Do I have a Legit gripe with Penn Foster?

Here is a copy of emails sent to the schools. They should explain what my grip is. How about some feedback and input cause it made me angry, and I need to calm down.

Copy of email to the school


I am enrolled in the Electrical Engineering Technology AS degree
program and currently studying the DC Motor and Generator Theory
lesson. I logged onto my student section of the website and discovered
their was a grade posted for this lesson, I was baffled at first
because I haven't even finished reading the lesson book yet, let alone
take the test. So I called student services and they told me that they
posted the grade because I took the very same lesson when I did my
Electrician Diploma. I can't retake the test because I have already
seen the questions and answers so they just transfer the grade over.

Why don't you have an alternate test with different questions? You
made me pay for the same book twice (and didn't give me a price
adjustment) but yet I can't retake the test? Why not an alternate test
if your worried about me having seen the questions?

I was really studying hard to take this test because receiving high
grades in these types of subjects are important on my transcript when
I go for a job interview.

I understand not being able to get the courses transferred over
because I didn't take a proctored exam when doing the Electrician
Diploma, but I don't agree with not being able to take an alternate
exam to receive a higher grade when you are making me pay full tuition
for a book I already have.

Here is what I see when I log into the exam results for this lesson:

Exam Results
DC MOTOR AND GENERATOR THEORY

Please print a copy of this evaluation if you wish to retain it for
your records. This exam will be available for you to view and print
for 30 days only. XXXXXXX XXXXX
Student Number XXXXXXXX
Date Graded 06/22/06
Examination 08600600
Grade 88


Question Number Your Answer Answer Reference


1 Incorrect Page 62, Page 45-89,67,88,99, Page 1012344


We are pleased to report that you passed this exam, and we urge you to
review the questions you missed. We are behind you all the way.

Please explain to me how I can benefit from this information that was
posted? How do I know which questions I missed (besides Q. 1) and what
to restudy?
My complaint in this email isn't so much about a price reduction, but
why there isn't a means for me to re-take the test for a lesson I had
to paid for? Seems there should be an alternate test?

Jeff XXXXXX
XXX-XXX-XXXX

Ps. Great website, excellent decision to change the name to Penn
Foster College vs Education Direct.

Then I sent a follow-up email when They sent their automated reply...

I am very upset with the response I received regarding this old test grade to be posted in my new degree progam. I am prepared to file a grievance with the Arizona State Board for Private Post Secondary Education if Penn Foster doesn’t make this right. Making me pay for this lesson but yet not allowing me to take an alternate test is either a lack of planning on someone’s part of plain lazyness. It is an entirely different program and I paid for it, I am expecting you to erase the grade posted for the DC Motors and Generator Theory or come up with an alternate test. This is the way other colleges would handle this and not short change me. I paid for the lesson, paying full tuition fee for the book so I should be allowed to take the test for it.



I would like a blank grievance form to file with your Chief Academic Officer, along with his or her name please. Please email or mail a copy to JXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Just a side note, (in response to Julie who works in Ann Marie’s Dept.) not everyone who pays for a degree is trying to cheat on their tests, some of us are trying to get an honest education. So what if I took the same test last year when I was taking the Electrician program, has it occurred to you maybe I am a honest person and would like the opportunity to improve my grade?

JEFFREY

So what do you think? DId I overreact to something that is a standard procedure?

 

I would have been very surprised if they allowed you to take the course over again if you passed it the first time in the vocational program. So I don't have fault with them on that issue. I think they should have transferred the credit for your prior work into the degree program and issued you a credit, which you claim they have not done. Did you take any other duplifcate classes? If so, ask for the credit now, before they ship the materials. Once shipped, thee is no credit given.

Pug

 

No credit transfer in this case

They won't transfer credits from the diploma program because I didn't take proctored exams. They will transfer credits if its from another associate program though, but not the diploma. I had two other lessons that they didn't get to pull the old grades because I already took the tests and got higher scores too.

My guess would be they just got around to doing this today and it just happened to be the lesson I was working on at the time.

I really feel like they are short changing people on this. Either have an alternate test, don't charge for the same lesson book, or something, but I feel I paid for it and I should get what I put into it, by taking a darn test.

It's made me mad, I can hardly finish reading the lesson. I have about 6 electrical code tests that I think were done in the diploma program that they may pull the old grades from them too. I had to retake one of them and only got a passing score of 70 on. Seems I should be able to try for a better grade don't you think. To be honest, I think this policy or explaination PF is giving me is trying to cover up for a lack of planning or lazyness on the part of having an alternate test, IMHO

Jeff

 

I think you have legit gripe.....

If there going to give you lesson credit I.E post your old grades for lessons you already completed Then they should give you some type of tution adjustment ...

I can understand them not wanting you to re-take a lesson that you already took but to make you pay for it is just wrong ..

As far as fileing a grievance I think thats a little extreme and to be honest I don't think it will help your cause.

However I would called an speak with the program / department head and explain your sitituation..

If your not happy you can transfer to an other school after you complete your 1st semester....

 

I would call them - though it is nice to have a paper trail, I have found there is a different set of rules (or one is able to more clearly give their perspective) with the telephone people. The online response are more canned and by the book. (MY personal experience with the online vs phone people).

 

Already called them

Spoke with three different people, including one of the higher ups. That is where I got all this info from.

 

I think you have a very legitimate gripe.

I would demand a tuition adjustment. By posting the grade you received in the Diploma program (that you paid for) they have transferred that credit and you should not have to re-pay for a class that you essentially can't retake. It's not your fault that their system didn't pick up on this.

I'm a little confused about something though. Does the Diploma program use proctored exams? If not, how could you have already seen the questions?

 

There is an online test after each lesson, then a proctored test (semester finals) for each group of lessons. The diploma program has no proctored tests (or semester finals) The test I am referring to is identical in both programs, the end of lesson test you take online.

 

Hence you do the course work in there vocationl programs but you don't take the proctored exam.. you earn CEU's not semster hour credits

Pennfoster won't award college credit unless you take a proctored final exam .. so he got lesson credit not college credit...

Not sure why there making him pay for the lessons twice. All he should have to do is take the proctored exam.. He has legit gripe...

 

Lesson Test are 2/3 of your grade and the Proctored final is 1/3..

If he's paying for the lessons twice he should be able to take alternate lessons test to improve his grade. Otherwise give him a tution adjustment