Well, the long saga of ACCS is winding down, although I am sure hectic for staff. Have noticed that lately I can actually get through on the phone line where before it was nearly impossible. However, what staff are there and volunteers are trying to keep up with what sounds like an overwhelming amount of work. You can call and people do not remember what your situation was, etc (i.e. they are dealing with so many issues and people). My final hurdle is getting my diploma and transcript. I had put in for it prior to finishing the ARP (paid, etc) and that was back in January. It was supposed to take about 30 days and figured that would give them a head start. Wrong.......... Check was cashed but no progress. Did apparently get the ARP entered but then an administrative hold up. Took care of that priority mail. Got promised that one aspect would be finished on the weekend. But the next week no one seemed sure, but thought nothing had been done. I asked how long I should expect, was told they were really backed up and it might take 30-45 days. When I told the person it had been about that long....silence. Could not tell me anything just that it was backed up. Did not think any order for a diploma ect had crossed the desk. Requested that the Registrar call me and did not get a call back. So called again two days later, got same info. You can't talk to the registrar and we cannot tell you anything. "Don't know where it is in the process, many desks to go through, who knows". I informed the person that I would like to be able to use it professionally for an upcoming purpose and was told "What..". "You can do that after you receive the paper". Silence waiting for me to end the call. No interest or effort in assisting me, checking, etc. I am somewhat frustrated after many... many administrative frustations with ACCS. Last time it took me several months to get a diploma from them. That added on to the many frustrations trying to get registered, etc over the course of my program. BLD can relate. Heck, they still keep listing my address as one I have not lived at in a couple of years. Problem is that at this point whatever administrative ineptitude I am experiencing has little remedy. I can only wait and hope they don't drop the ball on me again. When you have staff that are bascially volunteering their time and trying to put their finger in the proverbial dike to keep up with the work flow, then there is not much you can do. It is not like I can just stop attending, that is over, and getting ticked with them over the ineptitude would serve little purpose as the school is winding down and no one has a vested interest in customer service. I must say here that Dr. Beville & Dr. Simmons have bent over backwards to help and without their dedication, I would not have made it. I realize that I am venting/whinning so I apologize. Figured this might be therapeutic. Maybe I am learning to develop patience. Someone suggested that ACCS may at some point in the future re open as another incarnation. If so I hope they resolve these adminstrative problems. They have good but over worked folks and so the follow through is not so good. I cannot say enough for Dr. Beville and his heart for students, what needs work is the support. North (Yes I need cheese with my wine)
You mean "...with my whine." Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, so sorry for your struggles. I can relate to some degree with my experience at CCHS when they changed owners. It was chaotic for several months but all got straightened out. I am sure your will too.
In the mean time you might ask for an official letter on letterhead from Beville or Walton or whoever stating that you have graduated on such and such a date with such and such a degree. You might even draft the letter and send it in an e-mail that the ACCS person could copy and paste on to their letterhead. I know this sounds dumb to suggest this, but having observed their chaos firsthand *before* Götterdämmerung set in, they have to be taken by the hand. As the great Marszalek Jόzef Piłsudski once put it: "I crap on all of you. You act like brats and must be treated like brats." And he just had a bigoted and irresponsible Polish parliament to deal with; you've got the genuinely nice but clueless folk at ACCS. In any case, congratulations on finishing. Turn the lights out when you leave.
North, I too am very sorry to hear of such troubles with obtaining documentation, and finalizing this chapter in your educational life. It might be a good idea to get as many sealed and official copies of your transcripts as they are willing to supply, as well as any official documentation of school closure available. It might be even harder down the road to obtain any kind of degree conferral verification & course completion records. Whether they like it or not, it's in your own best interest to keep politely pushing. You've work hard to earn those little pieces of paper, so don't feel overly hesitant about pressing the issue (just as long as you don't press too hard and upset the volenteer faculty). Just keep reminding yourself what a great feeling of satisfaction and relief you'll have once the transcripts and diploma are in your hands. Congrats on your achievement! Janko, that reminds me of a memory from long ago (the late 70s). If I remember correctly, Boeing was having difficulty with contracts (or something of that sort) and thousands of workers were laid off. This, in turn, led to a major down-turn in the local economy in the Pacific Northwest. Since Boeing was a major financial influnce, it had a devistating impact on the area. Many people were selling their homes, loosing their employment or business, and consequently leaving the area, my own family included. I remember heading out of the Seattle area in an old station-wagon and seeing a large sign someone posted on a wooden pole that stated; "Will the last person leaving Seattle please turn out the lights?!"
correction... Now that I think about it, I think it was closer to 1980...perhaps 81'. (Maybe I'm getting senile early)
North, I too am sorry to hear of your continued struggles. It is reminscent of my own struggles with them during their candidacy period. Dr Sheely and other were great to work with in person and on the telephone. Unfortunately, their administrative functions became such a huge handicap that I could not continue with them and withdrew after three courses (straight A average). Keep the faith, this too shall pass.
First, to Unk....thanks for the great suggestion! I had not thought of that but it is a good idea. Second, to glyons2b...I can sympathize. I just knew that every semester would be a struggle to get resgistered, to get the right material, and to get the finiancial stuff taken care of. I would be promised some paperwork was being submitted and trustingly wait 30 days and call back only to find out that nothing had been done. Then they would aks questions about when I started, etc that should have been in an organized paper file/computer file. Couple of different times they lost my file. Repeatedly I gave them my correct address only to have them send stuff to the wrong one again. At times it was a nightmare and I almost gave up. Spoke to BLD and he had simlar experiences. It was no suprize that except for the Biblical studies dept, systemic administrative problems lead to accreditation problems. I was like an air craft in a tailspin and no one could pull it out. Even in the case of the Biblical Studies dept it was backwards. The counseling dept could have had DMin's teaching where I had two PhD's in Counseling teaching. Biblical Studies should have had PhD's and had DMin's. Dr. Beville was nearly unreachable due to the number of hats he wore. This lead to leaving unreturned messages, day after day. His assistant was a very sweat, obviously elderely woman. SHe would tell you stuff like "Dr. Beville is not here". I would ask if I could speak to someone else about an issue. She would say "Nooo...I would be the only other one besides Dr. Beville that would know about topic X". So, I would say okay, then here is my problem. She would say, "No I don't know anything about it you need to talk to Dr. Beville". Who was unreachable so you just left the 14th message for him. One day his assistant called me and was very sweat but could not even get her number right, it was funny (like out of a sticom). You couldn't get upset with her because she was so sweat and grandmotherly even if she was having trouble focussing. At any rate, not possible to run a school with support staff like that. It has been quite an experience and I wish them well. I think things would have turned out differently if the school would have been better run from an management standpoint. Good people, and even in the end they were holding feet to the fire academically as I said (i.e. no short cutting the ARP, it was scrutinized, and had an Oral Defense). All of that tends to get lost though in the administrative bungling. You cannot run a school with well meaning academics and incompetent support staff. I am sure you were not the only frustrated student that said to heck with it. Liberty U in the late 80's had administrative problems in their DL program and a Chaplain friend of mine's wife said to heck with that program. Liberty fixed it. PS..Unk...I like the "turn the lights out". Made me smile. North
