Dispatch with a letterhead from LaSalle University, its logo and an address given as Mandeville, Louisiana.

An internet search did not reveal a website for the facility but the Dispatch did find a site for La Salle  University  in Philadelphia.

Contacted for comment, the university said it did not have either man’s name in its records.

La Salle media director Jon Caroulis said the university did not have a school or department of engineering.

“I checked with one source of alumni records and did not find either name you listed,” he said.

Caroulis said there had been a correspondence school named LaSalle University based in Chicago.

“The FBI eventually closed the school down for mail fraud after it relocated to another state.”

Asked if their university still existed, Louw said he was not sure if it had closed or changed its name.

“The other name it had was Orion. It could have changed its name and I am not sure if it still exists.”

“It’s more than 10 years since we graduated. We never got in touch again. Our degrees are legit and this university is aware and we went on to do our doctorates here (WSU). We have nothing to hide,” said Bessinger.

Cezula said if anything untoward was found, drastic steps would be taken.

“Where there is sufficient information suggesting that a qualification is fake, disciplinary action has to be instituted against the guilty party.”