Brown Mackie College - Phoenix Education Management Corporation www.edmc.edu WILLFUL OBSTRUCTION OF LEARNING INTIMIDATING HARASSMENT MISCONDUCT OF OFFICIALS MISLEADING CONFUSING ENROLLMENT FORCED WITHDRAW AGGRESSIVE RE-ENROLLMENT Phoenix, Arizona

  ***Abuse includes falsification of award documents, distortion,or misrepresentation of information

        from a school official*** 



******Complaint Filed with*******************************************************

                 

        Arizona State Board of Private Post Secondary Education

        FTC

        BBB

        ATTOURNEY GENRAL

        DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

        FRAUD WASTE AND ABUSE

        AZ HIGHER EDUCATION

        DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

 

*******************************************************************************       

       

        



07/31/2011



This is a formal

complaint against Brown Mackie College-Phoenix-Tucson, The Art institute of

Phoenix and EDMC in its entirety. 

   

 



This complaint states all the harassment by The College and their officials in

the departments.

 Carol Swanson used Intimidating, unproffesionalism, and harrassment towards me

 in an inappropriate, aggressive way while she gave me award letters to sign.

 let me add that they were false aid Document award letters

 that she Forced me to sign with out reading cause I had to get back to  class

 She had me sign for a parent plus loan and tryed hurry me up to sign it. I had

willful obstruction of learning by pulling me out of class while I was

trying to learn. the College and all their cohorts as a whole need to be held accountable

for being an aggressive and greedy for-profit institution corporation

and for not keeping me in there best interest above monetary gain.

 

Also in financial aid, Patricia Curtis, who

stated here comes trouble when I walked in to the aid office, and the

admissions department for rail-rodding me into a 33,120 dollar contract that

was supposed to be 24,000.00. The complaint is towards the admission and

financial aid officials for their aggressive, intimidation toward me to sign legal

forms for contracts and financial aid award letter before I had a chance to

look them over thoroughly, then basically using my education as a scare tactic

to get me to sign the forms.   Carol for yelling at me and treating me like I

was a minority and feeling as though I cant even ask questions about anything

let alone aid money. The Officials have made me feel so uncomfortable to even

step into the financial aid offices at the College or to even talk to the

Officials in person. They are all held to a professional standard and having

anything less than the standard of care is misconduct that has and is adversely

affecting the interest of me personally as a student and my studies and has

adversely affected me as a human being pushed around, and humiliated with their

bullying, unprofessional, unacceptable misconduct.  It also adversely affects EDMC in its whole

entirety, Brown Mackie College- Phoenix-Tucson, art institutes and/or its

reputation. I have supporting documents and witness to the lack of safety and

support, and best interest of me as a student.



     I started brown Mackie on 11/30/2009 I enrolled in the program to get an

associates of science degree in Surgical Technology which was $24,000.00 when

I started the program.  College officials

told me they were nationally accredited which were 96 credit hours approx. 1400

hours. I found out in august 2010 that the accreditation department was coming

to accredit the program which I was already enrolled in and the officials lied

to me and everyone else in that program. Since I started I have been on the

DEANs list and PRESIDENTS list and received a CLASSIC CITIZEN award as well as

Mentoring for new students who come in as well as volunteer my time to the

childrens first academy every time the school has helped the community.



I never missed not one

single day of school in 14 months, until I was Forced to sit out a month in

February 2010 (WILLFUL OBSTRUCTION OF LEARNING) due to the College Surgical

Tech Administrator who was the Head of the Department, telling at the time,  told me Donna you are going to have to sit out

in February 2011 because no one is teaching that class next month and it is no

longer a required class to take as credits for your associates degree in

surgical technology"  I said well

put me in a class I need, I said back. I dont want to sit out... She returned

with well you are one month ahead of everyone so they have to catch up to you.

I said BUT I DONT WANT TO SIT OUT. Shayna Labou said there is really nothing I

can do so she walks me to the financial aid Department and tells Patricia (The

Financial aid supervisor) that I need to sit out next month in February and

then she walks away and leaves me with Patricia. I said Patti I dont want to

sit out, and I am Very upset I wanted to have perfect attendance through my

whole academic career. She said ok you can leave now. I was dumb founded. So I

went to Patrick Selenas who works at the registrars office and I asked him,

what is the next class you have me scheduled for? And he said Pharmacy for the

surgical technologist.



 I said thank you and left.  But I was even dumber Founded and totally

confused at the fact that I received a phone a phone call about two weeks later

from an admissions rep that says Donna I need you to come in and sign a new

enrollment agreement. I said WHAT?? WHY? She added well youre no longer

enrolled here at brown Mackie Phx and if you want to start your class in two

weeks you need to re-enroll. I WAS IN COMPLETE SHOCK. I never dropped out I had

my next class scheduled I was so upset. My now PERFECT ATTENDANCE and DEANS

LITS was ruined.  I made a name for

myself at Brown Mackie and everyone who works there knows me. I went back to

the college and I looked at the enrollment agreement and I noticed it said a

little over 33,000 as the cost for attendance. I said this is CRAZY it was

originally paying  24,000 now I have to

pay 33,000 she said well if you want to start class in two weeks.



 So I felt like I had no choice because I never

wanted to take off a month. She also said I need you to fill out this form why

you dropped out of school. I SAID I NEVER DROPPED OUT I WAS FORCED TO SIT OUT

SO PLEASE GET YOUR FACTS CORRECT. She said well go ahead and fill this paper

out anyway I need to put it in your file cause you are on probation its a

standard thing that has to do with financial aid when you drop out.. I was

confused. Here I have this new lady talking down to me like I was a loser because

she thinks I dropped out. NOT CORRECT!!!! 

FORCED TO WITHDRAW! I was not yelling either I just felt like I got hit

by a truck and I was in shock..   I went

to financial aid and all my aid was messed up now. I had to fill out a new

award now when I already had it to where I could survive on the extra aid for

food and to help out with gas and insurance. I completed 8 credits for the term

but they were acting like the college was keeping that money cause like I said

three months later they refunded some of the tuition money,  but after three months of bitching they

finally gave me a refund but only for the class and fee not for the book

charges. Two days later Im in class and financial aid want to see me so I

leave class and Carol said I need you to sign this award, I said I did with

Patti the other day. Carol said well its wrong so sign this so i did and I went

back to class with my copy and i noticed she was trying to Take out a Parent

plus loan out on me when I am an independent student. So i went back said I

want that original copy I signed, you cant take a parent loan out on me.



She gave me the biggest attitude. I said have the correct award letter, a new one,

 and I will come back next break, I went back

and told her I will review the new one but I need to get back to class. I will

look this one over and bring it back later. She said I WILL JUST HAVE YOU

PULLED OUT OF CLASS LITERALLY YELLING AT ME WITH THE BIGGEST ATTITUDE. I said

go ahead but right now I am missing out on learning because of the false

mistake you made in the first place. So on my next break I took my friend Tiffany

Dunn with me to see carol and she was still being rude to me in front of

tiffany. I said please dont get an attitude with me because of the false

mistakes you made.Tiffany could not believe the nerve of carol treating

 me that way and neither could I.



 I also noticed when I got on my student portal to check my degree audit there were two

separate DIFFERENT degree audits. I was confused once again. I had created a

positive, safe environment at school for myself for the past 14 months. In a

matter of two weeks the college had made in confusing, uncomfortable, and

unsafe. I was crushed by these people that seemed like they no longer cared

about me and my accomplishments of perfect attendance and my G.P.A of 3.71

which now on the portal said 2.80.  The

Student Portal has FALSE information on it about my grades and my aid and needs

an investigation. The college has three different portals that are all

misleading and confusing, and distorted. I didnt understand what the college

had done to my little green progress degree line in the student portal, to see

what I had left till I graduated.  I went

an spoke to  Patrick Salenas in

registrar, he said I have nothing to do with the portal, he said talk to

bonnie, so I went to bonnie she said you need to log on to the new portal, I

said what new portal and she told me. The new portal had no degree audit, and

if i wanted to check my financial aid or account summary I had to click in the

new portal that took me to the old one.



I started having an issue and concerns with

the student portal because it said i attempted 4 credits on one portion of the

portal and the class was listed as unsuccessful attempt... and then I went to

the other degree audit and it said I had changed programs. Which I NEVER did

and it had a different class listed as credits taken credits unsuccessful. for

two months I was putting tickets in to talk to someone higher up and I didnt

get much response other than a revolving door. Im about to rip my hair out

cause no one seems to think anything is wrong with my portal.  I finally put a complaint into AZ Department

of Post-Secondary Education and the President of the school called me and I

went to talk to her and told her ALL the issues but I really didnt get to far

other then her apologizing ALOT for everyone at the college. She commented on

how detailed I am even over people that worked under her. She finally saw my

side and realized I was having several problems and they were addressed again

by all the departments but nothing was properly handled.  The college and everyone down there other

than the instructors have driven me to the point that I dont even care what

they think of me, I just want to address and correct mistakes that are not mine.



 They willfully held me from learning; they

forced me to ruin my 14 months perfect attendance.  Not to mention I had Pell grant money of

925.00 that the college said they returned because my 8 credits was not

considered half time with the department of education. When I checked the NSDLS

it said nothing about returned money. I called the department of edu, they said

the school is the only one that can update the grant part of the site, and as

soon as the college updates the information they have it posts to e.d.u site

that day, but Patti in my financial aid office said it dont update for (6) six

months. The information from patti was a complete blatant lie from a trusted

official at the college. So it was charged back to my account as -925.00. I

sent an email to carol Swanson that I wanted a copy of every original financial

document so I could see that the money was returned to the department of

education she said   



(Copied from original response e-mail)



On Jul 26, 2011 7:24 PM, "Swanson, Carol"

<cswanson@brownmackie.edu> wrote:



> Donna,



> I have start to work on your request but the r2t4 will

not be completed for 30 days and we do 

not have access to NSLDS although you do by logging in to NSLDS.ed.gov

.  I have also forward this to Paticia

Curtis the Director of Student Financial Services.



> Sincerely,



>



> Carol



>end email



                I was under the impression that

the rT24 was to be completed 30 days from withdrawal. Its now 5 months later

and they didnt complete the form, which is against the law per the department

of education.  I also was given a re-pack

of aid but carol and the college, were factiously trying to take a parent plus

loan out on me, but I told them to give me my original back. I was given a copy

of my ledger card which clearly states in carols handwriting, I attempted 8

credits and I was Half-time, but they withdrew me and tried to keep the my Pell

grant money and my tuition for the class they were no longer offering for my

program I enrolled in. Also the new award repack I signed it stated I was a

graduate student and not a repack which is false, and I asked carol about it in

front of tiffany and she just gave me an attitude and a half answer about why

it said that so I left confused and appalled. My account says 4 years of aid

but I am a 2 year student.



 I REQUIRE an investigation of my whole file

and all records and an audit done on the financial aid department of Brown

Mackie College PHX-TUCS- Art institute and there EDMC and their cohorts, done

by the Arizona Commission/Board for private

Postsecondary Education, NASSGAP, Arizona higher education, and the proper

authorities for a financial aid audit and any other authority you see fit.

 Also I was enrolled in two prior

colleges and gave them a copy of my transcript but they made me take a compass

test to determine if I had the ability to benefit and they said I failed the English

part of the compass test and forced me to take a FUNDAMENTAL OF ENGLISH CLASS,

but they already knew I could benefit due to my prior college records with

mostly As for the classes I took. I feel the college does this intentionally

to get people off track on purpose so they can keep the students money for the

4 or 8 credit term. The college is showing a BAD DEBT from me as part of that

curriculum change of over 400 dollars for that term and the class they never

gave me to me.  If this information is

found to be true this is considered PRE-MEDITATED FRAUD and WILLFUL OBSTRUCTION

OF LEARNING and want The College and their Cohorts to be held ACCOUNTABLE.

I feel I have been the best student I could be

to represent the school in an extra ordinary positive up-lifting way, since I

enrolled in 2009. the College has totally burdened me because of this whole

situation of me bring a drop-out and taking months to return the money that was

rightfully mine to live on. This whole situation has CONSUMED me, my TIME, and

my sanity trying to correct the the wrongs the college officials have bestowed

upon me.



 It has caused me undue hardship and I feel

sabotaged, and intimidated by the officials actions towards me. This cant be

the thanks I get for all the hard work I put into my education and representing

Brown Mackie Phx- Tucson- EDMC- The art institute of Phoenix to the best of my

abilities.  I feel they willfully

obstructed me from learning and I want a complete audit done of my financial

account the three enrollment agreements I signed starting from 250 a credit for

general education classes to 275 a credit for SURGICAL Core and 330 for CONCENTRATION.

The program I stated which was an associate of science degree in surgical

technologist.  My student portal says I

transferred to a different program but never did that was 24000.00  I want my money refunded or adjusted

accordingly and my school records to reflect I did drop out of school and that

I did not transfer to another program.  I

was under the understanding that I was a half time student because i took 8

credits in the term. They said because its not listed in the catalog for a

leave of absence, but I didnt leave and the college says I attempted 8 credits

and did not complete them, which is false.  I cant see how I could have taken a full 12

credits when the college forced me to take a month off and didnt offer any

class for me to take in return.



They are to be held responsible for the cost of this occurrence from

their pocket not mine I dont want the colleges burden they cause by lying to

me and falsifying Documents about the program I started and reflecting on my

record. The student portal needs to be investigated; it seems distorted, fictitious,

misleading and just plain falsely manipulated. The college has caused undue

hardship on me and according to the 2009/2010 catalog they should not and will

not do that to a student. The college has, financially, and emotionally caused

undue hardship to me. I have proof of all documents. Connie mallard who is the

president spoke to me and addressed issues and as she agreed with me that the

actions toward me were wrong and should never have happened.  I told her at the time after ALL HER APOLOGIES

and she was very kind but I dont think she understood how burdened all this

has been on me and still is. Nothing got handled to my satisfaction.



 Abuse includes falsification,

distortion, or misrepresentation of information from a school official. The

College Officials actions towards me are unacceptable



And I should never, nor should anyone

else feel the way I was made to feel and still feel

 

.