University of Phoenix Libby Bailey, Sr. Student Relations Administrator - PhoenixConnect Censor/Monitor The school that censors its tuition paying students... Phoenix, Arizona

Long story short, in 2010, U of P started an online forum called PhoenixConnect which was intended to allow students to interact with each other.  This was especially nice for the online only crowd who rarely, if ever, knew or communicated with students outside of a classroom forum.

Recently, however, the school has taken to moderating and censoring students who post comments that disagree with the views of the school.  In particular, students who post issues about financial aid, academic rigor, instructor effectiveness, and a whole host of other topics that don't agree with the liberal slant of the school and its student relations team are moderated off, censored, and even banned from posting altogether.  They claim the "community guidelines" spell out what is and what is not acceptable, however these guidelines are only available to members who are not banned from the forum.  Furthermore, the guidelines are ambiguous and left up to the subjective judgment of student/staff moderators who may or may not have an ax to grind on certain topics.

The Sr. Student Relations Manager, Libby Bailey, is very good at emailing students when they have been found in violation of the guidelines, but is not adequately able to explain in detail what criteria causes students to become banned.  She makes a point to note that the forum is a private forum and that it is a privilege and not a right.

Well here's me telling her and U of P that our tuition money that you use to fund that forum is a privilege and not a right.  You do not have a right to our money and then to ban us from certain university services.  I am almost finished with my bachelor's degree, but I assure you that because of this censorship and subjective interpretation of the "guidelines," I will be one alumnus who does not continue on to grad school with U of P.  I hope more students who have been subjected to this unfair and arbitrary moderation have the wherewithal to stand up and speak out about it.