Apollo Group University Of Phoenix Apollo Group Student Scapegoats for the UoP bureaucratic nightmares, Internet

I am not happy being "a Phoenix". There is no pride nor honor in stating I am a student at UoP. My complete academic career has been jeopardized by UoP employees, faculty and administrators inabilities to address, resolve or prevent the rampant issues associated with being a UoP student. It is my intent and sheer desire to form a counter response team of former UoP students, employees, faculty and administrators and start another class action suit for damages to victims of this scam disguised as an "institution of higher learning". The design of the UoP system prevents and hinders anyone from actually documenting anything unethical, but if a overwhelming number of complaintants from across the United States have similar or recurring incidents which adversely affected their lives, that would be more than enough evidence to prove our case to a jury. The only way to counter UoP's fraudulent, unethical and illegal actions is to band together and initiate a class action suit for damages.

I am a current graduate student enrolled with UoP ground courses for the MBA/HRM program. Since my deception into the UoP institution in March 2009, I have been fighting a bureaucratic nightmare that many former students, employees and administrators are now revealing as "business as usual" for UoP's secret policies and procedures. My enrollment counselor (EC) made promises and false statements from day one. I went to my initial session with lots of apprehension and prepared a long list of concerns I hope to have clarified prior to filling out any paperwork. After 4 1/2 hours (yes, it took that long to cover my concerns) I left there convinced and confident I had nothing to worry about with the UoP. I now know I was gravely misled and decieved in everything she assured me would never happen at the UoP.

My first course in the MBA was fun, mostly because I was finally glad to be in a graduate program. I went through the course and thought I completed with an A. At least that was the last grade I had before I turned in my final assignment. I went into the next course with the assumption I did well. I actually got a C- for the course grade. When I backtracked to find out what happened to my A average before the last assignment submission, I discovered my final assignment did not post properly in the online learning system (OLS) and my professor gave me a 0 for the assignment, which dropped my GPA considerably.

I immediately contacted my Academic Counselor (AC) as instructed from my "orientation" with my EC if I encountered any issues or situations during my enrollment. My AC informed me there was nothing that could be done since my grades were already posted and since I missed the assignment deadline, it warranted the 0 grade I recieved. I was disappointed in her final statement, "Next time, be sure to go and look that your work posts in OLS to prevent this from happening again in the future."

Since I was already 2 weeks into my next course, I decided not to make this OLS mistep drain my morale and continued on a little more vigilant in my assignments. The instructor for this course added more issues to the OLS misteps I had already experienced. During Weeks 3 & 4, the instructor had failed to grade the previous Weeks 1 & 2 assignments. He made an announcement to the class about his delay and blamed UoP for keeping him too busy doing other things besides instructing (his EXACT excuse); therefore, he proffered to extend the deadlines for Weeks 3 and 4.

When I submitted my work on OLS, I added notes that referenced various trouble issues and questions I had about the assignment. I am most certain I verified my assignments were attached and I sent the assignment. Again, I went on with the rest of the course thinking I was doing exceptionally well this time around.

It was not until after my 5th week did I find out I got an F for the course. I was thoroughly confused, angry and frustrated. All I had to reference was the tally sheet the instructors post with the max points possible and points earned for assignments. For weeks 3 and 4 I had 0's for both. I knew this was virtually impossible because (1) i did the assignment and (2) I double checked that my assignments attached. According to the instructor, they did not.

Again, I contacted my AC and told her my situation. This time I asked specific questions and how to address this problem and get it resolved. She gave me a series of steps the first of which was to arrange a meeting with the instructor to discuss possible resolutions. This is where the nightmare really takes a turn for the worst.

I met with the professor. Before I even had a chance to state my claims, he interrupted me with the issue of my failing grade being changed. He dominated the entire conversation with stories, analogies and lots of smoke and mirrors which really had no relevancy to address the problem. When I stated FACTS pertaining to my assignments not posting, referenced specifics with other UoP staff who witnessed my extensive OLS problems first hand and then reminded him my assignment posting detailed issues and concerns in attachments (he claims were never there), he demanded I give him "proof" these events ever occurred. I explained how the UoP employees were a physical witness and his response was "If you do not have an email showing me this discussion, then I just can't your word for it".

He then ended this session by waving his hand, turning up his nose and telling me that I "should go back into the military" and to leave his office. I left FURIOUS and immediately contacted my AC about what just happened. During this conversation I was completely deflated and my morale dropped considerably. I told my AC because of all the stress and never having a resolution to any of my variety of concerns with OLS (at the resource center, the main ground campus, the instructor and with my AC) that I wanted to walk away from UoP altogether.

She informed me there were "serious" repurcussions to that decision and contacted my financial advisor (FA) to discuss those with me. While on the phone, my FA instructed me that I could walk away but that I would owe UoP over 10K since UoP will be obligated to return my student loan funds to the lender. After this bullying session over debts, money and owing UoP over 10K if I walked away now, I decided to contact someone higher up in the chain.

All the red flags I had before are now turning into complete blazes. I spent many hours contacting a variety of individuals to give me contact information to UoP administrators outside my campus area. Every person discouraged me from pursuing this outside my area and tried to convince me to "keep this issue in house". I searched the UoP website for any contact information in the chain of command. There are not any listed - not even for my campus.In my desperation for any answers, I contacted the UoP main information line and finally got in contact with the Office of Dispute Management. I explained my many diverse concerns with my academic "career" with UoP and was instructed to fill out a grievance form, which she emailed to me immediately. Once I received the form, I began to fill out the required information.

One of those questions requested any documentation pertaining to my claims. Since the only communications I have had were verbal (over the phone and in person), my only option was to use the OLS posting forum as reference. When I went to the OLS to retrieve these communications, they were gone. It was as if I had never done any work, posted any messages - nothing. I was only 3 weeks into my 3rd course with UoP and my previous work that I referenced and reviewed less than a week earlier were not there anymore. (how many bonfires are starting?)

There was a student in my current course who also worked for UoP. I asked her if and how I could get this information that was once on OLS and is now gone. She asked me what was going on and stupid me, I told her. Again, she discouraged me from doing anything about it. She even told me there was nothing I could do, but to give her a call when she is at tomorrow and she will arrange with meeting with the Campus Director (CD).

I called her and she stated she would put in a request with the CD for an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) to this matter. She will either have the CD or she will personally contact me about this request. Three days passed and I contacted her to the status of our discussion. She then informed me she spoke with the CD and he instructed her to tell me he spoke with the instructor and after their discussion he saw no reason to honor my request! (isn't this illegal? YES! IT IS!)

I started talking about how it is impossible to hold students accountable for an obviously flawed OLS. She wanted to know how I felt it was flawed and I went into a rant of the many occurrences of technical "glitches" that are not being addressed. I finally hung up in disgust and helplessness. I still went to my class only this time, I was ridiculed and harrassed by staff of UoP who "overheard" my conversation with the student in my class. One even mocked me by using exact phrasing, tone and sequence of what I spoke to that student in my class. Although humilated, I ignored the juvenile behavior and continued as best as I could.

Compiling stress with the fact my academic career was being systemically destroyed with the UoP bureaucracy, I was on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. My AC had previously informed me of her extreme difficulties in getting anyone at my campus to return her phone calls, emails and IMs. I knew I was losing this battle quickly. I requested assistance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator (ADAC) with UoP due to the exacerbation of preexisting medical conditions these issues were creating.

In the course of a month, I was completely ignored by UoP administrators and employees. Their excuse was a "change in certain positions" and that was the reason for the delay. The first ADAC explained the process and assured me there would be no issues with my paperwork. He sent the forms with specific completion instructions and to contact him when I was completed. I had the paperwork done within 24 hours and left a massage on his voicemail (VM).

One week passed without a response from the ADAC. At this point, I am completely frustrated with talking to anyone at UoP. Relunctantly, I contacted my AC and explaind this new issue with the ADAC. For another week she attempted to contact him personally and failed to establish contact. When my AC did research who should be contacted next, she gave me the name of a new ADAC who replaced the other ADAC. (how convenient for UoP). She told me to contact him.

I made arrangements to meet with this new ADAC, We met, I submitted my paperwork directly to him, he quickly reviewed it and he said there should be no issues (where have I heard this lie before?). Less than a week later, he was calling me to tell me I had filled out the wrong ADA form. He sent me a new one to fill out. While I was faxing this reworked ADA form from the UoP resource center, the ADAC calls me again and says he has forwarded the wrong form to me, that he is sending another to replace that "outdated" one.

I gritted my teeth, but did as I was instructed (for the record my FA was notorious for resending "outdated" forms from UoP numerous times). I filled that form out in presence of the UoP staff at the resource center. As he was faxing this reworked form it to the ADAC at the main campus, he experienced "technical difficulties" with the fax machine. He claimed the machine did not want to send faxes. (how convenient, but wait, UoP claims there aren't such issues). I left the resource center completely convinced I made a HUGE mistake in chosing UoP.

The following week, the ADAC contacted me and verfied he did receive my paperwork but there was an issue with a portion of it. He needed me to sign another form for my ADA paperwork. When I read this form, it was a Release of Information (ROI) for my entire medical history be made available to UoP. (I am not a fool, I once worked for a hospital and I know what that entitles them to have - anything they want). I stopped all contact with the ADAC and took a medical leave of absence to regroup my morale and allow this stress to subside.

Now I am currently trying to get back into this program and get my GPA to a position that I can transfer to another grad program elsewhere. Again, this current course does not have assignments posted, we have no syllabus to reference and the OLS will not display the posting forum for students and professors to communicate. (hmmm, 3 months later the issues are still there, imagine that!)

I contacted my AC and told her this recurring situation. She stated she did not even see an instructor assigned for this course and she would investigate further and get back with me by the close of business today (which is now over and no call). Basically, as a student, I have 4 days to get a syllabus, study the assigned material, do research and submit homework to a class that does not have an instructor, or syllabus or clear assignment.

Anyone enrolled in UoP knows that we have seven (7) days to complete an assignment on the first night of class. If assignments are not submitted properly, for any reason, it is an automatic 0 and there is no making it up - for any reason. This hardly seems fair and I am now glad to know I am not the only student experiencing this and similar interactions with UoP.

Now, I am trapped in this vicious phone tag circle of contacting UoP administrators to get this problem addressed. The only responses are to start with technical support. Wait, I am not totally ignorant, but what does tech support have to do with the fact an instructor is not assigned to a course? Isn't that the responsibility of the CD or the grad dept chair? Guess what, they are the same professors who refuse to do anything pertaining to their job titles and refused to help make an agreeable resolution to my issues. Imagine that!

This prompts me to ask what recourse do we as students have to protect ourselves with this bureaucratic nightmare? Anytime I present this fact to anyone at UoP is rationalized with "every university operates the same way". This is not true, in a real, genuine university, we, as students have a Student Government Association (SGA)that addresses these concerns. With the UoP, our issues are addressed verbally with an AC or Academic Service Manager (ASM), through redirection to other departments or leaving voice messages that are never returned.

We, as humans and victims of this entire scam, deserve our justice against this corporation. The legal history against UoP has rendered guilty verdicts of their unethcial and illegal practices since 2000. What is in place to protect us, the victims of this deception other than a lawsuit that draws attention to this "degree mill disguised as a university"? It's time to take back our student and employee rights and make this business accountable for its deceit and fraud.

If anyone is interested in coming together and fighting this, please get in touch with me via this forum or reference a website where others are already considering this fight a viable option. I only want to restore my academic career and move on to better things than UoP. I have wasted enough time waiting for my dreams to come true and I refuse to let the "boogey man" that is UoP, continue to make my future dreams a nightmare. Are you just going to sit and take it as well? I hope not, because that is what UoP expects us to do and, in doing so, you let them win and continue this scam for other unsuspecting victims.

Be a voice that needs to be heard. One voice may not ring loud - but many voices can not be ignored. I hope this posting is an inspiration to others to reconsider their decisions to give up. That is what faceless corporations hope to acheive. They systemically destroy the collective spirit and hope you don't bother fighting them. Let's prove their "logic" wrong!