And next thing you know, the profits are rolling in.

Western Governors University, I simply decided to look up as the last group on “THE LIST of Corporate Fellows” and which may be the only nonprofit on it. [Incidentally, that link shows where I found the list. This association, where the list was found, was instrumental in pushing fatherhood initiatives upon the states, BEFORE welfare reform of 1996. However, that’s not all it’s up to. You are supposed to make the connection between whose “List” it was (only one of many similar ones, but it does carry some serious clout), what is Western Governors’ University doing on that list, and who and what are these Governors’ Associations, ANYHOW? There’s a reason for it and a history behind it.

There also may be some closer than comfort connections to things like municipal bankruptcies, although billionaire multinational industry leaders have had it all under control for decades anyhow, given their ongoing clout with the federal government…

If you can comprehend that, and then understand how could some of the leaders of industry have met IN Detroit, in 2009, to “Plan the Future” (i.e., new presidency, right?) — and how could the City of Detroit be bankrupt? If you get that far, then maybe I can complete the post in draft showing what turned up on The Children’s Trust page of the Michigan State Government website, and what private corporations are promoting their wares through this high-profile, high-publicity statewide website, and how THEY connect to the wish to indoctrinate, excuse me, EDUCATE everyone at public expense, allegedly for the public benefit (which should put the condition of Detroit — or the honesty of those policymakers — into more clear focus. Then, hopefully, the soul-searching may start up again, although I’m not “banking” on it…)

Compare THIS to the Bankruptcy:

NATIONAL SUMMIT TO DEFINE AMERICA’S FUTURE” was held, sponsored by the Detroit Economic Club, and the Presenting Sponsors were FORD and DOW (as in DOW Chemical), hosted at the Marriott. Among the many speakers (see LIST and do explore the summit site) is DeRocco, on The Manufacturing Institute.

Are these people America’s primary spokesmodels, or just its current Managers?

At any rate, one of the Board members of Western Governors University was a speaker, that’s the only reason I knew about the 2009 conference…

(the Detroit material is enclosed in a table, to separate it from the WGU material).

.
“Western Governors University UT EIN# 84-1383926
[a table of its escalating yearly assets; with a few links to a tax return for that year)

The IRS Select Exempt Check says WGU is a Salt-Lake City “Exempt” nonprofit, like any other. Contributions to it are 100% deductible. now, what sector of the economy might be attracted to donate to such a group?

EIN Legal Name (Doing Business As) City State Country Deductibility Status
84-1383926 Western Governors University Salt Lake Cty UT United States PC

If you actually start looking at these tax returns — the revenues are astronomical ($152 million for Year 2011) and also increasing by a GOOD chunk each year. However, they are hiring more (Salaries also increased) managed to give away more grants than the prior year. Question should be asked about where is the money flowing in from — meaning, the public contributions part. I’ve posted the tax return again down lower.

(Brief comments on the Colorado Component of WGU, which initially was its “Academic Development Center” address, are found near the bottom of this post). I did look them up and found quite a few different “original” street addresses for the Utah-based corporation.

WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY

This is the last entry on “The List” of nearly (not quite) four dozen “Corporate Fellows” with mutual interest in influencing a certain nonprofit which, in turn, influences legislation and federal policy. This one, off-hand, seems to be the only nonprofit on the list.

Morever, the software and technical issues posed by WGU was reviewed by “Innosight Institute” as to its software issues, which then led to reading about Harvard MBA guy. Only he’s a Rhodes Scholar, and a Mormon. (I.e., Brigham Young University // missionary, of course (to Korea, where he became fluent in Korean), then married off, and off to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. And from there, it seems back to Massachusetts and changing the world, which it appears has occurred; at least it’s said one of his books highly influenced Steve Jobs and helped turn Apple around when Jobs came back to it after some absence…)

This investigation (which it is) led to of course looking up street addresses of some of the organizations involved — like the Western Governors’ Association’s Denver building. From there it gets heavily into Oil, Gas, and Mineral Rights, from properties under the control of the BLM (statewide) and produce income. I found that in Utah, at least, among the beneficiaries of this income is the public school system. Drilling down for that information, I got in so deep, it too had to be separated into a different post. This one (once it’s up and running) shows just how much official protests from established accreditation groups from WGU’s plan for “out-come-based” college education to be centrally controlled by the same concepts (and probably some of the same people) who brought us “No Child Left Behind.”

Just as WGU is trying to “pin it down” (along with the rest of the US Department of Education, it would seem) to de-professor the Professoriate in favor of out-come based (on-line)education, centrally administered by the US Federal Government of course, to loud objections from institutions which actually HAVE professors, and their accreditation associations)

— another group is trying to ramp it up, and as ever — while “the world is my canvas” seems to be the mentality (appropriate for a religion which sends its young people out as missionaries and strictly monitors their own — see some of my Fall 2012 posts, when Romney was making a dash for Presidency) — as Clayton M. Christensen Institute (registered as a corporation in California, not registered as a nonprofit yet, but claiming its contributions are 100% deductible) — well, this one gets interesting.

Inbetween here and there is the Western Governors’ Association [of The United States] — which has strangely close relationships to any major enterprise that brings in the bucks in areas of common interest, including with the governmental equivalents of themselves in Canada, which brings us to the point of Natural Gas, Oil, and Mineral rights also, and running, regulating, and I should mention probably as many times, OWNING them.

I think the Clayton M. Christensen [the “ramp it up” factor] material probably needs to become its own post. I have few illusions about most people getting to the end of my posts!!! and wouldn’t be writing them if the material weren’t that interesting just to know. Filling in the blanks in the database with a view to, what are the options for the future? Quit, Join, attempt some “disruptive technology” game-changers (that language from the Innosight crew….)??

And disturbing — at least the WGU part.

(How Our Civil Servants start multi-million-dollar nonprofits, by Collaboration, and by Executive Orders (they’re Governors…) and with some help from Technology)… + States Money … + Federal Money …. + Private Money; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, etc. …

per “WGU” page, how it all started:

. . . . .Looking further, the first place they went was to a regional accreditation group, WICHE.
“Western Interstate Comission for Higher Education” (“WICHE”)

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education is a regional organization created by the Western Regional Education Compact and adopted in the 1950s by Western states. WICHE was created to facilitate resource sharing among the higher education systems of the West. It implements a number of activities to accomplish its objectives.

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WICHE began operations in 1953 in Eugene, OR, moving to its present location in Boulder, CO in 1955. WICHE is governed by three gubernatorally appointed commissioners from each member. Under terms of the compact, each member commits to support WICHE’s basic operations through annual dues established by the full commission.

Commission members include university or state college leadership AND state senators or representatives AND some industry, looks like. From Alaska, however I see the CIRI Foundation — which is an Alaskan Native Corporation (ANC) one of 12 regional ones created as a result of 1971 rulings. I’ll show it from the CIRI site, if you keep in mind that “CIRI” is the company, and CIRI Foundation is a related nonprofit, obviously:

CIRI COMPANY OVERVIEW:

CIRI is an Alaska Native corporation. {{Cook Inlet Region, Inc., ‘CIRI’]] It is one of 12 Alaska-based regional corporations established by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 to benefit Alaska Native people who have ties to the Cook Inlet region. The Anchorage based company is owned by more than 8,100 shareholders and has interests across Alaska, the lower 49 and abroad. CIRI’s well-diversified portfolio of business operations and investments includes:

• Traditional and alternative energy and resource development
• Oilfield and construction services
• Environmental services
• Real estate investment and management
• Tourism and hospitality
• Telecommunications
• Aerospace defense
• Private equity and venture capital investments

• ---

  CIRI also created a family of nonprofit service organizations that provide needed health care, housing, employment, education and other social and cultural enrichment services for Alaska Natives and others.

(you can click for them: Here’s the CIRI Foundation, which does relate to education, obviously).

Of course, to mention the year 1971 and “Alaskan Native Corporations” will eventually bring up “The Carlyle Group” which got its first break, as I remember (reading) it, on exploiting a tax loophole regarding Alaskan Native Corporations. It’s on page 1 here, and called a “scam.” After introducing Steve Norris (of Marriott) and David Rubenstein, it goes kind of like this (from the Iron Triangle: Inside the Secret World of Carlyle)
by Dan Briody (Jossey-Bass).

This is Chapter One, “THE POLITICIAN, THE BUSINESSMAN, AND THE UNLUCKY ESKIMOS”
…because that’s where the funding originally came from

In late 1986, Norris, then an executive with Marriott’s mergers and acquisitions group and a tax whiz, got wind of a little-known >tax loophole that allowed Eskimo-owned companies in Alaska to sell their losses to profitable companies. The origin of the loop-hole dated back to 1971, when Alaskan natives arrived at a unique settlement with the federal government over ownership claims of Alaskan land. Typically, when Native Americans sued the U.S. government over the atrocities committed during the nation’s “manifest destiny” era, the settlements revolved around land, otherwise known as reservations.

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The logic went that if the government could return some portion of the land they stole in claiming America for themselves, the irreparable cultural damage done to Native Americans in the process would somehow be forgotten. But the Eskimos weren’t buying it. Unlike Native Americans in the lower 48 states, Alaska’s natives eschewed the traditional award of land reservations. Instead, the Alaskans chose cash. Under a unique settlement, Alaskan natives were allowed to set up native-run corporations to invest and manage the money they had been awarded. In the end, the Eskimos and other native Alaskans ended up with $962 million to manage as they saw fit. They also managed to negotiate for 44 million acres of land on which to run their businesses. It was the price paid to them for decades of oppression, and they took it.

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Because of some bureaucratic foot-dragging [[intentional to cause the losses, or just bureaucracy?] and truly unfortunate timing, the newly formed corporations missed out on Alaska’s boom time in the mid-1970s. Fishing, timber, and oil, three of the local industries most companies were set up around, experienced major downturns. Many of the companies fell prey to mismanagement, investing in foolish pursuits like tire manufacturers, concrete plants, and hotels. Even though they had chosen their own fate, the owners of the companies felt they had been set up to fail. More than 180 companies had been formed out of the settlement. Only one managed to consistently turn a profit (CIRI??) . It was a total disaster.

The companies soon found themselves facing huge losses, and limited options for turning things around. In 1983, Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens worked to save his floundering constituency by incorporating a clause in the 1984 tax bill that allowed the Alaskan-owned companies to leverage their losses by selling them to profitable companies looking for a break on their taxes. Essentially, if an Alaskan company lost $10 million in a fiscal year, they would sell the losses for $7 million in much-needed cash. The buyer would then write the losses off against its profits, getting a $10 million tax credit for just $7 million. Everyone’s happy, except, of course, the government. Norris smelled money. But he needed help from someone. Someone with exceptional connections. Someone that knew everybody, including some Alaskan Eskimos.

Someone like David Rubenstein. (and his rolodex).

.

Marriott, obviously, was rolling in money and needed write-offs. Rubenstein saw the cut, and took the opportunity to continue along those lines, the rest is history (of this particular corporation). …

From THIS account, it looks like Carlyle would’ve gotten CIRI (the “Cook Inlet” company) too, only someone caught onto the loophole, and closed it.

Marriott ended up paying Rubenstein and Barr a seven-figure fee for their help in saving them a bundle on their taxes in 1986. Norris, after reading the tax bill closely, decided there was a much greater opportunity here than just this one-shot deal. He figured if Rubenstein and Barr could make out so handsomely for their limited role in facilitating Marriott’s tax relief, he could, too. Norris left Marriott and set up shop in Seattle to pursue the deals, all the while talking to investors about opening up a little business of his own.

Before long, Norris and Rubenstein were flying Eskimos into Washington, DC, buttering them up, and brokering deals between them and profitable American companies. Finding the loss-making Eskimos was easier than either of them had imagined, and the profitable counterparts couldn’t get enough of the free money. Norris and Rubenstein took a 1 percent cut of the transactions and sent an estimated $1 billion through the loop-hole. A cottage industry had been born. After clearing close to $10 million, Norris and Rubenstein recognized the ongoing potential of the business, and decided to incorporate. For corporate representation, the two hired none other than Ron Astin of the venerable Houston law firm Vinson & Elkins. (Astin would later find himself testifying before Congress about offshore partnerships he had helped set up for Enron.) With the crew in place, liabilities limited, and money coming in the door, the boys were ready to make something of themselves. All they needed now was a name.

[[naming the group after the Carlyle Hotel…]]

That the Carlyle Group was formed out of a temporary tax loophole, which was eliminated a year later, is utterly appropriate. David Rubenstein, as dedicated a public servant as there ever was, saw fit to found his company on a scheme that denied the federal government close to $1 billion in taxes. It was the first of many ironies that would compromise Rubenstein’s political roots as his career with Carlyle progressed. As with many of the Carlyle Group’s future deals, the Great Eskimo Tax Scam was entirely legal. Whether it was ethical, is another question.

The tax loophole unwittingly encouraged Eskimo companies to overstate their losses, and the IRS was called in to investigate. A discrepancy between “hard” and “soft” losses arose. Corporate appraisers took liberties in estimating the loss in value of certain goods, like timber and oil. Suddenly everyone in Alaska had losses for sale. It was a bonanza for accountants. Though no charges were ever filed, the case portends the current corporate malfeasance in America, in which companies inf late revenues and earnings through marginally legal accounting.

It bears mentioning that in certain cases, the tax loophole actually did what it was intended to do. Some Alaskan companies took the capital they received and reinvested, saving themselves from certain bankruptcy. Finally, however, just before Carlyle could complete a $500 million deal with a company called Cook Inlet, the government had seen enough of its money wasted, and sewed up the hole. It was the end of a great scheme for Carlyle, and it would be the last easy money the company saw for half a decade.

So, a CIRI Foundation Program (staff) member is also on the WICHE commission, above — that’s the connection. It’s a lot to include, except I think these things should be kept in mind — someone’s loss is another’s profit, someone’s tax exemption is a write-off -which is a savings. And money is made taking a cut on making the deal. Their motto is “Supporting Educational Dreams since 1982”

Looking that up, WICHE itself had been created by the twelve-article Western Regional Education Compact, which (surprise) had been created as a form of governance — by, it SAYS, “western governors” in the 1950s. I’ll try and post.

“Western Regional Education Compact
Entered into by and between the States and Territories signatory hereto, to provide acceptable and efficient educational facilities to meet the needs of the Western Region of the United States of America.”

In reality it was the (gubernatorial) leadership of those States and Territories creating themselves, literally, another branch or form of government. If I lived in that state at the time (and had, say a birth certificate of drivers’ or marriage’ license, etc. there — or a business) — by association “I” was party to that compact, even if I didn’t know about it. (well, I wasn’t alive then, but ….)…

So, the purpose of the conferences and these associations REALLY IS to form additional governments, with authority and with that authority, they start redirection funds and wealth also, and set up businesses associated with their new forms of government. For example, like the WGU!

(The WIGU cited going right away to the WICHE for accreditation. Personally, it seems suspect to me, now that I’ve learned some more about the background — and the matters they are seeking control of.).

In short, you let some public officials loose without adequate chaperoning, and they will be creating more commissions, boards, figuring out THEIR common interests, and then somehow agreeing to speak into existence what are essentially, business enterprises with a governmental-sounding name. WGU is one.

The “Western Governors Association” as anything official appears to have resulted from some prior merger, but dates itself to 1984. The idea is to have a more single voice…

Within America, if something does commerce (buys and sells, hires, employees, or invests in) ANYTHING, it is not just an “organization” but either part of government itself, or part of commerce itself. Commerce then is either private equity, or public corporations (which are regulated on their raising of capital through selling and exchanging debt, stocks, etc.) through the SEC. If they are government, they are supposed to give an account of their expenditures, and who they are doing business (contracting with, granting to, etc.) something government’s habitually not been that great at.

So when we hear about an “INDEPENDENT” (from whom? the voters?? the taxpayers?? Does that independence go two ways — you don’t involve us in your plans, we dont’ fund, or even tolerate, your projects…??) organization, the average person is going to hear “governors — oh that’s government” and just let it slide. Not the best choice, overall…. If you live here…

Here’s their website “How it works“, showing the same address (1600 Broadway Suite 1700, Denver, CO) as the foundation, which I eventually found, below:

…
I am looking for the actual 501(c)3 — or anything that actually SAYS the “Western Governors Association” even is a nonprofit — which I’ve not been able to find, although it’s crystal clear that at one of their meetings in 1995, the WGA opted (at least 18 or 19 of them did) to create the WGU which is a “private nonprofit institution” whose tax returns I’ve just looked briefly at. And spent an afternoon of MY time asking, how can these things continue to happen — the WGA has a brainstorm, and because the “G” in the “WGA” represents public servants (well-paid ones, too), they get to just create things — using public money, including from their states and from the United States Federal Government — without running it by their own constituents, commonly referring to people who live IN the states and pay state taxes on their work IN those states?

DISCOURSE:

And how many times have the bright ideas the collaborate on, and “speak” into existence (when some people “speak,” dollars — thousands and millions of them — seem to start flowing in the direction of what they were “creating”) — actually come from people who live in their states?

From what I can tell, they come from their meetings. Another one was just held, the end of June 2013. Also invited (besides the still-President (since 1999) of the WGU (Mendenhall) who is probably paid pretty well for his efforts) corporate interests, and Canadian leadership. They can get an audience with the governors — but if you live in the state and have a significant problem — like stalking, violence, violent streets (a little girl Alaysha Carradine was just shot to death in her friends HOME this week, in Oakland, California, making headlines, and the 54th homicide in that city alone, this year), or family court kickbacks, etc. — does that merit some attention, or just some technical nonassistance?

re: little girls and boys, and grandmas being shot up (in their homes, in the street, you name it), in Oakland, California, and did I mention, African American…

(i.e., While they are discussing mineral rights, this is what locals are dealing with, in some Western States:)

Briefly (after I read several articles): (That last reference is a case without an identified cause, it seems to have been a “hit,” whether mistaken ID or not; one reference said the apartment (which is carefully NOT being mentioned — only what block it’s on) in the reports, and is very disturbing, in that two little girls were in homes with both their mothers absent when the shooting happened, and scores of newspaper articles covering the drama failed to even mention or ask about the mother of the other little girl who was also shot. I wasn’t even clear until digging that the 7-yr old’s mother was a resident, until finding out that the shooting happened, apparently, when Grandma and the others (11pm at night) answered the doorbell, thinking it was the mother. Possibly she went out for something last-minute for the event the next day, and the kids were not upstairs, or asleep in bed, with an adult (the son or grandma) answering the door. Suppose they’d not been in the living room — would Alaysha have lived through the night? … I also hope this won’t be more fodder for “fatherhood,” but no one sought out to interview either the 7 yr old’s mother (who was local, but her daughter wasn’t killed, so she doesn’t merit an interview, or can’t give one, being too upset?) and it’s not clear from the evidence whether any bioDaddies were alive, or informed. I am responding as a mother and better leave it at that. No one might have predicted this, but I’m thinking the stepdad instinct wasn’t kicking in. It seems clear the mother had work, why would she be out of town for such a major event in her daughter’s life (the modeling event)? etc.

Back to this topic:

WESTERN GOVERNORS’ UNIVERSITY, ASSOCIATION, FOUNDATION . . . .

Apart from this over-riding complaint, the “innovations part” is fascinating in its own right– if frustrating, and here, again, I have to finger the tax system itself as having set up a caste system — allowing PUBLIC CIVIL SERVANTS of any significant category whatsoever, it seems — to organize themselves into private nonprofits (public not usually invited, and no one in the public could EVER keep track of all the relevant ones, which seems to be the general idea) and getting the top-down, system-change, regionalization in place for the globalized NWO.

Starting with regionalization and forced economic dependency, moving the centers of decision further and further away from the consumers, citizens and people most directly affected by the collaborations, whose voices are definitely NOT heard, or intended to be.

And that’s no joke — it’s happening, visibly, and enabled by the internet of course, which (given access issues) is also a caste-sorter. We are indeed looking at history, as planned, in the making and pretty far down the line towards completion. For example, let’s consider — when a building is being created, are there not “scaffoldings” put in place to structure it, at first? Well, these additional forms of government, which are at the regional level, and doing their business with federal (and private) money, using in part the administrative tool of the “nonprofit association” of (fill in the blank with the name of the public elected or appointed official overseeing the budget, or other position of financial/regulatory authority — like Governors, Mayors, HHS directors, Child Support Directors, Human Services Directors — collectively, I’m seeing it is in effect a shadow, parallel, form of government. It disburses and regulates outwards, but it is almost impossible to climb to the center of the maze (or should I say, “web?” from the outside of it, where most taxpayers reside.

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Perhaps this is a good point to mention that “THE LIST” was obtained from the “Corporate Fellows” page of the “National Governors’ Association,” or rather it’s Center for Best Practices. They not only have fellows, they also have honorary fellows awards. In 2013, it’s for ARAMARK which utilizes prison labor to produce cheap goods and services courtesy of (for purpose of this award), the Indiana Department of Correction’s “IN2WORK” re-entry program.

Aramark Corrections has many trademarked services; IN2WORK(tm) teaches prisoners to food services skills so they can get nice, life-sustaining work on getting out of jail, “CONNECT iCare(tm)” is for friends to send gifts to prisoners, and “CONNECT DEPOSIT(tm)” I guess is just that, sets up a trust fund for the prisoners. In fact I see there are 11 trademarked offerings in just the “Connect Solutions(tm)” family, sorted by Facility, Offenders, and Family. Now that’s “diversifying” market sectors!

Aramark (Philadelphia-based), from an Investors’ viewpoint, went Private in 2007, after trading on the NYSE from 2001-2006 only. This means its trades are not subect to regulation by the SEC under the 1933 act. The US, as we know, is among the largest per capita jailors on the planet.

It’s an investor’s dream organization, dates back to 1936 (peanuts, vending machines — adding uniform services, then CHILDcare, etc. The “ARA” stands for “Automatic Retailers of America (see “company history“) The Neubauer mentioned below was also ARAMARK management, and the management had “managed” to obtain control fo the corporate stock (a wise move to protect their own futures). Interesting read. Anyhow, the NGA likes Aramark because it helps their prisoners, and helps people who invest in organizations that service insitutions, like prisons, or schools, which the US has plenty of.

Welcome to the ARAMARK Investor Relations section of ARAMARK.com

On January 26, 2007, ARAMARK announced the completion of the acquisition of the Company by an investor group led by Joseph Neubauer and investment funds managed by GS Capital Partners, CCMP Capital Advisors and J.P. Morgan Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Warburg Pincus LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, ARAMARK shareholders are entitled to receive $33.80 in cash for each share of ARAMARK common stock held. ARAMARK common stock has ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange at market close on January 26, 2007, and will no longer be listed.

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Company Profile [On the link above, the following para. also has many active links)

ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, parks and destinations and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by the Ethisphere Institute, one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies,” by FORTUNE magazine and one of America’s Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 250,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at http://www.twitter.com/aramarknews.

However, today, we are looking at the work of the WESTERN Governors’ Association, not the NATIONAL Governors’ Association.

See also my initial page on this Regionalization — which the Western Governors Association is just one sample of — slapped up quickly when I saw it.

.

Check out the 2013 WGA agenda:***

They are getting agreement on major areas and talking about bringing states and federal into alignment with each other. That is the language.

This is by way of breaking down state identity for regional identities, and abolishing by replacement, those governmental processes.

Western Governor’s University:

The WGU also apparently is going to help privatize and nationalize education; continuing the failed K-12 model up through the university level, which is why others apparently the professors’ associations are protesting. It degrades and downgrades their role, and attempts to standardized education as “content delivery and skills mastery” when real education is about at LOT more than that, including INspiration, Association, passion, and rubbing shoulders with people one might not be able to otherwise. It’s a rich, in-depth experience (the real thing is) — and as usual, when a government agency or group gets ahold of the concept, it’s turned into a pipeline of delivery as if the pipelines didn’t affect what was delivered!

*** After Roundtable IV** on Education, with some bigwigs (Bill and Melinda Gates, Bob Mendenhall, and the President of something called iSchool (gee, wonder what the topic is?) from 10:45am – noon (1.25 hours) — there’s a 2.5 hour special advance Pre-Screening of the Disney Movie “The Lone Ranger” — how nice (Johnny Depp, etc.) While talking about education for 1.25 hours must be intellectually exhausting, so a movie break (Disney) should help our national leaders, or at least State (and Canada’s) leaders….(link above). Previous to that, there was a RoundTable on HEALTH, with again, some nice corporate interests involved. Including a former secretary of HHS (Mike Leavitt), whose new corporation or partnership, had an audience.. Check it out…

**the increasing (pervasive) use of the word “Roundtable” in governmental operations is NOT coincidence; and it is a term drawn from feudalism (i.e., Knights of the King Arthur’s Roundtable, remember?). There something of an equality once at the table (not including who does the “knighting”) but it’s a form of nobility — but being called to it is an anointed/appointed privilege, and not for commoners. I saw it also in Pennsylvania at the state Supreme Court (AOPC) level, as I recall.

This next quote is not the main part of the post. It’s here to demonstrate the scope of thinking that this WGA has; I’m sure the other regional governors’ associations are working on similar subject matters. See also the “US Conference of Mayors”…and similar groups:

“WESTERN GOVERNORS’ ASSOCIATION, AND ITS FOUNDATION, AND AGENDA”

Update: there is a (looks small) Western Governors Association Foundation EIN# 74-2368923 — with a description stating that the Association itself is recognized by the IRS as “an instrumentality of the states.” It is based in Denver. It distributes to the association, probably mostly for conference purposes. Considering what the WGA is studying, and doing (such as starting up multi-million-dollar on-line universities like WGU and then by executive-order creating “state affiliates,” not to mention planning the usage of energy, healthcare, and other areas — in association with their Canadian counterparts, the “Premiers”) (WGA, the “instrumentality of the states”), it would seem to have undue influence on the individual lives of the Citizens of the United States:

[next quote is a little messy, better viewed at http://nccsdataweb.urban.org after keying in the EIN# or group name).

OK, How this Works, I see: “WGA” is an “instrumentality of the states” per the IRS (whatever that is). It has the exact same Board membership, however, as this 501(c)3 Foundation, which received contributions and promptly gives them, or most of them looks like, to the WGA. In FY 2012, it was $125,000. See tax return 2012:

990 for 2012
for the:

Western Governors Foundation (742368923) — Google
2. Street 1600 Broadway
3. Location Denver, CO   80202
4. County Denver County, CO
5. Ruling date
( Approximate year when founded.*) 1985
6. IRS type 501(c)(3) – Public charity: Religious, educational, charitable, scientific, and literary organizations…
7. Legal basis for public charity or private foundation status (FNDNCD) 17 – Supporting Organization 509(a)(3) for benefit and in conjunction with organization(s) coded 10-16
8. NTEE W11 – Public & Societal Benefit: Single Organization Support
9. Most recently completed fiscal year (TAXPER) 06/2012
10. Total revenue $125,018
11. Total assets $91,243
 Organization Purpose & Programs
12. Purpose () Support reseach of Western policy issues
13. Program 1 () Distributions to Western Governors’ association to support research and analysis of Western policy issues. Western Governors’ association is recognized by the internal revenue service as an instrumentality of the states. ($252,250)
 Links
14. View 990, 990-EZ or 990-PF 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002
 

The NCCS doesn’t give the suite#, however it’s Suite #1700. That street address is the “Colorado State Bank Building,” built in 1972 as the 7th highest (but now, the 30th?) highest skyrise in Denver.

Issue: people donate to the foundation, and the foundation donates to the association. The association doesn’t have to show any tax returns to the public, apparently, despite all its meetings, speakers, and policy-setting activities. Under whose “CAFR” might I look?

Further lookup of this street address shows that in July 1984 (See “approximately ruling date: Year 1985, above) also for: “P&M Petroleum Management and a 65 document stamped “Received, Division of Oil & Gas.” It is FROM Utah Bureau of Land Management TO: P&M Petroleum, cc’d a William W. Whitley (same Denver building, Suite 1705) and contains an application to the US Department of the Interior to drill on (McCracken) what appears to be federally-owned? land — within two months.

William W. Whitley is listed on a site “oiltrash.com” which I guess has issues with the business and tracks companies and mergers (where oil and petroleum industry comes to do business), but also an award is named in his honor from Stanford University’s Earth Sciences Program. It also mentions Mr. Whitley died in 2001:

William W. Whitley Citizen-Scholar Prize

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Each June, a graduating Earth Systems student at Stanford is recognized with a cash award, honoring outstanding academic achievement and efforts toward the betterment of peers, the school and others. MAP has endowed The William W. Whitley Citizen Scholar Award in honor of Bill Whitley, who died in 2001. Bill was an active member of the school’s Petroleum Investments Committee since 1980 and was chairman in 1987-1988. Mr. Whitley, a Stanford geology alumnus, worked for almost a decade with MAP sourcing deal flow in the Rockies.

The Whitley Award is by nomination only. Students cannot apply.

As this award is endowed by “MAP,” you know I’m going to look that up (link was in that paragraph): It is, Natural Gas and Wind Energy Royalty Partnerships “Producing highly diversified, long-life, uncorrelated cash flow from royalty interests associated with US premium ONshore natural gas fields and wind energy projects.” …

MAP, founded [i.e., incorporated] in 1989, focuses primarily on the acquisition and management of natural gas royalty interests in the onshore United States. In 2004, MAP expanded its focus to include renewable energy royalty interests primarily associated with US wind power projects.

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MAP builds diverse portfolios by acquiring relatively small royalty interests associated with premium resources that have potential for significant additional development and long-life cash flow. Royalty interests bear no operating liabilities, making MAP’s product niche a low-risk component of an energy investment portfolio.**

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MAP currently invests approximately $100 million annually of its privately managed capital, serving endowment, foundation, and individual investors. [[That means there’s more than $100 million around, and that it’s PRIVATELY MANAGED.]]

MAP is committed to a more sustainable energy future and dedicates a significant share of its carried interest income to initiatives on this theme.

Street Addresses of MAP:
[Shows offices in Palo Alto, CA (where Stanford is, FYI), and

OKLAHOMA — the street address of MAP Royalty, Inc. (see, Wm. W. Whitley, see street address of the WGA and the WGfoundation, above, and that this also seems to coincide with energy (i.e., well, mineral rights, drilling, natural gas, etc.) INCOME and DEVELOPMENT off FEDERAL (or state level) LANDS) leads to some discussion of the natural gas and oil exploration. Where this gets interesting is that one of them, formerly a large INDEPENDENT natural gas(and oi) company — failed, looks like in this century — and dumped its business to transform into capitalizing intellectual territory, including in academia and healthcare!!! WGA also deals with energy and healthcare issues.

Hang in there. This is interesting, and it matters….

Okahoma City.]
I couldn’t find MAP Royalty under either two names listed (that’s the search site, above), and I’m not going through 1176 results of just “MAP” looking for it, either. However, based on the California (Silicon Valley address and law firm) and THIS, I figure that the Oklahoma address is probably another Law Firm with Venture Capital, or Life Sciences interest.

“THIS” shows (p.2) a Chesapeake Operating” (etc.) company and LLC seeking permit to deepen a well at a certain party. The parties served in this request to drill (or deepen a well) stamped 2007 include “American Acquisition Exploration-VI” c/o 100 North Robinson #1000, Oklahoma City, OK 73102 which is MAP Royalty OK office. Let’s call it for short “AAE-VI.” AAE-VI is a private company. A listing shows there was a (1998-1995) Houston Branch of this Wyoming Company.

Looking this up brings me to “American Exploration Company” (as well as a source for tracking company names over at the BLM)….

Another listing by the US Dept. of Interior “Bureau of Land Management” (BLM.gov/wy) itself (probably trying to also keep track of mergers and acquisitions among companies that deal with oil and gas leases, etc.) — this is a good one to bookmark — shows (in the right column) that might be this one, opposite “Austral Oil Company” — and that the name change was in 2007. That’s a large database, at least to “American Exploration Company.” Whether or not this is “AAE-VI (which may or may not relate directly to “MAP Royalty, Inc.” all I have so far is general industry interest — and a 2007 street address — in common), here’s the American Exploration Company 2013 quarterly report; it went public apparently not too long ago, and explains how it merged with a subsidiary in Nevada, taking the subsidiary’s name, etc.

AUSTRAL OIL

“AUSTRAL OIL, Inc.” site should be read… at least to understand that is CEO was a businessperson with: Brown Brothers Harriman, National City Bank of New York, and another firm, A.M. Burden (private venture capital) which, with another PRIVATE equity group, formed AUSTRAL OIL COMPANY ca. 1950. Its CEO was a Scottsman born poor in Quebec. but at this point midcentury is “Scottish aristocracy”….

I should note that the site is from Harvard Business School, Baker Library, “Lehman Brothers Collection — Contemporary Business Archives” (see the windowframe).”

Austral Oil, Co., Inc.
List of Deals
1968 Austral Oil Company Inc.: exchange offer and public offering
1969 Austral Oil Company Inc.: public offering of 140,000 shares by company and 560,000 shares by selling stockholders
Austral Oil Company Incorporated was organized by Burden-Fox, Wells & Rogers interests in 1951 and incorporated in Delaware on November 3, 1950.

R. McLean Stewart, the son of a Scottish aristocrat, was president and chief executive officer of the company for the first ten years. Mr. Stewart described himself as having been a “poor boy” from Canada, born in Aylmer, Quebec in 1895. Stewart had both military (World War I) and business careers, his business career leading him to positions at the National City Bank of New York, Brown Harriman & Co., Inc., (Harriman Ripley & Co., Inc.), and A. M. Burden.

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(para added)
Austral was an enterprise of A. M. Burden & Co. and of Fox, Wells & Rogers, both of which were private venture capital partnerships. The two concerns guided the financial arrangements of Austral and provided it with funds.**

[[** I don’t believe most of us are aware of how many corporations simply get with other corporations and create more corporations. Keep in mind that government, functioning in the same manner, also does this..]]

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Austral provided wealthy individuals, partnerships, or families direct ownership of property interests in oil and gas prospects and leases, and in the exploration and development of such properties by engaging in the drilling of wells. Austral Oil and Gas Exploration Corporation (Australexco), a subsidiary of Austral, conducted the exploration programs that were offered.

[[**precisely my point. That’s the corporate genealogy: Burden & FoxWells= Austral, Austral Oil then formed its own “subsidiary” Exploration Corporation.” This one kept the branding “Austral” in its name but they don’t always.]]

(Cont’d.)…
One of the main reasons wealthy individuals in high tax brackets sought out the type of investment outlets offered by Austral is the federal income tax law. Under the law at the time, intangible drilling and development costs and various other costs were allowed in the year paid or incurred as federal income tax deductions.

[[the tax incentive … If you read on, they had a major project (1967) wanted — to use nuclear energy to bomb loose from, and sought to raise capital for. I don’t even know if this panned out; now the big thing people are protesting (while corporations are pursuing) is the fracking of shale oil, etc. …. Here’s a 1965 SEC News Digest (notice: typewriting!) notice that Austral OIL is looking for capital for this project, or at least for exploration… found by looking up the name of the CEO named on the Lehman Brothers site, C. Wardell Leisk) (d. 2007, went from playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers to petroleum engineer. His obit (click on “more”) mentions he first worked (out of college, I guess) under George W. Strake who struck oil in Conroe Texas (after a few business flops, undeterred), in 1932 — it became the 3rd largest in the United States. He was naturally awarded, including (from the Vatican?) the Order of the Malta. Wealth and success has a way of sometimes bringing on also the religious decorations . }} He lived 1894-1969, and what’s interesting — after the war, made a fortune in Mexico, lost it in Havana, and kept on going, leasing land looking for oil in Texas. See link from Texas Historical Society

Strake, while we’re at it, was fatherless. While penniless, in 1929 (see “Great Depression) he went looking for oil formations in the area, and eventually became the wealthiest man in Houston. See in wiki on his son, “Junior” (born 1935) (Wikipedia) continued in these footsteps, was for one year Secretary of State (1979-1981), RNC, and got a Harvard MBS, plus of course managed his father’s holdings and some of his own. Very Republican….

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So C. Wardell Leisk, of Austral Oil (taking over from the leadership who’d worked under Harriman Brothers) worked under Strake… Probably picked up a thing or two business-wise….

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Ok, enough “Austral Oil” — about its new name, American Exploration Corporation, as of 2007 (note: when Leisk died as well)…

I guess since one is now public (“AEC”), and the other (AAE-VI, above) private, they are not the same. HOWEVER:

While I am (simply talking, here): this is interesting: AEC was into natural gas and exploration within the United States. HOWEVER, in a recent merger (cleared with its stockholders) with an Iowa-based LLC called “Spotlight” — they are NOW exploring healthcare and academia, looking for intellectual patents! As described in the first several paragraphs below (next quote):

QUESTION:

Is there a transition from farming and profiting off natural gas within America, into farming and profiting off intellectual patents held by academia as they “farm” the US population into various forms of healthcare management? ??? AEC (remembering that it was formerly Austral Oil) has only been around since 2007, with a few changes of name in this state or that — and is doing a “100:1 reverse stock split” in exchange for Spotlight Innovations’ payment of $237.5K liabilities, and another condition is, who is the new director and that ALL AEC officers and directors — resign. It also notes, the company isn’t producing any revenue….and they’ll receive 7.5 million shares of AEC stock. (I have no idea what “reverse stock split” is, at least today… ).

QUARTERLY REPORT
American Exploration Corporation was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on May 11, 2006 under the name of Minhas Energy Consultants, Inc. Previously, we were engaged in the business of providing professional engineering consulting services to the oil and gas industry, including clients such as petroleum and natural gas companies, oilfield service companies, utilities and manufacturing companies with petroleum and/or natural gas interests and government agencies. After the effective date of March 14, 2007 of our registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 5, 2007, we commenced trading on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board.

On August 6, 2008, with the approval of our Board of Directors, we merged with our subsidiary, American Exploration Corporation, and amended our Articles of Incorporation to change our name to “American Exploration Corporation.” We currently are a natural resource exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties in the United States and within North America. Effective at the opening for trading on August 19, 2008, our trading symbol for our shares traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board changed to “AEXP.OB.”

Please note that throughout this Quarterly Report, and unless otherwise noted, the words “we,” “our,” “us,” the “Company,” or “American Exploration,” refers to American Exploration Corporation.

CURRENT BUSINESS OPERATIONS

We have been an exploration stage company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas properties in North America, primarily in the United States. Our primary focus was the acquisition of mineral leases located in Mississippi. However, we anticipate changing our business operations as described below (see Section entitled “Spotlight Merger Agreement”), which shall include commercialization of healthcare intellectual property. [[I.E., THE MISSIPPI PLAN WAS A BUST BECAUSE THEY COULDN’T RAISE THE FUNDING]]

Spotlight Merger Agreement

Effective on February 12, 2013, we entered into a merger agreement (the “Spotlight Merger Agreement”) with Spotlight Innovation LLC, a limited liability company based in the State of Iowa (“Spotlight”). In accordance with the terms and provisions of the Spotlight Merger Agreement, all of the issued and outstanding membership interests of Spotlight (the “Membership Interests”) will be converted into the right to receive an aggregate of 7,500,000 fully paid and non-assessable shares of our restricted common stock on a post reverse split basis. Certain conditions precedent must be satisfied prior to closing of the Spotlight Merger Agreement which include, but are not limited to, the following:
(i) Spotlight shall have completed and be satisfied with its due diligence review of us; (ii) we shall have received financing in an amount of at least $237,500 on terms approved by our Board of Directors, which shall be utilized to pay off certain of our liabilities; (iii) we shall have completed a 100:1 reverse stock split of our common stock; (iv) we shall have amended our certificate of incorporation to change our name to Spotlight Innovation, Inc.;
(v) we shall have received approval from a majority of our shareholders of the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (vi) the current Board of Directors shall appoint Cris Grunewald as the sole member of the Board of Directors and the President/Chief Executive Officer and Secretary and a person to be designated by Spotlight as the Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer; and (vii) our current officers and directors shall resign upon closing of the transactions contemplated in the Merger Agreement.

There is no guarantee the transaction contemplated in the Spotlight Merger Agreement will close, and if it does, when it will close, or that the operations of Spotlight will be successful .

Spotlight was founded to identify, validate and finance healthcare-focused companies founded for the purpose of commercializing intellectual property developed by major centers of academia in the United States. Spotlight provides strategic partners the opportunity to participate in the financing of a preferred search for, acquisition of, and/or funding of companies holding licenses for the commericalization of intellectual property developed by academic institutions. The principals of Spotlight have been involved in all stages of the commercialization of healthcare intellectual property over the last eight years.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our unaudited financial statements and the related notes that appear elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to those discussed below and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report. Our reviewed financial statements are stated in United States Dollars and are prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

We are an exploration stage company and have not generated any revenue to date. We have incurred recurring losses since inception. Our financial statements have been prepared assuming that we will continue as a going concern and, accordingly, do not include adjustments relating to the recoverability and realization of assets and classification of liabilities that might be necessary should we be unable to continue in operation.

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. . . [FURTHER DOWN]
As of March 31, 2013, our current assets were $3,969 and our current liabilities were $1,092,524, which resulted in a working capital deficit of $1,088,555. As of March 31, 2013, current assets were comprised of $3,969 in cash and cash equivalents and current liabilities were comprised of: (i) $52,983 in accounts payable and accrued liabilities; (ii) $570,488 in accounts payable-related parties; (iii) $185,000 in short-term notes payable; (iv) $148,345 in short-term notes payable – related parties; (v) $101,765 in convertible notes payable – related party; and (vi) $33,983 in advances from officer.

How’d they get to this point? WELL, regarding that Houston-based AEC, eight new york times articles give a flavor — it bought up oil and gas when Enron was selling it off (Enron had an Oil and Gas Division…), and kept buying up in the area — until in 1997 “Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas” then swallowed AEC, making it the third largest owner of natural gas in North America. Trillions of cubic feet. A $350 million merger creates a company valued at $1.1 billion. AEC shares went up (On the NYSE) and Drefus went down some, putting the new creation in the top 30 producers in the nation. Obviously something went wrong — perhaps just the fact that they were “Independent Oil Producers”??

Well, they have more assets and many more liabilities than I, a woman who’s unable to still safely complete collection on child support arrears from an ex-batterer, or find sufficient protection (to my own “income-producing activity” commonly called WORK) within the family court or other systems year after year, to sustain viable positive cash-flow operations. My prospectus was that originally, this stemmed from not having raised capital to send honest scouts to explore the territory, and having instead taken at face value (for too long) the reports drenching the internet implying that, as there was funding from DV agencies, that someone understood and gave a crap about the ongoing DV, with a viable plan to stop it. I had not researched the market competition IN THE FAMILY LAW FIELD sufficiently, possibly relating to this pre-occupation with “due-diligence” reports, thereafter.

CALIFORNIA
The Palo Alto Address listed in the California Business Entities Search shows Jane Adams as agent, and firma ddress as the exact same address of a major law firm (Cooley, LLP) with a Life Sciences Group [see left sidebar], where Ms. Adams (“San Diego”) practices (see office building listed on home page). See para. 4 in their history to get a flavor (the firm pre-dates the Great Depression of 1929), first Silicon Valley firm with a presence in Colorado, first venture capital partnership on the west coast, over 700 attorneys, offices in China, etc. So, MAP endowed a fellowship named after William W. Whitley, then.

Again, has anyone considered simply for charitable purposes, endowing — rather than coaching to get married — some people on welfare, and funding the welfare system from this, instead of treating people like trained dogs, in search of enough corporate workers to make the corporate wealth to be siphoned off into foundations, to run government, which also doesn’t report the full extent of its wealth anyhow? Just an idea…

Closing in on the Natural Oil Royalty Profits, and who’s controlling the lands they’re found on..

I also see a 2001 year document from Utah Trust Lands (Utah.gov) taking action on permitting for various Oil, Mineral and Hydrocarbon Leases. Here, William W. Whitley shows up alongside a Sigmund J. Rosenfeld (both of Denver) getting small % royalty overrides on various mineral leases. On the other hand, Chevron shows up on more of them, and getting 5.75% overrides. Interesting.

Maybe someone should teach the low-income unemployed noncustodial parents (male OR female) how to participate in getting to the point where one can draw some royalty overrides on state lands held in public trust. ….

This brochure explains the School Land Trust Administration, how it has since Utah became a state in (1896?) managed parcels of land given the state by the US (federal) government, for the beneficiaries, including to establish the public school system. The cash comes from oil, mineral and gas drilling rights, surface rights (leasing) and occasional sales. The proceeds go into the 12 beneficiaries (listed on brochure, and including “Youth Development Center” formerly a reform school {Utah State Industrial School] investigated for graft by 1909, troubles in the 1960s, 1980s, and in 1990 charged by the ACLU with inhumane treatments. The idea behind reform school came from a certain Salt Lake City lawyer whose grand-daddy was one of the original stonemasons builing the Temple in Salt Lake City. This attorney helped get a Reform School Bill passed in the Territorial Assembly (1888) and in 1889, the school began:

Punishment ranged from deprivation of meals and privileges, to solitary confinement, whipping, and the use of restraints.[3] Youths were confined at the school by the order of juvenile court judges.[4]

Anyhow, re that School Land Trust Administration and Mr. William Whitley in re: where the Western Governors Foundation now lives (street addresswise) — how many people consider, when taxes are being begged for (state by state) that I’ll bet many states (especially Western ones) may have some Land Trust Administrations producing cash flow — which goes into the permanent state school fund?

Also of interest, in Utah — it’s been of some reputation for abusive reform schools to this day. Separate article (Native American runaways from forced-assimilation-style Boarding Schools, early 1900s, not Utah-related) and the issue of child abuse adn even torture continues to this day: see WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Schools).

So, the Western Governors Association — we can see why they’d be definitely interested in these matters:

2013 Agenda

WGA’s meeting sessions will be held at the Montage Deer Valley and will begin on Friday, June 28th at 10:00am, concluding no later than Noon on Sunday, June 30th.

The following topics will be discussed at the 2013 WGA Annual Meeting:

Roundtable: Public Lands

Governors and Premiers will discuss ways to bring state and federal resources into better alignment to improve health and management of public lands.  Joining the Governors for the discussion are Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Department of the Interior; Representative Rob Bishop; Jamie Williams, President, The Wilderness Society;  and Ronald W. Jibson, Chairman, President and CEO, Questar Corp.

Plenary Session: Endangered Species

Governors and senior federal officials will discuss ways to strengthen federal-state cooperation on the review and decision-making on listing, management and delisting of threatened and endangered species.   Invited guests include Samuel D. Rauch III, Acting Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at NOAA and Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Roundtable: Healthcare

Governors and invited guests will discuss state-based innovations in healthcare, ranging from insurance exchanges, expanding Medicaid coverage and meeting medical needs in rural communities.  Invited guests include Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Department of Health and Human Services; Mike Leavitt, Former HHS Sec. and Founder and CEO of Leavitt Partners; and Dr. Charles Sorenson, President and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare.

Roundtable: Education

Governors and invited guests will discuss how to promote innovations in education in the West.  Guests include Daniel Greenstein, Director of Postsecondary Success Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr. Bob Mendenhall, President, Western Governors University; and Neil Ashdown, President, iSchool.

Roundtable: Energy

Governors and invited guests will discuss the nation’s energy future and the role western states can play in that future.  Topics to be discussed include harnessing domestic energy resources, investing in infrastructure and protecting the environment.  The Governors will release two new energy reports:  The State Of Energy In The West and The Western Governors’ Ten Year Energy Vision

Ths is about the Western Governors University, which I simply decided to look up today, as the last group on “THE LIST” and which may be the only nonprofit on it.

Timeline

It’s state incorporation reads also “dba” [doing business as) WGU and “Technology Standards for Global Learning.”
From Utah Secretary of State / Business Entity Search. We see it registered as a business here in January 1997

Entity Number: 1339858-0140
Company Type: Corporation – Domestic – Non-Profit
Address: 4001 SOUTH 700 EAST STE 700 Salt Lake City, UT 84107
State of Origin: UT
Registered Agent: DAVID R. GROW
Registered Agent Address:
4001 SOUTH 700 EAST STE 700
SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84109

Status: Active

Status: Active as of 01/16/2005
Renew By: 01/31/2014
Status Description: Good Standing
The “Good Standing” status represents that a renewal has been filed, within the most recent renewal period, with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code.
Employment Verification: Not Registered with Verify Utah

History

Registration Date: 01/15/1997
Last Renewed: 11/16/2012

The street address is a “virtual” office address courtesy DavinciVirtual.com”

Nonprofit Overview from NCCSDataweb.urban.org:

To simplify showing the Tax forms Table (from http://990finder.foundationcenter.org, a familiar site on this blog — see “Look Up A Nonprofit” page, for example) — I took out several columns and only am showing the year, the #pp in their 990 form, and the rapidly increasing assets of this nonprofit. Please look at the upward progression of the assets column, considering that it’s an ON-line university…

All is from “Western Governors University UT EIN# 84-1383986

To be honest, this is rather disturbing. The tax returns will show more. Look at the rapid escalation of assets, by year — it’s increasing exponentially. They are handling upwards of $150 million (and spending most of it) by 2011 (=2010 return)….

Moreover, I’m having trouble actually finding the 501(c)3 (is it a 501(c)3??) for the Western Governors Association — which it turns out was a 1980s merger of other governors’ associations… (see their site). That these should be running substantial and very profitable nationwide business, organized at the governor-corporate level, is more than disturbing.

President of WGU’s bio.. Trustees include governors (Napolitano, then (the return I looked at) of Arizona, Gov. of Utah, etc.)
Among other things, he sat on the “Spellings Commission on Higher Education,” which was assembled in 2005.
Article on “The Unwitting Damage Done by the Spellings Commission”

Wikipedia, describing it:

The formation of a Commission on the Future of Higher Education, also known as the Spellings Commission, was announced on September 19, 2005 by U.S. Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings. The nineteen member Commission was charged with recommending a national strategy for reforming post-secondary education, with a particular focus on how well colleges and universities are preparing students for the 21st-century workplace, as well as a secondary focus on how well high schools are preparing the students for post-secondary education.*** In the report, released on September 26, 2006, the Commission focuses on four key areas: access, affordability (particularly for non-traditional students), the standards of quality in instruction, and the accountability of institutions of higher learning to their constituencies (students, families, taxpayers, and other investors in higher education). Since the report’s publication, the implementation of its recommendations were been made the responsibility of the then-recently-appointed U.S. Under Secretary of Education, Sara Martinez Tucker (appointed August 2006).

**As I think about this — it’s ridiculous. We have 50 states, and we have territories. It seems to me that every state has at least a few colleges. By choosing 19 members, that’s LESS than one state per Commission member. I also don’t see that the Constitution provides for the Department of Education either… it was pulled out of HEW, leaving “HHS” in its place, in the 1900s.

There are plenty of reactions available on-line. What I’m more concerned about is United States Governors going into business with a private nonprofit which (see tax returns) gets its majority of grants from government, does its majority of business (See program expenses — I saw a $10 million “expense” described in just a single paragraph) Program Service Revenue “including government fees and contracts.” and is a corporate fellow to the above nonprofit, (the one all these “Corporate Fellows” were apparently contributing to) part of whose purpose is to influence legislation; i.e., who lobby to influence government without strictly being official “lobbyists.”).

Apparently the Bush Administration wanted to pull the National Certification Test on Higher Education like the No Child Left Behind on K-12, and use this as a “Cudgel” (one report characterized it) on universities. MIT Faculty Newsletter (March/April 2008, Vol XX No. 4) reacts, explaining why that’s a REALLY bad idea. To clarify, this isn’t talking about WGU — but about The Spellings Commission (on the Future of Higher Education) on which the President (@1999 and I think, still, of this Western Governors University) sat, as part of his general background.

MIT Faculty Newsletter (2008) on the Spellings Commission Report

MIT Faculty Newsletter (March/April 2008, Vol XX No. 4)

Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education Hints at National Standardized Testing for Universities

Jonathan King

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As President Bush approached his final year in office, his Secretary of Education released the administration’s major policy document on higher education, a report from The Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The Commission was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, long time education advisor to President Bush. The Commission’s August 2007 report contains a number of commendable recommendations: expand the fraction of our citizenry that participates in higher education; remove barriers to access, such as lack of academic preparation, financial means, or understanding how to navigate the process; and increase emphasis on science and engineering education.

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But perhaps of most concern, is the introduction of the notion of extending the central thrust of Bush K-12 education policy – standardized testing – to higher education.

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The report addresses the major barrier to access – affordability – mostly by advising that applications for federal financial aid be streamlined and simplified. The only recommendation for a boost in direct financial aid – which would help more students actually afford to attend a four-year college – is limited to increasing the target of Pell grants over five years to 70% of the average State tuition at public four-year institutions. While this would be a valuable step forward, it is still woefully inadequate, for example, for research universities and private four-year colleges.

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The report gives more emphasis to cutting costs than increasing investment. This business model is not surprising given the composition of the Spellings Commission, which was laden with corporate officers.

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Also participating were four university presidents, including MIT’s former president Chuck Vest and James Duderstadt of the University of Michigan. Only three of the 18 members were active faculty, and none were active scientists.

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Committee Chair Pushes Standardized Tests for Universities

A new element in the report was the call for increased “accountability” for institutions of higher education. In the Bush/Paige/Spellings Department of Education, this term has generally translated into assessment through standardized testing. The report clearly calls for implementing forms of standardized assessment so as to be able to compare “performance” of diverse higher institutions. A recent New York Times article (February 9, 2008) quotes Charles Miller, the investor who chairs the Commission: “What is clearly lacking is a nationwide system for comparative performance purposes, using standard formats.”

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As faculty with children in public school know, a major change in the K-12 school environment has been brought about by the implementation under the Bush administration of the federal No Child Left Behind (NLCB) Act, the catchy misnomer given to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The damaging effect of the use of a single standardized test as the sole measure of student progress has been documented in a series of recent books and reports. These include Collateral Damage: How High-Stakes Testing Corrupts America’s Schools, by Sharon L. Nichols and David Berliner (2007); Many Children Left Behind, edited by Deborah Meier and George H. Wood (2004); and When School Reform Goes Wrong, by Nel Noddings (2007).

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Given the Bush administration’s track record of ignoring what students and public schools actually need, it is perhaps not surprising that its policy of substituting mandatory commercial standardized testing for authentic assessment and quality education is now being extended to higher education.

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Though the Spellings/Miller call to bring colleges and universities into an NCLB-style “accountability” system may sound laudable to some, it represents retrograde educational policy. Colleges and universities are responsible for producing individuals with a vast variety of skills and talents. Engineers, architects, electricians, physicians, and lawyers are familiar with licensing and certification tests which control access to their professions. The mission of these tests is to set a floor of competence and ensure that practitioners meet some minimum standard of proficiency.

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But colleges, and particularly research universities, play a different role in our society. We need their activities to expand knowledge, open new horizons, and raise ceilings in all areas of human technical, social, and economic activity.

Requiring every biochemistry course in the U.S. to prepare students for a single national test in college biochemistry will narrow instruction, snuff out new initiatives, and alienate both students and teachers.

A 2006 Statement by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (a major accreditation group) similarly expresses some serious distress about the Spellings Report, and mentions what areas it completely ignores, such as faculty!

AACU ON SPELLINGS REPORT

Statement on Spellings Commission Report
Board of Directors, Association of American Colleges and Universities
September 2006

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[My excerpt begins immediately after the opening quote of a statement from the Commission}.

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…About one year ago, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings charged the Commission on the Future of Higher Education to lead a national dialogue and chart a course for higher education in America. The Commission was asked to examine “vital issues central to a quality higher education, such as accessibility, affordability, accountability and quality. ”  In March 2006, AAC&U provided the Commission with written recommendations focused specifically on the Commission’s work related to quality and accountability. In making those recommendations, we drew on the extensive work of AAC&U’s more than 1,150 institutional members and our previously released Board of Directors statement, Our Students’ Best Work: A Framework for Accountability Worthy of Our Mission (pdf).

The final report from the Commission was formally released by Secretary Spellings on September 26, 2006. In it, the Commission calls for “an unprecedented effort to expand higher education access and success. ”  We heartily endorse this commitment. We regret, however, that the Commission recommends no actions to ensure that traditionally underserved students will have full access to high quality college programs that provide them with twenty-first-century knowledge and skills.

Changes in the world around us have significantly raised the bar on the scope and level of learning students need from a college education. By saying virtually nothing about the kinds of learning that are most important in today’s world, the Commission leaves the door wide open for access without excellence.

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A Vision of Educational Quality for Our Age

We applaud the Commission for calling on higher education to focus on “meaningful student learning outcomes,” a position that AAC&U has taken as well. But in its report, the Commission does not offer a coherent vision of the learning outcomes graduates actually need for work, life, and active citizenship in the twenty-first century.

Americans know that their world is being dramatically reshaped by scientific and technological innovations, increasing global interdependence and cross-cultural encounters, and a shifting balance of economic and political power. To succeed in this rapidly shifting environment, college graduates need a broader set of skills and knowledge. Today’s graduates need to be intellectually resilient, cross-culturally literate, technologically adept, morally grounded, and fully prepared for a future of continuous and cross-disciplinary learning. We must also ensure that all students—not just the fortunate few—have access to an education that fosters these capacities.

It is especially regrettable that the Commission’s report focuses almost exclusively on workforce preparation, narrowly defined. The longstanding and distinctively American goal of preparing students for engaged citizenship is ignored entirely by the Commission. In this regard, the complete failure even to mention the importance of history, culture, the humanities, the arts, or to highlight the growing service-learning movement shows a dramatically downsized conception of college learning. We are also perturbed that faculty members are mentioned only once in the entire report.  This is a remarkable and very troubling omission in a report that charts a future direction for educational quality. 

Building on a Generation of Educational Innovation

The Commission does call for the development of innovative and effective approaches to teaching and learning. However, college campuses are already filled with “islands of innovation,” including many that make rich use of the educational potential of technology. The real challenge before us is not to launch innovation but to take tested innovations to scale.

And finally (undated, that I can see):

The AAUP on the Spellings Commission Report

(American Association of University Professors). This points out its flaws:

AAUP Statement on Spellings Commission Report

Statement of the Committee on Government Relations, American Association of University Professors (AAUP), regarding the report A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U. S. Higher Education

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The Commission on the Future of Higher Education appointed by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings has issued its report, after a year of hearings and deliberations. Although the report raises important issues and has been improved through successive drafts, it remains seriously flawed in its fundamental characterization of American higher education. As the preeminent voice speaking for faculty, and on the basis of its historic commitment to the principles of academic freedom, shared governance, and higher education’s contribution to the common good, >em>the American Association of University Professors must uphold a different vision of what American higher education has been and should be.

Principles of academic freedom and commitments to the common good are at the heart of the AAUP’s democratic vision of higher education. The AAUP affirms the central importance of higher education in enabling an informed citizenry to participate in civic and political life, the increasingly crucial role played by higher education in developing the knowledge and skills required for successful careers in an increasingly knowledge-based economy, and the key role played by academic researchers in creating knowledge that has direct consequences for economic innovation and successful public policy. The AAUP affirms that the independence of scholars in their research and teaching** is vital for democracy. . .

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[[comments: **True, but scholarship costs money. They’re never 100% free; someone is always footing the bill. That said, the footing should NOT come from one primary source!! Consider in certain fields, how much of the funding comes from pharmaceutical companies. See BioTech Industry, etc.]]

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Evaluated against these principles, the AAUP finds that the Commission on the Future of Higher Education’s report falls far short…

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…Yet the report locates these issues in a framework that portrays higher education in deep crisis without establishing the grounds for this claim. Based on what David Ward, president of the American Council of Higher Education and Commission member, has called “a false sense of crisis,” the report portrays higher education as in need of thorough and drastic transformation. The report largely neglects the role of the faculty, has a narrow economic focus, and views higher education as a single system rather than in its institutional diversity.

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What emerges from the report is a vision of higher education as a marketplace that should increasingly rely on uniform standards to measure outcomes and technological means to provide training in skills necessary for global economic competition. The process and quality of the educational experience, so central to the formation of a love of learning, civic virtues and social capital, are marginalized to the point of irrelevance. As Richard Brodhead, president of Duke University pointed out recently in the Washington Post, leaders of higher education in Asia admire America’s colleges and universities for fostering “initiative, independence, resourcefulness, and collaboration.” Unlike the commission’s report, these Asian leaders view American higher education as worthy of emulation rather than as a project for retooling.

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The attempt to “retool everything” based on declared crisis is the call to fascism, and hardly surprising given who was U.S. President at this time….

Attempting to minimize the rule of faculty and the personal connection with inspired or impassioned, competent professors as a life-changer; here’s how the report phrased it, and this group noticed correctly — they want to basically get rid of the faculty, or at least de-throne the concept of faculty as valuable. Listen to the language!!!

Faculty appear only once in this report, as a bullet under a heading that includes the recommendation that “higher education must change from a system primarily based on reputation to one based on performance.” The bullet provides a role for faculty in this performance-based vision: “Faculty must be at the forefront of defining educational objectives for students and developing meaningful, evidence-based measures of their progress toward these goals.” The role of the faculty is contextualized within a policy framework that aims at developing “interoperable outcomes-focused accountability systems designed to be accessible and useful for students, policymakers, and the public, as well as for internal management and institutional improvement.” …

… Clearly plain English is on the chopping block ….”interoperable outcomes-focused accountability systems”

By strongly affirming an outcomes-based approach, the report is dismissive of the institutional foundations of American higher education. The report makes no mention of the de-professionalization of the professoriate that is underway, with inadequately supported contingent faculty having an ever greater role in “content delivery.” Rather, it takes for granted that “new providers and new paradigms, from for-profit universities to distance learning” will be “part of the education landscape” that enables higher education to “adapt to a world altered by technology, changing demographics and globalization.” The report does not attempt to square this affirmation of technologically-driven change and indifference to issues of institutional life, structure and governance with its call for higher education to “recommit itself to its core public purposes.” It does not consider that “public purposes” are articulated, debated and made real within academic institutions that have stability and continuity.

Unbelievable….

It seems we are absolutely in a top-down system change mode throughout government, and the “peasants” aren’t deemed worthy of equal input and participation unless they’re smart enough to behave like this: Incorporate, trademark something, patent something, push something, get rich, join the crowd, lobby for governmental protection, and ‘screw’ (derail, sabotage, and discourage) direct, representative input from the people AS the people through their elected and/or appointed local (city, county, state) representatives who then stand together before the United States Congress, which allegedly votes on policies (and appropriations to support the policies) for the benefit of the common good. Sure, yeah, and the GAO cannot issue an unqualified opinion on the consolidated annual financial report (on the state of the union, financially) of the United States of America, which I have also blogged…

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Western Governors University

More on Western Governors University — from Wikipedia (quick summary) we learn that it was proposed by the Governor of utah at a meeting of the Western Governors Association(itself a nonprofit) in 1995, and that since then there have been state affiliations (Indiana, Tennessee); that the USDOE committed $10 million at one point in time, and that the original 19 governors who started WGU committed $100,000 of seed money.

Did they run this by their constituencies before committing to it? Or was this in the capacity as the Executive Heads of their states, bypassing the state legislatures, who might have had different ideas (or opposition) — and as no meeting of any regional Governors association can be actually attended by people (especially poor people) from all 19 states without advance notice and/or help — was it intentional to bypass the grassroots demand for such an institution?

Also we can see that there is corporate involvement as well — Google, MicroSoft, etc. — and that the Indiana Affiliate was created by “Executive Order” of a Governor. I think it’s time to remind the Governors of our various states that they are not royalty and should cool it on the “we create by decree…” activities!!

Wikipedia:

Western Governors University was officially founded in 1997 in the United States[1][2][3][4][5] by 19 western state governors.[6][7][8][9][10][11] It was first proposed by then-governor of Utah Mike Leavitt at the annual meeting of the Western Governors Association in June 1995. It was formally proposed the following November and officially founded in June 1996, with each signing state governor committing $100,000 towards the launch of the new competency-based university. While the seed money was provided from government sources, the school was to be established as a self-supporting private, nonprofit institution. In January 1997, 13 governors were on hand to sign the articles or incorporation formally beginning the new university.

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(This Wikipedia could’ve easily mentioned it was incorporated in the state of Utah – -not “in the United States” but didn’t).

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In 2001, the United States Department of Education awarded $10 million dollars to found the Teachers College, and the first programs were offered in Information Technology. In 2003, the university became the first school to be accredited in four different regions by the Interregional Accrediting Committee. In 2006, the fourth college, the College of Health Professions, was founded and the school became the first online school to receive NCATE accreditation.

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In 2010, the first state-established school, WGU Indiana, was founded by Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana, and the school reached 20,000 students for the first time.

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In 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provided $4.5 million for WGU Indiana and the creation of WGU Texas and WGU Washington.[12]

After discovering some of the information below (and taking a brief look at its amazing tax returns (given the money changing hands with almost no details available to the casual viewer on $153 million or so per year (2011) and rapidly increasing assets — I went looking for any annual financial report on this Western Governors’ University.

(I admit the name caught my attention from the start).

And a Section on “Innosight Institute” which became the Clay Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation, Inc.” — so more on Clay Christensen, too..

Here’s a “UNC” (University of North Carolina?) based interview, dated 1998, of how it plans to function, mentioning that Denver is the Academic HQ, they plan to be self-supporting by 2006 (see tax returns to find out if they did) and how the money is made, etc.

Here’s a review by “Innosight Institute” (whoever that is), dated 2013, more about the technical issues it faces (retrofacing some softwares, using software for purpose it wasn’t intended for, etc.). This says that WGU was founded in Utah and Denver with “$20 million of seed money from 18 states and Guam”… the first 30 students didn’t enroll until 1999, when Robert Mendenhall became “President.”:

Actually, the rest of this section just got ex-patriated to another post. It’s fascinating and current.

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WGU, Continued . . . .. .

Western Governors’ University “<a href="http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/governors_industry"Governance&#8221;

(Please read. What happened to the “independent private” when they are state-affiliated universities?)

The current “national advisory board” is included, hardly surprising given that it’s on-line learning:

Another critical source of support is our National Advisory Board (NAB). The NAB is comprised of representatives from prestigious corporations and foundations that provide ongoing support and advice to the university. Current members include:

AT&T
CenturyLink
Dell Computer
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Google
Hewlett-Packard
Hospital Corporation of America
Lumina Foundation
J. Willard and Alice S.Marriott Foundation
Microsoft
Oracle
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Simmons Media Group
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
SunGard Higher Education**
Tenet Healthcare
Wasatch Property Management
Zions Bank

[[Funny– their ‘More about the National Advisory Board’ loops back to the same webpage, retitled:
http://www.wgu.edu/about_WGU/governors_industry. For that matter, so does even the LIST of the Board of Trustees under that section, also!

WGU’s Governance
WGU is governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of educators, industry leaders, and state governors. In addition, WGU continues to draw support (although no state funding) from the Governors of the Member States that were instrumental in the founding of WGU.

Board of Trustees [Link loops back; no list provided]
Governors of Member States [ditto]

(this may be a function of my device, sorry). I was able to glimpse a few names, one of which was
Emily Stover DeRocco whose background, if you look it up, should help shed some light on what the WGU may also be about. She was sworn in (2001) to GWBush whitehouse as head of an $11.1 billion workforce training, is found at “The Manufacturing Institute” and was Executive Director of significant public sector nonprofit association mentioned in this brief (not current) blurb:

Emily Stover DeRocco was nominated by President Bush to be Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training on June 21, 2001. After being confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she was sworn in on August 3, 2001.

As Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training, Ms.DeRocco was responsible for managing a $11.1 billion budget that funds the country’s public workforce investment system, which includes a number of important programs to America’s workers and businesses. Ms. DeRocco has made it her purpose to develop a “demand driven.” workforce investment system, which links employment, education, and economic development. Her belief is that only by effectively equipping workers with the skills that are needed by employers, and better understanding the workforce needs of business, can we create the high-skilled workforce needed to maintain a globally competitive workforce in the 21st century.**

Ms. DeRocco brings a wealth of experience to her position. In addition to high level federal positions serving the Cabinet officers at the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Energy during the Reagan Administration, Ms. DeRocco spent over ten years as the Executive Director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

Assistant Secretary DeRocco is a native of Pennsylvania. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and received her Juris Doctorate degree from the Georgetown Law Center in 1982. She was admitted to the Bar of the District of Columbia in 1983.

See LinkedIn — this person runs things, and has been running them since the 1980s.

When Obama came in, she went to President of “The Manufacturing Institute” (2008-2012) and recently is at “E3”, both of them focused on aligning the education with the needs of the manufacturing corporate sector, even knowing that so much of US manufacturing has been outsourced. There should be no question whose best interests are at heart in this particular individual — and I think that also ties into the position on the board of WGU, which probably better represents the same (corporate/commercial) sector.

In 2009, a “NATIONAL SUMMIT TO DEFINE AMERICA’S FUTURE” was held, sponsored by the Detroit Economic Club, and the Presenting Sponsors were FORD and DOW (as in DOW Chemical), hosted at the Marriott. Among the many speakers (see LIST and do explore the summit site) is DeRocco, on The Manufacturing Institute.

Four years later (this past week) Detroit has officially filed for the largest municipal bankruptcy in history. Thanks a lot, “National Summit,” did you foresee that?

Anyhow, I think we can get a general idea what WGU is about from its originators, their associations, their associations’ history (i.e., regionalization) and their tactics, which are to run things from the top for the benefit of corporate fellows. PERIOD!

**I should mention that at least in Texas (Tarrant County) and no doubt elsewhere around the country, one place fatherhood initiatives are alive and well seems to be in the Professionalized “Workforce Boards.”

**SunGard developed “Banner Software” which is used at the WGU campuses — see Innosight Institute Article, above..

“On January 8, 2013, Bill Haslam, governor of Tennessee, announced the creation of the state-affiliated WGU Tennessee.[13] On January 28 Jay Nixon of Missouri, in his annual State of the State address, announced the
founding of WGU Missouri, creating the fifth state-affiliated campus.[14]” (Wikipedia on WGU).

(Footnoted near the top): THe COLORADO COMPONENT (corporate) of WGU:

Its “Academic Development Offices” were also in Colorado. Looking at the Secretary of State (corporations search) page there brings up a spotted record, starting with registration under three men’s name (two in Utah, one in Aurora, Colorado, Robert C. Albrecht, Ph.D.) as stamped 3/24/1998 (the UTah organizxation having been 1/15/1997). More can be learned by looking at the corporate records (actual filings), including the various changes of address (its current address went through some changes), and that around 2004, then 2007ff, a lot of Colorado state “failures to file” showed up on this “foreign corporation” operating in Colorado — until in 2011 it simply withdrew. Anyhow, in about 2000, the Colorado incorporation names a Max A. Farbman. of Max Farbman & Associates (also one of the original) who appears to be also on edcUtah, i.e., Economic Development Corporation of Utah), Board of Directors, Executive Committee (2006-2007). When the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation gave WGU $1 million in Jan. 2000, (also taking a seat on its NAB — National Advisory Board) he is also quoted as WGU Vice President of Development. The Advisory Board of this WGU included at the time:

The Gates Foundation joins a prestigious group of entities currently on the WGU NAB, including: 3Com, America Online, AT&T, Apple, Cisco, Drake International, IBM, International Thompson Publishing, KPMG, Micron Technology, Microsoft, Novell, Sallie Mae, Alfred Sloan Foundation, Sun Microsystems, Swartz Foundation, and Sylvan Prometric. The NAB was established in 1997 to provide business, foundation, and industry perspective in the planning and implementation of WGU. Each member company also provides financial and in-kind business support.

I found (by searching Robert C. Albrecht and the street address) an early (July 1997) IT List Serv discovering the electronic (only) advertisement for a “Chief Information Officer” describing that the university will be granting degrees and also “brokering” courses with affiliated “higher education institutions, both profit and nonprofit.” and are looking for someone to develop the MIS part. This tells us (among other things) that they are earning some profit as an information broker with the various vendors. I see no reason to think Robert C. Albrecht wasn’t qualified for the role; this is a bio found on-line, which mentions “Educause” a Colorado/DC-based nonprofit dealing with the IT aspects of education.

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