| Former Name: | Globe College (1885-2007) |
| Established: | |
| Closed: | |
| Type: | Private for-profit education network |
| Students: | Approx 10,000 (2009) |
| City: | Multiple campuses |
Globe University and Minnesota School of Business (Globe/MSB) was a private for-profit education network based in Washington County, Minnesota, providing specialized training programs in business, accounting, medical, legal, information technology, massage, veterinary technology, and design fields. The large network had multiple campuses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
In September 2016, the state of Minnesota stopped the business from operating in the state.[1] All Globe/MSB locations were permanently closed by 2017 because they lost their federal student aid funding.[2]
Minnesota School of Business was founded in 1877 by Professor Alexander R. Archibald, previously of Dartmouth College. He and an assistant taught classes in bookkeeping, shorthand, English, and penmanship in a three-room school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For 12 years the school was called Archibald Business College. In 1890 the school was purchased by Charles T. Rickard and Grove A. Gruman and moved to larger facilities in the Jewelers’ Exchange Building in Minneapolis.
In 1929, the school was sold to the Correll and Kamprath families and was relocated to 24 South Seventh Street. In 1979 the School was moved again to the Chamber of Commerce Building in Minneapolis.
In 1969 ITT Educational Services Inc. purchased the school. Terry L. Myhre purchased the school in January 1988.
All Minnesota School of Business locations were permanently closed as of 2017.
Globe College was founded in 1885 by Frank A. Maron, who was born and educated in Germany. An accomplished scholar, he received a classical education in his native country. Recognizing a need for a practical education for young men and women, he established Globe College in Minnesota. From its inception, the university stressed the teaching of business as it is practiced.
In October 1972, Helmer Myhre and Terry Myhre purchased the college. In June 2007, it was renamed Globe University.
All Globe University locations were permanently closed as of 2017.
In 2011, Heidi Weber, a former dean, filed a whistleblower-wrongful termination lawsuit against Globe/MSB. In 2013, her case went to jury trial in the Washington County Courthouse. After a seven-day trial, a jury found in her favor and awarded $395,000 plus interest to the former dean. This is now called the first whistleblower case/trial of a for-profit institution of higher education.[3]
Globe/MSB appealed the ruling; however, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld Weber's verdict. A judge ruled that Globe/MSB must additionally pay in excess of $995,000 (including attorney costs for Weber) for wrongful termination after she reported the school's unethical practices and was retaliated against by being fired.[4] [5]
In July 2014, Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson announced that the state was suing Globe/MSB. The lawsuit "[alleges that] the for-profit schools misled criminal justice program students about their career prospects."[6] The suit contends that the school used high pressure sales tactics and misled students regarding the acceptance of their degrees and credits for the careers the students wanted.[7] [8]
In 2013, the schools were sued by former students making similar allegations.[9] Globe/MSB disputed the allegations.[10]
In 2016, Globe/MSB closed several campuses which it attributed to the lawsuit and a "three-year negative publicity campaign."[11] The following year, the Minnesota Supreme Court found that student loans offered by the school, which carried interest rates as high as 18 percent, were illegal and that the schools issued the loans without the proper license.[12]
In June 2018, the Minnesota Court of Appeals held that the "schools in this matter engaged in wrongful conduct in violation of the MCFA" but upheld damages only for those students who testified at trial.[13] However, in November 2019, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that any of the students who attended the criminal justice programs since 2009 can request reimbursement for tuition, fees, and other education-related expenses, including interest.[14] A couple of weeks after the ruling, Globe/MSB filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying they owe many millions of dollars in connection with the awards against the school.[15]
Globe University and Minnesota School of Business awarded Doctor of Business Administration, Master of Science in Management, Master of Business Administration, bachelor of science and associate in applied science degrees, diplomas, and certificates.
| Campus Name | Location | Year Opened | Year Closed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Globe University-Appleton | October 2010[16] | December 2016[17] | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Blaine | January 2007 | June 2017[18] | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Brooklyn Center | July 1999 | August 2016 | ||
| Globe University-Eau Claire | July 2008 | December 2016 | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Elk River | July 2009 | September 2016 | ||
| Globe University-Green Bay | July 2010 | December 2016 | ||
| Globe University-La Crosse | October 2009 | December 2016 | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Lakeville | October 2009 | June 2016 | ||
| Globe University-Madison East | January 2009 | December 2016 | ||
| Globe University-Madison West | July 2009 | December 2016 | ||
| Globe University-Minneapolis Downtown | April 2008 | September 2017[19] | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Moorhead | June 2008 | September 2017 | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Plymouth | September 2002 | September 2016 | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Richfield | 1993 | September 2017 | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Rochester | May 2009 | March 2017 | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-Shakopee | 2006[20] | January 2014 | ||
| Globe University-Sioux Falls | October 2008 | December 2016[21] | ||
| Minnesota School of Business-St. Cloud | October 2004 | March 2017 | ||
| Globe University-Wausau | April 2010 | December 2016 | ||
| Globe University-Woodbury | July 2007 | September 2017 |
The Minnesota School of Business and Globe University were part of the now defunct Globe Education Network.[22] Educational affiliates had included:
Broadview University, Minnesota School of Cosmetology, and the Institute of Production and Recording are now part of the Broadview Education Consortium which is owned by Terry Myhre and his family, who had previously owned the Globe Education Network.