Ashford University: So far so good

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by friendorfoe, May 19, 2007.

Loading...
  1. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    What's up guys?

    I'm still in the enrollment process for Ashford University but their level of support has been simply tremendous. So far I've been very, very impressed. They have very friendly folks and have streamlined the enrollment process so much that at times I have been guilty of over thinking things. For example, I tell them which colleges I have attended and they themselves request and pay for my transcripts (though I did pay a flat fee of $55.00 for admissions). Secondly, in buying books they have an online interactive checklist that gets you through the process the first time (and they gave me $150.00 towards the cost of my books). The student advisor is the same person who enrolls you and you are with them for the duration of your degree program. The student advisor will show you their Blackboard system one on one over the phone. The financial aid people actually know what they are talking about and are glad to help you through the FAFSA process. They even have the FAFSA linked to their own web page so that you can use a Q&A and support to fill out forms. It couldn't be easier.

    I hope this kind of forethought and support goes into their classes. I'll report on it more once I start but so far, I'm absolutely thrilled.
     
  2. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Is there anyway to know up front that Ashford won't put you in the cash situation that happened at St. Joe's? Will you be able to be cash neutral?

    Dave
     
  3. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    St. Joe's wouldn't approve financial aid. Ashford U. will. With taking 6 classes this year and 6 classes next year I believe my total out of pocket expenses will hover around $2,000.00 which is entirely doable.
     
  4. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Thanks for the info. I'm glad its working out and you are able to move forward.

    Dave
     
  5. Vincey37

    Vincey37 New Member

    It does make sense that a for profit would have good customer service.
     
  6. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    Vincey, you would think so, but Kaplan U. and Ashworth College have had serious customer service problems (probably due to size) compared to Ashford in my experience.

    Other than Ashford the next best student experience I can relate is that of Southwestern College www.sckans.edu who is a non-profit.

    So it's kind of hit and miss.
     
  7. Maxwell_Smart

    Maxwell_Smart Active Member

    I hope you have a better experience with them than I did. For me, it was an absolute nightmare. The customer service was awful, indifferent and incompetent. Professors didn't know the material and would evade questions. Exams were wrong. Course cartridges forced me to buy overpriced "custom" books through them even though they just sprung it on us after a few classes. The textbooks were terrible; they looked thrown together and rushed. My classmates could barely write a coherent sentence, or apply critical thought and shouldn't have even made it out of junior high much less making it into a College program... most of them didn't even turn in the majority of their assignments.

    They changed my advisors several times without notifying me, so I was just contacting who I *thought* was advising me for days or weeks before somebody responded (if they responded at all). I complained to top management, and they handled the situation with indifference and overall incompetence as well.

    Needless to say, I happily withdrew... and they screwed up my financial aid on the way out! LOL! What an organization.

    I learned very little with Ashford, even though I maintained a 4.0 GPA. I'm enrolled with Ashworth University, and although they may be Nationally accredited, their materials and customer service (even with its issues) FAR surpasses what I got with Ashford University... FAR, and by a landslide. I think most people have trouble with Ashworth's service because they're not patient and they don't know how to find the right person to talk to. You just have to dig there and get direct lines, after that it's smooth sailing.
     
  8. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    Maxwell, sorry to hear about your troubles. I believe I’ve read your story posted elsewhere on the net and I had a few questions then and a few now.

    My questions to you are as follows:

    1.) What was your grade level? Were you undergrad, grad, etc?
    2.) Were you an online only student or partial campus, etc?
    3.) Exactly how was your financial aid screwed up?
    4.) When you say your peers in class were less than astute I wondered, how many classes did you take? Did you perform group projects?
    5.) Since you claim to have a GPA of a 4.0, how would you say the rigor of the work is if at the same time they are also completely disorganized?
    6.) When were you a student?
    7.) Did you ever work for Ashford U?

    Again these are sincere questions and not meant to be condescending in any way and since your claims are personal experience, there is no way to qualify what you claim but I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.
     
  9. Vincey37

    Vincey37 New Member

    It seems to be a common thread for non profit brick and mortar schools transitioning to for profit ownership to have a lot of turmoil initially - see Grand Canyon University.

    I would think that is to be expected and their service during that period probably is not representative of the instutition either before or after the changes are sorted out. I'm going to guess Maxwell attended during this period.
     
  10. Maxwell_Smart

    Maxwell_Smart Active Member

    I've never mentioned any of this until now, but I've read some other not-so-great accounts in places around the net. None of the accounts I read equal in scope to how bad mine was, but still...

    My questions to you are as follows:

    1.) What was your grade level? Were you undergrad, grad, etc?

    Associates.

    2.) Were you an online only student or partial campus, etc?

    Online only.

    3.) Exactly how was your financial aid screwed up?

    The school made a terrible miscalculation of what was owed, which was strange since the records clearly showed everything that was charged and paid.

    4.) When you say your peers in class were less than astute I wondered, how many classes did you take? Did you perform group projects?

    About a semesters worth or a little more.

    We had pair-up projects. The students in my class displayed poor class projects with incoherent sentences, and ridiculous reasoning. Even the Professors commented on this on occassion (although some of them were in no position to really speak on it, lol). When I say that the majority of these individuals wouldn't even cut it in a respectable High School now, I'm serious about it. The projects they presented were laughable.

    5.) Since you claim to have a GPA of a 4.0, how would you say the rigor of the work is if at the same time they are also completely disorganized?

    Well... lol... I'm not "claiming" to have had a 4.0, I'm stating that I definitely did, not that it matters however. I just mentioned it to point out that I got it by doing the work as required, but still not receiving the learning quality one would expect when achieving that GPA. In other words, when you're studying material seriously you expect to be learning something useful, especially from instructors with field experience. Unfortunately, that didn't happen because my instructors didn't put in much effort, except for one English Professor who was absolutely phenomenal.

    The rigor was so-so; sometimes you'd have a lot of work, and sometimes only a little... more when you had a project, but it was much ado about nothing. I've learned far more doing less with Ashworth University. I hate the idea in academia that if you do more work that's supposed to equate to learning more or gaining more skills. In truth, it depends on what you learn and how you're learning it, not just the amount of work. The model and the way it's facilitated is a big factor and Ashford's, from what I received, needs a ton of work in that area.

    6.) When were you a student?

    For purposes of exposure, I'll have to pass on this one.


    7.) Did you ever work for Ashford U?

    No, but some of the faculty and staff I encountered don't really do any work there either, lol. My advisor's favorite answer to all my questions was "I don't know."


    When I first started with Ashford, it was good overall, but after those first few classes it all went downhill. I don't try to convince anyone of anything, I just tell them about what happened and I let them know to be on guard and get prepared; document everything because you may need it eventually. I certainly did.

    What I've mentioned here is only a taste of what happened and I don't want to go too much further into detail since I know employees of Ashford scour the internet to jump into these discussions and put a spin on things... all I'll say is that the rest is so incredibly crazy, that it would seem to only fit a Hollywood script. I kid you not.

    I hear that people are treated differently (better) in the higher programs; their advisor checks on them weekly, etc. and perhaps that had a lot to do with the poor quality I ran into there with AA program, but in all actuality it's still not a valid excuse for it.
     
  11. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    Maxwell, I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything, but this isn't you in this post http://teachers.net/mentors/higher_education/topic1896/2.21.07.15.54.23.html
    because if not, the language, the story and some of the examples given are very, VERY similar.

    For example you said " My classmates could barely write a coherent sentence, or apply critical thought and shouldn't have even made it out of junior high much less making it into a College program..."

    Whereas he said “I looked at myself being subjected to attending classes with
    people who didn't belong in High School, much less in College.”

    You said “I learned very little with Ashford, even though I maintained a 4.0 GPA”

    He said “I looked at myself maintaining a 4.0 average”

    You said “Course cartridges forced me to buy overpriced "custom" books through them even though they just sprung it on us after a few classes.”

    He said “I looked at myself being forced to buy over-priced "custom"
    Books”…and…”I looked at myself being subjected to Ashford not making our
    books available on time so that we could prepare ourselves for
    class in a timely fashion.”

    As a side not the fact that the word custom is phrased with quotation marks to imply irony or sarcasm when not in fact grammatically required caught my attention. You wrote “custom” and he wrote “custom”.

    But then you also said “I've never mentioned any of this until now, but I've read some other not-so-great accounts in places around the net.”

    So call me strange for saying this, but your story and the “other guys” stories are very much the same. What’s more the way you and “he” tell it is very much the same. In fact the very choice of words being used with quotations like his “custom” and your “custom” or phrases regarding how your peers didn’t belong in “High School, much less College” and the (somewhat elaborated) didn’t belong in “junior high…much less College” and I noted that the word “College” started off with a capitalized “C” even though grammatically it isn’t required since not the part of a name or the first word of a sentence…the “other guy” even sings the praises of Ashworth College during all of this ranting, which is strange behavior for a NYU grad student, whereas you are an Ashworth student aren’t you? All of this adds up to either some strange cosmic coincidence or in fact you have posted this same information elsewhere, you are not in fact just telling this now.

    This hurts your criticisms in a couple of ways….now remember I’m being polite and not trying to make anyone look stupid here. In fact I believe that this is possibly an oversight on your part.

    A.) Credibility
    B.) Honesty

    Note they are not the same thing, but very similar, one produces the other.

    Now Maxwell, you and I have cordially exchanged posts and information in the past without ever crossing swords. They guy in the thread I linked:

    1.) Appeared to really have a bone of contention with Ashford University, which is fine…but
    2.) He posted under other peoples names, “Tim” I believe to attack a current Ashford University student, grad, whatever until the “real Tim” posted his actual thoughts. Perhaps Tim is some authority on that site, I don’t know, I don’t care.
    3.) Claims to have a B.A. in Psych and currently a student of NYU when in fact I believe the post maker to be posing to give himself “street cred”.
    4.) According to Pamela “He likes to go into educational sites and start arguments.”
    5.) Was very hostile, rarely qualified his opinions other than anecdotal evidence and often attacked others with differing opinions.

    I say all of that to say this. I have spent countless (read hundreds) of hours researching schools and have only found this thread that I reference above, mentioning anything negative about Ashford University. There are too many coincidences to be chance and I’m not a believer in luck.

    Degreeinfo.com has been the MOST valuable resource for me when I was first starting out, like you at Ashworth College and the site has literally changed my life. Now occasionally there are disagreements and arguments here, but everyone tends to be genuine in their opinions and beliefs, rarely personally attacking one another, lest Bruce almighty bring the swift hand of justice and rightly so. Additionally it is rare that anyone places false information or lies on this site without Bruce knocking them over the head. Disinformation is harmful, more than just to the school you hate, but to people who are looking for objective opinions, to which you are entitled. But to try to make it appear that scads of people are having the same problem or to disown your former words only hurts your integrity here, where integrity counts.

    I hope I didn’t hurt your feelings. I sincerely mean what I say and it is my sincerest hope we can remain cordial in the future. But please do not attempt to mislead me or anyone else here or and if possible elsewhere in the future. If you think Ashford sucks, just say so, but please don’t attempt to make a one man campaign of untruth and disinformation just because you don’t like them.
     
  12. Maxwell_Smart

    Maxwell_Smart Active Member

    Nope, not me.

    I'm not sure what all of that means other than another person having a similar experience. Plenty and I mean PLENTY of people withdrew in disgust when I was there, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that others have had similar experiences.

    It's a common way to write. Besides that, if you were able to log onto the classes I attended, you'd see similar things mentioned about the books, written in the same way. I suppose the feeling and emphasis you've seen represents a shared disdain with Ashford's operation.

    What I really find strange is that you've read so much into this and found things that aren't actually there. As I've said, I haven't mentioned any of this here until now. But ask yourself, even if by chance I had mentioned problems elsewhere, what difference would it really make? If the occurences happened, they happened. It wouldn't change anything

    I don't think I wouldbe the one looking stupid in this case, lol.... but...

    I understand your desire to find something that supports your feelings about the school and reject anything contradictory since you've invested time and effort there, but you've gone much too far. I simply don't have time to go across the net posting about a school I've been long gone from for no reason. I've been posting here long enough where I would have had PLENTY of chances to talk about all of these things and people have posted about the school... but I haven't said much. Did you ever consider that? Certainly, you did not.

    I mentioned the info now because I'd feel guilty not telling someone about potentional problems when they're going to invest so much into it. I don't appreciate you attempting to call me a liar or questioning my integrity. You have no right and you're out of line. Quite frankly, your analysis has gotten ridiculous. You need to just go ahead and not believe any of what you're reading since you are clearly going to do that anyway, and you've gone to such an effort to show that.

    As I've said, I hope your experience there is better than mine. Let's just leave it at that because what you're doing with this is not productive nor respectful.
     
  13. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    All words in "quotations" belong to Maxwell Smart

    “I'm not sure what all of that means other than another person having a similar experience. Plenty and I mean PLENTY of people withdrew in disgust when I was there, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that others have had similar experiences.”

    I don’t doubt you on that and it is not the similar experiences that lead me to believe that you are in fact he. It is the terminology used, examples used, grammatical irregularities and of course the pattern of speech.

    “It's a common way to write.”

    Not really, it is used to place an emphasis on irony or sarcasm but I wouldn’t see a lot of people using the exact phrase with the exact emphasis on sarcasm in the exact manner in two different places concerning the same school, the same topic and both leading to the same opinion. So no, it’s not common. In fact it is a style of writing, much like a pattern of speech, of which I am generally familiar being that I like to dabble in writing and literature.

    “What I really find strange is that you've read so much into this and found things that aren't actually there.”

    Actually I think that given the 10 or 15 minutes I’ve spent researching the two posts, I built my case pretty well. You see, I am used to documenting things and seeing patterns as a condition of what I do for a living. It’s second nature and when I read that post and your post I immediately picked up on not one pattern, but several, too many to be a coincidence.

    “But ask yourself, even if by chance I had mentioned problems elsewhere, what difference would it really make?”

    To me? All the difference in the world. First it would show that you are not being objective, though you are trying to be OR perhaps you regret what you said in the previous thread that I linked to and you are trying to disown your own words. Either way it hurts your credibility.

    “I don't think I wouldbe the one looking stupid in this case, lol.... but..”

    Your implication?

    “I understand your desire to find something that supports your feelings about the school and reject anything contradictory since you've invested time and effort there…”

    Actually I had a LOT more invested in St. Joseph’s College of Maine and though it tore me up to drop them and criticize their not providing financial aid or working with me on it, I did and reported it here. I don’t have nearly as much emotionally or financially invested in Ashford as I did in St. Joseph’s College.

    “I don't appreciate you attempting to call me a liar or questioning my integrity.”

    Well, I was questioning the genuineness of your statements but not calling you a liar, but I will now.

    Either way, I’m sorry to hear you had an unpleasant experience. I hope Ashworth works out better for you.
     
  14. Shawn Ambrose

    Shawn Ambrose New Member

    Glad to hear that it is going well for you :)

    Please let us know how the program progresses for you.

    Shawn
     
  15. Maxwell_Smart

    Maxwell_Smart Active Member

    And I'll call you a imbecile and a person with a very empty life who searches the internet putting together a bunch of nonsense thinking he's some investigator. Nevertheless, you truly exemplify the title of private "Dick".

    This is one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. If you were smarter, you'd search this forum and find some very negative things said about the school by a few other members. One such instance I read about a year ago, detailed how the school attempted to steal a student's money. I guess I'm *THOSE* people, too? Right? Of course I am. In fact, I'm every single person who has ever said anything negative about every school. Yep, it's been ME all of these years. Wow, you've caught me.

    Am I also the person who posted a negative experience on the site you listed besides the "evidence" you've brought up? Don't know which one I'm talking about, do you? Of course you don't, because your half-assed "research" failed to find that. You only seen what you wanted to see. But, how about you go back to that site and find it? Feel free to accuse me of that testimonial as well, Detective.

    Your "research" is anything but; it was just a frantic scramble to find something that supports what you obviously *want* to believe... that Ashford is great and everyone loves it. It's sad because you're much too old to still believe in fairy tales. No school is without flaws, Ashford just happens to have more than most and eventually you'll see it for yourself (but you'd probably never admit it now). Don't try to sit there and say you've visited every single site that spoke on the school (which is a total BS lie) when you've failed to even read everything written about the school here or on the very website you posted, as I've just proven. Again, your "research"? Please. I laugh at that.

    What would I need to hide from YOU? Who are YOU that I would need to hide anything? Perhaps you think of yourself as something more than you are, and if so you need a reality check. You're a joke; a perfect fit for Ashford University.

    And you're in law enforcement? That's pretty disturbing. You have the type of mentality that, if a notice went out to look for a murder suspect who is 6'1 wearing a brown hat you'd be dumb enough to run down shooting at the first guy you saw who looked over 6 feet tall wearing a brown-ish hat, yelling "It's you! You look similar, so it must be you! That's right, it's not a coincidence! You're under arrest!" LOL.

    Please get a life. And, for the sake of the public, a different profession.

    P.S. I've placed you on the ignore list. You can continue with your foolishness for your own entertainment. Of course with your personaility, I suspect that you entertain yourself alone frequently and in more ways than one...
     
  16. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    You did it again didn’t you? You just can’t help it I suppose.

    Mr. Smart said above “You're a joke; a perfect fit for Ashford University.”

    When whoever Mr. Smart really is, was confronted on the above linked thread by a woman named Sue he said something similar:

    “Sidebar: Folks Sue is the type of person Ashford enrolls;
    people who don't read and have poor reasoning skills. Sue is
    clearly one of Ashford's finest!”

    Yet another remarkable similarity in patterns of speech/style of writing, mindset of writer, etc.

    Your suggesting of searching the posts here was a sound one. I did, I found that you are majoring in pscyh as indicated by you saying "I'm also enrolled with Ashworth (Psychology)" on my Ashworth College Hindsight 20/20 posting.

    Oddly enough the fellow on the thread that I know you to be that for some reason you cannot admit to being is also a psych major. Hey, at least you're barking up the right tree.


    Well since Maxwell Smart placed me on his “ignore” list, I suppose I’m posting this for the sake of posterity. But to anyone who cares to follow this discussion for whatever reason.

    I did not accuse Mr. Smart (aptly named) of posting every negative comment I’ve seen regarding Ashford University, just the one I linked to. You see I don’t like to jump to conclusions and am very careful about calling anyone a liar. Why he has chosen to lie here is beyond me. But I get lied to daily, several times a day and have become pretty competent in my ability to smell a lie, even in print.

    I didn’t intend to offend Mr. Smart but I also feel that people should own up to their own conduct and words, to not do so smacks of deceit.

    Does Ashford U. have flaws? Most certainly. Let’s start with their less than memorable name…while not as unfortunate as the Franciscan University of the Plains it is rather generic.

    Additionally they are not the least expensive option out there, but it works for me in my situation. Certainly not for everyone.

    Thirdly the person running the school is a UofP grad with an MBA, not a PhD or the like which to me is somewhat unusual. But if he’s the man for the job, then he’s the man. We’ll certainly see.

    Lastly I’m not really thrilled with the fact that they have been under current ownership less than 5 years and as such are not what I would consider readily established. I do have high hopes for them but time will certainly tell.

    I have yet to start my first class, which starts on Tuesday the 29th, so I cannot tell you about the class content, only my experience thus far which has most certainly good. Are they the right school for everyone? No school is, certainly not this one. Could it be the right school for you? Only you can answer that, but my efforts in pointing out Mr. Smart’s lack of ability to tell the truth is only to place his opinion in the school within perspective of anyone researching Ashford University.

    As for his attacks on my ability to do my profession, well I suppose he’ll have to get in line behind everyone else I’ve investigated or arrested. Remember, prisons are full of people who “didn’t do it” (sarcasm intended as indicative of the quotation marks, style of writing).

    And Mr. Smart, even though I "know" you aren't reading this...you asked "Who are YOU that I would need to hide anything?"

    My answer, I'm the guy that's calling you out.

    --Cheers.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 26, 2007
  17. jeroge5355

    jeroge5355 New Member

    Ashford University is a Joke!!!!!!!

    I would strongly discourage anyone considering Ashford University from doing so. I am receiving my BA in psychology from Ashford and have completed all required hours, however after being told by my academic advisor and the registrars office that my degree completion transcript should be on its way, I am now informed that I have to complete 3 more hours of upper division credits. I have no problems in doing this if I did not believe I had already graduated. I have 30 hours in electives from another campus, and they will not substitute. I was hired at a mental health clinic pending my transcript (which I was told was in the mail), and now I am without employment due to turning in my two weeks notice to my previous job. I would have never made such a move, but was congratulated on my graduation, or the lie of such. I have been a champ with Ashford, My house was demolished in May 2008, due to an EF-4 tornado. I contacted my instructors and told them what happened and was given an "I" for incomplete. I contacted Ashford and informed them that I could not login to my classes, and one week later I was dropped and the "I"'s became "F". So yes I had to pay again and retake those classes. Ashford has been a headache and it is on you if you decide to go with Ashford. I would find a State University and pick an online format with them. I can not speak for Clintons campus, but the Online experience is horrible.
     
  18. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I would like to remind the participants in this thread that personal attacks, and the use of vulgar or abusive language are violations of the Terms of Service. Do it again and you'll be taking a big degreeinfo vacation.
     
  19. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any personal attacks, vulgar or abusive language in the above post. That doesn't mean I agree with the post...just sayin', you know? The personal attacks earlier in the thread took place a year-and-a-half ago. It's a little late for the admonishments.

    To me, when someone registers for the board with the sole purpose of trashing a school, they have zero credibility. After all, this isn't a complaint board, and these folks usually have their own agenda.

    I wonder if the author of the most recent post considered asking for a leave of absence from the school? Most colleges have provisions for such, in case of acts of God, natural disaster, death in the family, etc.

    By the way, it's "F-4" tornado, not "EF-4" tornado. You become hip to the tornado lingo when you live in Oklahoma. :)
     
  20. Tireman 44444

    Tireman 44444 Well-Known Member

Share This Page