Steve Levicoff
Encyclopedia
Steve F. Levicoff is an American
writer and former educator best known for his writings, in books and online, on adult
higher education
and distance learning, and his practical guides to law for evangelists
and Christian counselors. He directed the Institute on Religion and Law, which gave counseling on state-religion issues to organizations and government bodies.
to Christianity
in his youth, drawn to a predominantly African-American church. He identifies as a born again evangelical
.
After reading A.S. Neill's Summerhill, he dropped out
of high school in the eleventh grade, started teaching adult school classes in folk guitar a few weeks later, and took the GED
the day he turned 18.
Amid a varied working career, including work as a Christian radio
host, he published his first book, Building Bridges: the Prolife Movement and the Peace Movement (Toviah Press, 1982), and pursued a series of academic degrees through regionally accredited, non-traditional programs for self-guided adult learners. He earned his B.A.
in humanities (1987) from Thomas A. Edison State College
, his M.A.
in theology and law (1989) from Norwich University
(through Vermont College, a component since separated from Norwich and merged into Union Institute and University), and his Ph.D.
in religion and law (1991) from the Union Institute (now Union Institute and University, as above).
He also briefly attended a master's program at Simon Greenleaf School of Law
in Anaheim, California
, then a small, unaccredited Christian law school, since become part of Trinity International University
.
His bachelor's was earned by distance learning, and in very large part through portfolio assessment, in which knowledge Levicoff had gained through previous work was assessed against accredited university credit courses; the graduate degrees were earned through short residency programs combining learner-guided distance education with intensive on-campus colloquia. His Project Demonstrating Excellence, Union's analogue to a doctoral dissertation, "The New Song of Shiloh: An Historical, Legal, and Theological Exploration of an Indigenous Prison Church," was a landmark exploration of Harry Theriault's controversial prison-based religion, the Church of the New Song.
, 1991), a well-received practical guide to legal issues around pastoral counseling
. His later title Street Smarts: A Guide to Personal Evangelism and the Law (Baker Book House
, 1994), discussed legal aspects of proselytism
, religious witness such as street-corner preaching
.
He wrote in The Christian Century
, Christian Counseling Today, Christian Education Journal, Evangelical Journal, and Visions Magazine, and in book anthologies.
He led a small private organization, the Institute on Religion and Law in Ambler, Pennsylvania
, and served as an adjunct professor in church-state issues at two fundamentalist Christian
schools, Philadelphia College of Bible
Graduate School (now part of Philadelphia Biblical University), and at Biblical Theological Seminary
(now Biblical Seminary) in Hatfield, Pennsylvania
.
New Opportunities in Adult Education and How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by "Christian" Degree Mills (Institute on Religion and Law, four editions from 1993 to 1995), and When the TRACS Stop Short: An Evaluation and Critique of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (Institute on Religion and Law, 1993). The second brought Levicoff a twenty minute telephone call from Jerry Falwell
, in which Falwell asked Levicoff to withdraw the book, which was critical of the accreditor. Levicoff refused, and subsequently credited the book with "hanging TRACS' reapproval by the U.S. Department of Education
up for almost two years (which I like to think of as the price of Jerry's call getting me out of the shower)." Eventually, Levicoff says, TRACS "straightened out its act somewhat." His work on education has been cited by such publications as Chronicle of Higher Education.,
In these books, in media appearances, and in advocacy within non-traditional education communities on the Internet (the Usenet
newsgroup
alt.education.distance, subsequently degreeinfo.com and now degreediscussion.com) Levicoff has been a leading and outspoken critic of diploma mill
s, of nearly all unrecognized accrediting bodies, and of unaccredited institutions of higher learning, generally, where they grant academic degrees. Concerned as a consumer advocate
that students might unknowingly place 'ticking time bombs' in their own résumé
s - and that knowing patrons might commit fraud or mask incompetence with dubious credentials - he has sought instead to popularize non-traditional programs with recognized accreditation.
He also taught educational administration at graduate school, served an adjunct faculty member at the Union Institute, and served as a preceptor
(field faculty advisor) in the Master of Human Services program at Lincoln University
in Pennsylvania
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer and former educator best known for his writings, in books and online, on adult
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
higher education
Higher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
and distance learning, and his practical guides to law for evangelists
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
and Christian counselors. He directed the Institute on Religion and Law, which gave counseling on state-religion issues to organizations and government bodies.
Early life and education
Culturally Jewish American, Levicoff convertedReligious conversion
Religious conversion is the adoption of a new religion that differs from the convert's previous religion. Changing from one denomination to another within the same religion is usually described as reaffiliation rather than conversion.People convert to a different religion for various reasons,...
to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in his youth, drawn to a predominantly African-American church. He identifies as a born again evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
After reading A.S. Neill's Summerhill, he dropped out
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
of high school in the eleventh grade, started teaching adult school classes in folk guitar a few weeks later, and took the GED
GED
General Educational Development tests are a group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills...
the day he turned 18.
Amid a varied working career, including work as a Christian radio
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
host, he published his first book, Building Bridges: the Prolife Movement and the Peace Movement (Toviah Press, 1982), and pursued a series of academic degrees through regionally accredited, non-traditional programs for self-guided adult learners. He earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in humanities (1987) from Thomas A. Edison State College
Thomas Edison State College
Thomas Edison State College is a public institution of higher education located in Trenton, New Jersey. One of New Jersey's 12 public universities and colleges, Thomas Edison State College offers degrees at the undergraduate and graduate level....
, his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in theology and law (1989) from Norwich University
Norwich University
Norwich University is a private university located in Northfield, Vermont . The university was founded in 1819 at Norwich, Vermont, as the American Literary, Scientific and Military Academy. It is the oldest of six Senior Military Colleges, and is recognized by the United States Department of...
(through Vermont College, a component since separated from Norwich and merged into Union Institute and University), and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in religion and law (1991) from the Union Institute (now Union Institute and University, as above).
He also briefly attended a master's program at Simon Greenleaf School of Law
Trinity Law School
Trinity Law School , or the Law School, Trinity International University is a private, nonprofit law school located in Santa Ana, California, United States.-Background and origins:...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, then a small, unaccredited Christian law school, since become part of Trinity International University
Trinity International University
Trinity International University is an evangelical Christian institution of higher education headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. It comprises an undergraduate college, a graduate school, a theological seminary , and a law school--together with nearly 3,000 students...
.
His bachelor's was earned by distance learning, and in very large part through portfolio assessment, in which knowledge Levicoff had gained through previous work was assessed against accredited university credit courses; the graduate degrees were earned through short residency programs combining learner-guided distance education with intensive on-campus colloquia. His Project Demonstrating Excellence, Union's analogue to a doctoral dissertation, "The New Song of Shiloh: An Historical, Legal, and Theological Exploration of an Indigenous Prison Church," was a landmark exploration of Harry Theriault's controversial prison-based religion, the Church of the New Song.
Work in religion and law
After earning his doctorate, he published Christian Counseling and the Law (Moody PressMoody Bible Institute
Moody Bible Institute is a Christian institution of higher education and related ministries that was founded by evangelist and businessman Dwight Lyman Moody in 1886. Since its founding, MBI's main campus has been located in the Near North Side of Chicago. MBI's primary ministries are education,...
, 1991), a well-received practical guide to legal issues around pastoral counseling
Pastoral counseling
Pastoral counseling is a branch of counseling in which psychologically trained ministers, rabbis, priests and other persons provide therapy services...
. His later title Street Smarts: A Guide to Personal Evangelism and the Law (Baker Book House
Baker Book House
Baker Publishing Group is an evangelical Protestant Christian book publisher based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It has six subdivisions: Bethany House, Revell, Baker Books, Baker Academic, Chosen and Brazos Press.-Identity:...
, 1994), discussed legal aspects of proselytism
Proselytism
Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion. The word proselytize is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix προσ- and the verb ἔρχομαι in the form of προσήλυτος...
, religious witness such as street-corner preaching
Open-air preaching
Open-air preaching, street preaching or public preaching is the act of publicly proclaiming a religious message to crowds of people in open places...
.
He wrote in The Christian Century
The Christian Century
The Christian Century is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of U.S. mainline Protestantism, the biweekly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews books, movies, and music...
, Christian Counseling Today, Christian Education Journal, Evangelical Journal, and Visions Magazine, and in book anthologies.
He led a small private organization, the Institute on Religion and Law in Ambler, Pennsylvania
Ambler, Pennsylvania
Ambler is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, approximately 16 miles north of Philadelphia.- Village of Wissahickon:...
, and served as an adjunct professor in church-state issues at two fundamentalist Christian
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
schools, Philadelphia College of Bible
Philadelphia Biblical University
Philadelphia Biblical University, formerly called Philadelphia College of Bible, is a school located in Langhorne, Pennsylvania founded in 1913. Every undergraduate student graduates with a Bachelor's degree in Bible. In addition, students may work towards a dual degree, such as Business,...
Graduate School (now part of Philadelphia Biblical University), and at Biblical Theological Seminary
Biblical Theological Seminary
Biblical Theological Seminary is located in Hatfield, PA, in the United States. Biblical is an interdenominational graduate school of theology known for its Missional emphasis. The seminary is located in suburban Philadelphia at the former Hatfield High School campus.-History:Biblical Seminary...
(now Biblical Seminary) in Hatfield, Pennsylvania
Hatfield, Pennsylvania
Hatfield is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,290 at the time of the 2010 census.-Geography:Hatfield is located at ....
.
Work in education
Levicoff's books on higher education are Name It and Frame It?Name It and Frame It?
Name It and Frame It? is a self-published 1993 book by Steve Levicoff about unaccredited Christian colleges and universities, exploring the accreditation process and the nature of legitimate and illegitimate unaccredited institutions of higher learning. The fourth edition contains updated...
New Opportunities in Adult Education and How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by "Christian" Degree Mills (Institute on Religion and Law, four editions from 1993 to 1995), and When the TRACS Stop Short: An Evaluation and Critique of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (Institute on Religion and Law, 1993). The second brought Levicoff a twenty minute telephone call from Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
, in which Falwell asked Levicoff to withdraw the book, which was critical of the accreditor. Levicoff refused, and subsequently credited the book with "hanging TRACS' reapproval by the U.S. Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
up for almost two years (which I like to think of as the price of Jerry's call getting me out of the shower)." Eventually, Levicoff says, TRACS "straightened out its act somewhat." His work on education has been cited by such publications as Chronicle of Higher Education.,
In these books, in media appearances, and in advocacy within non-traditional education communities on the Internet (the Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
alt.education.distance, subsequently degreeinfo.com and now degreediscussion.com) Levicoff has been a leading and outspoken critic of diploma mill
Diploma mill
A diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...
s, of nearly all unrecognized accrediting bodies, and of unaccredited institutions of higher learning, generally, where they grant academic degrees. Concerned as a consumer advocate
Consumer protection
Consumer protection laws designed to ensure fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the marketplace. The laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide additional...
that students might unknowingly place 'ticking time bombs' in their own résumé
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
s - and that knowing patrons might commit fraud or mask incompetence with dubious credentials - he has sought instead to popularize non-traditional programs with recognized accreditation.
He also taught educational administration at graduate school, served an adjunct faculty member at the Union Institute, and served as a preceptor
Preceptor
A preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.-Christian military orders:A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic Knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given...
(field faculty advisor) in the Master of Human Services program at Lincoln University
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
External links
- The NIFI Criteria, Levicoff's website on "How to Spot a Degree Mill in 75 Easy Steps"