State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Rhode-island > Title-16 > Chapter-16-59 > 16-59-27SECTION 16-59-27
§ 16-59-27 Sale and purchase of degreessolely on the basis of life experience prohibited. – (a) The purchase and sale of academic degrees wherein the degree is obtained onthe basis of a combination of a payment of a fee and the attainment of academiccredit for so-called life experiences, without the applicant undertaking anyacademic coursework at the entity or institution purporting to issue thedegree, shall be prohibited. Provided, this section shall not prohibit an awardof academic credit for work experience or other so-called "life experience" aspart of a program to obtain a degree in higher education, but shall prohibitthe award of such degree solely on the basis of such experience.
(b) Pursuant to its investigative powers under §16-59-11, the board of governors shall investigate persons and entities broughtto the board's attention that purport to offer academic degrees in violation ofthis section. By way of direction, and as a guide in enforcing this section,the general assembly notes that higher education can take many forms, and it isnot the intent of this section to curtail or limit academic freedom and/or theuse of alternative methods of instruction that deviate from traditional norms.Rather, the intent of this section is to prohibit the awarding and attainmentof academic degrees primarily on the basis of purchase and sale, and to preventthe fraudulent use of life and work experience to attain academic credit.
