Degree mills harm students and society. Students who are unknowing victims of degree mills are harmed when they invest a considerable amount of money for credits or credentials that cannot be used for, e.g., transfer to another institution, entry to graduate school or employment. Society is harmed when fraudulent credentials are issued in areas…

Analysis of court cases, employment law, and events in higher education yielded information about tenure as a contract, use of credentials as evidence, and due process in orderly tenure procedures. Academic, legal, and ethical perspectives are considered. Guidelines for social work faculty in dealing with these issues are offered. (Author/MSE)