What are your perceptions on WNMU?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by SurfDoctor, Feb 4, 2012.

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  1. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    I have a young friend who is considering finishing a bachelor's at WNMU online. She has not enjoyed her online experience at SUNY because she said that using the Angel platform was disorganized and unmanageable. (I can't substantiate that, don't know) I understand that UNMU uses Blackboard (same company as Angel but a much different platform) and she likes Blackboard OK.

    I was wondering what your perceptions of the program at WNMU are. How do you like it? Is it well organized and clear? She is not sure which program she might be interested in, so tell me about yours.
     
  2. Paidagogos

    Paidagogos Member

    Hmmm...I am in the their Master's program, which uses BlackBoard, and it is pretty good. I have problems with the software every once in a while, but I have long been in the habit of copying and pasting my writing before posting, so as not to lose any work. The professor participation varies from good to great, but they have all been extremely helpful/knowledgable.

    With that being said, if she is going for her BA degree, tell her to check the Web site because the options are quite limited. Depending on what she is interested in, it could be a perfect fit. At any rate, it's extremely affordable!

    Online Programs
     
  3. SurfDoctor

    SurfDoctor Moderator

    An extremely attractive feature.

    Wow, just looked at your link and you are not kidding about limited offerings. Thanks, I had no idea.
     
  4. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    The offerings are not great and they're not unique. I've never paid too much attention to this school but I've always imagined that the attraction is the price. Otherwise, I've simply thought of it as a part of the NM state college system (a solid but average school).
     
  5. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    I'm pretty much happy with my WNMU experience so far (3 weeks into my first class in the MAIS). Kizmet summed it up pretty well really. I wouldn't be there except for the price and RA. You might take a look at Eastern New Mexico University, it's a similar deal on tuition and they have a limited selection...but it's different from WNMU.

    I'm not convinced a distance degree at the undergrad level from New Mexico is superior to TESC, EC, or COSC and those three sure do make finishing up easier.

    I used BB at COSC and WNMU uses a version of BB...I'm not a fan, but you get used to it.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 4, 2012
  6. wildgoose

    wildgoose New Member

    Different take on WNMU

    I am a current student at WNMU in their MAIS program. I won't go into detail, but just be careful before you enroll. If you ever have a dispute with a professor, do not expect the University to follow their published rules regarding grievances. Furthermore, don't expect that the administration will even give you the courtesy of a reply. That has been my unfortunate experience

    Note: I do not include the MAIS Chair or her assistant in this criticism. They are both wonderful people,very helpful, and a credit to their institution. However they do not have any 'power' to resolve difficulties.

    In short my experience has raised my opinion of online only universities. Those institutions are focused on the need and experiences of distance learners. WNMU stands in stark contrast to this. What I have seen from the WNMU administration is that online students are a distraction from their 'primary' responsibility, campus students. If you have a problem, expect to be 'out of sight, out of mind' at WNMU ::mad1:
     
  7. friendorfoe

    friendorfoe Active Member

    I "attended" WNMU, 2 classes at once. It is the only school I have ever dropped out of even though I paid for the classes...I hated it that bad. They were disorganized, the graduate programs were a hodgepodge of busy work and of course my personal pet peeve...writing "chapter summaries" to prove we read the text. Oh and it gets better, I once called for technical support (because their Mustang or whatever the site is called sucked so bad) and the IT guy thought I was his son playing a prank on him and cussed me out over the phone...went on for a couple of seconds before I lost it and he realized his mistake. Terrible, terrible, terrible experience. In fact the phrase "cartoonishly bad" comes to mind.
     
  8. linbored

    linbored Member

    friendorfoe: how long ago was this? I wonder if they've gotten their act together.
     
  9. rebel100

    rebel100 New Member

    WNMU states they are mooving away from BB to a product called "canvas" for the upcoming term. I don't know if it will be any better, BB does leave a lot to be desired.
     
  10. major56

    major56 Active Member

    Come on; WNMU is in “New Mexico” … isn’t it? :smokin:
     
  11. StefanM

    StefanM New Member

    I have had a more positive experience with the English department.
     
  12. japhy4529

    japhy4529 House Bassist

    WNMU only offers two online bachelors degrees - BAS Crimincal Justice and BA Rehabilitation Services. Is your friend interested in one of these programs? If so, great. I have no direct experience with WNMU, but they seem to have a good reputation on this board and their tuition is very reasonable. However, I would not recommend choosing a school based upon which LMS they use (although it could be one of many deciding factors).
     
  13. wildgoose

    wildgoose New Member

    I know you asked someone else, but I am currently a student in the MAIS program. I have had similar bad experiences with the 'Mustang Express help line'. Also, the registrar's office doesn't know what is going on, and -as stated before- the administration is completely MIA. "Cartoonishly bad" seems like a very apt description to me. I will be taking one more course there this summer to make sure I'm giving it a fair try, but I fully expect to go elsewhere. Outside of the MAIS assistant and the chair (both of whom are very professonal and helpful), the rest of the university appears to view distance learning as second class citizens. I am not at liberty to say any more, but resourceful people searching pending Federal litigation might find some very interesting reading.
     
  14. Paidagogos

    Paidagogos Member

    I've taken five courses with WNMU in the History and English departments, and I have been pretty pleased with the program. In my experience, the English teachers are a little more active in the classes, with the history teachers taking more of a laid back approach, and only chiming in from time to time.

    For the price, it's hard to beat the program. Even if you decide to just take a class or two to just keep you writing chops up as you decide to go into another program. I'm not looking at this MA as the be all and end all, but it has certainly served the purpose of giving me more knowledge in history, and will hopefully allow me to do some adjunct work in the future.

    They just sent me a nice 2gb flash drive and thanked me for being in the program. I guess everyone can have a different experience eh? But, my experience thus far has been positive!:wink:
     
  15. WillTellLII

    WillTellLII New Member

    WNMU MAIS degree is not worth it

    I have taken over 36 online units at WNMU in the MA Interdisciplinary Studies only to have a disagreement with a professor over one of my exit exam essays. I now realize that even though I received all "A" grades except two classes (where I believe my grade lowered due to discrimination
    over my beliefs), one professor who does not like you can prevent you from obtaining a degree. I also realized now that the degree is not worth much
    at all in the marketplace against those with masters in one subject (MA History, MA Political Science, etc.). Hopefully I can get my money back or
    get the degree somehow. Don't go here. On a positive note, I only liked a few professors. Only take 12 units if you must, then transfer them into a more prestigious thesis-based single-subject MA.
     
  16. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    This most recent post is very similar to one lest by another poster a few years ago. I hope they're not the same person posting under different names.
     
  17. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I don't mean to downplay any issues you've had with your professor. It is very possible that you have a legitimate grievance and this professor simply allows his/her bias to bleed into his/her work to the detriment of students.

    But, the "discrimination over my beliefs" card often gets waived by students who try to insert their beliefs into a course where beliefs are simply not warranted and cannot (or will not) substantiate their position with sources.

    I recall my Intro to Philosophy and Ethics courses where a handful of students would always try to argue that a philosopher was "wrong" for the philosophy they developed. One person was shocked and dismayed when he got a "C" for his half-full blue book ranting against Kant's Formula of Universal Law. The problem was that the test assignment was "Explain Kant's Formula of Universal Law" not "offer your opinion on Kant's Universal Law."

    So, while I cannot speak to your situation, your words bring back ghosts of students poorly matched to programs. If you have strong political beliefs then the objective study of political science can be difficult. And if you don't want the objective study of political science then you're probably better suited to attend a program with a stated political slant. If you have controversial theories of psychology and refuse to entertain other notions then you need to either open your mind to new possibilities or find a program suited to those controversial theories if you hope to succeed.


    Generally speaking, this is the case with almost every university particularly at the graduate level. As an undergrad you might be able to sub out another class. As a graduate student a single grade below a "B" can knock you right out of your program. Thus, a single professor can prevent you from obtaining a degree. It happened to my ex with her MSW, incidentally. She was plodding along just fine (well, by "just fine" I mean "marginally meeting standards) when a single professor decided that he was the gatekeeper for the entire profession of social work and gave her a "C" based largely around personality differences. And that was a pretty respectable school with a more than reputable program. Fair? Not really. But these things certainly do happen at the graduate level.

    The "marketplace" has very little use for an M.A. in History or Political Science. If you intend to teach one of those subjects at a community college then, well, maybe. But a well crafted MA in Interdisciplinary Studies can certain help some students achieve some goals. Psychology and Political Science, for example, would be an interesting pairing. But even a single subject MA in a humanity or liberal art is unlikely to make you a dominant force in the job market. At best it will enable you to meet the minimum requirement to teach in certain settings. That isn't to say that these degrees are worthless but you'd get more mileage out of a PMP if broad marketability was your only goal.

    Refund policies are published. If you already have the credits then you aren't going to get a refund. Perhaps putting on the ol' charm would enable you to do whatever needs to be done to finish off the degree.

    While I appreciate any review a person is willing to offer; I must say that your closing here sounds a little less like a "WNMU problem." I am unaware of many graduate programs that accept 12 credits in transfer. A maximum of 6 is pretty standard. I don't think anyone ever held WNMU to be "prestigious." RA and cheap were two major factors and what keeps this school interesting on these boards. If prestige is important to you then you shouldn't be looking at schools whose primary offering is "RA and cheap." This goes for any subject. Patten University offers an "RA and Cheap (potentially)" MBA that doesn't mean that it is wise to choose that route if you got accepted into Wharton if MBA prestige is important to you.
     
  18. mattbrent

    mattbrent Well-Known Member

    I realize I'm late to this party, but I just wanted to add that I thoroughly enjoyed my program at WNMU, and the degree has helped me to get where I am now, as an Associate Professor at a Community College. It's not always degrees that make the difference. Often it's the people who hold them.

    -Matt
     
  19. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    I object to the characterization of WNMU as worth nothing in the marketplace. I was in the WNMU MAIS program back in 2009, but dropped out. The WNMU degree can be used to get a payraise for a high school teacher or it could help one get a job teaching in two disciplines at some community college. If you want to go on for a PhD, WNMU does have a thesis option.
     
  20. WillTellLII

    WillTellLII New Member

    An MAIS is not as competitive and some universities told me they will accept 12 units

    It is very competitive to get a community college teaching position without a PHD in most states. If you only have 18 units of graduate credit in a subject, for example in history, you probably will not get the position over someone with 36-45 units with an MA in History. And some states require that you have at least 25 graduate units in the subject you want to teach, NOT only 18. Sure, the knowledge-skills-abilities and personality of the individual matters. Concerning beliefs, I objected to a professor showing unrelated pornography, gay naked male cowboys on horses in a corral for a History of the West course, as being inappropriate and/or harassment to me who was molested by a young gay male when I was a kid. So yeah, I got a problem with that. And you should research a little better because I contacted several universities who said they would accept 12 of my credits since I received all "A" grades, not "Cs" as you incorrectly stated.
     

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