23-276.10 - Prohibited acts.
§ 23-276.10. Prohibited acts.
A. Without prior Council approval, no person or other entity subject to theprovisions of this chapter shall use in any manner, within the Commonwealthof Virginia, the term "college" or "university" or abbreviations or wordsof similar meaning in its name or in any manner in connection with itsacademic affairs or business or in any literature, catalog, pamphlet, ordescriptive material.
This subsection shall not apply to any person or other entity that (i) usedthe term "college" or "university" openly and conspicuously in its titlewithin the Commonwealth prior to July 1, 1970; (ii) was granted authority tooperate in Virginia by the Council between July 1, 1970, and July 1, 2002,and maintains valid authority to so operate in Virginia after July 1, 2002;(iii) was exempted from the provisions of Chapter 21 (§ 23-265 et seq.) ofthis title, as such law was in effect prior to July 1, 2002; or (iv) wasauthorized by the Council to use a name while its request for approval toenroll students is pending before the Council.
B. No person or other entity shall sell, barter, or exchange for anyconsideration, or attempt to sell, barter, or exchange for any consideration,any degree credit, degree, diploma, or certificate.
C. No person or other entity shall use, or attempt to use, in connection withany business, trade, profession, or occupation, any degree or certificationof degree or degree credit, including, but not limited to, a transcript ofcoursework that he knows or has reason to know has been fraudulently issued,obtained, forged, materially altered, or purchased.
D. No person or other entity shall issue or manufacture a fraudulent academiccredential.
E. No person or other entity shall physically present a fraudulent academiccredential, knowing it is fraudulent, in an attempt to obtain employment,promotion, licensure, or admission to an institution of higher education.
F. No person or entity that is not an institution of higher educationaccredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department ofEducation, or having the foreign equivalent of such accreditation, shall inany way represent that the person or entity is so accredited.
G. Unless exempted from the provisions of this chapter or granted approval bythe Council in accordance with this chapter and relevant regulations, noperson or other entity shall represent that credits earned at or granted byany institution of higher education or academic-vocational noncollege degreeschool may be applied for credit toward a degree.
(Code 1950, § 23-272; 1980, c. 658; 2002, c. 178; 2004, c. 991; 2008, c. 856.)