Thousands of people who received their college degrees from the online University of Berkley will soon learn a tough lesson from the school of hard knocks.

		Related coverage State targets Erie 'diploma mill' (7/7/05)

Their alma mater was temporarily shut down yesterday by a judge in Erie County and the degrees they paid thousands to obtain are worthless.

Attorney General Tom Corbett requested the preliminary injunction to close down the alleged "diploma mill," along with a civil lawsuit his office filed against the man who runs it, former New Mexico State Trooper Dennis James Globosky.

The injunction ordered the doors to the University of Berkley -- located in an industrial park in Erie -- locked. All of Globosky's personal and corporate assets were frozen as well, according to court records.

Another hearing has been scheduled for July 13 to determine if the temporary injunction will become permanent.

Messages left on the college's answering machine yesterday were not returned.

"The attorney general sought to shut down this business permanently because we believe there is significant harm in these illegal business practices," said Barbara Petito, deputy press secretary for the attorney general's office.

"The alleged bogus diplomas are very expensive and can be used by the individual for deceptive purposes."

The online advertisements for the University of Berkley say the school offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Without ever leaving home, studying or taking any exams anyone could obtain a degree from the college in majors such as business administration, education, psychology, biology, mathematics and electrical engineering for a flat fee starting at $2,795 for a bachelor's degree up to $4,995 for a doctorate.

The online university catalog includes pictures of buildings and academic structures that appear to have been taken from legitimate colleges and universities, including Harvard. In reality, the University of Berkley occupies one small suite inside of an industrial park in Erie.

State prosecutors say its director, Globosky, holds a high school diploma from Wattsburg Area High School in Erie County. However, he refers to himself in promotional materials for the university as Dr. Globosky, Director of Academic Administration.

The online operation has nothing to do with the prestigious University of California, Berkeley. The spelling is slightly different and potentially deceptive.

In his lawsuit, the attorney general claims the school has churned out at least 12,500 worthless degrees, which would mean revenue of $34 million.

"People use these degrees to try to get jobs illegitimately," Petito said, "and to present themselves with credentials they did not earn, or to attempt to earn a position of public trust."