The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia accepted a staff recommendation Tuesday to move forward with administrative processes that could lead to the revocation of Virginia International University’s certificate to operate. An audit done by the agency uncovered concerns about academic quality in VIU’s online programs, including concerns about “rampant plagiarism” by students; online classes that are “patently deficient” in terms of quality and content; and the admission of “large numbers” of students with inadequate English proficiency.
The audit by Virginia state regulators found that “the single most important factor contributing to the substandard quality of online education at VIU is the institution’s acceptance of international students with an abysmally poor command of the English language. This is especially true for graduate-level programs.” VIU, which according to its website enrolled 632 students in 2017-18, predominantly enrolls international students. It is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Independent Colleges and Schools, an accreditor with a troubled past.