Victor Berlin

Dr. Victor Berlin is an educator specializing in Information Security, and the President of the University of Fairfax^[1]. His standard biography states that he earned a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from Northwestern University and a B.A. from Cornell University.^[2]

Before founding the University of Fairfax, Berlin had operated or established three other post-secondary educational institutions.

Potomac College in Rockville, Maryland, offered people with two years of college the opportunity to complete bachelor's degrees in management or microcomputer systems management. Berlin and his wife Janet sold the school in 1995 after Maryland state authorities determined that they would allow its continued operation only if the Berlins did not have decision-making authority for it. In 1993 Maryland regulators had temporarily suspended college operations after finding several violations of state standards at Potomac, including inadequate library, curriculum and faculty resources; poor recordkeeping; and admission of students who lacked the required two years of college education.^[3]

General Communications, Inc. (GCI), also located in Rockville and operated by Berlin, was a career college offering primarily vocational training. In 1994 Maryland authorities found that the school had "serious and egregious deficiencies," including admitting students who lacked high school diplomas or the equivalent, and changing the academic program without regulatory approval. GCI declared bankruptcy in 1995 after an administrative judge assessed fines of $20,000 for misleading advertising and $100,000 for not enforcing academic standards and attendance policies and ordered the school to refund the tuition of about 500 students. Later the U.S. Department of Education investigated the school and found it to be liable for $4 million. In March 2000, Maryland approved payments of $2,625 to repay the loans of 379 students, and the federal government agreed to write off the remainder of the obligations. ^[3]Berlin was barred from operating colleges in Maryland.^[4]

In 1998 Berlin headed the training division at Anteon International Corporation in Fairfax, Virginia, providing courses in computer programming for technical professionals. In 2000 he persuaded Anteon executives to establish Rockwell University to offer master's degrees in e-commerce. Rockwell was approved to enroll students in November 2000, but in June 2001, before any students enrolled it was sold to Pinnacle Software Solutions, a technology training company. Berlin remained with Rockwell until December 2001.^[3]

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