Former DeVry official hired to run Education Dept. enforcement unit: report

A former DeVry University official has reportedly been picked to head the Department of Education’s enforcement unit.

Julian Schmoke — who serves as the executive director of campus relations for West Georgia Technical College — has been hired for the job, Politico reported.

Schmoke formerly worked as an associate program dean for DeVry’s college of engineering and information sciences.

{mosads}The Student Aid Enforcement Unit was created last year to “respond more quickly and efficiently to allegations of illegal actions by higher education institutions.”

DeVry University last year agreed to a $100 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over charges that the for-profit college ran deceptive advertisements.

The FTC had charged the school with running false ads claiming 90 percent of DeVry graduates seeking full-time jobs were employed in their field of study within six months of getting their degrees. 

Another series of false ads claimed that students with DeVry degrees were paid 15 percent more on average than other graduates.