I am very disappointed with smc university

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Lagu88, Mar 22, 2016.

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  1. Lagu88

    Lagu88 Member

    I am very upset because I trusted ACBSP accreditation, I choose SMC University as my choice for my Doctor of Business Administration studies, despite knowing from degreeinfo that SMC University is only accredited at Canton level in Switzerland, may not even pass through WES and NARIC evaluation.

    On the first lesson of the course at SMC University, under Dr. Ted Sun, he did not reply to almost all my emails, making me not knowing where to start the programme. Having no choice, I feedback to the admin, and he only reply to one of my emails and nonthing else. He then graded 3 of my assignments, failing me my making me not even able pass the basic 3.0 gpa set. (80 out of 100 is good in our eyes, but 80 is only GPA 2.7 only). He is supposed to feedback three assignements, but I only received one feedback for one assignment.

    The feedback does not even shows that he read them properly. The third paragraph of the assignment is a direct paraphrasing from the Fox and Bayat paper, suggesting only ways to formulate a research problem, and he feedback that "Problems are not questions" and "for quantitative research – statistical answers are often yes/no – like is there a relationship between …..". Actually, this whole strategy is not even from me, maybe he want to question other professors or researchers who wrote the paper?

    A bit of myself, I founded several businesses, and am a data science analyst at Nanyang Technological University (AACSB and EQUIS), as well as a faculty at St. Hua Private School (CPE approved). I graduate from National University of SIngapore (AACSB and EQUIS) with a Master of Technology degree, and an Executive MBA degree from U21Global (EQUIS EFMD Cel, currently GlobalNxt University) and IGNOU. My book publication, together with various achievements, qualifies me for Sigma Xi full member, and a Honorary Doctorate from California International Business University.

    I have taken some business courses at National University of Singapore during my master programme, and I enjoyed it and the standards. Hence, I trusted ACBSP accreditation also, but was let down by the quality of services provided by your accredited institution. I understand that you may only accredit the programme, but I feel that it is good to feedback to you about this issue.

    How can a student just ask question and can be rated like this? Being a faculty myself, I feel that this is a very bad professional misconduct and unethical. As a faculty, I strongly do not support it as the student paper qualifications can determine their future. I have paid the first month tuition fee to SMC University, even though if I quit and join another university, I am still on the losing side. I am quiting any way.

    Enclosed is a link to the copy of the feedback assignment: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7b0brip7in8mygt/1456811369_657__Assignments_u2-1%20%282%29.doc?dl=0
     
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'm getting an error message indicating the need for a login.
     
  3. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

  4. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member


    That's funny! You too can get rich.
     
  5. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I went back and tried again and opened the link. I guess my first reaction is that it might be poor judgment to go onto an internet discussion forum and call out your school, call out a specific professor and then tag yourself in the process. These things can backfire.
     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Where did Chuck go? Just poof! They even began referring to their "two kids" (Joanie and Richie). I still can't forgive him for that.
     
  7. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    On a more serious note, why are you adjudicating your situation here? It's not like SMC is going to read something here, and even if they did, it couldn't possibly improve your situation with them.

    Do you have a question or a request for some advice?
     
  8. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    So I'm guessing you don't actually want a resolution at this point. You're going to let some (relatively) minor communication hiccups derail your doctoral program. That's fine. Perhaps you're saving yourself money and disappointment by getting out now.

    Is this an indicator that SMC sucks? Don't know. Is this an indicator that this professor is unreliable? Possibly. But I don't know how much time you gave said professor to respond to you or what SMC allows by way of response time. It couldn't have been THAT long since it sounds like you've only made one payment to them.

    But now I'm curious because you have said that you have an honorary doctorate from CIBU yet I don't see your name on their list of honorary doctorate recipients. You seem to share part of your name with the 2014 recipient though that individual is a Professor Emeritus who evidently had the title of "Doctor" before this honorary degree was bestowed.

    Is your "honorary" D.D. from the Universal Life Church not giving you the mileage you hoped for?
     
  9. Lagu88

    Lagu88 Member

    Hmm... very good questions... so you propose I continue n get failed all the way for that module? It is indeed very good quality by not replying emails, and not able to accept feedbacks. The assignment grading are subjective in the first place. I don't know, maybe to you, that is indeed quality, but not under what I have been taught to qualify it as good quality.

    Trying to dig out my history to defend this statement, you don't have to do that. Well, I do have confirmation from CIBU being qualified for their honorary doctorate, but I prefer to donate to a church instead, is it clear. Maybe to some people, having some degree or doctorate or some high position, they think the whole world owe them everything and they can abuse people as they wishes, to the extent of not even able to respect other researchers' or professors' published work. To me, my 3 graduate qualifications (2 masters, 1 grad diploma) is more than enough for my job, in fact, maybe overqualify for it. Taking doctorate is just to fulfil my passion in education only. I abhor people abusing their qualification and position to force people doing what they wish, say boot licking. Well, is this morally and ethically correct in the first place? After years of exposure to the society, if one moral and ethics aggravates to such extent, it is very controversial regarding the kind of experiences that person have.

    Books are written by people to pass down their knowledge, not for people to abuse them as weapons. I am very disappointed with how people see education qualifications and job positions nowadays. If we accept such clause, we are all doomed and moving backwards.
     
  10. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    I don't want to sound cold but I honestly could not care less about what you do. Your educational choices are so inconsequential to my life that I somewhat resent having to even take the time to tell you that.

    I don't mean that in a mean spirited way. You are the one who came here blasting your personal business all over the internet. You still haven't made clear what sort of response you are looking for. Do you want us to rally behind you? Do you want us to assure you that it was a good choice you made? Are you just using this forum as a way to smear your professor as a means of revenge? Stay enrolled and fail. Drop out and lose the cash. It's your choice. I was simply observing that dropping out might be wise regardless of the facts here. If you are being overly sensitive to normal delays then I cannot imagine you will thrive in the program. If the issue is, in fact, with SMC then I cannot imagine those issues will get better.

    But ultimately, your life, your education and your choice.


    No, actually it isn't clear. You keep mentioning that you "qualified" for their honorary doctorate. Did you receive it? Because it sounds like you are saying that CIBU (NA) offered you an honorary doctorate and you declined opting instead for an "honorary" Doctor of Divinity from the Universal Life Church, which has no accreditation and does not offer any coursework, for the low low price of $32.99 (perhaps less if you had a coupon code).

    If you consciously chose what is clearly a fake degree for just shy of $33 over an honorary Doctor of Business from a non-profit university that, at the very least, is accredited by a USDOE accreditor then I'm sort of scratching my head at how such an accomplished business person and academic could make such a, forgive me, boneheaded choice.

    Do you know why I don't have a doctorate? Because I don't want one. I don't need one. If I want to pursue my passions I can do so without being enrolled in a doctoral program. I can do research and I can publish all without ever enrolling in a doctoral program. Heck, if I get good at it, I can consider a PhD by Published Works! That's not the same thing as saying "Doctorates are dumb! Only losers have doctorates!" If you truly don't need a doctorate then why are you pursuing one? I have a list of hobbies I intend to attempt before ever embarking on doctoral studies as a personal passion. That's a lot of hard work and expense to say you did it just for kicks.

    When people lament about how their degrees are "good enough" for their purposes yet they enroll in a doctoral program and shamelessly buy sham titles that doesn't exactly indicate that you are as enlightened as you might lead us to believe. You clearly feel the need to call yourself a "doctor" otherwise I'm not sure why you would proudly display said useless credential as part of your public facing profile on Research Gate. There you also subtly imply that you "qualified" by the CIBU doctorate without stating that you received it. So please forgive me if I seem a bit dismissive of you it's just that you keep exposing my BS meter to such high levels that it's going to require calibration before its scheduled maintenance date at this pace.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 23, 2016
  11. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Nice to see you in a good mood Neuhaus.
     
  12. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    It certainly comes across that way.

    One of the purposes of this community is for people to share their experiences with distance learning so that others who come after them can weigh those accounts and make a better informed choice. People do that here all the time.
     
  13. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    Sorry to hear about unfortunate experience. As you have some publication based on your research gate profile, you might want to pursue a PhD by public works at a school like Middlesex University.

    If all you want is a doctorate that is accredited and your budget is low, you might want to consider the University of Central Nicaragua that might also consider your publications.

    You also might want to take the offer of CIBU and get the doctorate there and then do a post doc at a better school. Some schools grant post doc certificates for a post doc stay and some British schools a DSc degree if the Post doc materialized in good publications. Walden has some online post docts also and CTU has an option of a second doctorate for people holding doctorates.

    By they way, how did you get the offer from CIBU? it seems to me like they have a standard procedure for this which is quite unusual.
     
  14. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Well, certainly not my intention. The OP asked me if I was recommending that he tough it out and fail the course. Realistically, I have no skin the game. I don't think it mean spirited to admit that. I would be doing greater harm if I were making the recommendation the OP suggested when I have very little information about the full circumstances and, in fact, the outcome will not impact me.

    I think everyone here is great. And I love tossing around suggestions and swapping stories. But, Steve, if you came on here and said "OK, so I'm going to pay $10k to the biggest diploma mill I can find" I would certainly state an opinion, if you asked for one, that I thought it was a bad idea. But whether you made that transaction or not would not have an impact on me, my family or anything that I actually value.

    We spent how many pages in the other thread recommending to this same poster not to put a ULC Doctor of Divinity on his resume. And yet, there it is on Research Gate. It's his profile. It's his business. Would I have done it? Nope. He chose to do it. That's his business. For me to say that I actually care about that would be inaccurate. And I'd be very surprised if you actually cared, either. Perhaps it was somewhat rude of me to say it so bluntly. But I don't want anyone basing a major life decision off of a statement I make here.

    Of course it is. And it makes for interesting conversation. But if I were to sit here hemming and hawing over whom I should vote for and seemingly weighing my decision heavily based upon the opinions of others on this board as though I were seeking approval I would hope someone would point out that my ultimate decision mattered not to anyone here. People share. We all discuss. But this isn't a life coaching session.
     
  15. RFValve

    RFValve Well-Known Member

    I believe we spent quite a lot of time discussing this issue, I believe a religious degree is legal to display, correct if I am wrong but some US states exempt schools from state licenses so one could display a DDiv(Hon) degree from a religious school even if no course work was required as it is an honorary degree. Is it impressive? obviously not, is it irrelevant for an industry job? Yes but I think he has the legal right to display it if he wants to even if this means that he looks like he wants to deceive people with a doctorate that was not earned but granted because a donation to a church. Maybe he just wants to show his faith. I believe most people agreed that as long as the degree is religious and not a traditional one such as PhD, might be acceptable.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 23, 2016
  16. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    In most cases, there is nothing preventing you from just calling yourself "Doctor." Florida has a law against using the title (though it does protect people with unaccredited degrees from exempt institutions). But, yeah, if you want to call yourself "Doctor" and print out some address labels, that's generally OK.

    It's also legal to add the post-nominal "esq" to your name. It isn't protected. Though lawyers tend to use it it isn't regulated.

    I never said it was illegal to use a ULC "doctorate." Though, as noted, there are certainly occasions where it would be. I simply said that it was a bad idea, career wise. There are plenty of legal things you can do that will tank your career. Badmouthing your employer online, for example, is completely legal. Yet, if someone came here mentioning that they wanted to do that I would recommend against it if you wanted to keep your job.
    As with the OP, however, that's just a bit of friendly advice. They can take it or leave it.
     
  17. FTFaculty

    FTFaculty Well-Known Member

    Neuhaus, You want to throw a few rocks at someone, that's fine, sometimes the truth is a swift kick in the butt, not a soft stroke on the cheek. Maybe my former professions (lawyer, B2B tech sales) and personal experiences (spouse who kicks my butt rhetorically and mocks me when I get stupid ideas in my fool head) have hardened me some, but when someone blows in here talking about disappointing experiences with a DL institution and that same person advertises for public consumption their "doctorate" from Universal Life Church, call me crazy, but I don't think it's too much of a stretch to wonder if they're thinking rationally.
     
  18. Lagu88

    Lagu88 Member



    First of all, did I blast by business all over this forum? Maybe you take it too offensive in the first place. I have seen worst when the asian CEO/President of ACBSP replying to the feedback. A western PhD professional there, after receiving my email, also state that he do not understand the feedback of the assignment. Guess what, the asian CEO/President uses his position to invalidate all through email. Cannot even accept feedback, well done isn't it?

    For the honorary doctorate, which part you not clear? You need to write in to the university with all your qualifications and publications, then they review it, usually by highly qualified professors. They will then come back to you with the review results, stating whether you are qualified or not. Don't expect it to be free, so you have to make some contributions/donations, just like paying the tuition fees. I qualified for it, left is the donation part. I am in the democratic world, I think I have the right to choose to donate to the church instead, if I see donation to church is more of a good deed. I already qualified after the review panel, taking that honorary degree is just another piece of cert only. I believe if you have that level of skills, you do not really need these cert, just like you ownself stated you do not need doctorates, isn't it. Why are you so busy in invalidating all my credentials? Come, I let you invalidate all my credentials, end of the day I still possess the knowledge and skillsets of that level to do my work.

    You say until like you are very against degree mill. Interestingly, I make a sarcasm comments over the IDA Indian lady with SPU degree by saying she must as well donate to church for a honorary degree. You cannot comprehend the sarcasm part or intentionally trying to mislead the readers? Maybe you want me to state everything so direct to the extent that people completely have no pride left?

    I would disagree with the fact that you are trying to "control" what I am supposed to be free at in choosing what passion and path I want to follow. You are living in democracy or totalitatrian (aka. Nazism and terrorist) world, even passion of others you also feel that you have the right to control it? Do not anyhow put words into my mouth and mislead the audience that I meant "Doctorates are dumb! Only losers have doctorates!". I choose doctorate meant I respect that degree, and I have my own way to fulfil my passion of acquiring new knowledge, say by taking the doctorate path besides other path. I think I have my right to choose my path after all, isn't it.

    Well said, people lamenting about how good their degrees and job positions are... haha, that is exactly what the professor I am talking about is doing. He is abusing his position and education to fail his student, just because he not happy with the student. He is the one at fault first for not replying any email, despite being asked repeatly by the admin director a few times. Very arrogant to the extent that he wanted to prove the other professors wrong in proposing the methodology with one sentence explanation (seriously, invalidating other professors' research work with one sentence). Such character, ethics and moral, like you say, shameless, indeed.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 24, 2016
  19. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    You came here, blasted a professor by name, by school and then revealed your own name. I'd sat you blasted your business all over the forum. I'm not sure why you think I've taken offense to it.

    I appreciate your feedback on SMC just as I appreciate all feedback for all universities here. SMC has been a school that I don't actually have an opinion on but it leans toward the negative side because of the lack of institutional accreditation.


    For starters, "qualifying" for an honorary doctorate is not an honor that is appropriately advertised. Advertising that you "qualified" for the honorary doctorate strongly implies that you received an honorary doctorate which you did not.

    Second, and this is perhaps much more important, honorary doctorates are not awarded after a review of qualifications upon condition that you make a donation. It's true that universities sometimes award doctorates to big donors. But my understanding is that they are careful to avoid a quid pro quo sort of arrangement. That is, the decision to award the degree is at least ostensibly not tied to the donation itself and more often to "service" to the university or the broader community.

    If what you are saying is true then CIBU, despite being accredited, is essentially selling life experience doctorates.

    I'm not invalidating your credentials. I'm challenging 1) Your Doctor of Divinity "degree" which was not awarded by an institute of higher learning and appears for sale on a website for $32.99. There is no review of qualifications. There is no coursework. You just add the DD to your shopping cart and they mail it to you. That's not a credential that's a novelty.

    The only other "credential" of yours that I take issue with is the honorary doctorate from CIBU which you never received.

    I'm not trying to "lead" you into any direction. If you want to put pretend degrees on your resume, that's your business.
     
    Dustin likes this.
  20. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I'd say that this is a pretty good description of how a degree mill works.

    BTW - since you've decided to drop out of SMC you might want to remove that "DBA-pending" thingy from your signature line.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 24, 2016

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