St. Linus University

VALIDATION

 

Through validation and articulation agreements, all programs of St. Linus University (SLU) are validated by École Supérieure Universitaire St. Linus (ESUSL®) through an internal Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) process. This process is independently developed by ESUSL® to evaluate prior knowledge, professional experience, and academic achievements. We do not offer programs leading to qualifications in regulated professions.

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Accreditation is not compulsory. We do not claim to posses any sort of external accreditation or its equivalent (including ISO 9001:2015 QMS certification); and it should not be misconstrued as such. The logos in our website are for promotional purposes only (with due regard to the 'Fair Use' limitations of the US copyright law). It does not constitute or imply endorsements from their part; rather, we posted them for their intrinsic value. We chose not be accredited on purpose due to its high cost. Accreditation does not guarantee success or provide enough of the perceived benefits. The US Department of Education categorically states that "Accreditation does not provide automatic acceptance by an institution of credit earned at another institution, nor does it give assurance of acceptance of graduates by employers. Acceptance of students or graduates is always the prerogative of the receiving institution." The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) says that "If an institution or program is not accredited, it should have some other means of quality review." Thus, notwithstanding the stigma, we regularly conduct self-accreditation. According to Harvey (2004), "Self-accreditation is a process or status that implies a degree of autonomy, on the part of an institution or individual, to make decisions about academic offerings or learning." 

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Forbes Magazine, a leading global media company, states that "college accreditation is built on bad incentives." Click here for the write-up. Similarly, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan research institute, believes that "accreditation is a cartel." Click here for the write-up. Hallak & Poisson (2007) defines 'academic fraud' as "the use of public office for private gain in the academic field, especially regarding accreditation of courses and institutions, examinations for access and for transfers between institutions, certificates and diplomas, university/college research and publications." Click here for the write-up (see page 112, Box 1.7.2). Because ignorance excuses no one, and it causes a great deal of harm, naysayers may do a fact check and are free to directly take it up with the main source of information (which are aforementioned herein) instead of barking up the wrong tree, and do a witch-hunt against those who disagree that accreditation is best for all time and is for everyone. 

 

Interestingly, for reasons best known to itself, the US Department of Education does not accredit colleges and universities, but it does maintain a database of accredited schools and recognized accrediting agencies. In fact, there is no single authority in the US for the recognition of foreign degrees and other qualifications (see the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement or SARA: an agreement among the regional education compacts: SREB, WICHE, MHEC, and NEBHE and their member states). Comparatively, the UK does not operate an accreditation system in the way it is understood in the US. Education institutions cannot simply be "accredited" or "unaccredited." Accreditation for professional degrees is carried out by statutory or professional bodies and is awarded on a course-by-course basis, they accredit to their own standards. Personally, we believe that accreditation is not indispensable, although it has its relative importance. No country or mainstream accrediting agency elsewhere or anywhere (public or private) has the universal jurisdiction or legal monopoly (that is protected by international law from competition), let alone a universal authority (which even the UN does not posses, or claim to possess, an all-encompassing sovereignty), over independent HEIs from another country operating via the Internet--a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to serve billions of users worldwide.

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French Private Education System

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In the French private education system, schools fall into two categories governed by Article L.441-1 of the Code de l’éducation and formalized by the Loi Debré of 31 December 1959:

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• Sous contrat: Private institutions that operate under contract with the State. These schools follow the national curriculum, receive government funding—particularly for teacher salaries—and are subject to pedagogical inspection and regulatory oversight.

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• Hors contrat: Private institutions that operate independently. These schools receive no public funding and retain full autonomy over their curriculum and teaching practices. While they are obligated to declare their opening to the rector of the Académie, they are not required to align with the State’s educational framework.

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École Supérieure Universitaire St. Linus (ESUSL®) is legally classified as a hors contrat institution under this framework. It does not receive public funding, is not accredited by the French Ministry of Education, and exercises full academic independence in accordance with the principles outlined in Article L.441-1 of the Code de l’éducation. Its operational freedom is reinforced by the Loi du 1er juillet 1901 on associations, which legally empowers it to pursue educational objectives autonomously.

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Caveat Emptor: We do not claim in any way, shape, or form that by enrolling or by graduating from this institution, it will help you with job promotion, visa application, credit transfer and the like! As previously mentioned, the acceptance and rejection of our degree, albeit legally awarded, is always the prerogative of the receiving party. Thus, due diligence should be first conducted before registration. You are responsible to find out for your self if your intended recipient(s) will honor our academic degree. Because of internet fraud, such as: spam, scams, spyware, identity theft, phishing and the like, we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. Lastly, the  data protection and privacy laws in Dominica forbid us to answer incriminatory questions that would cause us unnecessary harm.

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Legal Disclaimer: ESUSL®’s Independent Operation Under French Law

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École Supérieure Universitaire St. Linus (ESUSL®) operates as a private, non-profit higher education institution under the legal framework established by French law, including the Loi du 12 juillet 1875 and Loi du 1er juillet 1901.

 

ESUSL® is an independent institution that:

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• Is not under the supervision or accreditation of the French Ministry of Education or Rectorat;

• Does not issue diplômes nationaux or any protected academic titles recognized by the French state;

• Does not seek or receive public funding or certification through the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP);

• Operates lawfully under Articles L.444-1 to L.444-11 and L.731-1 of the French Education Code, which affirm the freedom of private higher education;

• Offers recognition of prior learning and professional experience through internal evaluation processes, in line with its status as a private, non-state accredited institution.

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The certificate is issued by École Supérieure Universitaire St. Linus (ESUSL®), a non-profit association governed by the Law of 1 July 1901 (Loi relative au contrat d'association) and structured in accordance with Articles 1832 to 1873 of the Code civil, which regulate French non-profit legal entities. ESUSL® lawfully operates entirely outside the framework of the French national education system, without affiliation to any Rectorat and without authorization to award diplômes nationaux.

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The use of academic titles such as “Bachelor,” “Master,” or “Doctorate” within ESUSL®’s certification framework is strictly nominal. These designations refer solely to the internal structuring of privately developed academic programs and are not translated from, nor equivalent to, the protected French academic titles Licence, Master, or Doctorat. Their usage is supported under the following legal provisions:

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• Law of 1 July 1901 (Loi relative au contrat d'association): Grants ESUSL® the right to operate as a non-profit association and develop its own internal academic nomenclature, provided it does not misrepresent state recognition.

 

• Code de l’éducation – Articles L.444-1 to L.444-11 and R.444-1 to R.444-28: Regulate private institutions operating hors contrat, including distance education. These articles do not prohibit the use of English academic titles if clearly distinguished from diplômes nationaux.

 

• Décret n° 2021-1570 du 3 décembre 2021: Protects specific French academic titles (Licence, Master, Doctorat). By omission, allows English titles to be used nominally, provided they are not presented as equivalents.

 

• Arrêté du 25 février 2020: Lists protected French academic titles and usage restrictions. Does not apply to English-language titles used transparently by private institutions.

 

ESUSL®’s educational offerings are delivered in full transparency and in compliance with the Code de la consommation, ensuring that all certifications are clearly labeled as non-accredited, and accompanied by disclaimers that prevent any confusion with qualifications recognized by the French government or listed in the Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles (RNCP).

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Students and third parties are hereby informed that ESUSL® certifications are private diplomas legally issued by the institution itself, and do not constitute public or state-recognized degrees.

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ESUSL® maintains full transparency about its independent status and adherence to applicable French laws to ensure proper understanding of its educational offerings.

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For more details on ESUSL®’s legal framework and certification validity, please contact us.

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