Have you ever thought about getting a Masters Degree in International Affairs?
I’m sure that a few of us have dreamed about it from time to time.
Well, I found an organization that offers a Masters degree in International affairs.
BUT their webpage does not have an “Admissions” webpage and does not have ANY contact information on their webpages, which lead me to want to know more about this organization.
And what I found was direct connections to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which made the whole thing more intriguing and I had more questions, some that I have been unable to answer.
Introducing
The Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with Irish American University, offers a Masters of International Relations degree program. The program is designed for policymakers, appointed officials and military officers wishing to further their foreign policy expertise and expand their network of global contacts at key points in their public service.
The two year program includes compulsory study-abroad experiences, with programs hosted in the Republic of Ireland, the United States of America, Switzerland, and Rwanda. Interim course work is completed through a distance learning program.
The Affiliation with the Irish American University is interesting. This is information that I gleaned while reviewing reports done by the Irish accreditation committee for higher education.
American College Dublin, was established in 1993 as a branch campus of Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida. American College Dublin is a not for profit institution and is an Irish registered company. HETAC validated programmes are delivered in the American College Dublin premises at 1, 2, 3 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. American College Dublin and American College Delaware merged on 1 January 2009 to form a new entity, the Irish American University. The Irish American University is also registered as a company under the Companies Act since 1993. HETAC Institutional Review of American College Dublin, December 2009
In 2008, HETAC approved the delivery of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Business and the Master of Business in International Business at the American College Delaware: 3001 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, Delaware 19703, USA.
Although the University is accredited in Ireland and the Masters of International Relations is accredited in Ireland – it appears that there is no such attempt to seek accreditation in the United States – even though the degree is offered in the United States. Here is a quote from the Irish Higher Education accreditation board as to one question that needed to be addressed at the site visit.
To confirm the status of American College Delaware as a branch campus of American College Dublin
At the beginning of the site visit, the college confirmed with the panel that this special objective is no longer applicable, as the college has made a strategic decision not to deliver the BA in International Business and MBS in International Business in Delaware.
Hmmmmmmmmm…. This is more interesting so let’s take a closer look at The Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with Irish American University, Masters of International Relations degree program – which as noted above, has no “Admissions”webpage and absolutely no contact information on their webpage.
The Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs (LLIAFA)
Who runs Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs (LLIAFA)?
Mrs Amy Polasky,President, LLIAFA
Mrs Cate Zeuske, Vice President, LLIAFA
Mr David Steffen, Staff, LLIAFA
This is an interesting group of people as Polasky, Zueske and Steffen also run Taxpayers Network and are the Director, Secretary/Treasurer, and Director of External Relations respectively. Taxpayers Network is nonprofit out of Green Bay – which happens to be closely affiliated with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Their days must be awfully busy full running TWO organizations at the same time.
In addition, Mrs Cate Zeuske, Vice President, LLIAFA is the wife of ALEC member John Gard of WI. Her ties to ALEC are much stronger than just being married to an known ALEC member. In 2002 at the The American Legislative Exchange Council's Spring Taskforce Summit, In Partnership with the Taxpayer's Network, Las Vegas, Nevada Zeuske did the introduction for keynote speaker Tommy Thompson.
David Steffen, Director of External Affairs acknowledges that he is an Wisconsin Private sector co-chair from 2006 to 2010 on the Howard Village webpage.
Two organizations – both organziations with the exact same leadership and one organzation with direct and strong ties to ALEC. Hmmmmmmmmmm. I wonder if the other organization has ties to ALEC?
The Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs (LLIAFA), Masters of International Relations degree program – the first conferees.
Hon. Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr., Detroit City Council;
Hon. William Briggs Hopson III, Senator, Mississippi State Senate;
Hon. John R. Pippy, Senator, Senate of Pennsylvania;
Hon. Roderick D. Wright, Senator, California State Senate;
Hon. Christopher Heaton-Harris, M.P., House of Commons, UK;
Hon. James Walsh, Senator, Seanad Eireann, Ireland;
Hon. Sean Ardagh, Former TD in Dail Eireann, Ireland;
Hon. Aloisea Inyumba, Minister of Gender and Family Protection, Republic of Rwanda;
Hon. Francis Kaboneka, Deputy, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament of Rwanda;
Dr. Immaculee Ilibagiza, noted Rwandan author and human rights activist, now living in the United States;
Mr. Raymond O'Dwyer, County Manager, Waterford County Council, Ireland;
Mr. Timothy L. Day, Chairman, Legislative Leadership Institute, United States;
Ms. Amy Polasky, President, Legislative Leadership Institute, United States;
Mr. Robert Wood, President, BGR Group, Washington, D.C.
According to the press release for the ceremony their educational path toward the masters degree included:
Lecturers included former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani; former Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney; former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge; noted economist Dr. Arthur Laffer and General Feroz Khan of Pakistan
Cheney, Ridge and Laffer all having known affiliations with ALEC. Cheney, recipient of the 2003 Thomas Jefferson Award. Ridge, a frequent and consistent ALEC keynote speaker during the 1990's and early 2000's. Alec Laffer being a co-author of one of ALEC's infamous (and also referred to
as irresponsible) economic reports and also a keynote peaker at ALEC events.
In addition to these educational opportunties and per the webpage of Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs:
The two year program includes compulsory study-abroad experiences, with programs hosted in the Republic of Ireland, the United States of America, Switzerland, and Rwanda. Interim course work is completed through a distance learning program
Trips to Ireland, Switzerland, Rwanda and the USA.
John R. Pippy, Senator, Pennsylvania
Pippy reported the trip to Rwanda and Switzerland as GIFTS from the Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs
a $12,300 trip to Irelandand Switzerland in December [2010] paid for by the Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs [LLIAFA].
Pippy reported the Rwanda trip as “a mission to Rwanda” not as a “class trip” – Total $10,667.00
But when interviewed about the Switzerland trip he noted
Pippy, R-37, said the trips encompassed “professional development that’s not paid for by taxpayers or lobbyists.”
Roderick D. Wright, Senator, California
Wright (CA)(according to Form 770 filed with the California Fair Political Practices Commission) reported the 2010 trip to Switzerland as a gift from the Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs in the amount of 14,861.30.
Wright did not report the Rwanda trip on this CA Form 700 (that I could find) , yet the Rwandan news release AND picture put him in Rwanda at the same time as Pippy.
Sean Ardagh, Former TD in Dail Eireann, Ireland;
Ardagh reported Travel and accommodation to New York, Washington and Biloxi, Mississippi over 10 days in March 2010 on academic course: Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs, LLIAFA.ORG.
Cool beans – full scholarships to get a Masters degree, taking trips while they are on the taxpayer dole as a legislator.
BUT this inquiring mind wants to know -
Who is Funding these scholarships? These Gifts? These Masters Degrees in International Relations?
Where is the Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs (LLIAFA)?getting their funding?
The International Class Trips
Another question that pops up when I am considering this is “How are they representing themselves when they go on these class trips? When you take into consider that they had a private audience with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and they went on a class trip to CERN Switzerland – I would really like to know how they are advertising themselves to get into these places.
The notation on a picture of the group has the following note:
15th December 2010 - Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs Wisconsin, United States of America visiting the CMS undergorund [six] area and LHC tunnel at Point 5 with Deputy Collaboration Spokesperson J. Incandela and Head of International Relations F. Pauss
.
And what they got to see was the:
The CMS is one of the most complex scientific instruments ever made – a five story high digital camera recoding hundreds of images per second of debris from LHC particle collisions.
Cool beans – meeting presidents of countries and going into facilities that are not available to the public – and my question remains under what pretext are they using for these “class trips”? They better not be telling these other countries they are there as official representatives of the good 'ol US of A - they are there on a "class trip".
Back to the conferees for a moment
Fourteen people received the Masters degree in Ireland. Let’s take a closer look at some of them.
Six of them are politicians from other countries that I couldn’t find out much about – so they are off the radar for the time being.
Here is some interesting information about six of them:
Hon. William Briggs Hopson III, Senator, Mississippi State Senate;
(directly linked to ALEC)
Hon. John R. Pippy, Senator, Senate of Pennsylvania;
(Former ALEC State Chair)
Hon. Christopher Heaton-Harris, M.P., House of Commons, UK;
(directly linked with ALEC)
Mr. Timothy L. Day, Chairman, Legislative Leadership Institute, United States; Who according to a corporation map wiki on the web was formerly with Taxpayers Network (a KNOWN ALEC MEMBER)
Ms. Amy Polasky, President, Legislative Leadership Institute, United States;
Taxpayer Network which she is also director of is a KNOWN ALEC MEMBER
Mr. Robert Wood, President, BGR Group, Washington, D.C.
Here’s an interesting info.
worked as Gov. Tommy Thompson’s 1998 campaign manager, and led the state’s George W. Bush presidential campaign in 2000.
Thompson and Bush both being repeated keynote speakers at ALEC events.
BGR is a lobbyist for Taxpayer Network (and many other ALEC organizations).
In addition to this we have an additional ALEC tie for BGR.
Barbour’s ties to his former lobbying firm were questioned in 2007 when Bloomberg News and The New Republic were leaked a copy of his blind trust, which stated he owned 48,321 shares of Interpublic Group of Companies Inc., the company that then owned BGR, originally named Barbour, Griffith & Rogers Inc
Barbour is affiliated with ALEC. (ALEC Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award – 2006).
And then you have
These two need to be checked out further for possible ALEC ties - Hon. Roderick D. Wright, Senator, California State Senate and Hon. Kenneth V. Cockrel, Jr., Detroit City Council.
Conclusion
We have a masters degree being offered out of Wisconsin – with no “Admission” webpage and no "Contact" information on any of their webpages.
The Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs (LLIAFA), is run by exact same three people who run the Taxpayers Network which has direct ties to ALEC.
The students appear to be receiving “full scholarships” (just like ALEC legislators get to go to ALEC meetings) to go on international class trips that results in a Masters of International Relations degree.
Who funds the Legislative Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs (LLIAFA)?
And since this is an international affair, I can’t help wondering if this is somehow hooked into the ALEC / Atlantic Bridge scandal that was reported here on Daily Kos.
Maybe it should really be named
The American Legislative Exchange Council Leadership Institute Academy of Foreign Affairs????????