Frustration with NCU

Here is the timeline for my Concept Paper Course
Assignment 1 – turned in on June 1 and graded on June 1 (accepted)
Assignment 2 – turned in on June 1 and graded on June 1 (accepted)
Assignment 3 – turned in on June 1 and graded on June 2 (accepted)
Assignment 4 – turned in on June 2 and graded on June 3 (accepted)
Assignment 5 – turned in on June 3 and graded on June 4 (rejected)
Assignment 5 – turned in on June 4 and graded on June 5 (accepted)
Assignment 6 – turned in on June 6 and graded on June 7 (rejected)
Assignment 6 – turned in on June 7 and graded on June 8 (accepted)
Assignment 7 – turned in on June 8 and graded on June 9 (accepted)
Assignment 8 – turned in on June 10 and graded on June 12 (rejected)
Assignment 8 – turned in on June 14 and graded on June 19 (rejected)
Assignment 8 – turned in on June 22 and graded on June 24 (rejected)
Assignment 8 – turned in on June 24 and graded on June 26 (accepted by chair and forwarded to committee review)
Assignment 8 – turned in on June 26 and graded on July 8 (rejected by committee)
Assignment 8 – turned in on July 9 and graded on July 18 (rejected by committee - they rejected for a new set of "issues")
Assignment 8 – turned in on July 19 and graded on July 25 (accepted by committee and forwarded to SRT)
Assignment 8 – turned in on July 25 and graded on August 6 (SRT - rejected)
Assignment 8 – turned in on August 9 and now I am waiting.

After this level of review it needs to go through the university review. The class ends on 8/24 and I don’t think it will make it through the process. I was told that one reviewer was holding it to Dissertation Proposal Standards when it is a Concept Paper. I don’t know about anyone else’s Concept Paper but mine is 50 pages with the Annotated Bibliography.

I was also told that the school just added another level of review and realized it was not a good idea so they are taking it out. Basically, I am the victim of bad timing. I am so frustrated I actually started to call other schools and asked how many credits they would take…asking if they would take an ABD and let me just wrap up the program with them if their process was better. I know that is extreme but I am pissed. After all of this, if I do not pass the course on time, I lose the $1,500 tuition assistance. I was told that during the accreditation review the school was told they needed to step up the academic quality of the dissertations so now they are going over board. Sorry for the rant but I am really, really frustrated. I can understand reviewers asking for different things but this is just plain wrong!

 

Randall, I don't have any answers for you but I hope that you get it worked out. That must be unbelievably frustrating.

 

Hang in there

At this point just keep jumping through the hoops they have for you. You are almost there. If you have to take the course again then so be it but graduate from NCU even if it adds a few more grey hairs. You have come too far to start over again elsewhere. Everyone I have talked to says its the same bull no matter where you go. It is some kind of right of passage crappppp

Good Luck and remember that, "Simplicity is the hallmark of scholarship"

 

Keep in mind that a doctoral degree is always 25% academics, 25% administrative issues, and 50% pain tolerance.

They won't fail you; I'm sure there is an option to get a temporary Incomplete while you finish your work.

 

Randell,

I hope you make it through this process. I didn't have the energy to keep dealing with the folks at NCU. If your advisor isn't on the same page as the rest of the committee then you are serving too many masters and will really have a time of it. I didn't have any problem with the work just the continued changing of minds and requirements. The PhD for me was more of a goal than a necessity so I made the decision that I would rather wait until I can find a B&M school to work on my PhD. Then I can go visit my advisor personally. I find that sometimes face to face communications are more beneficial. I don't mind expending the effort but I'm not going to tolerate whims and fancies. (I'm too old and too cranky.)

Best of luck, I'm cheering for you,

 

Randall:

I have to smile to myself as I remember our phone conversation and your confidence in how prepared you were for this process. Pending this experience ( a pure simple “I told you so” but in the nicest possible way and with a big smile).

This is the point I freaked out about also, when I went looking for help and thought I was toast.

The advice I got, which I will pass on, and it is good advice, is: Let your chair and them process work for you. You will end up making the same edit 52 times in 9 different ways. Hang in there, this is the big push. The whole point of the process is to weed out any last pretenders before you get to the other side. I know your topic and it is a good topic, you are getting very close!

 

After looking at your time-line, I disagree with you. I think you will make it through that class.

Nonetheless, the rest of the process is similarly grueling.

 

It is good to see my stalker active and well.

 

What are the symptoms of paranoia?

Being able to admit when one is wrong is a good sign.

 

Randall,

Don't add frustration to the hurdles you have to overcome. I remember my concept paper and dissertation proposal stages -- I never thought those paper would stop bleeding. I will say that I had an EXCELLENT dissertation chair that helped me through it.

I agree you need to get you chair to completely outline the expectation -- phone calls to make sure there are no misunderstanding (perhaps an phone review prior to submission). Get interactive -- very interactive. Share your concern with your advisor.

I, like many others on this board, are cheering for you! Keep stokin' and you'll get there!

 

Are you going to use a different picture of a cat pissing on a tree for me, or recycle the same inappropriate one?

I feel like a celebrity, with full on built in stalker.

I would rather have a Tigeresque “In the Hole” person, but, I have to make do, with the following I have, I guess.

If you want to correct the usage of punctuation above that would be a fun follow-up.

 

Hang in there Randell.

 

Thanks, I spoke to my mentor and he made everything better He understands and said this is "normal"

 

It is, as is your reaction to it Your doing great.

DEL

 

You can do it!

I have faith in you Randell! You are determined and have put your mind to it: You will succeed!!!

 

IMO trying to complete a dissertation 100% online is significantly harder because it lacks the face time of in-resident programs. During face time, so much can be picked up from the professors. Little facial expressions and nuances can mean quite a bit to a student who is trying to understand which path to follow -- or which paths to avoid. Anyone who can complete the NCU program has gone through an extremely difficult program because it's 100% online.

 

What field did you do your dissertation?

 

This sort of thing happens all the time with dissertation committees (one members says to do X, another says try adding Y, one member disagrees with what another says, another changes their mind) and so on and so on. It is no surprise that about 50% of PhD students drop out at this stage.

Transferring to another school would not solve your problem. In fact, it would only add to it, and most likely have to do your comps all over again. I think it is actually a good sign that they are paying so much attention to details. You can be sure it is going to be one fine dissertation at the end!

I'm not familiar with the NCU process. What happens after assignment 8 is accepted?

 

It goes to the university review, gets approved very quickly (I hope), then I jump and dance and get to be called a PhD Candidate (ABD). After that, there are 3 DIS courses that cover everything after the Concept Paper and go to the Dis Proposal, to the final product. They are 16 week courses and that gives the student a year to complete everything.

 

Hang in there, Hang in there, Hang in there...

All part of the hoop jumping process.

Shawn