U of Phoenix stuck it to me

The decision was rendered to me by phone and I was told to wait 10-12 days for the grade to appear on the screen. I have already been dealing with this issue for about 15 days. I recall that you only have a 30 day deadline to dispute a grade so I only have about 15 days left to make sure this is resolved and 10-12 of those days include me waiting for a grade to appear on a computer screen. It occurred to me that a telephone conversation means nothing b/c all the conversations I have had in past didn't help me prove my case. I was told repeatedly it has to be in writing. So I have requested to have this decision sent to me in writing so I can at least prove it if I need to. I don't feel happy about having to wait 10-12 days for the grade to appear on the screen. I want something in writing. I decided to request something in writing but have yet to hear back. Let's hope they do comply. I think this is pretty important but no one is responding (as usual).

 

Re: Re: U of Phoenis stuck it to me

It is my understanding that the average academic counselor makes approx $24,000 / yr but gets free tuition for themselves and their spouse. Once they graduate they are gone.

I sat in on a couple of classes at UoP (business-mba) and was impressed with the real world experience of the instructors. Cannot say the same about the large non-profit AACSB school that I also visited. Something about 90 students in an auditorium that turns me off. They did pay their head football coach approx $1,000,000 per year! And of course there were the stories of the football players sliding along grade wise but they are non-profit, right..........?

Did not enroll at UoP due to the group study thing. That was the one thing I didn't like.

If you check around on the internet at sites like ratemyprofessors and ratemyschool you will find people complaining everywhere.

Just my opinion

 

My grade won't be posted for 10-12 days but I did receive at least 2 emails that stated in writing everything had been approved. I tried for several days now to get written confirmation with no luck. I finally figured out what works!! Instead of writing 10 different people individual emails you write one email and send it to all those 10 different people making sure to send it to people that would normally not having anything to do with things like the owner of the Apollo group and things of that nature. This way the people getting the email can see who you have sent it to. I am sure this is very annoying to them to have something that is supposed to be handled by them being sent all over the world of UOP and the Apollo Group. Apparently this is the way to go. I would highly recommend using this tactic in the future. It works like a charm. It took me all of 12 minutes to get a response from the Director of Dispute Management when I did this and he requested that I just contact him directly if I need anything else. That comment makes it clear that it is very annoying to them if you send it to all kinds of people. Not that my goal is to be annoying BUT I am quite sure no one likes it when other people get in their business and have to call them to ask if they've taken care of it. I mean if you have to be annoying to get things accomplished then so be it.

 

Yep. As someone who spent a lot of years in the corporate world, and witnessed the evolution and growing importance of email, I can vouch for this tactic. It is effective. I think it becomes a kind of interesting extant of game theory - with everyone trying to optimize their positions (or cover their asses, as we say) based on the information that is available to them and everyone else in the loop. You can spin a very complicated web using cc's, bcc's and return receipts.

There was a guy in our corporate headquarters in New York who would not return emails (or even open them) or phone calls from me (because I was always the bearer of bad news/problems etc.)

I finally figured out that he must be must have been looking at my emails in the preview pane of MS Outlook, so he could get the gist of my email without opening it, and sending back a return receipt to me. Thus he could just claim that he never got my message (or didn't have time to read it etc.). Phone calls to him and others in his department went unretrned (it was really a terrible department , and I think all of them were eventually fired).

Anyway, I finally got him to open an email. I put a bright and cheery message in the subject line, something like "great news, problem solved!!". Then in the body of the email, in just the portion that was viewable in the preview pane, I put more of the same - "great news problem solved blah blah". Down lower in the email I gave him the real scoop - the problem still existed etc. After sending, I got a return receipt within a minute, and then I had a good laugh afterwards. That's how ridiculous it gets sometimes.

Congratulations on resolving your problem, and don't feel guilty for a second about having to pester them. They made their bed, and they have to sleep in it.

 

Forgot to mention - if you use Outlook, then the game has become more complicated with each new release. It used to be that you couldn't scroll through the whole message in the preview pane. Now you can. Now if someone sends a message with a return receipt, MS let you choose whether you want to send one or not. It's hard to know what's happening now - too many layers.

 

With the prices UOP charges for each credit hour, they need to prostrate themselves before a 8x10 portrait of each and everyone of Armywife's canceled checks. Since they are a profit organization they need to understand the role of customer service! Those prices are an insult! Apparently, if you enroll in UOP you need to carry a lawyer in your pocket, just like a pistol and be quick to pull it out!
-Gavin

 

What makes you think they do not understand the role of customer service? UoP and its parent company seem to be doing very well financially. I doubt they would be that successful without effective customer service.

Yes, I would not call UoP affordable. Let's see...

Phoenix MBA:
45 s/h x $545 = $24,525
Application Fee: $110
Graduation Fee: $55
Total: $24,690

Capella MBA:
16 courses x $1,625 = $26,000
Application Fee: $50
Graduation Fee: $350
Total: $26,400

I guess Capella is also expensive.

No, I don't think so. I attended for 2.5 years and needed no lawyer.

 

Probably not the best comparison. Capella has been knocked regularly here as also being quite expensive.


Tom Nixon

 

I ruled out Capella as being cost prohibitive, although I was still interested in them.

 

Agreed. Certainly UofP can charge what ever it wants but with their reported lack of quality and service it is very poor choice for most people.

 

Holly - I'm glad that things seem to be working out for you. While it's small consolation, your story is an object lesson for many on this forum. One idea that kept coming back to me throughout the unfolding of your story was the idea of the layers of bureaucracy that exist in such systems and the total lack of transparency in the organization. To me this is entirely deliberate and for the purpose of discouraging people in your position. This is why the tuition is so high. For every person who cracks the system and achieves some fair resolution there are undoubtedly many others who do not/can not. Good for you for your persistence.
Jack

 

Tom,

The comparison is just to show that UoP's fees are similar to other comparable schools. I have never said UoP was cheap.

Dave,

I would love to see a customer satisfaction survey from UoP to see if it supports your opinion (I mean a professional survey, not a me again-style survey). My opinion, based on my experience as a student with them, is that UoP is a reasonable choice for working adults with busy life-styles and receiving some sort of tuition assistance. I do not dispute the fact that there are cheaper alternatives, but perhaps not as convenient. If I had to do it all over again, with the same resources available, I would consider UoP again for my bachelor's.

Speaking of me again... howdy pardner!

 

This issue seems common. When I first saw this thread I thought, "Why is the person posting this same complaint about being mistakenly dropped from a class again?" Then I realized it was a new and different person.

 

atraxler's alma mater is IOU... errr, I mean UoP

• Posted by atraxler
  Snip...
  I would love to see a customer satisfaction survey from UoP to see if it supports your opinion (I mean a professional survey, not a me again-style survey).

Hey, how'd I get dragged into this thread??? I haven't posted anything here... until now.

• Posted by atraxler
  My opinion, based on my experience as a student with them, is that UoP is a reasonable choice for working adults with busy life-styles and receiving some sort of tuition assistance. I do not dispute the fact that there are cheaper alternatives, but perhaps not as convenient. If I had to do it all over again, with the same resources available, I would consider UoP again for my bachelor's.

How do people react when you tell them that you are a graduate of the University of Phoenix?

• Posted by atraxler
  Speaking of me again... howdy pardner!

I've been doing well, thank you, and have been watching this thread, along with the AIU threads. There seems to be a correlative similarity between the complaints against the UoP and the AIU. Maybe both schools should be consolidated and renamed IOU, due to their exorbitant costs?

 

Oh, you posted on this thread before, allright buddy? Take a look at the bottom of page 3. I didn't dragged you here

To be honest, most people seem indifferent since it is not a local school and they do not recognize the name. I recently applied to grad school (and was accepted, btw) and one professor that interviewed me show a great deal of interest in Phoenix. Besides this place, I've never heard anybody saying anything negative about the school (or my degree).

Know, let me ask you, how do people react when you tell them that you are a graduate of International College? Just curious, I knew a professor that taught at their Sarasota & Ft. Myers facilities. BTW, congrats on your master's degree from USF.

(side note... do you live in the TB area? I have family there... perhaps we can meet for coffee next time I'm in town?)

A noble idea, but frankly I don't think it will fly.

 

Hi AT

I agree a well done independent (not financed by UofP) customer satisfaction survey would be great data. I disagree strongly with your opinion due to UofP's exfremely high cost versus low quality which has been detailed in thread after thread at Degreeinfo. There is a reason Chip turns down Uof P's money. While Capella has a much higher quality level I wouldn't recommend their MBA either due to cost. Where Capella shines is in their Doctoral programs due to there being very few competitive programs. If a person's degree program is being paid for them, I can see someone choosing UofP due to lack of knowledge of other programs. I can not see an informed consumer choosing UofP except in exceptional cirmcumstances. There are just too many better choices out there. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.

 

Dave,

I think you are putting too much weight on what is said on a message board. Sometimes by anonymous posters... perhaps a disgruntled student who failed a course, such as the case here with NCU.

If UoP has such a "low quality" school as you think, why are they still accredited by NCA? If I understand the process correctly, during a reaffirmation visit input from the public is solicited by the accreditor. If quality, customer service, etc. is that bad, why isn't some massive public outcry denouncing this? Is this input considered at all by the accreditor?

What has NCA said about UOP? Are they on probation because of lack of academic quality or unethical business practices? Why has UoP been able to stay accredited since '78? How come they have been granted candidacy by ACBSP? Are any other comparable schools (i.e. Capella, Touro, etc.) on track to achieve that level of accreditation? Does ACBSP, AACSB, IACBE, etc. mean anything or are they simply fancy acronyms to put on a university's web page?

So much has been speculated about Touro going for AACSB, but are they even a member? Are they still on probation from Middle States? (I am not taking a stab at Touro, just trying to make that UoP is actually doing something to improve its programs; TUI was on my short list when I was seeking an MBA program).

Yeah, I guess so.

 

Re: Hmm...

I’m going to have to get behind Adrienne in this case; I agree things aren’t as simple as private = inaccessible, public = accessible. One of the most annoying situations I’ve had the misfortune to experience transpired during the short time I was matriculated in the second BS in CIS program at UMUC. I encountered a problem with the curriculum that left me positively stymied and the Chair refused to acknowledge any such problem existed. After consulting with John Bear (thanks again John for the direction) I wrote the University President. This begat just a remarkably obtuse and insipid response from a mid-level commissar – er, bureaucrat – that left me no options. I wrote the President a second time and I eventually received a phone call from the Chancellor who acknowledged the presence of the flaw I’d identified and indicated to me that steps would be taken to resolve the problem in future. Although, while apologetic, he had no suggestion on how I might go about resolving the problem I faced.

FWIW, what I discovered is that all persons are not created equal in online IT training. I found that a lot of my classmates were accomplished programmers, networkers, and what have you who had skipped undergrad and were taking courses they could teach to get the BS ticket punched. It made for anything but a level playing field for those of us who were complete or relative newbies. In specific, my instructor in the C language course neglected to cover classes; the backbone of object oriented programming. I aced the prerequisite so imagine how surprised I was to discover I was just clueless how to approach the very first lesson in the OOP sequel. I soon discovered that quite a few of the class had my experience. Fellow students reported the same problem and my instructor was good enough to acknowledge the situation had been going on for several semesters. It was, however, masked by the fact that the ringers did fine leaving the understandable interpretation that we newbies were simply weak students. Unlike armywife, I had just started the program so I had the enviable option to bail and transfer out. Nevertheless, I decided I’d give a go at tilting the windmill to improve things for the rest of the students.

I wound up transferring into the BS in IT program at UMass Lowell where the climate of supporting the student was way different. Yes, there was a bimodal distribution of ringers and newbies but the instructors and the administration acknowledged the situation and did everything humanly possible to deal with it. I ran into a brick wall when I attempted Visual C++; I was one of two in the class who wasn’t already employed in IT, had a degree in CS, engineering or what have you taking the course as continuing education. I proposed that I be allowed to drop and receive a full tuition reimbursement while I stopped out at UML so as to take a preparatory course in Visual C++ at Rio Salado Junior College. My petition was granted with absolutely no hassle and I finished the degree in December.

UMUC’s Chancellor informed me the University moved to address what was a quality control problem and I have no reason to doubt his sincerity. The plan was an annual retreat for the entire CIS faculty to ensure uniformity in curriculum content. Again, I can’t equate private-inaccessible v. public-accessible on the basis of my experience. Like anything else, there is probably a distribution. I can say that it required weeks and a persistent, some might say pain in the a__ , (then) 53-year old PhD to get someone’s attention. And, in the end, I was given no solution for how I might cover classes so as to forge ahead in OOP. I might add, I’ve been around the block enough so that I can appreciate that what presented to me as a difficult dilemma was likely small beer to a busy department Chair with scarce resources.

David

 

My Alma Mater is IOU

• Posted by atraxler
  Oh, you posted on this thread before, allright buddy?

Ten-four little buddy.

• Posted by atraxler
  Know, let me ask you, how do people react when you tell them that you are a graduate of International College? Just curious.

The majority of people have a blank expression on their face, like a deer in headlights, because they have never heard of International College. The chief question that I always get asked is, "Where is it?"

• Posted by atraxler
  Besides this place [DegreeInfo.com], I've never heard anybody saying anything negative about UOP (or my degree).

Good deal. I'm very glad to hear that your personal experience has been favorable. However, in retrospect and if you could do it all over again, would you still pursue a degree from the UOP? Just curious.

• Posted by atraxler
  [Regarding International College], I knew a professor that taught at their Sarasota & Ft. Myers facilities.

What is his name? Maybe I knew him or maybe he was my professor?

• Posted by atraxler
  (side note... do you live in the TB area? I have family there... perhaps we can meet for coffee next time I'm in town?)

Absolutely. If you're ever going to be in this area, just send me a PM and we can arrange for a meetings at Starbucks. I also know of a place where they brew their own beer, if you're interested.

 

Re: My Alma Mater is IOU

Would this be Hops, by chance? I spent countless hours there whilst at USF, not to mention that pub up in Carrollwood that had something like 350 beers (I forget the name).

TB is such a great place to eat and drink; as I've told my husband far more times than he's cared to hear, Tampa is (or, at least was, when I was there) the second largest test market for restaurants in the country. I could name several of my favorites that I still miss today, 9 years later!