Editorials & Other Articles

anobserver2

(923 posts) Tue Jul 11, 2023, 11:40 AM Jul 2023

How To Fake a College Degree All the Way to the White House (FERPA, legacy admit, GHW Bush, Yale)

This true email correspondence below concerns my efforts to get the Yale University Registrar to release to me the academic transcript of a legacy-admission, the now deceased alumni, GHW Bush. Note: I have replaced my real name on this email with my DU screen name, "anobserver2"
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From: anobserver2
Date: Tue, Jul 11, 2023 at 12:08 PM
Subject: Re My FOIA Request re GHW Bush/ Your reason for not releasing transcript to me
To: Marshall, Shonna
Cc:

Re: My FOIA request/Your reason for not releasing GHW Bush's Yale transcript to me

Hello again Shonna Marshall, Yale University Registrar,

I thought more about our email conversation and what you wrote to me, citing "strict confidentiality standards" for "student" and "Alumni" "privacy."

But my FOIA request concerns a legacy-admitted deceased alumni, George HW Bush, and I believe it is currently a matter of great public interest what a legacy admitted student who became US President might have in his Yale transcript.

I think the actual reason Ms. Preston did not reply to me (even though, as you know, she is the registrar of the Yale undergraduate economics dept) is because: she looked and could not find any transcript.

And, I think: you looked, too, and you can not find any transcript for him either.

I also believe deceased alumni do not have "rights" that Yale can "protect."

Therefore, it seems to me my conclusion may actually be correct:

George HW Bush actually never attended any classes during the time he was at Yale.

Yet, after admitting this legacy, and not requiring to go to any classes, Yale
handed him a diploma and a degree in economics -- knowing full well that basically all this "student" did was to play soccer one semester, baseball three semesters, and join a fraternity.

And that's it.

There is no transcript because there are no grades because he went to no classes.

GHW Bush did not graduate from any "accelerated" undergraduate degree program in economics as Yale did not then and does not now have an "accelerated" undergraduate degree program in economics -- despite what a spokesman for GHW Bush has claimed for years.

I also want to politely share this with you, Shonna Marshall, Yale Registrar:

https://people.howstuffworks.com/lose-right-to-privacy-when-you-die.htm
https://people.howstuffworks.com/lose-right-to-privacy-when-you-die.htm]

FOIA and the Privacy Rights of the Deceased

The Federal Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) do a fair job of protecting people's privacy, but there's one law that comes into direct conflict with them: the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This law is intended to create government transparency, making it harder for government officials to keep secrets from the citizens they serve. Sometimes, someone files a FOIA request, and the government has to decide if releasing the information violates someone's privacy.

There are several exemptions to FOIA that the government can invoke to avoid releasing information. One allows the government to deny a FOIA request if the request includes "personnel and medical files and similar files that would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." This allows the government to tread the line legally between FOIA, HIPAA and the Federal Privacy Act in most cases.

That covers the privacy rights of living people, but what happens after death? The Privacy Act is very clear -- it doesn't apply to dead people. Once you die, your information is no longer protected under that law. ...

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Finally, I would like you to know:

I saw GHW's high school transcript published in a book I purchased, "School House to White House" about the education of some of our nation's presidents. This is the book:

https://www.amazon.com/School-House-White-Education-Presidents/dp/1904832431

GHW Bush's private high school transcript is found on page 41, lower right corner. His grades are not so great.

Here are some of the highlights, or perhaps, what some might call, lowlights, of the private high school academic career of this legacy-admitted Yale alumni, GHW Bush:

He failed math with a grade of "55."

He failed chemistry with a grade of "55."

He passed English with "60," the lowest possible passing grade.

Most of his grades are in the 70's. He is not an honors student by any stretch of the imagination.

He graduated Number 213 in a class of 214.

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The book was published as a result of this exhibit:

https://www.archivesfoundation.org/exhibit/school-house-to-white-house-the-education-of-the-presidents/
https://www.archivesfoundation.org/exhibit/school-house-to-white-house-the-education-of-the-presidents/]

I do not recall seeing anywhere the word "legacy" in this book or exhibit. Instead the above URL states GHW Bush was "accepted" into Yale:

"George H. W. Bush attended a small day school in Connecticut before he was enrolled, at age 13, in the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. While there, Bush was a popular student who participated in many extracurricular activities including organizing local charity drives and serving as the editor of the school newspaper. After Phillips, he was accepted at Yale University before leaving to serve in World War II. Bush returned to Yale after the war in an accelerated program that allowed him to graduate in two and a half years..."

https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2007/spring/schoolhouse.html
-----------------------

Well, in conclusion - thank you for reading this far, if you did.

I honestly think Yale has an obligation, now more than ever, to state the real facts about the education of legacy-admitted GHW Bush, in light of on-going litigation about legacy admissions in our country.

If you actually have no transcript for GHW Bush, then Yale should state that to me in response to my FOIA request.

Maybe you could honestly state something factual like this:

Since GHW Bush was a totally unqualified legacy admission at Yale -- and as he cringed at the very thought of actually attending classes -- Yale did not require him to do so. Thus, he earned no grades, and he has no transcript - even though we handed him a diploma and a degree after he hung around Yale for "two and a half years" in "an accelerated program" for economics that does not exist.

Otherwise, I feel what you and Yale are saying to me is dishonest, and sounds something like this:

"Yale remains committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, diversity, collaboration, and innovation" - https://registrar.yale.edu/ -
and, yes, everyone admitted to Yale is welcome to fake a college degree all the way to the White House.

I have cc-ed the Yale University President's assistant on this email to you. Perhaps in the next week or so he can find GHW Bush's transcript -- if one exists -- and email or mail it to me at my address below.

My best,
anobserver2

cc Yale University President Peter Salovey https://president.yale.edu/
via Michael Hoepp, Assistant to the President michael.hoepp@yale.edu
https://president.yale.edu/about/office-directory

On Mon, Jul 10, 2023 at 9:16 AM Marshall, Shonna wrote:

Hello anobserver2,

Ms. Preston in the Economics department does not have privy to student transcripts. Transcripts are under the exclusive purview of the University Registrar's Office. While under FERPA regulations, we may be authorized to release certain information, it is the university's discretion as to what information we will release. At this time we will not release the transcript for which you are asking. Yale University has strict confidentiality standards for student and alumni privacy which, at times, extends beyond the minimum of what FERPA requires.

My best,
Shonna

Shonna Marshall
University Registrar
Yale University Registrar’s Office
246 Church Street, 3rd floor, New Haven, CT 06510
http://registrar.yale.edu/
she|her|hers

-----Original Message-----
From: anobserver2
Sent: Thursday, July 6, 2023 6:14 PM
To: Marshall, Shonna
Subject: To Shonna Marshall / Fwd: 2nd request for transcript of GHW Bush at Yale

Dear Shonna Marshall, University Registrar at Yale,

I found your name here:
https://registrar.yale.edu/staff-directory

Shonna Marshall
University Registrar
(203) 436-8036
shonna.marshall@yale.edu

I have been trying for some time now, without success, to get the Yale Undergraduate Registrar for the Dept of Economics to respond to my request for a certified transcript of a deceased students, George HW Bush, which I believe I have the legal right to request un FERPA since he is deceased and Yale receives federal funds.

But I can not get her to respond. I have been both polite and patient.

Can you help me by speaking to her and telling her to respond to my email?

Thank you.

anobserver2

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: anobserver2
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2023 12:22:27 -0400
Subject: 2nd request for transcript of GHW Bush at Yale
To: shannon.preston@yale.edu

Dear Shannon Preston, Yale Undergraduate Registrar, Dept of Economics,

On June 6th I asked you how much it cost to receive a certified copy of the undergraduate transcript of GHW Bush, whose bio states he completed an accelerate economics program at Yale in only 2-1/2 years.

I did not see any accelerated economics program on the Yale website, and I did not receive any reply from you regarding my request.

Consequently, I am sending this 2nd email, again asking how much it would cost to obtain a certified transcript of this deceased former president, as how long it will take to obtain this certified transcript.

My understanding of FERPA law is that since this former student is now deceased, and died over the age of 18, and as Yale receives federal funding, I can obtain this transcript.

Please respond at your earliest convenience. Thank you.

anobserver2

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: anobserver2
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2023 10:51:58 -0400
Subject: Can you send me this transcript ? /
To: "Preston, Shannon"

Dear Shannon,

Thank you for your email. I did read the website in its entirety, but did not find any info on on an accelerated undergraduate degree program in economics. That is why I wrote to you.

As you are the registrar, I am now writing to request the following from
you:

A certified copy of the undergraduate transcript of a deceased Yale alumni, as my understanding is that Yale received federal money and is thus subject to FERPA< and FERPA student privacy no longer applies when the student is deceased, and died over the age of 18.

The deceased student is George H. W. Bush who arrived at Yale in 1945 and left in 1948. (And, later became the 41st president of the United States.)

I can pay for the cost of any certification and photocopying.

Kindly let me know the amount to send you in a check or money order; which you prefer.

If you are not the person who handles student records as the registrar for undergraduate economics, kindly email and let me know the name of the person who is in charge of this.

I am a retired teacher doing research.

Thank you.

anobserver2

On Tue, Jun 6, 2023 at 10:33 AM Preston, Shannon
wrote:

> Hello anobserver2,
>
>
>
> All program information can be found on the department website,
> https://economics.yale.edu/. Here are some additional resources,
> https://yalecollege.yale.edu/
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Shannon
>
>
>
> *Sh**annon Preston | Undergraduate Registrar*
>
> Department of Economics
>
>
>
> *From anobserver2
> *Sent Tuesday, June 6, 2023 10:24 AM
> *To Preston, Shannon
> *Subject Is there someone else I should ask? / Fwd: Quick question /
> To Shannon Preston, Undergrad Registrar - Economics
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I did not hear back from you on this question. Is there someone else
> I should ask?
>
> anobserver2
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ---------
> From: anobserver2
> Date: Sat, Jun 3, 2023 at 10:45 AM
> Subject: Quick question / To Shannon Preston, Undergrad Registrar -
> Economics
> To:
>
>
>
> Dear Shannon Preston, Undergraduate Registrar, Economics,
>
>
>
> I found your name and email address online here -
>
>
>
> https://economics.yale.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate
>
> https://economics.yale.edu/people/shannon-preston
>
>
>
> I have a quick question -
>
>
>
> Does Yale have an accelerated program for an undergraduate
>
> Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics?
>
>
>
> (I saw a 3-year accelerated program online for the Yale Latin American
>
> Studies undergraduate degree, but I can not find any similar 3-year
> accelerated
>
> program on the Yale website for economics.)
>
>
>
> Kindly email.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
>anobserver2
>