It just seems like such a sorry expenditure of time and effort in order to accomplish something mean-spirited.

Hard to come up with a more pithy description of modern Republicanism.

According to prosecutors, students were well aware that the school was a fraud. They allegedly chose to enroll anyway, because doing so would allow them to remain in the country on F-1 nonimmigrant visas, which allow foreign citizens to temporarily reside in the United States while studying at accredited academic institutions.

But it wouldn't, because it's not accredited, surely.

Suck up, punch down. The defining mantra of American law enforcement. This is just a minor corollary.

3: Is there a reason they eschew the more traditional "Kiss up, kick down"?

Can University of Maine at Farmington sue? If they admit many international students, this has to hurt them.

4 - In a conversation with a colleague, I recently described a co-worker as having this attitude. She had never heard the expression before and thought it was clever. I am such a wit.

(My exact comment was: "He's a real kiss-up, kick-down kinda guy, and it took him awhile to realize that I am up.")

6.1 I've taught quite a few cow-orkers here that expression and get a similar reaction almost every time.