- Steve Levicoff
Steve F. Levicoff is an American writer and former educator best-known for his writings, in books and online, on adulthigher education anddistance learning , and his practical guides to law for evangelists and Christian counselors.Early life and education
Culturally
Jewish American , Levicoff converted toChristianity in his youth, drawn to a predominantlyAfrican-American church. He identifies as aborn again evangelical.After reading
A.S. Neill 's "Summerhill", he dropped out of high school in the eleventh grade, started teaching adult school classes infolk guitar a few weeks later, and took theGED the day he turned 18. [ [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.education.distance/msg/d72084c1c390f02b] ]Amid a varied working career, including work as a
Christian radio host, he published his first book, "Building Bridges: the Prolife Movement and the Peace Movement" (Toviah Press, 1982), and pursued a series of academic degrees through regionally accredited, non-traditional programs for self-guided adult learners. He earned his B.A. in humanities (1987) from Thomas A. Edison State College, his M.A. in theology and law (1989) fromNorwich University (throughVermont College , a component since separated from Norwich and merged intoUnion Institute and University ), and his Ph.D. in religion and law (1991) from the Union Institute (now Union Institute and University, as above).He also briefly attended a master's program at Simon Greenleaf School of Law in
Anaheim, California , then a small, unaccredited Christian law school, since become part ofTrinity International University .His bachelor's was earned by distance learning, and in very large part through
portfolio assessment , in which knowledge Levicoff had gained through previous work was assessed against accredited university credit courses; the graduate degrees were earned through short residency programs combining learner-guided distance education with intensive on-campus colloquia. His Project Demonstrating Excellence, Union's analogue to a doctoraldissertation , "The New Song of Shiloh: An Historical, Legal, and Theological Exploration of an Indigenous Prison Church," was a landmark exploration ofHarry Theriault 's controversial prison-based religion, theChurch of the New Song .Work in religion and law
After earning his doctorate, he published "Christian Counseling and the Law" (Moody Press, 1991), a well-received practical guide to legal issues around
pastoral counseling . His later title "Street Smarts: A Guide to Personal Evangelism and the Law" (Baker Book House , 1994), discussed legal aspects ofproselytism , religious witness such as street-corner preaching.He wrote in "
The Christian Century ", "Christian Counseling Today ", "Christian Education Journal ", "Evangelical Journal ", and "Visions Magazine ", and in book anthologies.He led a small private organization, the Institute on Religion and Law in
Ambler, Pennsylvania , and served as an adjunct professor in church-state issues at two fundamentalist Christian schools, Philadelphia College of Bible Graduate School (now part of Philadelphia Biblical University), and at Biblical Theological Seminary (now Biblical Seminary) inHatfield, Pennsylvania .Work in education
Levicoff's books on higher education are "
Name It and Frame It? New Opportunities in Adult Education and How to Avoid Being Ripped Off by "Christian" Degree Mills" (Institute on Religion and Law, four editions from 1993 to 1995), and "" (Institute on Religion and Law, 1993). The second brought Levicoff a twenty minute telephone call fromJerry Falwell , in which Falwell asked Levicoff to withdraw the book, which was critical of the accreditor. Levicoff refused, and subsequently credited the book with "hanging TRACS' reapproval by the U.S. Department of Education up for almost two years (which I like to think of as the price of Jerry's call getting me out of the shower)." Eventually, Levicoff says, TRACS "straightened out its act somewhat." [ [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.education.distance/msg/1d249509fde92101?dmode=source] ]In these books, in media appearances, and in advocacy within non-traditional education communities on the Internet (the
Usenet newsgroup alt.education.distance, subsequently [http://www.degreeinfo.com degreeinfo.com] and now [http://www.degreediscussion.com degreediscussion.com] ) Levicoff has been a leading and outspoken critic ofdiploma mill s, of nearly all unrecognized accrediting bodies, and of unaccredited institutions of higher learning, generally, where they grant academic degrees. Concerned as a consumer advocate that students might unknowingly place 'ticking time bombs' in their ownrésumé s - and that knowing patrons might commit fraud or mask incompetence with dubious credentials - he has sought instead to popularize non-traditional programs with recognized accreditation.He also taught
educational administration at graduate school, served an adjunct faculty member at the Union Institute, and served as apreceptor (field faculty advisor) in theMaster of Human Services program at Lincoln University inPennsylvania .Personal
Levicoff is self-professedly "gay, proud, and still living in the 'burbs." [http://home.san.rr.com/follies/archives/1DerekHistory/1PostPhDFraud/LevicoffFAQPart2.txt] He has attention deficit disorder, which he credits in large part for his interest in learner-guided education. [ [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.education.distance/msg/d2ce902091451061] ]
References
Bibliography
*"Building bridges: The prolife movement and the peace movement." Toviah Press (1982), ASIN B0006EA5KK.
*"Christian Counseling and the Law ".Moody Publishing , 1991. ISBN 0802412394
*"Name It and Frame It? ". Institute on Religion and Law. 1992, 1993 ASIN B0006F1PCQ
*"Street Smarts: A Survival Guide to Personal Evangelism and the Law".Baker Book House . (May 1994) ISBN 0801056888
*"" (Institute on Religion and Law, March 1993) ISBN 9993280674External links
* [http://members.tripod.com/~levicoff/ The NIFI Criteria] , Levicoff's website on "How to Spot a Degree Mill in 75 Easy Steps"
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