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Report: #150301

Complaint Review: University Of Phoenix - Phoenix Arizona

  • Submitted:
  • Updated:
  • Reported By: phoenix Arizona
  • Author Confirmed What's this?
  • Why?
  • University Of Phoenix 3157 E Elwood Rd Phoenix, Arizona United States of America

University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona

*General Comment: Another Viewpoint - UOP Worked for Me

*General Comment: Sounds Ok To Me

*General Comment: I am concern about the reports of UOP

*Consumer Comment: UOP is a good school

*Consumer Suggestion: A Common Tale

*General Comment: Basic Questions

*Consumer Comment: Accreditation?

*UPDATE Employee: 'will not wait for you to understand'

*Consumer Comment: Degree and Financial Aid Scammers

*Consumer Comment: Grant info

*Consumer Comment: what do i do?

*Consumer Suggestion: Cut Your Losses

*Consumer Comment: Help me!!

*Consumer Comment: Tired of the rhetoric

*General Comment: Thank You

*General Comment: UOP is not accredited by AACSB. Stated on AACSB website.

*Consumer Comment: Check the value of a University of Phoenix diploma

*Consumer Comment: MY CONCERNS FOR MY FUTURE

*General Comment: Don't continue going to a school that you consider worthless.

*Consumer Comment: UOP

*Consumer Comment: "Hours?"

*General Comment: Don't waste money at a for profit web design degree

*General Comment: soon to be going

*Consumer Comment: Liars

*Consumer Suggestion: Former UOPX Student

*Consumer Comment: Other UOPX Degree Programs?

*Consumer Comment: uhhhhh, NO

*Consumer Comment: Okay Pap who do you work for?

*General Comment: UoP Accreditation

*General Comment: Thoughts and questions for B

*Consumer Comment: RATES

*Consumer Comment: Oh Jesus F***ing Christ!

*Consumer Comment: Quick Question

*Consumer Comment: So....

*UPDATE Employee: An educated comment

*General Comment: Past Student and Happy with my Choice

*Consumer Comment: Depends on what you are looking for

*General Comment: GetEducated.com

*Consumer Comment: Like some cheese with that whine?

*Consumer Comment: Currently Attending trying to leave!

*Consumer Comment: Reality Check

*Consumer Comment: It is a RIP OFF!

*General Comment: Everyone Is Crazy Here

*Consumer Comment: I Fight to Stay Positive Despite Being Ripped Off!

*UPDATE Employee: Overload

*Consumer Comment: Ex-UOP CEO Brian Mueller now caught in same SCAM at Grand Canyon College

*Consumer Comment: ABC News Hammers UOP with undecover report

*Consumer Comment: Hey everyone GUESS WHAT I AM POSTING GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!

*Consumer Comment: And now the banks

*Consumer Comment: UOP & Financial Aid Screwed Me

*Consumer Comment: Cap locked complaint

*Author of original report: I have told anyone I know stay far far away from this school..............if you're enrolled I feel sorry for you because in 4 years your "degree" probably will not be what you think: my UOP hell

*General Comment: TO ALL THE PEOPLE DEFENDING UOP

*Consumer Comment: you are a guy with guts....hats off to you

*Consumer Comment: BRAVO "B"

*Consumer Comment: aacsb

*Consumer Comment: EDUCATION...What is it really?

*Consumer Comment: Ripped off By UOP

*Consumer Comment: Taking your credits with you.

*Consumer Comment: A few questions for B?

*Consumer Comment: What about their Elementary Ed. Bachelor's degree?

*Consumer Comment: Wasting time

*REBUTTAL Individual responds: Filing Class Action Please respond>

*Consumer Comment: Thinking about attending to UOP

*Consumer Comment: THE SCHOOL SCREWED ME WITH MY Transcripts

*Consumer Comment: IF B IS SO BAD

*Consumer Suggestion: what can i do??

*Consumer Suggestion: University of Phoenix

*Consumer Comment: B., thanks for educating me about the UoP online.

*Consumer Suggestion: Oh Lord, I was really fearing this...

*Consumer Suggestion: This is the subprime of education

*UPDATE Employee: B is wack - Here's how we enrollment counselors do things...

*Consumer Comment: Current Student

*Consumer Comment: WHERE IS "b" we miss you

*UPDATE Employee: University of Phoenix is not accurately represented

*Consumer Comment: VERY EXPENSIVE

*Consumer Comment: k

*Consumer Comment: I'm Attending This University Now

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Some thought regarding both sides of this coin

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Some final notes

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Some final notes

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Some final notes

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Some final notes

*Consumer Suggestion: Online Learning is not for Everyone - UOP is an Excellent School

*Consumer Comment: Gina, A Typical UOP graduate student.

*Consumer Comment: My Response

*Consumer Comment: UOP Student

*Consumer Comment: Think About It

*UPDATE Employee: Is everyone taking crazy pills!

*Consumer Comment: Message to B..I Love You! I hope you still read the posts

*Consumer Comment: Help

*Consumer Comment: Transfer update

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Where's B Been?

*Consumer Comment: No problems in transferring UOP credit or getting accepted into other graduate programs

*Consumer Comment: AACSB-Accredited universities generally do not accept credit from non-AACSB-Accredited...

*Consumer Comment: A different prospective

*Consumer Comment: Been there Since 2005

*Consumer Comment: AACSB Accreditation

*Consumer Comment: OK.......

*Consumer Comment: Of Course B is Disgruntled

*Consumer Comment: Of Course B is Disgruntled

*Consumer Comment: Of Course B is Disgruntled

*Consumer Comment: Of Course B is Disgruntled

*Consumer Comment: Two Cents

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I see both sides...

*Consumer Comment: Questions for B...please excuse any spelling mistakes.

*Consumer Comment: Questions for B...please excuse any spelling mistakes.

*Consumer Comment: Questions for B...please excuse any spelling mistakes.

*Consumer Suggestion: I currently attend UOP, and have to agree with some points...

*Consumer Comment: B - What About South University?

*Consumer Comment: AVOID THESE SCHOOLS, THEY ARE USELESS

*Consumer Comment: Thanx you!

*Author of original report: What about Kaplan?

*Consumer Comment: What about Kaplan?

*Author of original report: Jennifer

*Consumer Suggestion: So, what now?

*Consumer Comment: Abby don't let the have-nots get the best of you

*Consumer Comment: Thank you B and Everyone

*Author of original report: Thank God I found this site

*Author of original report: Thank God I found this site

*Author of original report: Thank God I found this site

*Author of original report: Thank God I found this site

*Consumer Comment: Thank God I found this site

*Consumer Comment: Education via University of Phoenix

*Consumer Comment: Joke of All Time

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: But B in Phoenix failed to report on the other half of the equation, What do you get for the $?

*Consumer Comment: Tried UOP and was not happy. Student from 2005-2006.

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Your information is right on and I am glad to hear what you said, FYI

*Consumer Comment: UOP (Apollo) stock hammered; $277 million dollar class-action loss a crusher!

*Consumer Comment: James did you read the whole thread?

*Author of original report: Who ordered the Kraut?

*Consumer Comment: Questioning B motive.

*Consumer Comment: Thanx B. Great Thread

*Consumer Comment: University Of Phoenix (aka Apollo Group, Aka AmwayU) UOP Taxpayer/Securities Fraud, Chicago Cops nail UOP in class-action suit Phoenix AZ

*Consumer Comment: I knew this place was stealing my grant money....

*Consumer Comment: Thanx B

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Regis

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Regis

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Regis

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Regis

*Consumer Comment: "B", How does Regis compare to UOP or the others that you do like?

*Consumer Comment: HELP!!

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Rocco Round 4

*Consumer Suggestion: Might as well give my last 2 cents

*Author of original report: Response 3: Rockymasonicaccountant

*Consumer Suggestion: Um ur not considered successful in my opinion

*Author of original report: RE: DIVA327

*Author of original report: Response 2: Rockymasonicaccountant

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: No Info Verified

*Consumer Suggestion: B...

*Author of original report: To: Rockymasonicaccountant

*Consumer Suggestion: What is UOP's career placement rate?

*Consumer Comment: Former Student of WIU, AXIA, and now University of Phoenix!

*Consumer Comment: Current Student

*Author of original report: Response to Current Student in Wisconsin

*Consumer Comment: A good way to tell if it is an "Accredited" institution

*Consumer Comment: A good way to tell if it is an "Accredited" institution

*Consumer Comment: A good way to tell if it is an "Accredited" institution

*Consumer Comment: You are Just Bitter

*Author of original report: Response to your Question

*Consumer Comment: UoP -- I'm Out

*Consumer Comment: Question for you B

*Author of original report: Unhappy People?

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: There will always be unhappy people

*Consumer Comment: Every College has serious problems

*Consumer Comment: I LOVE The University of Phoenix - and NO, it is NOT a rubberstamp education!

*Author of original report: g-man

*Consumer Comment: Shocking news 'B'! need information.

*Consumer Comment: Thanx to B!

*Author of original report: Anon

*Consumer Comment: STOP ATTENDING ALL THESE JUNK ON LINE SCHOOLS AND YOUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED

*UPDATE Employee: Keystone Mercy recommends University of Phoenix for their employees and eligible for their tuition reimbursement plan.

*Consumer Comment: Wow, now there's cynicism for ya!

*Author of original report: Consumer Onus

*Author of original report: Consumer Onus

*Author of original report: Consumer Onus

*Author of original report: Consumer Onus

*Consumer Comment: response to B

*Author of original report: To UOP Grad

*Consumer Comment: UOP Grad, good experience

*Consumer Comment: (Applause....) Awesome B....

*Author of original report: Since you asked for it

*UPDATE Employee: Thanks for informing me that I am a hopeless, unethical, stupid loser

*Consumer Comment: Thanx B

*Author of original report: Rick

*Consumer Comment: Transfering from UOP to NEU

*Consumer Comment: Thanks to the author

*Author of original report: Accreditation

*Consumer Comment: Accreditation?

*Consumer Comment: For goodness sake Donald,

*UPDATE Employee: To Nixxon

*Author of original report: Fasttrack? Maybe, but to where?

*Consumer Comment: I hope this page is still acvite I need HELP!!!!!

*Consumer Comment: UoP offerst a great, fast and convenient solution

*Consumer Comment: What were your expectations?

*Consumer Comment: Ron....

*Consumer Comment: You can understand why....

*Consumer Suggestion: Accredidation & options

*Author of original report: Ronald

*Consumer Comment: Is it really worth it?

*Author of original report: GINA...

*Consumer Suggestion: I have an Idea

*Consumer Comment: Gina....

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Another Perspective-University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona University Of Phoenix

*Author of original report: Tim

*Consumer Comment: Intel--Canary in mine shaft?

*Consumer Comment: Intel--Canary in mine shaft?

*Consumer Comment: Intel--Canary in mine shaft?

*UPDATE Employee: Tim, the Intel issue

*UPDATE Employee: Tim, the Intel issue

*UPDATE Employee: Tim, the Intel issue

*UPDATE Employee: Tim, the Intel issue

*Consumer Comment: Amanda

*Author of original report: Amanda, do you know the name of this website?

*Consumer Comment: All UoP students are not ignorant

*Author of original report: Billy

*Consumer Comment: B....

*Consumer Comment: New Victim.....

*Author of original report: Billy

*Consumer Comment: A New Victim

*Consumer Comment: For B

*Consumer Comment: How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

*Consumer Comment: How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

*Consumer Comment: How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

*Consumer Comment: How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

*Author of original report: J, you assume much

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Comment to B. of Arizona

*Consumer Comment: NEW YORK TIMES

*Consumer Comment: To Ally in Brooklyn....

*Consumer Comment: WAYNE

*Author of original report: Wayne

*Consumer Comment: FED GRANT STOLEN BY UOP

*Author of original report: Joe

*Consumer Comment: UOP ED. degrees worthless

*Consumer Suggestion: You get what you pay for

*Consumer Suggestion: You get what you pay for

*Consumer Suggestion: You get what you pay for

*Consumer Suggestion: You get what you pay for

*Consumer Comment: MY OPINION DIFFERS

*Consumer Comment: May Be of Assistance

*Consumer Comment: New York Times

*Consumer Comment: Basketball Player Shaq

*Consumer Comment: UOP Debate

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Joshua

*Consumer Comment: My Opinion of UOP

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: UOPs response To New York Times Article

*Consumer Suggestion: Write About it...

*Author of original report: Richard, your claims against NCU are invalid and unfounded

*Consumer Comment: Beware of Northcentral University online PhD programs!!!!

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: please read this in the New York Times

*Consumer Comment: University of Phoenix - UOP

*Consumer Comment: University of Phoenix - UOP

*Author of original report: To Joe

*Consumer Comment: UOP... is it your fualt that you bought the hype?

*Consumer Comment: Intel also dropped

*Consumer Comment: Intel also dropped

*Consumer Comment: Intel also dropped

*Consumer Comment: Intel also dropped

*Consumer Comment: I forgot to mention

*Consumer Comment: I forgot to mention

*Consumer Comment: I forgot to mention

*Consumer Comment: I forgot to mention

*Consumer Comment: Some things to consider

*Consumer Comment: Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

*Consumer Comment: Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

*Consumer Comment: Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

*Consumer Comment: Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

*Author of original report: To Jesse

*Consumer Comment: Thanx You B and others: Made my decision easier!

*Consumer Comment: Thanx You B and others: Made my decision easier!

*Consumer Comment: Thanx You B and others: Made my decision easier!

*Author of original report: To Bonnie

*Consumer Comment: transfering

*Consumer Suggestion: From a Consumer/Employers Perspective

*Consumer Comment: Apollo (UOP) v. Enron--a stock collapse perspective

*Consumer Comment: Apollo Stock Option Investigation--Major Deficiencies

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: UOP seems to have bought their way out of the tight spot they were in...

*Author of original report: Tonia

*Consumer Comment: Online Vs. Brick & Mortar

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Tonia

*REBUTTAL Individual responds: B & others I need your help. Was considering UOP!

*Consumer Comment: UOP student

*Author of original report: Feel Felt Found... Dear God

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Northcentral University

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: R.T. You Are Incorrect about Northcentral

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Ex-employee, recent MBA grad

*Author of original report: To Stefin

*Author of original report: To Robert

*Consumer Comment: Question about a different online program

*Consumer Comment: University of Phoenix

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I feel like Neo...

*Consumer Comment: You saved me B!

*Consumer Comment: You saved me B!

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: This is Just Funny Because it is Completely True

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I Have to Disagree Here

*Consumer Comment: UoP Not Going Anywhere

*Consumer Comment: Thank you B

*Author of original report: A- It depends on your program level

*Consumer Suggestion: Need Help

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Your quest is almost over B

*Author of original report: The Laws UOP Breaks:

*Consumer Comment: I was having a bad day....

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: U. of Phoenix Loses in U.S. Court

*Consumer Comment: Selling degrees to people that need degrees

*Consumer Suggestion: An Investigator's point of view.

*UPDATE Employee: How's 6-3 working out, B?

*UPDATE Employee: Tech Support

*Consumer Suggestion: University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona

*Author of original report: For Marie,

*Consumer Suggestion: University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona"

*Consumer Suggestion: University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona"

*Consumer Suggestion: Done baiting, now to be constructive

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I understand your points

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I understand your points

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I understand your points

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I understand your points

*Consumer Comment: Glad I did not go to UOP

*Consumer Suggestion: Just a few thoughts...

*Author of original report: Pat, I think a Tic Tac might be in order...

*UPDATE Employee: UOP is Good School!!

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Frank and Danny

*Consumer Comment: I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

*Consumer Comment: I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

*Consumer Comment: I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

*Consumer Comment: I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

*Consumer Comment: Steve, that's what you have to show for 30 years???

*Author of original report: MBA/ED?

*Consumer Comment: not a CEO/ CFO, but this you can verify.... sorry, Frank I had to.

*Author of original report: Hard Evidence

*Consumer Comment: Better hope the Hiring Manager hasn't bought Apollo stock!!!

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Steve, let's not pick fights with Frank, this isn't his thread...

*Consumer Comment: Did you read the busnesswire press release Frank?

*Consumer Comment: more Apollo trouble: SEC, US Attorney investigation

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To all ye doubters, what Frank did is actually took them time to probe into the financial scenario at UOP. He nailed it on the head

*Consumer Comment: UOP stock getting hammered

*Consumer Comment: UOP, Yes or No?

*Author of original report: Another for the records...

*UPDATE Employee: This is really rediculous

*Consumer Comment: UoP Madness

*Consumer Comment: Thanks for the Links

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Still not enough

*Consumer Comment: A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

*Consumer Comment: A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

*Consumer Comment: A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

*Consumer Comment: A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

*Consumer Comment: To B

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To Wealth

*Consumer Comment: UOP is a Good School

*Author of original report: M, this is a long one...

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: From "M" to "B"

*UPDATE Employee: Response to B.

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To M and Hasina

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To M and Hasina

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To M and Hasina

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To M and Hasina

*UPDATE Employee: Quit Bashing UOP

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: How is UOP different?

*Consumer Comment: My UoP Experience

*Consumer Comment: My UoP Experience

*Consumer Comment: My UoP Experience

*UPDATE Employee: Late Assignments

*Consumer Comment: UoP is a RIPOFF

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I also worked for UoP Online

*Consumer Comment: To Lloyd - in the process of revamping their MBA program to a new version with an additional accrediting body. Not AACSB but close.

*Consumer Comment: Yeah

*Consumer Suggestion: Look at NCU

*Consumer Comment: I need advice........thank you B! Please give me some advice!

*Consumer Comment: There is Hope

*Consumer Comment: Reply

*Consumer Comment: UOPO is a complete waste of time!

*Consumer Comment: Question for B - Update

*Consumer Comment: Question for B

*Consumer Comment: THANX FOR THE INSIGHTFUL INFO!!

*Consumer Comment: Making Lemondaid...

*Consumer Comment: Making Lemondaid...

*Consumer Comment: Making Lemondaid...

*Consumer Comment: Making Lemondaid...

*Author of original report: Amris

*Author of original report: Amris

*Author of original report: Amris

*Author of original report: Amris

*Consumer Comment: Interesting Argument

*Consumer Suggestion: A degree is a degree

*Consumer Comment: Thanxs, B!

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Douglas

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Douglas

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Douglas

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To Bruce

*Consumer Comment: Clarification on Accreditation

*UPDATE Employee: You will not be screwed by asking us for help

*Consumer Comment: Strayer Online

*Consumer Comment: Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

*Consumer Comment: Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

*Consumer Comment: Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

*Consumer Comment: Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

*UPDATE Employee: You only owe the application fee

*UPDATE Employee: You are not in too deep.

*UPDATE Employee: You are not in too deep.

*Consumer Comment: What do I do now?

*UPDATE Employee: UOP is not ethical

*Consumer Comment: Don't think that Stanford is a for-profit school either...

*Consumer Comment: No I'm not

*Consumer Comment: Stanford is state funded?

*Consumer Comment: Funny Guy

*Consumer Comment: B, you da' man!!!

*Author of original report: One for the records...

*UPDATE Employee: Errors in report prove it worthless

*Consumer Comment: UOP: Sweet and Sour; Consumer Beware!

*Consumer Comment: NCU

*Consumer Suggestion: Northcentral University is in Prescott, Arizona. This school should not be confused with North Central University.

*Consumer Comment: Dream

*Consumer Suggestion: UOP Sucks

*Consumer Comment: North Central University

*Author of original report: Get out, get some persepctive before you say anything Matthias

*UPDATE Employee: B, get a life

*Consumer Comment: Lucky Student

*Author of original report: Yes, there is a difference

*Consumer Comment: Northcentral University, the wave of the future

*Consumer Comment: "B" I have questions, or does anyone else know the answers

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: True but...

*Consumer Comment: "B"...Please stick to your important topic!

*Consumer Comment: UOP - DO NOT USE THE UOP

*Consumer Suggestion: Crazy

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I guess the short bus is now making rounds for UOP...

*Consumer Comment: YOU GOT FIRED AND NOW YOU WANT REVENGE

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: How many UOP Grads does it take to screw in a light bulb?

*Consumer Comment: What Ever B

*Consumer Comment: What Ever B

*Consumer Comment: What Ever B

*Consumer Comment: What Ever B

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: I swear you people multiply with water...

*Consumer Comment: Back at you B

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Look before you leap? Try, read before you speak...

*Consumer Comment: Look before you leap !!

*Consumer Comment: Response to B

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Ken, I understand your point and if you were comparing apples to apples I would say you were right.

*Consumer Comment: OK Lets look at this issue in today's society

*Consumer Comment: OK Lets look at this issue in today's society

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Come on M, I expected better

*Consumer Suggestion: B: Yes you smear yourself all over the place

*Author of original report: M Round 3

*Consumer Suggestion: B The Polished Turd Self Relization

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: M: Round Two

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: M: Round Two

*Consumer Suggestion: B You hit the nail on the head

*Author of original report: "M" Dont know who you are but oh well...

*Consumer Suggestion: Perception is Reality

*Consumer Suggestion: Perception is Reality

*Consumer Suggestion: Perception is Reality

*Consumer Suggestion: Perception is Reality

*Consumer Comment: University of Phoenix keeps adding classes to my schedule...

*Consumer Suggestion: To Tom

*Author of original report: Wow Kathy, thanx...

*Consumer Suggestion: From someone who does not hate UOP

*Consumer Comment: Quality of Classes are very poor

*Consumer Comment: Ripped off in Utah by UOP

*Author of original report: University of Phoenix is a good school.

*Consumer Comment: Unfortunate

*Consumer Comment: I just cannot get a better expert opinion

*Consumer Suggestion: Okay everyone here but -B is a little dilusional

*Consumer Suggestion: UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX IS A RIPOFF AND ALFONSO DOESNT KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!

*Consumer Comment: UOP Voluntarily Withdraws NLNAC Accreditation

*Consumer Comment: UOP Voluntarily Withdraws NLNAC Accreditation

*Consumer Comment: UOP Voluntarily Withdraws NLNAC Accreditation

*Consumer Comment: The problem is with people trying to bring down companies

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To Alfonso: What is it with you people? ..chalk it up to being the act of a disgruntled employee

*Consumer Comment: Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

*Consumer Comment: Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

*Consumer Comment: Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

*Consumer Comment: Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

*Consumer Comment: Why the NCA??

*Consumer Comment: Transfer the Degree, not the Credits

*Consumer Comment: Thank You ripoff report, continue to help others by telling the truth.

*Consumer Comment: Transfer credits. You already have you degree and because UoP is legally accredited they have to accept the degree to get you into the masters program.

*Consumer Comment: Transfer of Credits, Student Loans

*Consumer Comment: I can tell you why...

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Barbara, sorry to say you are not alone

*Consumer Suggestion: I have some questions

*Consumer Comment: "B" I have been looking for someone like you all week...

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Rahul, thx for the link

*Consumer Suggestion: CBS REPORT Web SITE For-Profit College: Costly Lesson

*Consumer Suggestion: Paper Mill

*Consumer Suggestion: Paper Mill

*Consumer Suggestion: Paper Mill

*Author of original report: One more for Pap

*UPDATE Employee: You really hit No Nerve with me, you hit the DisHonesty of your Statements

*Author of original report: To Pap from "B" ..while I may of touched a nerve with you, you are none the less wrong about the organization and your assumptions about me

*Consumer Comment: You want to see their accreditation?

*Consumer Comment: If "B" had a Brain-cell he Might be dangerous

*Author of original report: My Concerns about the University of Phoenix

*Consumer Comment: UOP and B---rad or was it Brian ..Buddy...I warned you not to go work there.

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: To Jana "easy to lose accreditation", you are simply wrong

*UPDATE EX-employee responds: Get out now

*Consumer Comment: A Valued Degree

*Consumer Comment: Are you telling me it will be worth nothing to employers?

*Consumer Comment: Some concerns about your rebuttal

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Let my start by saying that I was an enrollment advisor for University of Phoenix Online, and AXIA/WIU Online under Apollo Group for 3 years. I recently quit from my position as one of their highest paid advisors. Paid on the amount of enrollments I did in 2003. I also completed my MBA/MKT while there.

For all of you in this forum defending this organization, you are simply spewing ignorance and rehashing information provided you by this organization. Please stop, you are not doing any good and I am sorry to say this, but you are wrong. So wrong that it borders on ignorance.

Let defend something for a moment. The company as a whole does contain good people, some of which do try and help and have good intentions. The problem stems directly from one man the CEO, Brain Muller. He has set in motion internal policies that create a hopeless scenario for all within the organization. They either comply, lose money, or are fired. When you start threatening a person's lively hood, they will usually fall in line. This is why so many good people have had to deceive or lie to potential students, and why you see so many reports in this forum.

There are many things that can be addressed here but let's start with some basic things. Accreditation. UOP Online is Accredited by the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission (Perdue Shares the same body as do many other schools) However, this really does not mean anything.

Yes, UOP has their programs screened and verified by the HLC, but their accreditation is not reviewed for years. What most people do not realize is that it is extremely hard to loose accreditation once you have it. There is no active monitoring of courses or instructors. Any audits that take place require UOP be given advanced warning.

This means that can basically provide sub-par courses for outrageous prices. Yes, their classes are a joke. If you believe that college is about shooting emails back and forth via Outlook Express and working in "Learning Teams" then you are delusional. Fact: Learning Team arose as a reaction to an audit by the Federal Government on UOP's financial aid usage. They had to require learning teams in order to maintain Title IV funding capacity.

As said before, UOPO is fully accredited, but they do not require the GMAT for the MBA programs. What does this mean? It means that they do not have AACSB Accreditation. Here is more on that: http://www.aacsb.edu/ This is why when I present my MBA to professional organizations, they laugh. Sorry to inform you, but your degree is not as valid as you want it to be.

Next I would like to address the organizations misuse of funds. They have been for many years now, embezzling monies from their employees and Title IV funding.

Let's start with Title IV. As mentioned about, they were abusing access to funding in the late 90's by claiming student living expenses on their report for on campus housing. Hmmmm, online makes that a little hard to validate. They were using this money as venture capital to finance growth and investments. They continue to do so till this day, just in a different way.

First, you must understand the accounting variables that go into a billion dollar company. There is money flying all over the place on their balance sheets. Income, expenditures, investments, etc. It is a fact that UOP has continuously decreased its amount of new enrollments each year since its peak in 2003. This is part of the reason they rolled the UOPX stock back into Apollo group last year. However, the CEO's Brain Muller and Todd Neilson still need to generate shareholder interest to keep the stock high.

Now, if there is a decrease in enrollments as compared to prior years, but the CEO is still claiming huge growth in years to come, how does the company make up for that? By counting scheduled students as enrollments for their report without every actually having those students start.

There is one problem. Smart investors can look at organizations financial statements and tell if they are losing money. So how does UOP make up the money difference in the accounting department? 2 ways. First, it decreases the pay of its employee workforce and (for years) violated AZ and Federal Overtime law by making overtime mandatory but refusing to pay employees overtime wages.

A quick search online will reveal the lawsuit filed by the AZ Dept of Labor last year and the $10 Million settle UOP had to pay. 10 Million? Sounds like a lot right? Not when you consider the amount it saves over the last 20 years by not paying overtime wages. Somewhere in the 100 million mark. Wonder how they were able to grow so rapidly?

Second, accounting is basically money in, vs money out in an organization. When you are dealing with a billion dollar company, it is hard to keep track of every dollar. One might wonder why UOP Online takes so long to distribute Title IV funding to students. They tell you it takes 2 to 3 months, this is a lie.

The money is in the hands of UOP a week or two after you attend your first day of class. Why do they take so long to distribute the funding? Two reason. One is to keep their official default rate down. Considering they lose about 30% of enrollments after the first class, it would look very bad for them if all these students started defaulting one loans they done think they need to pay back because they didn't take a full class.

So it is official UOP policy to hold the funding in accounts until the person has completed the first few weeks of class. This allows them to send the money back if the student does not complete the class without reporting anything to the lender. The student is then in debt to UOP collections and not to the lender. Not to mention, FA doesn't pay for dropped or failed courses. What of the money in the holding tanks for months at a time. Hmmmm. Well, when you have over 100,000 students, 80% of which use FA in the sum of roughly 15K per year, they are basically counting that money as income for the organization even though technically it does not belong to them yet.

What that means is that they can invest monies, gain interest or assets with money that does not belong to them. Sound illegal? Borderline, but impossible to prove through accounting audits.

Questions from the public.

Yes, advisors are trained to lie and manipulate. I did this training myself they call it the AMOPS process. It is a technique used to manipulate leads into buying a product.

Yes, advisors are paid off of the number of enrollments. It's called the Matrix; they changed it in 2004 to look more in line with requirements of the DOE. This led to a record number of pay decreases across the board, a record turn over rate for employees, and a mass exodus of their top advisors.

No, the degree is not looked upon as being high quality. I attended the ground campus with 2 managers from Intel here in AZ and they showed me a memo that went out to their managers stating that they are no longer allowed to hire graduates of the BSIT program at UOP.

No, you will never be cleared by the collections department.

Yes, EAs will tell potential student that student loans do not need to be paid back.

Yes, the CEO once said that he wanted to be the Wal-Mart of education. Obviously without the low pricing.

No, the cost of tuition increase has nothing to do with expenses, it has to do with showing income on the books.

Yes, there is a promotion every month.

Yes, you should select your own lender and choose to have the funds distributed to you, even if that means you have to wait to start and pay for the first class out of pocket.

No the people who defend this place have no clue what they are talking about.

Yes, I know there are probably typos in this so you tards that want to point them out, save your fingers.

If you have any questions post them in here and I will check in and try to answer them.

Peace. Oh yeah, if you want to get to the root of an issue here are the names of the top executives in the organization who promte this shady crap. Brian Muller CEO. Vince Grell VP Enrollment, Aaron Wettstien Director North East, Trish Elliot Director NE WIU, Larry Etherington VP mkting. Brett Romeny Senior EM. Kristin Tursinni Senior EM, Nikki Fossi Director and the most viel manager of them all, Jacob Nevzoroff. The list goes on.

But you can call 1-800-366-9699 and ask to speak with them and they will transfer you. Or you can take their fist name dot their last name and add apollogrp.phx.edu on the end and that should go directly to them. Not really sure on that one though.

B phoenix, Arizona
U.S.A.

This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 07/18/2005 09:41 PM and is a permanent record located here: https://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/university-of-phoenix/phoenix-arizona-85071/university-of-phoenix-online-truth-about-uop-online-ripoff-phoenix-arizona-150301. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year. Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report. READ: Foreign websites steal our content

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:
0Author
498Consumer
2Employee/Owner

#500 General Comment

Another Viewpoint - UOP Worked for Me

AUTHOR: Badoomdoom - crash - ()

POSTED: Wednesday, January 08, 2014

I received my Bachelor In Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix.  I later went on to obtain my MBA at the University of Denver and Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver.   My credits from the University of Phoenix were fully transferable to both universities.  That would not have been the case if UOP university was viewed simply as a diploma mill, or did not have adequate accreditation. 

After receiving my MBA at DU I was recruiter and advisor for the MBA and Master of Science in Finance programs for three years.  Recruiting, whether for UOP or DU, or Dartmouth, is a sales job.  If a UOP recruiter is lucky enough to receive a commission for meeting a goal because the school is "for profit" so much the better.  Many of the top universities in the country, including the University of Denver, are private schools and like UOP are "for profit".   

 

I am very familiar with the pros and cons of UOP vs more "traditional" schools.  I believe the comparison is apples to oranges.  UOP has been successful because of supply and demand.  I went to UOP and I'm a satisfied customer and alum.  It worked for me because UOP offered the program I needed at a reasonable cost with more flexible scheduling.  It wasn't Harvard, but then that's not what I was expecting.  At the University of Phoenix you may find there are instructors you don't like, or you may even feel are incompetent.  There will be courses you feel are not relevant, team mates that don't carry their share of the load, assignments you feel are a waste of time, etc, etc.  Take if from me, it is the same at every university, regardless of the ranking, accreditation, or cost of tuition.  

 I obtained a good job after graduation from UOP.  It took a few years but I'm currently a CFO and feel my UOP degree is what got my career started.  I suggest you do your own research with an open mind and do what makes sense for your situation, your schedule, your budget, and your future.  UOP doesn't work for everyone, but it has worked for thousands, including me.  By the way, my son also just graduated with his bachelor' degree in business at UOP.  Good luck

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#499 General Comment

Sounds Ok To Me

AUTHOR: Robbin - ()

POSTED: Thursday, July 11, 2013

 My coworker got her Bachelors Degree for Psychology from UOP, and she is now moving into a new position where we work from MHPP to Therapist because of Bachelors Degree.  Its legit from what I have seen.

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#498 General Comment

I am concern about the reports of UOP

AUTHOR: sunshine - ()

POSTED: Thursday, April 04, 2013

First I am concern about the reports that I am seeing here, I am in the UOP right now, going for my BS  Degree, online, and I have filings that things are not right with this school. How do I know if I should continue or quit? Can someone PLEASE HELP ME!

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#497 Consumer Comment

UOP is a good school

AUTHOR: Mr. S - ()

POSTED: Friday, March 22, 2013

Despite all the ill-spread gossip, many people are being wrongfully told such things about the University of Phoenix as being a quote "diploma mill" unquote. Personally I'm finishing up my associates in IT Programming, and it has been quite a challenge actually. Sure the first couple classes you go through may seem rather easy, but these classes are to get the students use to how classes are structured, and also as a way to weed out any people who may drop out. They even require you to a month long orientation class period, and usually its during this orientation class that anyone who is going to drop out can, usually without any penalty. If your stupid enough to go through the hell that is called FAFSA and any other financial aid you may apply for, go for a couple classes and decide to drop out, that is YOUR loss, not the University.  And for this disgruntled ex-UOP advisor, I personally asked my advisors if they get paid for per student they enrolled and they laughed and both of them on seperate occassions pretty much told me that is a myth. You shouldn't blame the University of Phoenix for your downfall, if you didn't have such a nasty attitude then you wouldn't have such a hard time finding employment.

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#496 Consumer Suggestion

A Common Tale

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, February 10, 2013

I had the unfortunate experience of sitting in on a job interview with a candidate from a 'for profit' school a few years back. He was rather proud in telling us he had a 4.0 average. The manager asked him why he didn't switch to a real college after his first year to continue his 4.0 performance. A real college would have given him very sizable scholarships not to mention a near guarantee of a Phi Beta Kappa key. His graduate school would have been a full ride if he had graduated with a 4.0 average. The candidate didn't have an answer. Next...

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#495 General Comment

Basic Questions

AUTHOR: Chris - (United States of America)

POSTED: Sunday, February 10, 2013

Hey "B"

I just have a few basic questions. I dont know if you still are actuve on this thread or not, but i read all of the "rebuttals" and what not and thought I would ask you a couple questions. Before my questions I want to go to school for a Bachelors in Business and Finance/Economics. I also work 50 hours a week.

With UOP the degree i would receive it wouldn't be credible with Fortune 500 companies that i would apply for?

If not, what schools in my area would?

Is the "Job Placement" thing any good? I hear its also a scam.

Thats all my real concerns. Your "Rip-off Report" really helped me in my search for higher learning. And your rebuttals are super funny! Anyway, any sort of info would be awesome.

-Chris

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#494 Consumer Comment

Accreditation?

AUTHOR: concernedinamerica - (United States of America)

POSTED: Saturday, January 19, 2013

You do realize that accreditation just means a school meets certain minimum requirements ?  No you should never consider a school that is not regionally accredited, but just because one is, does not mean it is a good school. All the major online universities (Devry, Capella, U of Phoenix, Northcentral, etc.) have regional accreditation...and all of them are regarded as far less than the bottom end state schools. That is simply a fact.  Not to mention they charge horrendous amounts.  Harvard has online grad courses for 2K  a class.. most of these online schools are much more expensive.  Texas Tech, Dakota State, Stanford, University of Oklahoma, University of Nebraska...are all well respected state schools with online programs that are far cheaper than UofPhoenix, Capella, Devry, Northcentral...and all carry more credibility.

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#493 UPDATE Employee

'will not wait for you to understand'

AUTHOR: Liam - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, January 16, 2013

You wrote that "UOP instructors will not wait for you to understand ... etc" ... This might be true generally -- but it might not be the fault (entirely) of the instructors. I can add my own experience as instructor for UOP -- instructors are actually penalized (in the form of harassment and negative evaluations) for giving extra help, such as extending deadlines (even for technical difficulties) or providing extra material. I do believe it goes beyond the instructors -- it's the profit-oriented system of the corporation (aka, "university") which is rotten and deficient.

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#492 Consumer Comment

Degree and Financial Aid Scammers

AUTHOR: Anea - (United States of America)

POSTED: Sunday, September 09, 2012

I started my degree in the Associate of Arts in Sept. 2010. I recently completed the program in June 2012 and graduated successfully. But I am still not working in my career, nor does the school have any job placement programs in effect to help graduates get to work. I left the school over paying what I actually took out in student loans. Not to mention the fact that I had to contact the Department of Education on UOP back in 2011 because they refused to give me my refund after I had completed an entire semester. I was told that they were holding the money that FAFSA had given to me for education purposes saying that they changed my credit hours which is why I could not get the money right away. That was a bunch of bull according to the Dept. of Edu. because once I got someone assigned to my case, the school was obviously in the wrong and I was rewarded my refund within 3 weeks and I got assigned to a new financial adviser. Bottom line, if you are enrolled or thinking about enrolling, run far away from UOP. This school will leave you jobless. I have decided to continue with my Bachelor's degree at Tory University. Troy is about $4,000 cheaper than UOP and they offer real life degree programs that are meaningful in the modern day job market. University of Phoenix did nothing for me but waste my time. Don't let this happen to you. Trust me, I wish I had listened to all of those reviews and got out while I had time.

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#491 Consumer Comment

Grant info

AUTHOR: Daniel - (Virgin Islands (US))

POSTED: Tuesday, September 04, 2012

If you have already paid for your classes; but have not started yet, you can call the Government Grants Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 and speak with a contact representative. Do yourself a favor and tell them that you changed your mind about the school and that you want to enroll in another school of your choice. It's money that you will have to repay, so you do have a choice.

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#490 Consumer Comment

what do i do?

AUTHOR: LyndsayH - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 04, 2012

i posted help me!! I start the intro classes monday. i got little over 6 grand in grants and 5 grand in a loan. is there any way i could cancel them? or do i stop now and have to pay all that back??? it was already paid to the school. atleast i think so.... so what do i do???? if i cant cancel the payments and give it back and leave the school can i do the classes that cost the 10 grand and then transfer the credits to an accredited school? or dont you think anyone will take them??

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#489 Consumer Suggestion

Cut Your Losses

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, September 03, 2012

If you've only been there a semester, bail out. Switch to a community college. Here's a few reasons why:

1) Much cheaper.

2) With a two-year plan you can have a real associates degree that employers will really value.

3) Most 4-year colleges will accept up to 60 transfer credits from community colleges to go toward a BS program. Try that with UOP.

4) No sales hassles and empty promises.

Ever been to a UOP job fair?  Tell us how it went. Probably not real well.

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#488 Consumer Comment

Help me!!

AUTHOR: LyndsayH - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, September 03, 2012

I have just signed up for online classes and now im scared  to start since i read this i did lots of research of benefits of the school and such but didnt really look into the problems with it. so what do i do? continue and start monday for my intro classes or try to back out if thats even possible!!!! help me!!!! 

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#487 Consumer Comment

Tired of the rhetoric

AUTHOR: Hquinn31 - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 27, 2012

I'm not here to fight with anyone.  I will say this, when you are about to go to college you must research all your options, weigh them out and see what's best for you.  For me UOP is just right for me.  I did my research beforehand, I knew about their credits.  But I also know that, as a single mother of 2, it's just right for me.  I've gone to other colleges, some better than others, and I've been mislead by all of them.  All colleges and Universities want your money and they will do anything in their power to get you in the door and enrolled in their school.  They do fast talking, jumping topics, showing the school, but you as the student (who is paying for the education) need to step up and ask questions before enrolling.  It's your money remember that.  As for B.... look you're not the only ex-employee who is slamming their old employer.  Check out other reviews of other colleges like ITT or Virginia College and I guarantee there will be ex-employee who's slamming that school. Your original post was in what...2005.  Don't you think that things have changed since you've left there? 

All I'm saying is take responsibility for your own actions.  All I've read is how UOP did this, and it did that, and blah blah blah.  No it didn't.  You did.  You have a choice in the matter, if you don't like then leave.  Stop wasting your money!

Again every school is going to do the exact same thing this one does.  They're like car salesman, fast talking, get you in and get you out as fast as possible.  I've been to 3 colleges so far and they have all done it.  As for the money, I was told upfront how much everything was going to be and how much of federal aid was going to help.  I don't have to worry about cost, but for those who do you either need to make a choice, talk to business to see their views on that particular degree from UOP.  If they don't respect it or acknowledge that it's a real degree then again move on.  You people need to start taking responsibility for your problems take control of your life and do something about it.  That's been our biggest problem in this country is that people would much rather blame someone else rather than themselves.  You created the problem, fix it.  

B..I've worked for many companies that have done me wrong, but you don't see me slamming them because of it.  I'm not saying your disgruntled, but you're riding that fine line.  

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#486 General Comment

Thank You

AUTHOR: Audrey - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, March 12, 2012

Thank you so much for writing this, you probably just changed my life, or the next 8 months or so at least. I am currently a student with UoP, I officially started today and many red flags went up when I realized the instructors have tons of grammatical errors and the work seems that of a middle school level as do the other students writing skills. I'm not a genius but something just didn't feel right so I googled reviews and yours has been the most helpful. Now looking into other schools, Penn State World Campus, and Strayer, Walden, and Capella as you've listed. So glad I caught this early.

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#485 General Comment

UOP is not accredited by AACSB. Stated on AACSB website.

AUTHOR: Ms. Carpenter - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 24, 2012

This goes to #11 employee..

AACSB Non-Accredited
Schools

1. University of Phoenix
2. Webster University
3. Keller Graduate School
     of Management
4. Troy State University
5. The University of Texas at Dallas


Also:

2004 the Department of Education alleged that UOPX violated Higher Education Act provisions that
prohibit offering financial incentives to admission representatives, had pressured its recruiters to enroll students. UOPX disputed the findings but paid a $9.8 million fine as part of a settlement where it admitted no wrongdoing and was not required to return any financial aid funds.

Because Phoenix's business programs are not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), some companies will not provide tuition reimbursement for employees attending Phoenix

AACSB Accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Being AACSB-accredited means a business school is able to continuously pass a strict set of standards that ensure quality.

AACSB provides internationally recognized, specialized accreditation for business and accounting programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level. The AACSB Accreditation Standards challenge post-secondary educators to pursue excellence and continuous improvement throughout their business programs. AACSB Accreditation is known, worldwide, as the longest standing, most recognized form of specialized/professional accreditation an institution and its business programs can earn.

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#484 Consumer Comment

Check the value of a University of Phoenix diploma

AUTHOR: hoapres - (USA)

POSTED: Monday, January 02, 2012

You need to start contacting prospective employers in the field of study regarding the value of a University of Phoenix diploma.  I suspect that you will find out that many employers will not consider you as a prospective employee with the University of Phoenix diploma.

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#483 Consumer Comment

MY CONCERNS FOR MY FUTURE

AUTHOR: Dark Angel - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, January 02, 2012

I just finished my first year with Phoenix and I a very concerned.

 I do not want to come on this site and bash any one or talk down about anyone, but I am very concerned about my future.

 I have two small children and they along with me deserve the truth.

I just want someone to tell me the truth about what i going with this company before I put anymore money into this company.

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#482 General Comment

Don't continue going to a school that you consider worthless.

AUTHOR: hoapres - (USA)

POSTED: Saturday, December 17, 2011

If you believe that further attendance at a school is worthless then drop out.  The student loan issue won't go away and it is better to deal with it now than later.  Assuming for arguments sake that you have about $20,000 currently of student loan debt then going to school for another 2 years having a total of $40,000 of student loan debt doesn't make sense.  You can't discharge student loans in bankruptcy.  Sounds like that you already decided a University of Phoenix degree is worthless.

Here is the problem with college.  Most jobs really don't require college but simply one that is reasonably well educated at a good high school and an employer that is willing to spend a little bit of time training you.

Unfortunately, college is used as an expensive and unwarranted aptitude test.  Nor is college necessairly eductation per se.  A credential may or may not be an education.

If everybody goes to college and presumably graduates then the diploma is nothing special.  Back in the 1950s few people went to college making the degree more valuable.

Here is another "dirty little secret".  Smart people go to college.  Smart people make the college and NOT the other way around.

If Lincoln (presumably everyone here would agree that he had great intellect even if they dispute his historical stature regarding his Presidency) went to Harvard then Harvard without a doubt would claim in so many words that "Harvard made Lincoln"

The few true genius high school students don't even have to worry about paying for college.  If you are a true intellectual genius then Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Berkeley will literaly come to you with offers of a full scholarship.

You might ask oneself : How does that affect me ??

We have the worse employment situation since the Great Depression.  I am looking for an entry level professional (assume IT for the moment but even law and to a lesser extent medicine have similar supply and demand problems).  The entry level software engineering position has over a 100 applicants and I have the choice between a UC Berkeley Computer Science grad and a University of Phoenix grad in Computer Information Systems (or Management Information Systems)

Guess who is going to get the job ??

It will be the UC Berkeley grad without a doubt

Why ??

1.  It is not easy nor to graduate from UC Berkeley.  The diploma has value because of its intrinsic scarcity being a top 10 school. 

2.  University of Phoenix who takes almost anybody off the street and has the reputation of graduating almost anybody provided they bring the money results in graduates that won't be as qualified as a UC Berkeley grad.

It's no longer a matter as in the 1950s of : Did you go to college ?? In the 21st century it is : What college did you go to ?? It is almost taken as an offer of proof that every serious candidate for jobs went to college.

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#481 Consumer Comment

UOP

AUTHOR: Alissa - (USA)

POSTED: Friday, December 16, 2011

I have been going to UOP (reluctantly) for 2 years. I am still going and will continue to go because I cannot afford to repay loans they have taken out for me. I still cannot get a job, even with a high GPA and some knowledge of the field I am going into. I am afraid to stop going because then I will have to repay even if I do not have the money. I wish I knew then what I know now because there is no way I would of ever enrolled in this school.

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#480 Consumer Comment

"Hours?"

AUTHOR: DL - (United States of America)

POSTED: Friday, December 16, 2011

This is in regards to #7 - Leeland and a few other posts. In full disclosure, I do not nor have I ever worked at or attended UOP. However, I have worked in education for a number of years (not faculty) and in business (executive). I have learned one thing in dealing with "real business" and with "education." Hours and Credit Hours don't really mean a thing. There is no correlation between the number of hours spent in a particular class, and the ability of the student to use the information taught in the class. In fact, there is better correlation to the amount of information given, the way and rigor in which it is taught, and the senses stimulated during instruction (tactile, verbal, auditory, etc.). I would argue that a crappy teacher in a "traditional" university, or any institution, in which a student sat through a certain number of hours was far less effective than a well thought out and stimulating curriculum, via distance learning, physical, or otherwise, in which a student sat through less hours. 

Bottom line, I'm not defending UOP, because I don't know their curriculum or faculty. However, to say that they are less "accredited" because students don't sit listening to some tenured, wack-job professor for a certain number of hours is ridiculous. The mainstream establishment of tenured or unionized "teachers" who try to horde knowledge feels very threatened that humans can learn much more and much faster than their traditional classrooms can deliver. Once you get out of the university setting into real business, that's when the real education begins. And guess what! much of it is done online. 

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#479 General Comment

Don't waste money at a for profit web design degree

AUTHOR: hoapres - (USA)

POSTED: Thursday, December 08, 2011

Don't waste your time and money in going for a "Web designer" degree at ANY for profit school.

Web designers are a dime a dozen and don't make very good money.  The IT market is glutted beyond belief and very few jobs exist.

For profit schools in an effort to "process the bodies", "lure the students", will go out and make claims such as Dice has 80,000+ tech jobs.

Unfortunately the vast majority of Dice jobs are fake due to companies broadcasting.  A broadcast is when multiple agencies compete for the same job.  If 10 agencies advertise on Dice for the same job then Dice counts this as 10 and not 1 job.

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#478 General Comment

soon to be going

AUTHOR: jennifer - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 07, 2011

I'm looking in to some schools to become a Web Developers Web Developer or Computer Programmer have been looking in to ITT and University of Phoenix, co.

taking in to account that some people are not made to go to a collage and that some also like to gripe about everything. I have not got the answer I wanted from this.
i need to know about on campus not on-line

#1 has someone gone to the University of Phoenix, COLORADO?

#2 I have looked at the U.S. Department of Education and its on there as accredited. where is it saying there not ?

#3 has someone gone for The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology/Software Engineering (BSIT/SE) or a The Bachelor of Science in Information Technology/Web Development

I tried to read everything but some are hard to read its pointless babel and puffery so if this infermation is alrealy on this just point me to the comment number.

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#477 Consumer Comment

Liars

AUTHOR: Rosheeze - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Shouldnt people learn to spell before they get all high and mighty and proclaim their higher education?  UOP is a joke.  I have two degrees I have earned through UOP and I gained two pieces of paper, but I know little more than I did when I started.  Its a ploy to rob students for more and more money!!!!  Any one on here that says any more is f*king liar!!

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#476 Consumer Suggestion

Former UOPX Student

AUTHOR: snow - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Greetings,

  I believe B-from AZ made thruthful points about the business aspect of UOPX.  As a former UOPX Online student, I was mailed my disbursement approximation dates and amounts from the DOE.  I was never given the excess funds until months later.  I questioned the UPOX financial department and was given excuse after excuse.  UOPX has the upper-hand and there is little a student can do.  I was told I could hand-write a letter stating that I did not wish UOPX to handle any future funding; however, I was strongly told that UOPX financial counselors discourage students from doing so. 
It seems that individuals overlook the fact that UOPX is a money-making business.  UOPX takes thousands of dollars from students, lets it sit in their bank, then reaps the interest gained from the monies.  It's a practical business move made by numerous compaines throughout America; however, this being a University of higher learning, perhaps it shocks individuals more so. 

Being a former student, I was amazed at the quality of students that made it to the final course in UOPX.  (Please remember that I am speaking on behalf of the Online classes, not the actually land campus). Anyone who made at least a 60 on their course work was a shoe-in for future classes.  There were moments where I thought I was engaging in 'conversations' with individuals who had an I.Q. lower than my 8 year-old Labrador Retriever.  

  Yes, I took classes because I wanted the recognition I was guaranteed from my advisors...and it gave me something to do while being an at-home mother.  I won't forget to mention that the advisors will call numerous times throughout the first block of classes, then taper off as one progresses.  When I finally finished and officially withdrew, my advisor and financial aid counselor conference called me to inquiry why I was withdrawing.  Naturally, I told then how I felt concerning the operations of UPOX and their business practices.  Odd how I wasn't given a 'word in edgewise', and rarely had the opportunity to speak while the advisors discussed their children, home life, and co-workers.  I ended their conversation abruptly, and it took the UOPX more than 3 weeks to disburse my excess funds which they already had (according to the Department of Education award letter) for more than 4 months.  

  Individuals will defend UOPX because they are proud of what they have accomplished through UOPX's programs. 
  He or she may be of a select few who did not have any trouble with fellow classmates, their instructors, flexible course hours, sub-par assignments, advisors and the challenge of looking up everything on the internet.  

  I think everyone in the forum has valid points and arguments; however, I would advise individuals to research other online schools before choosing UOPX.  The website www.collegeboard.org is a great research tool for future online students. 

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#475 Consumer Comment

Other UOPX Degree Programs?

AUTHOR: S. Shirey - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, November 28, 2011

Thanks so much for taking the time to write about your experiences working at University of Phoenix.  I work for a Human Resources Office in a small county in California, and I can tell you that when an applicant lists a UOPX degree on their resume, our analysts pretty much ignore it as if it wasn't there.

My reason for searching for complaints about UOPX today was spurred by a conversation with a friend I had been out of touch with for 20 years or so.  She told me that she had earned a Master's in Accounting.  I admit that I doubted her story.  To put it as kindly as I can, she wasn't very academically-oriented when I knew her in the past - and she was always prone to fantastical exaggerations.  When I asked her more about her degree, she told me that she'd earned it in 2 1/2 years, START TO FINISH (that's without a previous bachelor's degree) from the University of Phoenix.  How is that even possible? Anyhow, I'd read news stories over the years about University of Phoenix having low instruction quality, admissions scams, and most recently, questions about securities fraud.   When I did an online search for these issues, I soon learned that UOPX has clearly been bombing Google until it's almost impossible to find anything negative about them using obvious search parameters.  I did, however, find your article, and I wanted to ask a couple of questions.

I noticed UOPX calls this degree a "Master's in ACCOUNTANCY."  Is there a difference between the terms "Accountancy" and "Accounting"?  Also, my friend told me that she is NOT a CPA.  The reason she gave made it sound as if she decided against becoming a CPA because she is intentionally avoiding legal liability of some sort.  She said that she didn't become a CPA because she doesn't want to be involved in "attestations" (whatever that is).  I asked her about some of the problems I'd heard about with UOPX, and she was understandably defensive about it.  She said that she'd never heard about UOPX credits not transferring to other institutions or problems with UOPX's lax academic standards.  She told me that UOPX is "fully accredited."  I found it difficult to understand exactly what their limited accreditation means (I see you say it means nothing, but people who get degrees at UOPX are really insistent that it means A LOT).  I was able to ascertain that SOME of their degree programs have this accreditation, and others do not - but UOPX doesn't explain which programs are accredited and which are not.  

In the end, incredibly, my friend claimed she'd never even heard about UOPX degrees being evaluated differently IN ANY WAY by other institutions or prospective employers.  I find this difficult to believe.  It might be a combination of wishful thinking and the realization that she's stuck with it now, so she'd better make the best of it.  

Several years ago, I dated a guy who was working on a Master's Degree in Internet Technology from the University of Phoenix.  I don't think I'd ever met anyone who knew less about the internet than this guy - except for my mom...maybe.  I clearly remember the day I lost any respect I may have had for the University of Phoenix when I read a paper my beau was writing for an advanced graduate-level class on internet technology.  In this paper, he discussed the benefits of the internet over the telephone with regards to communication.  The paper was heavy on anecdotes and almost devoid of facts.   It read as if a second-grader with ADD had written it.  He got an A.


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#474 Consumer Comment

uhhhhh, NO

AUTHOR: amber - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, November 28, 2011

My husband is active duty Army, we have 4 children, i own my own business (he helps me run it). I can honestly say he has never read a chapter of the reading in the year or so he has been there and has done extremely well. He has neve had less than a 93% in a class and that was because he was in the field for 2 weeks and with limited cell service he was unable to log on most days. The classes are a joke and as long as you open the book while taking quizes and search key terms your good. JOKE! He is enrolled in the school I am attending, and starting in a few weeks.

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#473 Consumer Comment

Okay Pap who do you work for?

AUTHOR: amber - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, November 28, 2011

I am just curious as to why you are so angry about someone submitting information to the best of their knowledge. I will say first that my husband attends UOPO, and has for the last year or so. I recently enrolled in a different school if this tells you anything. I decided to look on this site to see if there were other people out there having the problems with them that we are having. While sifting through yours and Bs back and forths I found all I needed to convince my hubby to switch to the school I am attending. Jus tone example is my husbands FA was submitted and received by the school 2 months before mine was (we are both using GI BILL so we both get a credit balance after other aids from the military) I received my money last month. He is still waitng for his. UOP says they released it a month ago. NOT TRUE. My point is if you stop googling info on uop and read what students and former employees are writing you might learn a thing or two. It was a little overwhelming looking for actual personal exeriences in all of your posts that really are just ranting and raving. I would really like to know why this subject is so touchy for you. You are acting as though someone is picking on your child rather than a school who is clearly screwing students. Law suits and settlements do not lie. So if you don't mind, I would like to read what B has to say. There is no way he would know what he knows and be so informed if he was clueless as to what he is talking about. Thanks.

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#472 General Comment

UoP Accreditation

AUTHOR: NYB - (USA)

POSTED: Sunday, November 27, 2011

Thank you for that link, however it is unlikely that the general accreditation dating back to 1978 will help. We were all very different people, operating in a very different world back then. Personal PC's didn't become common for another decade, and the internet not generally available still a while after that.

I'm actually surprised that the OLS (online learning system) they've developed does not have a more recent accreditation. It should, because as a fuctional application it does have the capability to perform the required tasks, and is getting better all the time. The Android applet on the other hand is still vaporware for the most part. One can remain an optimist however, as software is far more easily corrected than the skills of 'facilitators' (what UoP calls their instructors).

According to the database their Graduate Teacher Education Accreditation Council (GTEAC) - Graduate programs Pre-Accredited * 12/01/2007. "Pre-Accredited"??

If so, why then do they still call their instructors 'facilitators' instead of Professors?   Graduate Teacher Education Accreditation Council (GTEAC) - Graduate programsPre-Accredited

However your link lead me to the core Department of Education, and a great deal more valuable information relevent to educational standards and responsibilities.

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#471 General Comment

Thoughts and questions for B

AUTHOR: K - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 02, 2011

I have read a handful of the comments here after having read the report itself.  I do think "B" sounds more like a disgruntled employee and criticizing business practices (in particular to how they treat their employees) more than he is criticizing the quality of education.  That being said, I do believe his points and complaints sound valid and are worth investigating. 

The major question I have is as to the legitimacy of the MBA. It seems to me a large number of people try to defend or attack the quality of education at UOP.  The major question simply remains as: do employers recognize the degree?  This is not an easily answered question (though I hear or see lots of comments that this or that employer won't recognize it as legitimate).  "B", you bring up some important considerations regarding the legitimacy of the degree, but if I'm not mistaken, you mentioned that you too "worked there while receiving an MBA".

You mention also that "...if you think that college education is sending e-mails back and forth and work-groups...".  I'm not here to contest you.  I simply want to ask: What is the difference?  I've had some college, but no degree.  In my classes the professor would stand there and lecture, then assign homework.  The students would go home, do the homework, turn it in, get graded and read the comments.  Occasionally the assignments would be discussed in class, but I never really felt I got much from that.  For the record, I went to two separate community colleges where the classes were smaller.  I imagine in a university setting, this would be much harder to get any of the teacher's time.  So, I ask this: What is the difference between physically sitting there and hearing it versus reading the lecture online?  What is the difference in online versus on-campus education?

These are very important to me as on-campus education for me is virtually impossible for me now.  I want to return to both update my education and advance it.  I can understand that there are certain projects that would have to be done in a classroom setting.  A chemistry lab experiment, for example.   However, there are many fields where I can't imagine a physical presence being necessary.  Computer Science for one. 

Online colleges are there because there is a desperate need in today's society.  However, it seems that still after all these years they are mocked and either no one takes them seriously or bothers to correct the problems.  UOP has been around, and easy or not, maintained its accreditation for many years.  It may be bottom barrel, but its in the barrel.  Someone made an analogy to buying a Pinto for 50k.  I agree, but many of us are left with few options.  So I ask then, are there really any viable options for people seeking online education?  What degrees, from your experience would you recommend?  Is there any hope?  What are you doing with your current degree now?

Thanks for your time. 

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#470 Consumer Comment

RATES

AUTHOR: Sunflwr - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, October 13, 2011

That's all they charged in 2005? I am paying $1,805 for each course and I just found out it is taught by facilitators and not actually Professors. I have some guy now that doesn't teach anything. This school is horrible!!! I am in my junior year and I don't know how to get out legally

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#469 Consumer Comment

Oh Jesus F***ing Christ!

AUTHOR: Tim Perdue III - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I knew it I knew it I knew it! I found this because I was curious enough to seek. Originally I was looking at Unleashealth and a little device called a...uh...I forget but it mimics Bob Becks Blood cleaning device thingy.

Someone gave this site a reference on Youtube and claimed that the guy was a Scham ( Ha! I made a Punny)
So, I checked it out. After looking at that, I became curious as to the news I had been hearing of UOPO and what I have heard from other people...D**N!  I thought I was digin' a gold mine. >=-D.  I mean I had heard people have had bad experiences with UOPO but My God!

I thought there was something rather 'phishy' about UOPO...--And I noticed because My Enrollment Advisor Bill Mosely or William Mosely dropped me like a hot potato the second I was enrolled.  --and I mean...the second. His behavior became significantly less...Uh...well now. How could I say? Consistent? Yes, he is an EA but jeez. And Even still Kevin Link is pretty chill but is not as determined as Bill had been.  --And, it was strange because he asked me for referrals too.

Also, I noticed how he kept smacking his lips and saying "now *Smack* let me tell you something *Smack*... We are*Pause* whatever whatever whatever"  It was overtly casual and reeked of a sales pitch. I thought it was pretty funny...at the time.  And I knew this!

I had always thought it was weird...--y'know...--why on earth would a college ask its students if there were any other people they might know needing to attend college?  I have never had that asked to me before, it just felt strange. Am I wrong?

I'd assume that if the college or university was distinguished...--well then, it ought to show in its calsses and students and their achievements afterward and/or during Enrollment. I do not believe this is the case for UOPO. At all...

I JUST enrolled at phoenix and I have to agree with B--Which I hope to god is not Bill...Because that would make him a liar because he is still working there. People trying say what goes on without having worked there is a tough cookie to break.

A. Einstein-Condemnation without investigation is the height of all ignorance.  If you haven't worked there...you can't say that B is wrong unless...you work as he did for yourself.  You may not be able to classify it as true but somehow it is indeed a fact for all you can allow yourself to know.

Annnywho, I do not understand the people that are defending the University? (If you call it defending)  There is nothing to defend it from. If UOPO operates as such. They will burn for it one day.What can you do? Marshmellow anyone?

I know for myself it would not make any coherent sense to attend a university that has as many maaany reports like this; not only on this site but lurking in the classrooms themselves. (One of those students lets me in on stuff) Why would I Enroll? It's not like people just make up these stories? It's very similar to my belief of 'Just fix it'.

Ex: -Why the **ll are Indians called Indians when they are not Indian at all!?

-If I don't believe in buying goods made in other countries....why the hell am I buying them?
-If I don't believe in war why I am supporting our troops? Please test me on that completely irrelevant subject.
-If M. Night Shyamalan is still making s**t movies...why the f**k would I continue to pay and watch them?

This is how I am trying to live MY life and in some areas it is easy to apply that Fixit method. Eeeh, others are taking a little more time. Gotta get that Lazy American Gene out of my system.  My point is to some people that have posted in this thread...If people are telling others this is going on inside UOPO Why the h**l would I Enroll? I mean hey, if it looks like trouble, smells like trounble, and acts like trouble it must be....Trouble.

If I know it is wrong why the h**l would I keep doing it?  It makes more sense to just fix the mistake and get over with it and not repeat such an action!  I have just finished m--well I am about to finish my first two, 9 week classes.  But, I think I am going to reconsider continuing because:

 (1.) I do not believe in coincidence. It just sounds silly.  How can you have disorder and random events in a completely structured reality. The Universe is not something of imagination you know? Coincidence=Random and Timely...I don't think so.  (What...you think your body was just randomly strewn together too)

Toni F
Chase S
Stevie
Amber H

 Are people that I know that have/had issues with UOPO One is still a current student that is getting kicked...No money.

(2.) The splitting hair specifics of the events are not as important as the events themselves...regardless of what perspective I choose it does not negate that these things happened. Period.--and they shouldn't. If I do not agree with them why would I compromise with them? That is a very strange thing people do and I do not know why they do not want to change it?

(3.) After more research so I may not become a Sheepiant (Ignorant Sheeple or Sheepon may often be refereed to as a Sheepiant)  I am sure I will find much more of these stories like the ones posted here. I am sure that will be the point of fair realization that I don't want to be a part of this. I really do not.

Thank you all for your info. I read half of the comments and then lost interest...well a little over half but not too significant.

I hope anyone who reads this thread will Think&Feel wisely. I missed the bell by $9,500.00. Had I known this info before I would have likely wrote a letter to UOPO which I am going to do. I would not have Enrolled but that is better than some other amounts I have heard.

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#468 Consumer Comment

Quick Question

AUTHOR: Margie - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 13, 2011

B, I noticed you haven't been on here in quite a while and this is a very old thread...but I do have a question, and if anyone has an answer for me, please respond.

I just signed up online for information yesterday, and although I did not receive the information via e-mail like requested, I received a phone call this morning from a recruiter.  I spoke with him and he told me that I sounded like I would be eligible for a good amount of financial aid, or loans.  So I filed my FAFSA this morning, and then I read this...

When the recruiter called me back a little bit ago, I told him I was no longer interested, he didn't even ask me why and just said ok and goodbye.  It seemed too easy.  Do I have anything to worry about??

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#467 Consumer Comment

So....

AUTHOR: dan - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 31, 2011

So this question is for sandra since she is the most recent rebuttal.  I have been talkin to an online advisor over the phone to start taking classes next semester for Business. Do you say that UoP is safe?

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#466 UPDATE Employee

An educated comment

AUTHOR: Sandra - (United States of America)

POSTED: Sunday, August 21, 2011

I normally do not give any time to these sour-grapes reports. As one of the responders had mentioned...obviously there are personal reasons that someone would get cut from a job or given a negative report. We don't need to go into these reasons...they are your personal issues. I also take issue with someone who reports to be in education...to write such poor commentary. If it is in you to do well with any company, it would show up in your writing.

That said, I have been a faculty member of Axia, Online - instruction for University of Phoenix for over 5 years now. I knew when I started that there were some administration issues on the table, but it had nothing to do with the quality and level of accredited education that was being given by the University. After having read some of the reported issues...and doing my own research...my first thoughts remain...many of these same issues pertain to many universities and institutions...these are not limited to just the University of Phoenix.

I totally enjoy my work at Axia, UOP...and have taught over 50 courses with a wonderful reward of allowing my students to find a great education in a world where they have to squeeze it in with a busy life. It works for them...and it works for me. Some students come in with an "attitude" that this is a waste of time. These are the students that are poor writers, that write the negative commentary, and are also the students that do no apply themselves in class and are on track to failing. Good educators are use to this, they expect this...and this forum for complaint seems to be the same. Thank you for allowing me this commentary. By the way, in researching other online universities...the pay that this university provides to qualified educators and, I assume, staff...is at par or greater than other of the above mentioned universities; just thought I'd share that.

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#465 General Comment

Past Student and Happy with my Choice

AUTHOR: Johnny - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, June 23, 2011

I have to agree with the past two posters. I went 4 years to UoP to "back-fill" a degree due to the economic outlook of the IT world. 20 years experience was not going to always get me a job when competing with new and young talent. At first I was skeptical, and folks at my company would tease a little due to the non-traditional online aspect of the courses; however, it was due to the availability of creating my own schedule that led me to attend UoP. Plus, my company was footing half of the bill. My company did not seem concerned that an education from UoP would not be good enough or they would not have agreed to pay the money. 

All in all, it was a great experience. I also found that the number of papers and assignments was much more than the traditional ground campus schools. I found that I was researching and applying what I was learning right away. I attended a few college classes years ago and from what I could remember, I did not need to write as much nor apply my learning right away. I felt this was definitely a benefit from the education model that UoP uses. 

And besides, either way you look at it; if you want a degree to impress like a Harvard degree. Go to Harvard. If a Harvard or Yale or Princeton degree is not necessary, then ANY of the thousands of schools out there will do. You will take away as much as you put into it anyway.

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#464 Consumer Comment

Depends on what you are looking for

AUTHOR: Renee - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I just graduated from UOP after completing my Bachelor's Degree in Business and Information Systems. So first a little background on the perspective I am coming from: I started college 17 years ago but couldn't finish due to that pesky thing called "life". I have made a great career for myself as an IT Project Manager at a very large financial institution. However, I discovered that I had hit the glass ceiling in terms of promotions due to my lack of degree. So, I had to find a program that fit into my life and that could meet my goals.

UOP fit the bill. It was expensive, but the program was manageable while working and still allowed me (if I managed my time wisely) to spend time with my family and have a social life. I educated myself about costs and student loans and knew exactly what I was getting into. I was also pleasantly surprised that my extensive work experience and training I had taken through employers would benefit in the form of transfer credits. I CLEP tested out a few others and found that I largely had to complete the foundation (Jr/Sr level) courses only. Some classes were harder than others, but my work experiences always provided a good foundation.

I graduated with an honors level GPA and am looking at University of Illinois for a Masters (at half the cost of UOP). My degree has been accepted, my credits transferred (for prerequisites), and I don't have to take the GRE or GMAT (I point that out specifically because one poster made a lot of hoopla that if you don't have to take the GRE the school's Master's is worthless and I think you'd be hard pressed to question the reputation of U of I).

So, have I gotten what I wanted out of the program, absolutely?! There are reputation concerns about UOP, but for my BS I really don't care. Many of my co-workers don't even have degrees in technology related fields (musical performance, economics?) and are just as good at their jobs as the ones that do and just as good as me. Experience and how hard you are willing to work for what you want is what counts in the real world, especially when you get to my level.

Someone straight out of High School looking to learn a new skill or someone looking to completely change careers may not succeed at this type of program or get out of it what they should. But someone with skills and experience looking to back-fill a degree - there isn't a better program out there. Oh and having worked in the financial industry for as many years I have, people that don't read what they are signing when it comes to financial documents I just have no sympathy. Accept responsibility and learn from your mistakes.

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#463 Consumer Comment

Like some cheese with that whine?

AUTHOR: Mike - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, June 02, 2011

For those of you looking at this thread and trying to decide about the UOP/Axia, let me help you out. I have been enrolled in the criminal justice program since March of 2010. I have currently completed 36 credit hours, with 24 left to go. My scheduled completion date for this associates program is Feb 2012. I was leery at first, especially considering this was an online program, but my fears turned out to be unfounded.  Look, I knew going into this that the UOP was not going to hold the same weight as say Harvard law school, but come on, I am not seeking a six-figure job and neither are most people who attend college. I am 42 years old and my daughter has completed two years at our local community college and one year now at Iowa State University. This has proven to be very insightful because her and I compare "notes" all the time. Consider the following:

My class is all online. Hers is all classroom. I do my communicating with the class via the web and she does hers by sitting and listening to lectures from instructors. What we have both been surprised to learn is that I actually receive a better education than she does. She has little to no homework and all of her instructors are full-time professors at the University. I have a considerable amount of homework that requires constant research and the majority of my instructors are people who hold real jobs in their current field. Also, my instructors are not some group of has-beens. These people all hold impressive degrees and impressive positions at their current employers. My daughter has been absolutely amazed at the level of education and employment some of these instructors have.

Also, just look around in your local community. Almost all schools are beginning to shift to online programs. Just because you're not sitting in a traditional classroom environment, doesn't mean you're not getting a good education. Another food for thought is why do you think so many of these so-called higher-education facilities are so opposed to for-profit schools? The answer is simple. Most of these traditional universities rely on students using federal student loans to help pay for their ridiculously lavish facilities. The multi-million dollar sports programs, the six digits employ salaries, etc, etc. For-profit schools are hazardous to their very existence.

I work in upper-management at my current employer and have so for roughly 15 years. Look, most employers could care less where you obtained your degree. All that matters in most cases is that you have one. If you are looking for a school that gives you a bang for your buck, is convenient for your schedule as a working adult, and does honestly provide a good education, then UOP is a fine choice. I have been nothing but pleased thus far and when I compare it against my daughter's program at the University of Iowa, I really feel good about my decision.

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#462 General Comment

GetEducated.com

AUTHOR: Lala - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, June 02, 2011
CAUTION: The following Special Notes apply to this online college:
In 2009, The University of Phoenix parent company, The Apollo Group, agreed to pay $67.5 million to the federal government for student recruitment fraud and $11 million in attorney fees to the plaintiffs engaged in a False Claims Act lawsuit. The lawsuit charged Phoenix with paying recruiters using performance compensation (including DVD players and spa trips) based on the number of students they enrolled, which is illegal for schools receiving federal student aid money.

http://www.geteducated.com/diploma-mill-police/degree-mills-list/university-of-phoenix-accreditation

















Special Accreditation Report Notes & Alerts





CAUTION: The following Special Notes apply to this online college:







  • In 2009, The University of Phoenix parent company, The Apollo Group, agreed to pay $67.5 million to the federal government for student recruitment fraud and $11 million in attorney fees to the plaintiffs engaged in a False Claims Act lawsuit. The lawsuit charged Phoenix with paying recruiters using performance compensation (including DVD players and spa trips) based on the number of students they enrolled, which is illegal for schools receiving federal student aid money.

























Special Accreditation Report Notes & Alerts





CAUTION: The following Special Notes apply to this online college:







  • In 2009, The University of Phoenix parent company, The Apollo Group, agreed to pay $67.5 million to the federal government for student recruitment fraud and $11 million in attorney fees to the plaintiffs engaged in a False Claims Act lawsuit. The lawsuit charged Phoenix with paying recruiters using performance compensation (including DVD players and spa trips) based on the number of students they enrolled, which is illegal for schools receiving federal student aid money.








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#461 Consumer Comment

Currently Attending trying to leave!

AUTHOR: Cole - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, May 26, 2011

I currently have 12 credits from UOP in Criminal Justice, and I have just started the next two classes.
I read some comments on here, and I decided to look it to transferring to my local college. However, the adviser from my local college told me I could only transfer 6 of my current 12 credits as electives only. She has dealt with this college before, through other students and she has never had a student
successfully receive their transcripts for transfer. When I spoke with my educational adviser from UOP the day before; she looked up the local college and told me my credits should transfer, "no problem."  I am now working on extracting my financial aid and transcripts from UOP, and I consider myself lucky because I could have completed my Associate degree and then figured it out. I feel horrible for all
of the other students currently attending UOP. Don't trust your advisors they work for the school. Good Luck!

 

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#460 Consumer Comment

Reality Check

AUTHOR: mmster - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, April 21, 2011

     Please forgive my cynical tone, but to those many crtics of UoP: Did you not know what you were getting yourselves into? The problems with financial aid aside, all I hear is people whinning about going to school, not getting their dream job, and blaming UoP.

     I see references to companies like Intel not recognizing a UoP degree. I've got news for you, the schools Intel won't accept degrees from runs into the hundreds. As a matter of fact, tech companies barely even recruit in the United States anymore. Here's an idea, how about contacting potential employers about acceptance BEFORE attending school and you're two months from graduation.

      As for the forementioned "hallowed not-for profit" universities, I find it almost comical that some of these schools are sitting on $250, $500, and $750 million endowment funds still insist they are non-profit. Plus, they are just as greedy when it comes to getting their hands on Uncle Sam's dollars and the financial aid screwups are just as numerous.

     If you claim to do your homework in school, then why don't you do your homework about the school? Stop complaining about the evil finicial aid counselor/salesperson and make it right. Pull your aid and go elsewhere. That's the quickest way to get their attention.

     This isn't high school anymore, there aren't many instuctors that are going to take you by the hand through the course of you're degree (that goes for any university). This is supposed to be "big-boy" school, and the ultimate responsibility for your success or failure is the person staring back at you in the mirror.   

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#459 Consumer Comment

It is a RIP OFF!

AUTHOR: Alissa - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, February 28, 2011
I have to agree that if someone cannot finish one school, why would they be able to finish another! BUT.... in my case, I am not going to pay $20,000 for an AA! Yes, UOP has taken out $20,000 in LOANS so I can get an AA that may or may not help land me a job. When I was called about updating my FAFSA, I was told it was to get PELL GRANTS! Not loans, I never would have accepted that. So I am fed up with the money issue. The class assignments at UOP are extremely SIMPLE! A cat could do it and get all A's. All the work is easily accessible online, just google the class and there it is! I think that if I were to do this all over again I wouldn't. It is not worth it. I am a single mom, and wasn't able to get to school so I chose this online BS. Now I am going to be paying for it, literally, til I die.
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#458 General Comment

Everyone Is Crazy Here

AUTHOR: lovedemi4life - (Virgin Islands (US))

POSTED: Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Let me start off by saying I don't appreciate being called stupid for working hard to improve myself. What I don't understand is why half of the people that posted in this forum are even still in school. To me if your in school six years and haven't acquired your Masters Degree your stupid. From what I have read many people started a program and didn't finish, then tried to transfer to a different school. How stupid is that? If you cant complete one school what make you  think you can complete another. I read about someone going through a year and a half of classes at UoP then tried to transfer. Why not finish what you started? To me that's having regret for a decision you made and to compensate for your lack of commitment you want to attack other students. Well that's not going to fly! I don't care what college you go to it does'nt make you anymore intelligent then anyone else. I know a lot of smart people that are stupid. They attend so called better colleges and stay in them for god knows how long and still don't feel they have enough education to satisfy them. How sad it is to read people hating on other people just because they didn't fulfil their own goals. I have been a student at UoP for three years and I plan to attend Wright State University for my masters program. Not because I don't love the UoP but because of people like you that criticize their students degrees. Making them seem like a joke when they are not. Every person that has received a degree from the UoP had to complete the program. It doesn't matter if you think the class materials are a joke or not. The student meet the requirements to complete the program and they deserve the same respect others get for finishing a degree program. It is ridiculous that people are so unhappy with their own mistakes that they try to discredit the whole system. It pretty petty don't you think? I would think someone with as much education as all of you claim to have would have something more productive to do with their time!

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#457 Consumer Comment

I Fight to Stay Positive Despite Being Ripped Off!

AUTHOR: Michael - (United States of America)

POSTED: Thursday, September 09, 2010

Well, I have been reading anti University of Phoenix posts for several years now and have just sat quietly, reasoning that others have already posted my sentiments. I now feel compelled to tell my story to protect any still contemplating attending UoP.

I originally enrolled in UoP back in the late '90s. I am a pretty smart guy, but I was young and totally wrapped up in the belief that the powerful and influential within the business world had college degrees and I didn't. I was an ambitious african american man, eager yet totally ignorant to the professional world. Having no family members that been to college, I believed that it didn't matter where you went to college, or what you majored in, only that you went to college.

I went to a local community college and earned my AA degree. I worked hard in school and I had a great new job. I didn't want to quit my job, my family couldn't afford to take care of me, and I wanted to move up quickly, so I decided to go to UoP. I whizzed my classes, due to the strong community college training. I was consistently the smartest in the class! However, I was always disappointed in the negative talk I would hear from coworkers and others at my job that had negative things to say about UofP. I would look at people in their University clothing and wait for the day that I would wear University of Phoenix gear proudly. My group and I would meet every week and start the session by fantasizing about the cars and homes we would buy once our degree propelled us up the corporate ladder.

Well, here we are 10 years later from graduation date. I work at the same place, and coworkers respect me because I am smart, hardworking and easy to get along with, yet they know I am not properly college educated. For example, I know how to theoretically merge a company and consolidate large businesses, but I don't know philosophy and other basics that I would have learned in a traditional school. While uneducated people believe that a degree from an accredited institution is all that matters, it goes way beyond that. The UoP does not teach, it fulfills requirements to maintain accreditation. Yes, you can learn there, just as you can go to the library and teach yourself. What you don't get is an insiders view to the minds of the educated. I used to sell myself short and think, if only I can get into the company, then I can work hard and move up. What is missing from the degree is the networking and the rigors that a not for profit academic can challenge you with. I learned the hard way that there is no short cut to knowledge and mastery. The hard work and sacrifice that it takes to educate oneself is the distinguishing quality, not a paid for piece of paper. I have wondered why Intel and other companies have rejected the OoP degree. Think about it: If UoP offered training and discipline that was comparable to other schools, why would companies discount it? The unfortunate reality is that we weren't trained through sweat and hard work, we took the easier way out and everyone knows it. Yeah, we read a lot and met often, but we did nothing compared to a traditional school. If you don't believe me, take a community college math class and compare it to the same class at UoP.   

I am now attending another community college and am enrolled in classes to apply to a masters program. I am hoping that excellent grades and great letters of recommendation can get me into a program that will supersede the University of Phoenix degree. Now that I'm older, I feel the need to be educated. To actually learn statistics and organizational behavior, not just read some articles, write rushed papers and be passed along. I have to go now, I have to work to pay off my UoP loan! Yes, 10 years later I'm still paying it!   

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#456 UPDATE Employee

Overload

AUTHOR: Daniel - (Virgin Islands (US))

POSTED: Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Allow me to initially state that I am presently a student at UOP. I like the way that you presented your experiences, and how you categorically revealed your facts and links for verification. I do not believe that you have a gripe, or that you are vengeful.

What I percieved from your post is a desire to educate, and inform potential students of UOP and their administravitive process. I cannot say why some UOP students succeed, and some fail; but I do believe that capitalism rivals academics at UOP. The suggestion that I would like to add to

your comments is: before deciding to enroll at any on-line campus, get a working knowledge of algebra. Even if your enrollment counsellor tells you that it is not necessary. Another point of interest is: become familiar with at least basic computing before you enroll.

UOP instructors will not wait for you to understand any of this (algebra or computing), will not help you, and will fail you. One more thing to remember if you still decide to enroll with UOP. If there is a legitimate technical issue that has been confirmed with tech support that

 the issue does exist; do not expect leniency from your instructors; because instructors are not credited for follow ups and they will not go the extra mile to get you the grade comparable to your skills or efforts (it's a crap shoot). 

I like my counselor; my counselor makes me laugh, and that is all that I personally require from my counselor; because UOP is so much bigger than it's personel, and most personnel are just trying to live.

At the present time; the roaring lion is winning with it's "campus in every major city" attitude. Can an organization sustain verility while promoting ineptitude? I hope that it is not too late for UOP to change it's image because I would like to see them succeed while assisting others in their success as well, or will they just bail out, "take the money, and run?"

 

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#455 Consumer Comment

Ex-UOP CEO Brian Mueller now caught in same SCAM at Grand Canyon College

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 20, 2010

Brian Mueller was CEO of UOP (aka Apollo, aka AmwayU) when UOP was first caught using student loan monies to pay sales commissions/Hawiian vacations.

Mueller, now CEO of Grand Canyon College has been caught again in exactly the same scam: violation of the False Claims Act.

It's the same old story: Muller paid his "counselors" sales commissions with student loan monies. The most recent settlement with the US is for five million dollars.

It is also important to note that UOP's  percentage of revenue from Title IV government loans is 89%. The max allowable is 90%. How lucky can UOP be???

Steve Eisman, portfolio manager for FrontPoint Fiancial Services testified before Congress; please Google his opening statement "Subprime Goes to College".

Finally, I was remiss in not acknowledging Rip-Off Report in exposing the Apollo/UOP student loan scam.

Rip-Off Report has provided the the forum for those who have been ripped off by predators such as UOP and Grand Canyon College. Desperate people, searching for a better life are easy prey for UOP and GCC.

I have spoken to the New York Times and have directed same to Rip-Off report. Ditto ABC News. Without Rip-Off Report exercising it's 1st Amendment Free Speech and Freedom of Assembly (us, the readers!) rights, these predators never would have been found out for the frauds they are.

The influence of Rip-Off Report cannot be underestimated: ROR has cost the UOP's of the world BILLIONS of dollars. Investors throughout the world Google "UOP ripoff" and come up with hundred of complaints. They refuse to capitalize Apollo and sometimes even short the stock.

Great work, ROR. Thank you for leading the way in consumer education and empowerment.

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#454 Consumer Comment

ABC News Hammers UOP with undecover report

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 19, 2010

It's happened again...UOP (Apollo Group, aka Amway U) has been caught again, this time by ABC News in an undercover sting. For all those of you who did not know, Amway U has had to pay the US back 77 million dollars for using tuition money to pay sales commissions and Hawaiian vacations.

Since B initially reported these violations on Rip-Off report, UOP having eaten over 2 BILLION dollars in stock buy backs still has seen their (Apollo) stock collapse, losing over 46% of it's value despite the buy-backs.

And now, they've been caught again. If anyone out there wants to file a lawsuit (qui tam or class action) simply Google "Nancy Krop"...you'll see the light, folks.

It's over for Amway U...they're done. They're now nothing more than Kaplan or ITT or your local culinary school. For more information simply bring up ABC News and you'll see it all, in ugly, living color.

You did it, B. You really did it.

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#453 Consumer Comment

Hey everyone GUESS WHAT I AM POSTING GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!

AUTHOR: Happy1withshatteredreamz - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 28, 2010

I am posting this to let everyone know about this program the president just signed. This should help us extremely well with the vultures. Obama passed income based repayment for the loans. Most awesome thing is you file your taxes then file with them and they tell you what you can pay over the year. I made 1,400.00 all year last year :( but this should help a great deal because my loans are in default and NCO group has them. (THESE PEOPLE SUCK IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT IN COLLECTIONS WITH THEM COMPLAIN TO THE CREDITOR AND SEE IF YOU CAN GET IT AWAY FROM THEM!!! My best friend who has Cerebral Pulsay dealt with NCO and they have threatened to sell her wheel chairs, as well as everything in her home and put her in jail. They threatened to call DSS on me for non payment of my bills which is screwed up!) Google it and the website will come up........I can't list it cuz of RR's rules, but it is income based repayment.

Hope this will help everyone.

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#452 Consumer Comment

And now the banks

AUTHOR: Happy1withshatteredreamz - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 12, 2010

My comment to JJ........before you go shooting off learn to spell. I'm bipolar and dislexic, I'm not an idiot. It's spelled Grammar. I know I have typo's I don't need someone to point it out for me.

I am now dealing with the banks calling me once a week going where is our money. I managed to get a part time job, which right now is a very hard thing to do, but I only work 20 hours a week there. What's worse is thanks to the new "Fair Credit Reporting Act", hope everyone is secure in their job if your loan through UOP defaults: because now everyone is checking your credit. If you sign an application, there is a new note in the disclaimer which stated they will be checking your background through "consumer reporting agencies". This IS a credit check.

Good luck to all that have been ripped off by these vultures.

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#451 Consumer Comment

UOP & Financial Aid Screwed Me

AUTHOR: ZonaGal43 - (United States of America)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Sheila,

The same EXACT thing has happened to me.  I told them that I could not afford to pay a student loan when I was "just" inquiring on the school.  The girl told me that she would get me a student loan and I said that I can only do a Pell Grant & would qualify income wise since I was a working single parent.  She said no problem, but that in order to attend, I would have to sign a promisory note, just in case I wanted to take more classes (more than the grant would pay for.)  I insured that I would not go beyond what the pell would pay for.  I took 2 classes, 3 credits each @ $485 per credit hour and each new classe started every 5 weeks.  When they told me that my next class would need to be English 101, which I already took through another college, I told them that I was not about to pay nearly $1400 to take this class when I had already taken it.  They told me that I could not go any farther or take any other classes until I took Eng. 101, so I quit UOP.  I did not have a choice of what classes I wanted to take and when.  I am now stuck with a wage garnishment because I can not make the Student Aid Commissions monthly payment.  My loan is with 1 company, but they are reporting as 3 companies on my credit report.  This is the only negetive mark on my credit and now I'm screwed.  I currently work in education and due to government budget cuts, my hours have been cut.  This loan is a government loan and they would cut the payment down when I lost my hours.

So, I am with you if you choose to do anything.....I read the recent lawsuit of the whisleblowers and they won a lot of money.  What about people like us that were screwed by these same whisleblowers?  I did contact the law firm that handled their case & have not heard anything as of yet.  2 classed cost me nearly $3000 and the books were free for signing up!

I don't know if you can contact me through this post.  If not, post another report and maybe we can find a way to connect.

 

 

 

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#450 Consumer Comment

Cap locked complaint

AUTHOR: JJ - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, December 21, 2009

I hope they enroll you in a grammer class.

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#449 Author of original report

I have told anyone I know stay far far away from this school..............if you're enrolled I feel sorry for you because in 4 years your "degree" probably will not be what you think: my UOP hell

AUTHOR: Happy1withshatteredreamz - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, December 19, 2009

I have a report already listed so I am submitting my story here as well:

I started going to University of Phoenix after another friend of mine told me she was having success there. My classes started in the fall of 2006. I had told the university I wanted to persue a law degree, which they told me "An Associates degree in the Arts of Criminal Justice would be the best way for you to get the law degree." First of all: There is NO LEGIT LAW PROGRAM in UOP. Criminal Justice is great for forensics, or to be a cop. You need a legal studies degree to become a lawyer. Secondly, I think they are doctoring their books because they claim I owe them about 5000.00 (not counting student loans) after I ended up in several bad situations. I failed 2 classes due to attendance, even though I was in my classes 2 nights a week after having to walk 3 miles to the local community college. They waived those, which I felt was awesome of them, and I resumed my courses retaking those classes again and passing them. I then became homeless into my second block. Dispite my luck I had faith, and I passed those 2 classes. The 3rd set of classes I failed. I retook theose and passed as well as my fourth set of classes. My fifth set I again failed. I paid them $1000.00 to reenroll in class again (they claim I owed them 3600.00 and this is before I read the reports) and they told me they would wave the other $2600.00 I owed them as long as I passed my next two classes. I have a pell grant and a student loan, which I use to pay for school. (which they explained to me if I didn't pass the class the student loan didn't cover it I had to retake the class and pay for the failed class out of pocket.) Silly me fell for that one.........I failed those classes too due to an emotional collapse: I didn't understand an assignment and asked a teacher for help. I even provided my cell phone number and asked her to call me to help me. Not only did she not call, but the only response to my question I got was "Read the material I gave you and you will figure it out." I did read it: I didn't understand the assignment which was submitted on ANOTHER WEBSITE other than UOP's and I stated this in a response to the teacher again asking her to call me because I was having trouble and I didn't understand the assignment as far as the other website. I was told again to read and I would understand, so then I stopped going to my classes. After all what was the point if I didnt understand it and they were supposed to be teaching me yet I was not having anything explained to me.
So now I get a letter stating I owe ACS (I guess a company they are tied in with) money for my classes, yet it doesn't give an amount, just says to call them. I also get a bill for my student loan. I had to get a second lender for the loan because my original lender (Wachovia) doesn't offer loans anymore because of the merger with Wells Fargo. I haven't had the best dealings with Wachovia anyways so I went to Bank of America. I get a bill from Bank of America stating I owe almost 2100.00 for a student loan

, plus my original loan from Wachovia was over 5000.00. If the student loan didn't cover the class I failed, why was Bank of America (who only paid the loan on the most recent 2 classes Wachovia covered the rest) billed in the first place? To top it off, from what I can gather, I owe the school something around 5000.00 as well. On credits for a degree that is useless to me. On the up side, my loans aren't in default, so I can go to another institution. Thankfully I also now have a stable home and my fiancee' to back me.
This angers me that I have taken like 12 classes and I know they are overcharging me, AND they also lied to my friend that went there for a teaching degree. They lied to her and told her a pell grant would cover all the expenses. Now she has a loan in default because she failed a class (due to being homeless as well) and I told her about the waiver then read reports and told her stay far away from them. They sold me on a law class not even worth anything. They claimed they could help me achieve my dreams and accomplish my goals: All they did was shatter them. If anyone from UOP reads this I only have one thing to say: What you did to me was wrong................what is worse is you guys also knew I was a single mother! You not only stole from me but you stole from my daughter. I had nothing and you took it down to less. And to rob an innocent child! How do you people sleep at night? Their "criminal justice" course system is just as big of a joke as they are. Also note to everyone so you know:
These people were just sued by their employees for their business practices. google it. Now just as "B" insinuated about the money that "appears" now we know how.
I have documents to prove I was charged for those classes twice too........what can I do?

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#448 General Comment

TO ALL THE PEOPLE DEFENDING UOP

AUTHOR: n3n3 - (United States of America)

POSTED: Monday, December 14, 2009

I AM CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE UOP AND I STRONGLY FEEL THEY R A RIPOFF.. THEY DONT LET US PICK OUR OWN CLASSES THEY WORK HAS NOTHIN TO DO WITH WHAT WE ARE STUDYING AND R JUST PLAIN STUPID. AND ALSO I TRANSFERRED FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSITY WITH CREDITS AND THEY OR ONLY GOING TO EXCEPT 10 OUT OF MY 44 CREDITS AND THEY HAVE THAT I STILL HAVE TO TAKE PSYCHOLOGY COURSES WHEN I HAVE ALREADY DONE SO. MY ENROLLMENT COUNSELOR WOULD ALWAYS TELL ME THAT I HAD TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN THINGS WHEN SUBMITTING MY PAPERWORK IN WHICH I FELT WAS CRAZY BUT I NEVER CHANGED WHAT I HAD SELECTED AND ALSO I HAVE BEEN ENROLLED FOR 7 WEEKS AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT PUT MY MONMEY TOWARD MY ACCOUNT OR SENT OUT ANY REFUND CHECK. MY COUSIN IS ALSO ATTENDING AND THEY HAVE ALREADY ENROLLED HER IN HER SECOND TERM OF CLASSES W/O HER CONSENT AND TOLD HER THAT SHE COULD NOT TRANSFER OR IF SHE DID DHE HAD TO PAY THEM THE AMOUNT OWED AND THE CLASSES HAVE NOT EVEN STARTED YET..IT SAD THAT THEY WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE,LIE, AND TRICK PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING SO HARD TO BETTER THEMSELVES SO I SAY TI HELL WITH THE UNIVERSITY OR THE PEOPLE BACKING THEM UP BUT I WILL SURE BE ON THE PHONE WITH THEM  IN THE MORNING WITH MY CONCERNS..AND I ALSO THOUGH IT WAS FUNNY THAT IN THE GEN 105 CLASS WHEN U MISS A ASSIGNMENT THE TEACHER ALWAYS WRITES BACK AND IN COM/140 THE NEVER GRADE YOUR WORK ON TIME AND ALWAYS COUNT OFF FOR SENSELESS THING... THE FUNNY THING IS ME AND MY COUSIN HAVE DIFFERENT TEACHERS BUTTHE TEACHERS ARE THE SAME WAY..

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#447 Consumer Comment

you are a guy with guts....hats off to you

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 11, 2009

I am seeking a online company for my son to go to for human resource/business management.....was just going to sign up with phoenix and found 500 reports on them....do you or anyone know of an aacsb accredited online course for me.  Thank you for coming forward when all else seemed to lie down.

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#446 Consumer Comment

BRAVO "B"

AUTHOR: Georgia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Let me tell you, thank you for bringing it all out and being honest. UoP is nothing but unethical liars and someone has got to make them accountable for thier actions and shut them down.  How many law suits will they have to pay for until someone finally shuts them down?

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#445 Consumer Comment

aacsb

AUTHOR: JJ - (United States of America)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 09, 2009

I guess I am not seeing your issue?  You attened UoP without doing research and now you are finding out that only 7% of schools are accredited by aacsb?  And employers are laughing at  your degree and not the way you present yourself on paper and in person?  You are upset that you went to a for-profit school and wonder why they are making money on you?

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#444 Consumer Comment

EDUCATION...What is it really?

AUTHOR: Golden - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 18, 2009

Let's face it...our educational system is NOT what it used to be or should be. I personally have been out of high school 46 years and the best school I EVER attended was Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan. Back then, you could major in everything to music, 4-5 types of engineering, home economics, math, etc. Everything below 70& was failing so you got an exceptional education.

Since that time, I have taken classes from at least 9 different colleges, all accredited. Next to Cass Tech, my second choice would be Los Angeles Valley College where I receive an Associate Degree in Broadcasting. It is a 2 year school. (I have 10 years of college, a B.A, a teaching credential and have taken several courses for an M.A)

I discovered that even sitting in classes, like CA State University Northridge, a good education is not promised. I finished all my coursework for my Master and at the end of my project...80% completed, I was told that I was missing the first part...which I had begun a couple years previously at a school I no longer worked at. So what do you do?

Like in the lower grades, elementary through high school the system had also failed us. We PAY for the paper we earn. I have not seen that much difference in any of the four year universities no matter where they are located, how much they cost, whether they are classroom, online or correspondence. Of course, in most cases accreditation is an issue. I just say do the best you can...try to keep your expenses down and research carefully because they are all costly in one way or another. University of Phoenix, like others pour out areas like teachers, but now with the crisis, even those fields have difficulty securing employment. It is bad and sad when they can't hold up to their promises, but to be honest, MANY COLLEGES are like that. They offer a "change as you go format."

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#443 Consumer Comment

Ripped off By UOP

AUTHOR: Armywife65 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, May 18, 2009

My daughter was ripped by UOP and we are trying to get more people that were ripped off in the same way.

Her story is that, she is a single mom and thought she was getting a pell grant, to not have to pay anything what so ever for schooling, Her enrollment counselor says in the notes at UOP, that he walked her thru the paper work regarding loan process and told her how much the pmts would be, etc...BUT he never did on that part. He told her she was not getting a loan that it was just formality for in case she wanted a loan. She would have never signed up with UOP if she had known she was getting a loan. She signed because she had trust in this person representing University of Phoenix.

I specifically asked my daughter, if she was sure she was not getting a loan and she said yes, it's all free, because she's not working and she's a single mom.....well they screwed her and now they are saying that she owes $15,000.00 in student loans and that "she signed" which she was TOLD to sign, that it was all formality.

If we can get enough people, we will file a class action law suit. So if there is anyone that was told, they would not have to pay anything on a continuous basis from UOP, and now has to pay those loans, please email us

you can try to get a hold of me: read between the signs or my name at bottom:
rippedoffbyuop dot g...l dot c m

Hope to hear back from anybody
SheilaOnTheWeb

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#442 Consumer Comment

Taking your credits with you.

AUTHOR: Rick - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Hi,

If you are in your sixth week of taking classes the only thing you can do is finish your current classes, and give the university notice via email of your intentions of not continuing. Whether the credits are recognized by another institution is up to that institution.

With proper notice any money not used will be returned to the lender. If you are scheduled for classes and do not withdraw you will be charged for those classes regardless of whether you participated or not.

The school will make every effort to convince you to stay. You must stand your ground and do not let the school pressure you to do something you know in your heart is not for you.

Phone calls should be followed up emails with responses from the school confirming what was discussed on the phone. Create a paper trail; phone calls are hearsay. I am glad you have recognized that this on-line program is not for you, but do not fail the classes you are currently attending because you will be liable for any outstanding costs. Student loans and grants are not going to cover a failed class.

Any classes you have taken must be paid for before you may get any transcripts from UoP. I suggest leaving on a good note; do not lose your temper. Take the initiative and do not wait for "things to happen." If an email is not replied to within three days send it again and add to the email any concerns about not receiving a reply the first time. You will be working against the clock. If your email is ignored and a class is scheduled for you and you are not withdrawn, then you will owe for that class.

Respectfully,

A former satisfied student.

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#441 Consumer Comment

A few questions for B?

AUTHOR: Rosa - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, May 03, 2009

I am now going on my sixth week. I am taking Criminal Justice online and I am having second thoughts about still attending this place. I want to know how can I transfer without owing UOP? What are the necassary steps I need to take in order for me to have full control over my FA funds? I do not trust the UOP and I want to make sure my funds are safe and going on me, not them if you know what I mean?

Please if anyone can help me with this matter feel free to do so. I am needing all the help I can get. So B if you read this soon please give me some feed back? By the way you are very much missed around here. I agree with everything in you're report about the UOP. I don't get how some will come in here defending them, why?
Is it that they have no heart? And don't care to see the real truth?

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#440 Consumer Comment

What about their Elementary Ed. Bachelor's degree?

AUTHOR: Bblanton - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 15, 2009

I'm looking into UOPO, specifically their Elementary Ed. program. I'm a bit skeptical and even more so when I discovered all these reports. Since you're a former employee, what do you know about that particular program? My admissions counselor is Annie Wan and she's trying to get me started but I'm trying to slow the process to double check this school. I'm enrolled at a local university but I was curious about UOPO as far as the ease of taking everything online. The school district that I want to teach in accepts it but I'm not really sure that I'll be able to get a job after going to UOPO.

What are your thoughts?

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#439 Consumer Comment

Wasting time

AUTHOR: Trs - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 04, 2009

I came accross this by accident, and would have to say this is an arguement that is a big waste of time. I can understand people posting their comments regarding both sides of the issue, however, the bashing is ridiculous. I know several graduates from UOP that recieved a high quality education and I know a few people that were unable to make it through the program or had to re-take classes because of poor grades. The facts are:

1. it is an accreditited institution
2. you obtain a valid degree
3. you are only going to get out of it what you put into it (which is true at any institution)
4. potential employers will not turn you away just because you obtained a degree from UOP.
5. I know a professor at a state university that would not hesitate to hire a UOP graduate, and yes the credits will transfer to this university.

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#438 REBUTTAL Individual responds

Filing Class Action Please respond>

AUTHOR: Bubblelyme - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

All of you students whom have had trouble with the Unversiety of Phoneix online or Axia college with them taking and misuse of the funding that was provided to you by the school or were charge for classes that you never enrolled in and can prove it. I am trying to abtain a Attorney at this time. If you are intrusted in getting involved with me. You mail email me at mkizer@triad.rr.com pertaining this matter. Since there seems to be so many of us out there. Someone has to take the step to get the ball rolling.
mary

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#437 Consumer Comment

Thinking about attending to UOP

AUTHOR: Lady_sakura - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 28, 2009

My brother went to UOP and seem to have no problem with the school. I go to a community college here in AZ and the advisors don't have a clue as to what they are talking about. I am looking to go to another school for higher education since it is hard to get a computer degree at these community colleges.

I was going to email my brother about UOP and get information about their computer degrees. If UOP is such a scam, then how come my brother got a computer degree there and had no problems getting a job?

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#436 Consumer Comment

IF B IS SO BAD

AUTHOR: Bubblelyme - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 28, 2009

Oh guys open your darn eyes. IF B is so bad and wrong then while does the college have lawsuiet pertaining to these act things. Why so many people having problems in the same area over THERE BEING MONEY! You all that are defending the school are stupid and I hope they take you for every penny you have. For us that are smart keep up the work and research and we get the last laugh in the end!!!

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#435 Consumer Comment

THE SCHOOL SCREWED ME WITH MY Transcripts

AUTHOR: Bubblelyme - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 28, 2009

MR B,
This is whats going on with me. I wen this stupid unversity for one full year then dropped because i was awarded moeny from finical aid and they said they never recieved any and every semister i was having to pay money out of my pokecket. It got to the point i could not afford that with my four children at home.Now iam going back to tech school here in my local town and they wont give me my transcripts saying i owe them like anther 2900 dallors. its bull crap. Idont know how I am gonna get my transcripts.

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#434 Consumer Suggestion

what can i do??

AUTHOR: Sms09 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 12, 2009

I just enrolled a couple days ago at UoP. I havent started any classes not even oreientation. After reading everything on here I am scared and do not want to attend this place. Since I have not started any classes can I get out of it without it costing me? should I contact FASFA and let them know i will not be attending that shool? HELP please

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#433 Consumer Suggestion

University of Phoenix

AUTHOR: Confused - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 03, 2009

I have a pell Grant of 4310.00 that was scheduled amount that was awarded to me plus, a Stafford Loan of 5000.00 dollars. I was told they charged for that loan. so the loan is now 4951.25. I feel that I am getting ripped off, and I can't prove it.

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#432 Consumer Comment

B., thanks for educating me about the UoP online.

AUTHOR: Tdbrown - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 25, 2009

After reading many, many comments and rebuttals posted here regarding the UoP online, it appears to me that the "success stories" from some are the exception and certainly not the rule for the UoP online program.

Due to my "homework" researching the UoP online and thanks to RipoffReport, there will be one less scam victim, for now.

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#431 Consumer Suggestion

Oh Lord, I was really fearing this...

AUTHOR: Ohmylord2141 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 05, 2009

I am currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice at UoP.

I went straight into the family business after high school & I pay my tuition out of pocket. I work about 80-90 hours a week for my parents; so I thought I had fallen into a great thing. I really need some advice here. Being a year and a half in... should I continue?

My concerns are:
1. Is this place really accredited?
2. If my credits won't transfer but my degree will, should I get the degree and then do grad work elsewhere? *(assuming the degree will work)
3. I understand people are less likely to hire a UoP grad than someone from a state school, but are they completely worthless?

The retards who could not count, spell, write, or think were in my first 3-4 classes; but now I am with people who are fairly smart & their companies pay for them.

^The above concerns me... why would a large business pay for their employee to attend a joke of a school?


Thanks to any advice/info anyone can give me.

-Ohlord.

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#430 Consumer Suggestion

This is the subprime of education

AUTHOR: Mad Taxpayer - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 22, 2009

After doing some research I am glad that former employee's are telling the truth. I bet the guy from Citron Research who has been exposing this scandal would love to hear from you. I am all for funding students who want to better their lives, but to saddle a person with debt, promises of the ability to transfer credits, I had an admission counselor tell me that I could transfer to Yale and Stanford as they had the same accreditation. After calling both schools and have them laugh I was appauled that individuals who didn't think to verify their boiler room tactics are really being victimized. Would love to chat with the honest person who posted this as I think the DOE needs to hear this stuff.

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#429 UPDATE Employee

B is wack - Here's how we enrollment counselors do things...

AUTHOR: 3ntropy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Every fact in his diatribe from over 2 years ago is inaccurate. I am an enrollment counselor, and I'm not a used car salesman. In fact, I hate sales. We do not have a script to follow with phone calls, nor do we get paid on student enrollments.

Here is how we get paid, just so you all know. 30% of our job is speaking to people over the phone, educating them, and helping them enroll once they have all the facts. We cannot qualify people. If they chose to enroll after I ask them numerous times, "Do you understand how everything works, including the finance aspect?" then it is my job to make their enrollment smooth.

about 30% is student retention, or making sure to cover concerns, address issues, and pull out all the stops to make sure students are doing well and stay motivated and consistent in class. We work in teams of three. Enrollment, Academics (scheduling), and Finance (student loans and payment arrangements). This "graduation team" is dedicated to small groups of students and calls to check in constantly to make sure everything is going smoothely. No other school does this.

the final 40% is how we operate as employees. Firstly compliance with company, privacy, federal, and business policies is so highly stressed, that it's almost big-brother-ish. Our accrediting body (HLC), The Dept. of Education, and the SEC all oversee our day-to-day operations to make sure we do everything right. In 2 years at two separate campuses I have seen the HLC do walk-throughs of each campus twice.

Besides getting along and singing Kumbaya with my co-workers, we have to be experts on programs like FFELP, PLUS loans, Stafford loans, Pell Grants, compliance issues such as ADA, FERPA, GI Bill money, foreign students, and stringent student record protection policies. It's extremely complex.

I am a believer in this company. I acknowledge that their are SNAFU's, but that's why it's called a SNAFU. We try to go the extra mile to help people, and I am so gratified when a student finds their path again after quitting school 23 years ago because they got married and had kids, and are now walking across the stage with their HIGHLY valuable college dimploma from UoP.

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#428 Consumer Comment

Current Student

AUTHOR: Naleetia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Ok, when I first came across this I was very concerned and right away made some phone calls and web surfing to get more information. What I found is they are a legit online college. I called and got the info from the very site you say they aren't. This was also recently done again in 12/2008 as you will see on the report. It does state UOP and not Apollo but Apollo owns UOP so that makes them legit.

Thanks,

http://www.ncahlc.org/index.php?option=com_directory&Itemid=192&Action=s****.>

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#427 Consumer Comment

WHERE IS "b" we miss you

AUTHOR: Tara - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 08, 2009

Hey, b I hope you come back because (this sounds so dumb) but I miss you so much. I was laughing so hard at your witty and satirical remarks as well as the remarks of others. Oh my gosh! I hope no one was traumatized as a result of this debate. While some agree with "b" and some don't most of us have to admit that he has certainly raised points, about UOPO, that are worth pondering and definitely considering. I was flabbergasted at some of the points being raised on this forum.

However, if I was a former/current student of UOPO I would perhaps feel very wounded by some of the satirical comments, rather fact or opinion, that have been posted on this ROR website.

Although I am a graduate of UCLA I noticed that some of the students at UOPO online grammar and punctuation are much better than mine. Kudos... chin up! I know that we all get mocked-- but if you are intelligent it doesn't matter what school you attend your intelligence will persevere. I promise... Honestly, I was accepted into UCLA by over studying because I lacked the intelligence that many students have... For every one hour of their study I had to do three. I always made people laugh but not on purpose. Listen, so to speak, it is your dedication and hard-work that is going to shine through to perspective employers. Don't get me wrong-- you may have to send quite a few resumes in to perspective employers just like all of us-- I promise... it is your determination that will see you through even if you are a graduate of UOPO. It doesn't matter if your are an average student graduating from ANY university-- we all have to start at the bottom-- experience is the dominant factor when it comes to great jobs and high salaries, not that degrees are not important, but experience will take you to the top. On the other hand, I think that it is wise to use the information about UOPO accordingly. For example, I would not suggest someone who read this report and do the research on UOPO to go and enroll.

What I am merely suggesting is that if you have already graduated from UOPO or are soon to graduate is that you "keep your head up" and make the best of the education that you received. Don't give up... if this is any consolation some of my colleagues have a degree from UOPO. I am a high school teacher and I am not the smartest but I am a hard-worker and I just wanted to encourage those that might feel saddened by this information. Just make the best of what you have by letting the knowledge shine through and work for you... Chin up...

By the way, we are discussing education here so please don't be shocked if someone insults your grammar or ability to punctuate accurately. In defense of myself, English was my greatest challenge in college (LOL) but I did excel in math and science. I did really well in math and science so I must admit to you that although I am an educator (MATH Teacher); English in the form of grammar and punctuation are not my strongest points (LOL). The funny thing is that I am so sensitive about this weak that I would never post anything without first running it through spell check.

I hope "b" comes back I enjoyed him so much. I hope I don't ruin the reputation of UCLA by this super ridiculous truth that I am about to reveal-- but I feel abandoned by "b". I enjoyed him so much...

"b" I know people were cracking on you, so to speak, but some of us really appreciate that you had enough guts to make this report. You might not realize how many people you saved heartache. I hope all is well with you-- PEACE

Tara

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#426 UPDATE Employee

University of Phoenix is not accurately represented

AUTHOR: Eb - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 10, 2008

I feel that as an employee, I must say something regarding the inaccurate postings made by people who have had either bad experiences or were formerly employed by UOP and have axes to grind.

While it is true that not everyone has a positive experience, most do. There are inept employees that probably do not care about the students or the academic integrity of the institution, but, in a company of this size, that is bound to happen. That does not make it right; but it is a fact. However, there are far more people here that do care about the students and do strive to provide a quality educational experience.

Enrollment counselors are the used car salesmen of the company. They make us all look bad. Every time something negative is said in the press, it involves enrollment. B, I'm sorry, but much of what you have posted is inaccurate. Accreditation is hard to obtain and quite easy to lose. Of course maybe it would be easier to give some credence to your words if they were put together in an intelligent, coherent manner.

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#425 Consumer Comment

VERY EXPENSIVE

AUTHOR: Jonid - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Those who are paying for their own education in the hope of advancing in a chosen profession should be the MOST concerned about UOP.
A college degree is an investment. It can be examined as such. This can be done with a simple ROI calculation. You divide the returns (INCREASED earnings) by the cost. I am going to use years going forward for this example rather than a percentage. and I am just going to use tuition and not time or lost earnings on the investment side.
Suppose a business degree will give you a 5k boost per year in earnings.
If it costs 16k, you will have paid for it in just over 3 years.
If that same degree costs 48k, it will take almost TEN years before you realize any economic benefit from the education.
Does UOP look so good now?
If you don't realize the expected earnings boost, you are really in trouble.
Hey, you can buy a crummy little car for say 10k. it might be a crummy little car, but if it gets you where you want to go you can be perfectly happy with it and it may have been a good choice. But if you pay 50k for that crummy little car, that you could have got down the street for 10k, you are just a dumb a*s.
Joni

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#424 Consumer Comment

k

AUTHOR: Ktoll9 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 02, 2008

I agree with "T". If UOP was really that bad then why do so many companies approve them on their list of colleges. The military even suggests them, for goodness sake.

Most employers don't look at where you went to college when they hire you, they look at whether or, not you had the motivation to attend and finish the classes. Unless you are going to be a lawyer or, doctor or, similar professional then most people don't care where you went; all they care about is your work ethic and motivation. Otherwise, most would not be employed at all. Who cares where the degree is from? Do you show up for work? Do you do your job knowledgeably? Did you do the classwork? Or, do you just do the bare minimum at work, show up late constantly and turn everything in incomplete?

There are a lot of people out there that have gone to major Universities right now that only brag about where that little piece of paper came from instead of doing their job and doing it right. I don't want to hear about how much Mommy and Daddy spent on you education if you aren't going to use it. Most people going to an on-line college don't have "mommy & daddy" to sponge off of and have to work for a living. They don't have the time to sit on their butts all day and boohoo over they were screwed by life.

This thread is just a bunch of sour grapes that can't hack the on-line learning environment.

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#423 Consumer Comment

I'm Attending This University Now

AUTHOR: Missyoudontknowwho - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, November 28, 2008

I have took two classes and was dropped from one, the school will not reopen for me to speak with someone until DEC 1 I want to withdraw from the school itself, is it a fee. Will they maske me pay for classes that I havent started yet, in the policies and procedures menu it say withdraw before u start the class or later. The classes arent posted I havent accessed them, I need info on withdrawing. Will i have any future charges the classes I had accessed are paid for. there is nothing else I told the if anymore unexpected charges come up I will contact federal I'm just not going to post and be depressed I will send in all the emails that I received from them and statements. to the state, Federal and government I'm not going to be caught in this trap. I'm not getting in debt for nothing.

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#422 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Some final notes

AUTHOR: Bdbyace28 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wow! PAP seems to be one sold sucker. After reading the "back and forth" commentary i ask why would anyone entertain his brainwashed opinions. "B", you sound like a person that cares about the big picture and should not waste your time with small minded people like him. The guy that sat next to me in class that stopped at the bar or smoked a "doobie" before class graduated with a 3.8. So obviously there is no merit in his self validating statements and rambling about the minimum criteria that UOP meets to obtain these accreditations. Just because they can meet the minimum requirements to get by with accreditataion, doesn't mean we need to be thrown their names and addresses by someone desperately trying to give value to their over-priced degree. Just feel safe in knwoing that "PAP" will never be competition in the job force for someone like yourself. I think of UOP like McDonald's. Just because they are on every street corner and can offer a similar products to quality restaurants doesn't make them quality or healthy. Oh yeah, I'm sure they are licensed and approved to conduct business and sell food. So this argument has little merit. So let's let PAP stay in his fog so he can continue managing his branch of McDonald's with his "degree" from UOP.

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#421 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Some final notes

AUTHOR: Bdbyace28 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wow! PAP seems to be one sold sucker. After reading the "back and forth" commentary i ask why would anyone entertain his brainwashed opinions. "B", you sound like a person that cares about the big picture and should not waste your time with small minded people like him. The guy that sat next to me in class that stopped at the bar or smoked a "doobie" before class graduated with a 3.8. So obviously there is no merit in his self validating statements and rambling about the minimum criteria that UOP meets to obtain these accreditations. Just because they can meet the minimum requirements to get by with accreditataion, doesn't mean we need to be thrown their names and addresses by someone desperately trying to give value to their over-priced degree. Just feel safe in knwoing that "PAP" will never be competition in the job force for someone like yourself. I think of UOP like McDonald's. Just because they are on every street corner and can offer a similar products to quality restaurants doesn't make them quality or healthy. Oh yeah, I'm sure they are licensed and approved to conduct business and sell food. So this argument has little merit. So let's let PAP stay in his fog so he can continue managing his branch of McDonald's with his "degree" from UOP.

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#420 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Some final notes

AUTHOR: Bdbyace28 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wow! PAP seems to be one sold sucker. After reading the "back and forth" commentary i ask why would anyone entertain his brainwashed opinions. "B", you sound like a person that cares about the big picture and should not waste your time with small minded people like him. The guy that sat next to me in class that stopped at the bar or smoked a "doobie" before class graduated with a 3.8. So obviously there is no merit in his self validating statements and rambling about the minimum criteria that UOP meets to obtain these accreditations. Just because they can meet the minimum requirements to get by with accreditataion, doesn't mean we need to be thrown their names and addresses by someone desperately trying to give value to their over-priced degree. Just feel safe in knwoing that "PAP" will never be competition in the job force for someone like yourself. I think of UOP like McDonald's. Just because they are on every street corner and can offer a similar products to quality restaurants doesn't make them quality or healthy. Oh yeah, I'm sure they are licensed and approved to conduct business and sell food. So this argument has little merit. So let's let PAP stay in his fog so he can continue managing his branch of McDonald's with his "degree" from UOP.

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#419 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Some final notes

AUTHOR: Bdbyace28 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Wow! PAP seems to be one sold sucker. After reading the "back and forth" commentary i ask why would anyone entertain his brainwashed opinions. "B", you sound like a person that cares about the big picture and should not waste your time with small minded people like him. The guy that sat next to me in class that stopped at the bar or smoked a "doobie" before class graduated with a 3.8. So obviously there is no merit in his self validating statements and rambling about the minimum criteria that UOP meets to obtain these accreditations. Just because they can meet the minimum requirements to get by with accreditataion, doesn't mean we need to be thrown their names and addresses by someone desperately trying to give value to their over-priced degree. Just feel safe in knwoing that "PAP" will never be competition in the job force for someone like yourself. I think of UOP like McDonald's. Just because they are on every street corner and can offer a similar products to quality restaurants doesn't make them quality or healthy. Oh yeah, I'm sure they are licensed and approved to conduct business and sell food. So this argument has little merit. So let's let PAP stay in his fog so he can continue managing his branch of McDonald's with his "degree" from UOP.

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#418 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Some thought regarding both sides of this coin

AUTHOR: Bdbyace28 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 20, 2008

I read the main report on this matter and can understand the frustration felt by "B". I too worked there and started taking classes with this "school". First, I would like to say that the responder named "PAP" is incorrect in saying that Harvard is accredited by the same organization. This is what I heard from many employees while working there and it is false and comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. To open minded individuals, please look closely at all of the comments made on this matter, some show severe bias and some have merit. The degrees offered by the school are proven to offer 50% of the actual education which was published after extensive research by a professor I had in the past. He had researched 100 proprietary education organizations and found that most schools in this category were aggregiously low on the amount curriculum offered and that the standard fro graduation was far less than traditional schools. This is not something that can be easily disputed since the research was conducted without specific bias and did not attempt to single out and particular University.
"B", you are fighting an up-hill battle. The kind of people that create an institution like UOP are what corporate America is built on. Many of the issues that American economics are having stem from the tactics used by these executives. The sad part is that these executives move from companies like UOP and pollute other institutions and industries with their "at any cost" mentallity. These executives are self serving and care very little about the long term affects of their actions.
For example, I now work for a smaller private school that held a strong reputation in academic excellence that has been recently compromised by the UOP mentality. Just to reinforce the acceptance of this practice, the ex-UOP executive that has moved to my new school was sued for a variety of unethical business practices and was promoted instantly to the top executive position within the company and has further lowered the reputation and quality of the degrees offered.
The fact is that until these unethical executives are exposed and forced to change, nothing will change.

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#417 Consumer Suggestion

Online Learning is not for Everyone - UOP is an Excellent School

AUTHOR: Onlineeducation - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 20, 2008

I have been in attendance at UOP for a few years and will graduate in a few months. I have also attended brick and mortar colleges and have experienced success at both. Over time I have learned that there are simply two sides to every story, and then there is the truth. I cannot comment on B's allegations of corporate behaviors at Apollo, but I can tell you it has never been my experience to be pressured by any employee of UOP. It is clear to me that B is simply a disgruntled employee who doesn't have the courage to post his real name to allegations which are likely untrue. B is doing a disservice to himself and future potential graduates of UOP and other online colleges by casting Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) without a single ounce of credibility.

Apollo is a for profit college designed to provide a quality education for working professionals. It is true that a UOP degree may not compare to one from Harvard, Stanford or many other fine 4-year brick and mortar schools. It is also true that attending one of those fine colleges is generally impossible for most working adults with a family.

Let me address specifically some of B's points:

B: Yes, advisors are trained to lie and manipulate. I did this training myself they call it the AMOPS process. It is a technique used to manipulate leads into buying a product.

A: So you are basically saying the every single advisor at UOP has no integrity, work ethic or moral compass. I highly doubt it. If my boss asked me to do something unethical, illegal, etc., I would quit. In your own word you were one of their top performers. If everything you say is true, then you lied to hundreds of students. So that would basically make you a liar. Why should I believe what you say now?

B: Yes, advisors are paid off of the number of enrollments. It's called the Matrix; they changed it in 2004 to look more in line with requirements of the DOE. This led to a record number of pay decreases across the board, a record turnover rate for employees, and a mass exodus of their top advisors.

A: Yes, I believe it has been established that UOP was not in line with some of the methods they used to stimulate enrollment. They have discontinued this practice and it is no longer an issue. UOP isn't perfect and I can't blame them for developing employee programs which actually gave the employee incentives for success.

B: No, the degree is not looked upon as being high quality. I attended the ground campus with 2 managers from Intel here in AZ and they showed me a memo that went out to their managers stating that they are no longer allowed to hire graduates of the BSIT program at UOP.

A: Yes, this is true. Good thing most of the people reading this have no desire or plans of working for Intel. It is important to note that Intel's decision also eliminated hundreds of other colleges. In fact, The giant chipmaker now will pay for classes only at business and engineering schools with blue-ribbon accreditation. Blue-ribbon accreditation is only provided by the AACSB. UOP is accredited by the ACBSP.

B: No, you will never be cleared by the collections department.

A: This is simply ridiculous and undeserving of an intelligent response.

B: Yes, EAs will tell potential student that student loans do not need to be paid back.
A: Really? This would be illegal; having knowledge of this makes you an accessory to a federal crime. So why would I believe you.

B: Yes, the CEO once said that he wanted to be the Wal-Mart of education. Obviously without the low pricing.

A: Good for the CEO. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the biggest education institution in the world.

B: No, the cost of tuition increase has nothing to do with expenses; it has to do with showing income on the books.

A: Yes, the cost of tuition has to do with maximizing profit. They are a for profit school.

B: Yes, there is a promotion every month.

A: Sounds like good business model to me.

B: Yes, you should select your own lender and choose to have the funds distributed to you, even if that means you have to wait to start and pay for the first class out of pocket.

A: My lender has sent all payments directly to UOP. I have never had an issue and have received refunds when appropriate.

B: No the people who defend this place have no clue what they are talking about.

A: Yet another ridiculous comment and undeserving of an intelligent response.

Online learning is clearly not for everyone. It can be very challenging at times and my experience has been that it is far more challenging then brick and mortar schools. Lower division classes at all colleges can be very irritating due to the tire kicker students who aren't really cut out for college. Yes, there are many students who have enrolled at UOP, signed up for student loans, didn't do the course work and ended up getting a failing grade and possibly a bill from the University. Yes, if you owe the University money, they will not release your grades.

If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all. There is more credibility in your message if you post both the good and the bad. If you contend to have been a valued employee, who participated in violations of federal law and lied to studentshow are you better? You should be ashamed of yourself and you should have reported unethical or unlawful behaviors to the appropriate authorities.

If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

If you continue to do what you have always done, you will always get what you have always gotten.

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#416 Consumer Comment

Gina, A Typical UOP graduate student.

AUTHOR: Jonid - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, November 10, 2008

I don't get it Gina, just why are you annoyed at B? He is only trying to warn people about problems at UOP.
You of course are a very good demonstration of those problems. Let's go through your rebuttal point by point.
1. You state that B is an employee and has an MBA. First off, he states he WAS an employee, and the rest of your point is? Go ahead, help me out, give me a clue as to the hidden accusation I assume this statement contains.
2. B has been doing this for years. He isn't writing academic papers, but even so, I really don't notice a problem with his spelling or grammar. This is contrary to your second to last sentence, "your" is possessive, "you're" would have been correct. More to the point, at least I can figure out what B is writing about, with you I am having a tough time.
3. As a grad student at UOP you know you don't have professors, you have facilitators. So, is your point that the school really does suck, because of a lack of quality, no profs and high cost? If so, why attack B?
4. UOP gave him the degree, why would they question it? Or is your point that anyone who questions the quality of the UOP degree should have it revoked? That's a little scary Gina. Just think about it, whoops, you're a UOP grad student, that might be tough.
There you have it. A UOP grad student, with a four point attack on B, and the points make no sense. Welcome to discussion groups.
Hey Gina, just curious, what advanced degree are you pursuing? I'll bet it is education, huh? Am I right, or am I right?
Joni

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#415 Consumer Comment

My Response

AUTHOR: Gina - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, November 02, 2008

To The Employee:
Yes, I am a graduate student with the UOP. Now my rebuttal.

1. You state you are "an employee" with a "graduate degree, MBA."

2. How can you even begin to call individuals "morons" when you cannot spell or utilize spell check. Besides, are you not a "graduate student?"

3. The treatment that I have received from financial aid and the "professors" is rather questionable. I have spent over 30,000 for my degree and the education that I have received is not of "quality."

4. You need a course or two in PR. I would hope the University of Phoenix would investigate your questionable degree and the attack of those who do question the University.

Shame, shame on you for your are lacking in a "quality education" if you indeed even have one. Shame, shame on you for attempting to "even" represent the UOP.

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#414 Consumer Comment

UOP Student

AUTHOR: Ashton - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 24, 2008

UOP STUDENT
Completed degree course qualifications August 2008
I am so glad I stumbled on this sight and the UOP discussion
I would love to talk more to 'B' the originator of this discussion
I also would love to build a case against UOP for frauding me out of money because I know currently they are trying to cheat me out of money out of my pocket and while this started because I had a zero balance after my student loans and they were going to actually owe me money, six months later here I am still fighting with them and I keep going up the chain, though technically I haven't made it that far up I will eventually. Every month that this is still being in question I get bill that go up exactly $200 and they keep telling me to disregard them and not even a week later I get a threat letter from them basically telling me to pay in full within a week or else. Now the letters are up to $1000.00 but they are telling me by phone or email one day it's 5 hundred something and the next it's seven hundred something. After 3 months I was pissed off and I let them know I was not going to be given the run around. I have been unemployed for one year due to a manager job lay off at an urgent care that was no fault due to my own-economic reasons-even have a recommendation letter from the physican owners stating that and what a great employee and asset I am. I have outstanding background in medical, transfered to UOP because my friend talked me into transfering with her to the polaris location in Columbus, OH. in Dec. 2005. Now that I am finished, no one has laughed at me yet but I can't even get an interview for them to laugh at me. How shitty is that. The financial advisors are noncompationate, liers, and I could go on and on. They do nothing but talk circles, you would not believe the s**t they have said to me even if I told you.

My husband wants me to stop talking to them because he says I am waisting my breath and I should just contact an attorney and channel 10 and 6 on your side to get the media involved. Now that I have read what is listed on here for the past 2 hours or so I am thinking he's right. My education at UOP was sometimes a joke, though I did meet some very intelligent instructors a couple were dumber than I and they were suppose to be teaching me. I did learn quite a bit during my time there, mostly because I wanted to learn. As stated in some previous statements some people that were there did not belong, but on the other hand maybe I was not the one who belonged there and is was a college for the less intelligent. Just cracking a joke, don't anyone go and take that personal. I received A's a few times when I know my work was less than that but, there were times that I received lower grades than the grade that I felt I deserved. I have already informed financial advisor (my last one of probably 20 in the past 2.5yrs) Ruthelle (I can get last names if necessary)and manager financial advisor Dietra (which if I live in Columbus, OH and attend their campus in Columbus why are all of my advisors in Phoenix, AZ?)that I would never again attend UOP and told them about all of the bad experience everyone else made me aware of my first 1.5 years at the school and because I did not have any large out of control problems like they did I brushed it off and they would tell me wait until it's time for you to graduate you'll understand then.

I told both of those finance assholes that I now see their frustrations and wished that I had stayed at Devry online and their school was the biggest mistake that I had ever made and I would not be attending their master's program I was going to take my next $50,000 to another school. Now I can only hope that I can get into another college and not have to backtrack any for a degree I already completed. I should post some of the emails that have went on between finance dept and myself it would amaze you, really. I have never seen such poor customer service skills. I was very civil and patient until 2 months ago and then I snapped, I can't take their lies and deceat anymore. How do you fight a billion dollar company when you can't even get a job. They won't even talk to me on the phone anymore because they can't answer my questions directly and I force them to answer directly because I don't except their circle talk so instead I get a half assed email that is one or two lines.

All I want is my peice of paper that apparently isn't going to get me far and it hasn't done s**t for me yet because I have been searching for a job for a year and I have been completely finished for 6 months now. Would someone with a criminal/law background care to share some advise. I don't care to have any comments about me being disgruntle, angry, bitter, and so forth because though I may be I have every right to be when someone is trying to take money from me, treatining me, and holding my degree basically for ransum.
Ashton
Columbus, OH

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#413 Consumer Comment

Think About It

AUTHOR: T - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, October 21, 2008

I have attended UOP for a few classes, and began to wonder if I was getting what I paid for. After doing some research, and reading many of the post on this site, here is my opinion of UOP, and distance learning as a whole.

No large organization is perfect; many companies have problems with their finances, HR, and staffing departments.

Sure, I encountered some instructors who I felt were at UOP just to get a pay check, and others who really wanted to teach. Think about the people you work with, not all are perfect.

The learning teams are not perfect, there is always someone who does not pull his/her share of the work, again, think about your current work environment. I believe you get what you put into it.

Not all distance learning institutions are without fault. Use the search bar on this site, plug in another distance learning university, and see what comes up. From my research I have found similar complaints with all of them.

I had some trouble with billing, and it did take some time to get it corrected, but the point is, I stood firm, and got it corrected.

I have seen much about UOP not being an accredited university; many of you say the degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. Then, I had to ask myself, if that is true, why would my company, (We are the worlds largest in what we do) have a direct billing option to an institution that was fraudulent? Just does not make any sense.

Distance learning is not with out faults, and is not for everyone. Do some research before you invest; ask tough questions, then, make a decision.

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#412 UPDATE Employee

Is everyone taking crazy pills!

AUTHOR: U All Are Wrong - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 13, 2008

EVERY school faces these charges at one time or another. Every school. You do not become the largest university, accredited I might add, in the US by being unethical or corrupt. When you do so, you lose accreditation from the government from Title IV funding. This is what makes schools like the university of phoenix successfull on top of their degree programs. In regards to credibilty, the univeristy of phoenix has the most number of "direct bill" corporations of any univesity. Verizon, Lockheed Martin, the list goes on and on, just to name a couple. I've seen previous comments from people who claim to have been "top" reps. If they were top reps they would have been making so much money and been enjoying their efforts and being proud of their work that they would never have left. Everyone thinks they were a top rep, if they were the would not have left. I have been a top rep since day one, five years plus now. Anyway, it is all moot, those of us who are achievers will do well and prosper for years to come, while helping people achieve their dreams. The rest of you will gripe and complain as I expect, you have through out your miserable careers and lives! Good luck losers!!!

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#411 Consumer Comment

Message to B..I Love You! I hope you still read the posts

AUTHOR: Dana - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Hi B,
Thank You, thank you, thank you, thank you! I am a new student of Uop on-line at first I was really excited and I thought I did my homework I was soo wrong first of I did not even know this site existed until today. It took me about a year to decide to enroll the EA was very helpful and I felt appreciated along with the FA and AD, well I must have been looking for someone to appreciate me because I jumped right into that band wagon and I was hyped.

I started in April 2008 I was really excited I should have listened to my gut feeling when I seen people post messages that half of them could not spell, or even understand the question that was being asked. I thought wow how did they get in here? well needless to say I kept on going and I was noticing things like grades just being handed out on a silver platter, so I did an experiment and completely did an assignment all wrong I put all the wrong answers on every single question and still got an A. I was really pissed off then cause I knew then I was just wasting my time and money.

So now it is Sept. and I was thinking I would be receiving the other disbursement of my Pell Grant, when trying to contact my FA she has not even wrote or called back to inform me if I was getting anymore or not. Back in April I got 2000. from my pell grant plus the tuition had been paid through financial aid so I did not think anything of it until Sept 8 I started asking questions and no one will answer me. All I am told is re-apply so like a dummy I did. Then I find this site and my blood ran hot then cold I am currently in my 3rd block I am going to finish this block and then withdraw, so I want to thank you so very much for all the information your posts has been convinced and everyone Else's that I need to run and run fast before it is too late or thousands of dollars in debt.


I do have a question I haven't yelled or screamed at anyone yet. I want to know how do you find out how much your pell grant was? I mean I never got any letters or anything on how much the total was, and what is the best way to leave there without them holding up my transcripts so I can attend another school? or making me pay money back?


Thank you again

PS I Love you!

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#410 Consumer Comment

Help

AUTHOR: Kenrogers - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, September 05, 2008

I read what you wrote, and I am going throug a dilemma with them. I am a high school counselor and met Valissa Armistead the MI enrolmment counselor in Grand Rapids while she was trying to recruit students. At the time I was not intereted, but she would call at least once a week. I finally took the bait, BUT I asked her.........these questions:

I never took online classes, if I do not like can I cancel wit no reprocussions?
(Of course you can Mr. rogers, you have to let us know in the second week of your online class, and complete the class)

NOT TRUE

Then I asked, I am oving to New York in 2011 for a job at the epartment of Labor in Cassadagga New York.
(No problem she siad)

NOT TRUE - NEW YORK doesnt accept their degrees

So, I do not car if it is on my credit report I filed bankrupcy this year bcause o fmediucal bills. Now I have over 40 ulcers in my stomach from their calls and harrassment. They say I owe 1495, and they still have not paud WACHOVIA back.

I only took 2 classes an Wachovia gave them over 4500 dollars, and only gave them back 550.

Can you please tell me what I should do? I filed complaints with:
BBB
Federal Trade Commission
Attorney General
Consumer Reports
MI and US Higher Education

What else?

TY for your tiem

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#409 Consumer Comment

Transfer update

AUTHOR: The Monk - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, August 30, 2008

Thank God I am finally out of the Degree sweat shop. The A's were nice, but I could not in good conscience continue to pay $1300 to teach myself and have someone tell me if what I taught myself was right or wrong.

I have moved on, but I felt it my civic duty to warn everyone who has a chance and a choice not to stay with UoP or consider going to UoP.

Mark you, I have had great instructors( actually 4) out of 18. UoP is all about Money and everything else is incidental.

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#408 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Where's B Been?

AUTHOR: Uoprulz - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, August 26, 2008

B,

Where you at man? Maybe I'm looking at this thread incorrectly but it appears you are nearly on a 6 month hiatus. Gotta say that this is a pretty funny thread. I can't believe that it has lasted for 3 years. Wow! I've enjoyed reading it, well, most of it. Afterall, B can be quite long winded. We'll just say passionate instead of long winded! HAHA! I stand by most things B says about UOPO. I graduated from UOP and worked there. The one thing I did get out of it was entrance into a reputable graduate program. I have moved on from that industry (online education) and I would recommend traditional schooling over online programs, if possible.

It's worth the short term sacrifice than having to defend your degree to potential employers or schools. But, if you must attend an online program, I would stay far from UOP. There are just so many better options now.

Vigenere

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#407 Consumer Comment

No problems in transferring UOP credit or getting accepted into other graduate programs

AUTHOR: Rowland - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 08, 2008

For those who are concerned that their credits earned from University of Phoenix will not transfer to other universities or academic programs, let me put your mind at ease.

At one point, I was highly dissatisfied with my educational experience at UOP - not due to the instructors or quality of the coursework, but due to the teamwork model they have integrated into their programs (but that is another story).

I applied to all three of Arizona's state schools - UofA, ASU, and NAU - all of which are highly credible universities. I live in Tucson, so I spoke to a UA academic adviser in person. He initially made a face at me when I showed him my unofficial transcript for UOP, but confirmed that all of the courses that I had taken would be transferable to the UofA. Similarly, ASU and NAU both accepted all of my UOP credits, no questions asked. True, some did not transfer directly into the requirements for my major (really this was only an issue for the UA) but this was due to slight variations in the curriculum. And let me emphasize the word "slight." The education I have received through my state's school was no better than what I received from the UOP.

Amusingly, UA's Eller School of Management does like to place itself on a pedestal and play Mother Superior when it comes to their program vs UOP's. However, Eller's educational model is based on UOP's - learning cohorts and learning teams are a big part of Eller's BS and MBA programs (and yes - UOP came up with this model first). True, you won't be required to take calculus, but as someone who has worked in business administration for the past 10 years, I can tell you I have never needed calculus (or even algebra, for that matter).

I did wind up completing my undergrad (BSBA) through UOP, and it did have much to do with time already invested. I did not see the point of extending my undergrad an extra year in order to take extra classes (such as calculus) to satisfy some other university's requirements. I also eventually wound up with a competent learning team, so many of the teamwork woes were resolved. Overall, once I had a good learning team to work with, the rest of my studies at UOP were enjoyable.

I had no problem getting accepted into two different graduate programs - again, both at highly credible institutions. I am currently in a graduate program through NAU, but am transferring to an online MBA program through University of Liverpool (if you question the credibility of the University of Liverpool, check out its world rankings - ranks higher than the University of Arizona). For those who question the academic quality of online classes - take a few graduate-level courses before passing judgment. I have found these to be much more rigorous than traditional lecture-based classes!

I also have a friend who graduated with a B.S.B.A from UOP in 1999, then went on the get her master's degree from ASU. She was originally enrolled in a program at the UA, but transferred to UOP due to the lack of student support by professors, counselors, and administrators alike. She did not regret her decision to change programs one bit.

Hope this helps some of you in making a decision in regards to your educational options. Best of luck!

Rowland
B.S.B.A received from University of Phoenix May, 2007


PS - Note to B: Looks like you've been stewing over UOP for quite a while. Time to move on!

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#406 Consumer Comment

AACSB-Accredited universities generally do not accept credit from non-AACSB-Accredited...

AUTHOR: Hadri - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 23, 2008

I filed a ripoff report on July 19th, but just wanted to mention here that I checked with the head of academic affairs at a state university I transferred to from UoP. He stated that AACSB-Accredited universities' "normal" practice is to NOT accept transfer credit from universities with no AACSB accreditation (aka UoP).

However, you can request the university that you are transferring to, to allow you to take upper-division courses that your UoP credit would be considered pre-requisite. If you complete those courses with a passing grade, then your UoP credit MAY be accepted.

So perhaps not all is lost if you are stuck with transfer credits from UoP.

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#405 Consumer Comment

A different prospective

AUTHOR: Honstman - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 22, 2008

First, I am speaking from a different prospective than someone who obviously has an agenda and contributed to what he claims is fraud until likely fired. I earned my MBA and BSB from UOP and any claims that these degrees are considered less than another degreee from a more traditional school are wildly exaggerated. I am the Director of Operations for a large software solution company and I work with Intel, HP, Autozone, Google, and Microsoft and with the odd exception of Stanford or Harvard Graduate, I have yet to hear any critical comments about the company. In fact we use 3 different templates used in most of the MBA classes for Gap analysis and Problem resolution. My direct supervisor is the VP of Finance and Operations and has an MBA from a local state college and I shared my studies with him each week and he was more than impressed. In fact he was impressed enough to pay for 1/2 of my courses and when I was done I received a promotion to the executive staff. My company is a subsidiary of a fortune 500 company and that company had to review my credentials before approving my Director position- a title I hold with my company and my parent company.

My take is that success in college, any college, depends on what you put into it. I have people that work for me with degrees from UC Berkley, Cal State Fresno, Cal State Sacramento, and many other local traditional colleges that didn't learn half of what I learned at UOP and will never hold the position I hold.

My one criticism of the school is the legitmacy of the GPA. I finished with over a 3.9 and honors but based on the papers and writings of other students, I don't understand how many could have had grades that would have kept them in the program. If in fact UOP is passing students that aren't meeting minimum requirements, than yes, I agree, there is serious concern. That being said, many of the poor paper writers were gone by the 5th or 6th class so I don't know what actually happened.

There is no denying the fact that this school exists to make a profit and there is a conflict of interest when an institution relies fiscally on passing students.

I may be the exception to the rule but I would like to see an actual survey of fortune 500 company and executive recruiters rather than anectdotal comments. My experience has been very positive and I would recommend the college for people in my situations.

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#404 Consumer Comment

Been there Since 2005

AUTHOR: The Monk - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 21, 2008

I am currently a student at UoP. Started 08/2005 and I am now a 3.93 GPA with 87/120 credits under my belt. (sigh).

I am however on my way out. I have 11 courses to go to finish my "BS" degree. However it will not be be at UoP. This August I will be transferring to another local college. Yes, I know I will lose some credits. That is fine. I would rather spend another 3 months in school and graduate with a reputable degree than finish now with a one that is ridiculed by employers.

I would not encourage my enemy to attend UoP. I might recommend my mother-in-law (joke).

UoP is a money grubbing business and the students' value (education) for their money is the least of their concern.

The most interesting thing about this is that 2 years ago I had a Math teacher pulled me aside and asked me why I am attending UoP. He actually encouraged me to leave. I did not listened then, but I listened last month when a Stats teacher asked me the same thing.

So last Friday, 07/18/08, I drove to a local campus and I was given the necessary instructions on how to transfer. So to all who are lauding UoP, you might have reasons to do so, but the instructors who advised me to leave may know a thing or two more than you do.

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#403 Consumer Comment

AACSB Accreditation

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 14, 2008

Back story: I am a student in a Bachelors of Science In Business Administration at University of Phoenix (UoP) I'm in my 2nd calender year and what would be the equivalent of my 3rd academic year and currently hold a 3.96GPA. I've never been employed by the University and speak now only as a student.

It was noted above that University of Phoenix does not have AACSB accreditation. In fact, this seems to be brought up quite often by those who speak ill of University of Phoenix. But, did you know that only 15% of business schools have AACSB? Yeah, only 15%. Some of the requirements set forth by AACSB simply can't be met by a school the size or using the educational model as UoP. Just a guess, but imagine a requirement of a ratio of teachers to students of no more than 400 students per academic year per teacher. This can't be met because UoP class operates year round while state schools only go 9 months. I.E. State school teacher teaches 3 classes with 50 students twice a year. That's 300 students per teacher per year. But a UoP Teacher teaches 20 students per class in 3 classes, 8 times per year. 1 UoP teacher has 480 students per year. So if you only look at yearly totals it appears that UoP teachers have too many students, but in reality, have fewer students per class than the state school. It's just that they operate a longer academic year and shorter, more intensive courses. This of course is just a guess, but I use it to demonstrate my point. You can't judge a school based on accreditation unless you know why or why not it was accredited by a certain accrediting body.

Another example is ITT Technical School. They are nationally accredited, not regionally, because one of the requirements for regional accreditation is all the instructors must have at least a Masters Degree in the field of study in which they are teaching. But what if you wanted to be an electrician for small homes? You need the technical expertise which would be best taught by an instructor with technical experience. A contractor with years of real world experience, not an academic who spent their life reading books. Thus the school employs those with the experience to provide the information they feel is best suited for their students. But because not every instructor has a Masters degree, the school is not afforded regional accreditation. Does this mean the school is bad?

Remember, especially in undergrad study, the information being presented at the small local colleges is the same as the Ivy League schools. What makes the quality of the education good or bad is the quality of the student enrolled. The reason why the "best" schools seem to be the best, is because the only admit the best students. So they produce better graduates, not because the school is better, but because their admissions standards are more strict. If all schools so chose, they could all only admit the "best" students and have the appearance of being a great school. But, then it's likely that very few would ever go to college. A school like UoP which gives everyone the equal opportunity to learn admits students of every caliber, good and bad. How much each student learns depends entirely on the student. Just like at a state school, the student who reads his/her material and pays attention in class will receive a better education than the student who spends every night partying and sleeps in class. It's not the school you go to. The real key to the quality of your education is YOU!

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#402 Consumer Comment

OK.......

AUTHOR: Srt - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 14, 2008

I have actually sat and read just about every post on here, and now that I've gotten to the end, I have forgotten what the main point was that B was trying to make, thanks to all of these posts that were here and there and everywhere, and a few that were really hard to grasp the points of. Ooops, I ended with a preposition. I did, however, note the many posters who apparently are English teachers and felt the need to bash on a few who had grammatical and/or punctuational (is that a word??? Better get out my dictionary....) errors. Since I may have a touch of ADD, and the fact that so many people got off the subject, this is all I got out of this:

1. B hated his job. It was unethical and he decided to educate the rest of us on how F'ed up UoP really is.

2. There are lots of posters who agree with B, and hate UoP.

3. There are some posters that like UoP and disagree with B.

4. There are some who have not quite grasped the English language.

5. There are some who point out the language and grammatical/punctuational flaws to those who have not quite grasped it (the English language).

6. There are a few who like to compare apples to oranges.

7. There are still fewer that are very proud of their GPA's.

8. UoP stock has plummeted significantly, and UoP has taken a minor beating with negative press and investigations, etc.

Here's my 2 cents: If you don't like it, or it doesn't feel good, don't do it. If you like it, or it feels good, then do it. (as long as you are not hurting anyone else) It's a matter of personal opinion whether or not online education is right for you. I personally need the structure of the "brick and mortar" schools, and I know this about myself. I happen to attend a school in southern AL and that works for me. What bothers me is the fact that while taking a Sociology class during my undergrad, I learned that regardless of accreditation, southern colleges are not the same educational standards that schools in the east or midwest are. I'll have to dig out that book and find the exact information, but boy, here I thought my 3.93 GPA was awesome.....(ok, you KNOW I had to throw in something about my GPA....)

Also, after reading about the high costs of attending UoP, I'm wondering if they aren't getting away with that based on the fact that it is an online program and people from all over the US and world are taking classes so it can be "justified" as "out-of-state" tuition? Anyone know anything about that? Just curious. I hope that question wasn't already answered because I wouldn't want B to move in for the kill! (just kidding....).

Well, this has definitely been an interesting read. And to be honest with you, I was researching the company American Association of Labor and reading bad reviews on them when I came across this one. And that is the joy of ADD. :)

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#401 Consumer Comment

Of Course B is Disgruntled

AUTHOR: Disgruntled - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 14, 2008

Wouldn't you be disgruntled having to go through the junk "B" did? I've worked for a similar type of company and if you don't get disgruntled you are either part of the problem, an imbecile or both. By definition someone who says negative things about someplace is disgruntled.

I am a disgruntled former continuing ed student there. I took a Math Methods class last year (I needed it to get re-certified as a math teacher at the post-secondary level). It was a horrible joke. First, they did unbelievable stuff with payment that they chalked up to a new IRN assignment system, and sent me bills for the class after I paid in advance on my own and the class ended. The methods class itself was a complete joke. I am embarrassed to say I have profited from it in the way of recertification as a teacher. Luckily I am known as a great teacher and the class was a square filler anyway.

The class was "attended" by complete idiots who posted nonsensical things and replies to other people's nonsensical things...example:

Post 1: I think every kid should learn math at the elementary school level

Reply to Post 1: I totally agree. Math is a good thing to learn.

Instructor comments: Great insights--you both get an A.

It was seriously THAT bad. On our "final project" we had to come up with a complete unit plan with lesson plans, supporting material etc etc. Naively I spent about 60 hours on mine. It was complete with software development, drawings, NCTM standards alignment etc etc. I got an A. The instructors comments? "Nice work". No advice, no sign he had even read it.

We had to post our final projects for everyone in the class to see and comment on. There were one or two quality posts. The others were complete gash written by people who are likely like mr 3.98 GPA. ONE, was plagiarized. lifted entirely, verbatim complete with same fonts, animations everything from a Rice University Math site. No references, no nothing--just lifted verbatim. Instructor comments? "nice work". I turned the person in to the instructor...comments back? None. I made a post in the chat thing for the entire class that said "Nice work. Copied from Rice University website yada yada".

OK, I have it figured out. This year I need 45 more contact hours for a pay raise (a big one at that). UofPee to the rescue! One more joke of a class and I get my pay raise. By the way, a continuing ed class at a real university (like Harvard if they offer them there) is worth the same 45 hours to our school dept.

Unfortunately, I can't go through with it. Not because I have morals--I don't. The UofPee screwed me on billing again, double billing me for this joke of a class, not holding my credit card for 60 days like they said they would and a few other things that made it impossible to keep going. Too bad they are unethical. If they were just a joke I'd take the class. Unfortunately being an unethical joke is over the line even for a scumbag like me.

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#400 Consumer Comment

Of Course B is Disgruntled

AUTHOR: Disgruntled - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 14, 2008

Wouldn't you be disgruntled having to go through the junk "B" did? I've worked for a similar type of company and if you don't get disgruntled you are either part of the problem, an imbecile or both. By definition someone who says negative things about someplace is disgruntled.

I am a disgruntled former continuing ed student there. I took a Math Methods class last year (I needed it to get re-certified as a math teacher at the post-secondary level). It was a horrible joke. First, they did unbelievable stuff with payment that they chalked up to a new IRN assignment system, and sent me bills for the class after I paid in advance on my own and the class ended. The methods class itself was a complete joke. I am embarrassed to say I have profited from it in the way of recertification as a teacher. Luckily I am known as a great teacher and the class was a square filler anyway.

The class was "attended" by complete idiots who posted nonsensical things and replies to other people's nonsensical things...example:

Post 1: I think every kid should learn math at the elementary school level

Reply to Post 1: I totally agree. Math is a good thing to learn.

Instructor comments: Great insights--you both get an A.

It was seriously THAT bad. On our "final project" we had to come up with a complete unit plan with lesson plans, supporting material etc etc. Naively I spent about 60 hours on mine. It was complete with software development, drawings, NCTM standards alignment etc etc. I got an A. The instructors comments? "Nice work". No advice, no sign he had even read it.

We had to post our final projects for everyone in the class to see and comment on. There were one or two quality posts. The others were complete gash written by people who are likely like mr 3.98 GPA. ONE, was plagiarized. lifted entirely, verbatim complete with same fonts, animations everything from a Rice University Math site. No references, no nothing--just lifted verbatim. Instructor comments? "nice work". I turned the person in to the instructor...comments back? None. I made a post in the chat thing for the entire class that said "Nice work. Copied from Rice University website yada yada".

OK, I have it figured out. This year I need 45 more contact hours for a pay raise (a big one at that). UofPee to the rescue! One more joke of a class and I get my pay raise. By the way, a continuing ed class at a real university (like Harvard if they offer them there) is worth the same 45 hours to our school dept.

Unfortunately, I can't go through with it. Not because I have morals--I don't. The UofPee screwed me on billing again, double billing me for this joke of a class, not holding my credit card for 60 days like they said they would and a few other things that made it impossible to keep going. Too bad they are unethical. If they were just a joke I'd take the class. Unfortunately being an unethical joke is over the line even for a scumbag like me.

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#399 Consumer Comment

Of Course B is Disgruntled

AUTHOR: Disgruntled - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 14, 2008

Wouldn't you be disgruntled having to go through the junk "B" did? I've worked for a similar type of company and if you don't get disgruntled you are either part of the problem, an imbecile or both. By definition someone who says negative things about someplace is disgruntled.

I am a disgruntled former continuing ed student there. I took a Math Methods class last year (I needed it to get re-certified as a math teacher at the post-secondary level). It was a horrible joke. First, they did unbelievable stuff with payment that they chalked up to a new IRN assignment system, and sent me bills for the class after I paid in advance on my own and the class ended. The methods class itself was a complete joke. I am embarrassed to say I have profited from it in the way of recertification as a teacher. Luckily I am known as a great teacher and the class was a square filler anyway.

The class was "attended" by complete idiots who posted nonsensical things and replies to other people's nonsensical things...example:

Post 1: I think every kid should learn math at the elementary school level

Reply to Post 1: I totally agree. Math is a good thing to learn.

Instructor comments: Great insights--you both get an A.

It was seriously THAT bad. On our "final project" we had to come up with a complete unit plan with lesson plans, supporting material etc etc. Naively I spent about 60 hours on mine. It was complete with software development, drawings, NCTM standards alignment etc etc. I got an A. The instructors comments? "Nice work". No advice, no sign he had even read it.

We had to post our final projects for everyone in the class to see and comment on. There were one or two quality posts. The others were complete gash written by people who are likely like mr 3.98 GPA. ONE, was plagiarized. lifted entirely, verbatim complete with same fonts, animations everything from a Rice University Math site. No references, no nothing--just lifted verbatim. Instructor comments? "nice work". I turned the person in to the instructor...comments back? None. I made a post in the chat thing for the entire class that said "Nice work. Copied from Rice University website yada yada".

OK, I have it figured out. This year I need 45 more contact hours for a pay raise (a big one at that). UofPee to the rescue! One more joke of a class and I get my pay raise. By the way, a continuing ed class at a real university (like Harvard if they offer them there) is worth the same 45 hours to our school dept.

Unfortunately, I can't go through with it. Not because I have morals--I don't. The UofPee screwed me on billing again, double billing me for this joke of a class, not holding my credit card for 60 days like they said they would and a few other things that made it impossible to keep going. Too bad they are unethical. If they were just a joke I'd take the class. Unfortunately being an unethical joke is over the line even for a scumbag like me.

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#398 Consumer Comment

Of Course B is Disgruntled

AUTHOR: Disgruntled - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 14, 2008

Wouldn't you be disgruntled having to go through the junk "B" did? I've worked for a similar type of company and if you don't get disgruntled you are either part of the problem, an imbecile or both. By definition someone who says negative things about someplace is disgruntled.

I am a disgruntled former continuing ed student there. I took a Math Methods class last year (I needed it to get re-certified as a math teacher at the post-secondary level). It was a horrible joke. First, they did unbelievable stuff with payment that they chalked up to a new IRN assignment system, and sent me bills for the class after I paid in advance on my own and the class ended. The methods class itself was a complete joke. I am embarrassed to say I have profited from it in the way of recertification as a teacher. Luckily I am known as a great teacher and the class was a square filler anyway.

The class was "attended" by complete idiots who posted nonsensical things and replies to other people's nonsensical things...example:

Post 1: I think every kid should learn math at the elementary school level

Reply to Post 1: I totally agree. Math is a good thing to learn.

Instructor comments: Great insights--you both get an A.

It was seriously THAT bad. On our "final project" we had to come up with a complete unit plan with lesson plans, supporting material etc etc. Naively I spent about 60 hours on mine. It was complete with software development, drawings, NCTM standards alignment etc etc. I got an A. The instructors comments? "Nice work". No advice, no sign he had even read it.

We had to post our final projects for everyone in the class to see and comment on. There were one or two quality posts. The others were complete gash written by people who are likely like mr 3.98 GPA. ONE, was plagiarized. lifted entirely, verbatim complete with same fonts, animations everything from a Rice University Math site. No references, no nothing--just lifted verbatim. Instructor comments? "nice work". I turned the person in to the instructor...comments back? None. I made a post in the chat thing for the entire class that said "Nice work. Copied from Rice University website yada yada".

OK, I have it figured out. This year I need 45 more contact hours for a pay raise (a big one at that). UofPee to the rescue! One more joke of a class and I get my pay raise. By the way, a continuing ed class at a real university (like Harvard if they offer them there) is worth the same 45 hours to our school dept.

Unfortunately, I can't go through with it. Not because I have morals--I don't. The UofPee screwed me on billing again, double billing me for this joke of a class, not holding my credit card for 60 days like they said they would and a few other things that made it impossible to keep going. Too bad they are unethical. If they were just a joke I'd take the class. Unfortunately being an unethical joke is over the line even for a scumbag like me.

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#397 Consumer Comment

Two Cents

AUTHOR: Ev - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, July 10, 2008

This post is not directed at anyone...it is simply information on my experience. Please consider it to be neutral because after reading all of the information on this site I'm not really sure how I feel. So, B - please don't slaughter me after you read this. I am actually a decently intelligent and successful HR professional who also holds an SPHR certification (you can't really be stupid and pass that certification exam). Ok...here goes nothing.

I do have an MBA in HR Management from UOP online. I "graduated" in October of 2006. I'd like to share a few things:

*I have yet to meet a business person who has winced at my degree - just want to get that out there. Oh, and I am speaking about business people at Fortune 500 organizations in positions at the Director level and above.

*I received my BS from Rutgers, The State University of NJ...A decent school back in my day. No, I'm not going to date myself online. LOL. Well, my graduating GPA overall was a 3.43 (a 3.89 in my major which was management). I will tell you that I hated the entire experience. I didn't think it was difficult and I slacked quite a bit especially my freshman year (party party party) - which is why my overall GPA wasn't higher. I had "professors" who literally read from the text book to the class. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that was their style of "teaching." I was horrified. There were students in the classrooms who did NOTHING. They never participated in class, when we had team assignments they contributed nothing, and some were actually disruptive in certain classes. However, they were good test-takers. This is what earned them their 4.0 grades - the fact that they could memorize information then regurgitate it on a test. I - on the other hand - was not that fortunate. I stink at taking exams...BIG-TIME. What I am really good at is taking information, researching it further, then analyzing it and drawing some reasonable conclusion about it. This is what made the UOP environment good for me. Just for me...maybe not for others.

*A little more about ground schools...yes, like Rutgers. I also had "professors" who could barely speak English. My marketing professor was from another country and his accent was SOOOO thick I could barely understand him. That cost me my 4.0, because when I asked him to repeat himself in class he would get visibly agitated - worse, he wouldn't repeat himself. I missed out on so much information in that class. I ended up reading the text book three times cover to cover...but of course - because I missed so much of what he was allegedly saying in class - I only managed to get a C on the final. When I complained about this "professor" to the Dean...I was basically told, "too bad, get over it, you'll make up the grade since you are such a smart and good student." No lie people. This is what I was told. So, life went on, I graduated and missed honors due to my own doing (too much partying my freshman year), my poor test-taking ability, and the piss-poor quality of a lot of the so-called professors. A 3.43 is not bad right? I can't be called stupid right? Considering I had a 1.8 my freshman year due to spending more time on the consumption of adult beverages instead of studying. Come on, you know you did it too. LOL.

What's the point you might be asking? Well, compared to the quality of teachers, facilitators, whatever you want to call them at UOP...I didn't see much of a difference. Half of the instructors at UOP sucked and the other half were excellent. I had the same exact experience at Rutgers. Oh, and let's not forget about the "professors" who played favorites. That's always a classic.

As far as the students are concerned...at least when I complained about the lack of participation on a team at UOP - something was done about it. Trust me...yes, I ratted them out COLD!!

When I had poor instructors online - because of my work ethic - I still produced quality papers and assignments. How do I know they were quality? LOL LOL LOL...because I read some of the other student's work...that's how. LOL LOL...sorry but it was too funny some of the work they actually submitted...pathetic.

Anyway, I wanted people to read about my experience in both environments. Yes, UOP is not perfect...NO B, I'm not defending them I swear!!! All I'm saying is that my experience at UOP was just like my experience at a fully accredited ground school. No, I didn't research Rutgers' credentials...I am assuming. Sue me. BTW...this is humor not sarcasm. It's not intended to offend anyone.

I want people to know that yes, they should stay away from schools that engage in proven unethical practices. You know what...make your own decisions folks. Some are not bothered by institutions such as UOP...others are. To each his own. Do your research, talk to people - obviously B and others in this forum have had very bad experiences...while some - yes, I will admit like me - have had neutral or positive experiences. Make your own informed and educated decision. If you are currently in the middle of a program and it's going well for you, well then finish it and give it your all.

Will I go back to UOP for my doctorate? Honestly? Probably not. I do need the flexibility of online learning...but I do take issue with some of the information in the news media about the Apollo organization as a whole.

So, ground schools, online schools, UOP specifically...as I stated before: do your research and make your own informed decision...but the one thing I will say here...stop being nasty to each other. There really is no reason to insult one another's intelligence or motives. We don't know each other - even is some of us assume we do...we don't really know 100% who is who on this site unless you state your name here. Stay focused on the issues that are being raised..not on who is raising them or why. All of the issues raised here can be googled online and verified or not. Calling each other names, accusing folks of being disgruntled ex-employees, and insulting people's intelligence is just not nice - further, it really distracts us all from what - in the end - is some good information - accurate or not - it's up to each one of us to verify what is posted in these forums.

Good day, best of luck and God Bless you all. Elizabeth.

PS..wow, was this the longest "two cents" on the planet or what? LOL LOL LOL.
Laugh, it increases your life expectancy.

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#396 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I see both sides...

AUTHOR: I Detest Scammers - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, July 03, 2008

I've been reading this for a while now and for the most part I agree but there are some instances where I have to say that the student or potential student was very much at fault. Every student completes a FAW...on that faw are about 3 screens that break down everything about your financial aid eligibility and how you would become ineligible...When I worked at UOP I constantly told students to read and understand that when you fail or drop, you owe the school because financial aid will not cover it.

I don't know but it seems common sense to contact the school you want to transfer to and ask them if they accept a certain schools credits. If nothing else, I'd contact the school I wanted to transfer credits to just because it is right from the horses mouth...I have a hard time blaming the school or admission staff for credits not transferring...

Also..BEWARE some admissions rep's will log into class for studnets, the good thing is that this is extremely frowned upon and if caught you WILL be terminated and the student given recourse, but the downside is that it is extremely hard to prove such a thing...

I say if you want the real deal financially and academically, blow off your admissions rep and talk right to a financial aid advisor, they will keep it 100% real and uncut. Want to know why..because they don't want you ruining theit matrix. They get reviewed on defaulted students, studnets failing and students going into collections, more students decide against going to UOP while on that financial aid welcome call.

I was fortunate and I worked at a very very ethical and caring campus. My campus director cared A GREAT DEAL about the success of the studnets enrolled and so did the director.

I too think the school is expensive..but then again, so are prada shoes...if it is too costly, go somewhere else.

if what is written here is 100% true, things looked rough back in 2004/2005...I can't say that my tenure was that bad, I received a hefty raise after my first review and the decrease is not given unless you underenroll dramatically. If you do the minimum you won't receive a decrease, heck I've seen employees miss meets by a landslide and still not suffer a decrease. BUT I do see tale of yester years because some of the more tenured EC's make a nice chunk of change. I'm talking more than 70K- and the most you ever have to enroll to 'meet' is 8 students....I was doing that 1/2 asleep. So even if someone doing 12-15 students a month has an off month, they have so much of a cusion that their review is still gravy and they are easily going up thousands. EVERY 6 MONTHS. It is a great job if you work for a nice ethical and caring campus. I've visited other campus' in trainings and I would not work there for all the tea in China....

I guess it just depends...

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#395 Consumer Comment

Questions for B...please excuse any spelling mistakes.

AUTHOR: Debunker - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, June 30, 2008

I appreciate all of your wisdom and courage, B. You are truely doing us a great deed by enlightening us about this school. I was looking for some advice from someone as knowledgable as you, so here it goes:

First off, I am located in California and plan on furthering my education in this state. With this being said, all the advice about schools I am requesting pertains only to the state of Ca, or including Ca. I have graduated with an Associate's degree (many, actually) from a 2-year community college here in Ca. Some classes I took were on-line through community colleges as well. At any rate, I loved the classes I took online and feel great about them--they were conducive to my education. I am double-majoring in Nursing (or pre-med if I have enough time) and Psychology. I was wondering if I could take any pre-med classes from an on-line school, and if so, which ones. I am on the waitlist for nursing programs all over Ca, so I have completed all the pre-reqs necessary. Most of those pre-reqs are also pre-med requirements.

As for my interest in Psychology, I have been talking in great detail with several on-line campuses, including the UOPO and Walden. Thanks to you, I now know that UOPO is a disgrace. However, I have heard you mention some good things about Walden, so I called some schools in my area (University of Ca. Berkeley, S.F. University, etc...) and asked them what their perception was on a B.S. Psy degree from these type of schools. Suprisingly,they weren't very informative except for S.F. state; they told me that a degree from these school's were accepted but the letters of recommendation needed for the application (going into a Master's or PhD program) usually look a lot more attractive when they are from someone the applicant has met with face-to-face (better still having a traditional student/teacher relationship). This is the only concern I have about transfering a B.S. from Walden into a traditional school. Though Walden offers a B.S. to PhD. program, I would rather get a higher degree at on a traditional campus. Do you have any advice on how I can get straight answers from these schools (about how they truthfully value a former Walden student) and how to go about getting a substantial letter of recommendation from a teacher at an on-line school? I was also told that the "lack of research" from an online program could hinder me if I wanted to transfer into a research specialized program. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

jeff

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#394 Consumer Comment

Questions for B...please excuse any spelling mistakes.

AUTHOR: Debunker - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, June 30, 2008

I appreciate all of your wisdom and courage, B. You are truely doing us a great deed by enlightening us about this school. I was looking for some advice from someone as knowledgable as you, so here it goes:

First off, I am located in California and plan on furthering my education in this state. With this being said, all the advice about schools I am requesting pertains only to the state of Ca, or including Ca. I have graduated with an Associate's degree (many, actually) from a 2-year community college here in Ca. Some classes I took were on-line through community colleges as well. At any rate, I loved the classes I took online and feel great about them--they were conducive to my education. I am double-majoring in Nursing (or pre-med if I have enough time) and Psychology. I was wondering if I could take any pre-med classes from an on-line school, and if so, which ones. I am on the waitlist for nursing programs all over Ca, so I have completed all the pre-reqs necessary. Most of those pre-reqs are also pre-med requirements.

As for my interest in Psychology, I have been talking in great detail with several on-line campuses, including the UOPO and Walden. Thanks to you, I now know that UOPO is a disgrace. However, I have heard you mention some good things about Walden, so I called some schools in my area (University of Ca. Berkeley, S.F. University, etc...) and asked them what their perception was on a B.S. Psy degree from these type of schools. Suprisingly,they weren't very informative except for S.F. state; they told me that a degree from these school's were accepted but the letters of recommendation needed for the application (going into a Master's or PhD program) usually look a lot more attractive when they are from someone the applicant has met with face-to-face (better still having a traditional student/teacher relationship). This is the only concern I have about transfering a B.S. from Walden into a traditional school. Though Walden offers a B.S. to PhD. program, I would rather get a higher degree at on a traditional campus. Do you have any advice on how I can get straight answers from these schools (about how they truthfully value a former Walden student) and how to go about getting a substantial letter of recommendation from a teacher at an on-line school? I was also told that the "lack of research" from an online program could hinder me if I wanted to transfer into a research specialized program. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

jeff

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#393 Consumer Comment

Questions for B...please excuse any spelling mistakes.

AUTHOR: Debunker - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, June 30, 2008

I appreciate all of your wisdom and courage, B. You are truely doing us a great deed by enlightening us about this school. I was looking for some advice from someone as knowledgable as you, so here it goes:

First off, I am located in California and plan on furthering my education in this state. With this being said, all the advice about schools I am requesting pertains only to the state of Ca, or including Ca. I have graduated with an Associate's degree (many, actually) from a 2-year community college here in Ca. Some classes I took were on-line through community colleges as well. At any rate, I loved the classes I took online and feel great about them--they were conducive to my education. I am double-majoring in Nursing (or pre-med if I have enough time) and Psychology. I was wondering if I could take any pre-med classes from an on-line school, and if so, which ones. I am on the waitlist for nursing programs all over Ca, so I have completed all the pre-reqs necessary. Most of those pre-reqs are also pre-med requirements.

As for my interest in Psychology, I have been talking in great detail with several on-line campuses, including the UOPO and Walden. Thanks to you, I now know that UOPO is a disgrace. However, I have heard you mention some good things about Walden, so I called some schools in my area (University of Ca. Berkeley, S.F. University, etc...) and asked them what their perception was on a B.S. Psy degree from these type of schools. Suprisingly,they weren't very informative except for S.F. state; they told me that a degree from these school's were accepted but the letters of recommendation needed for the application (going into a Master's or PhD program) usually look a lot more attractive when they are from someone the applicant has met with face-to-face (better still having a traditional student/teacher relationship). This is the only concern I have about transfering a B.S. from Walden into a traditional school. Though Walden offers a B.S. to PhD. program, I would rather get a higher degree at on a traditional campus. Do you have any advice on how I can get straight answers from these schools (about how they truthfully value a former Walden student) and how to go about getting a substantial letter of recommendation from a teacher at an on-line school? I was also told that the "lack of research" from an online program could hinder me if I wanted to transfer into a research specialized program. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

jeff

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#392 Consumer Suggestion

I currently attend UOP, and have to agree with some points...

AUTHOR: Debbie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 30, 2008

I currently attend UOP, or it's "sister" college rather...Axia -- and I'm looking forward to the day when I graduate (9/21/08). I was "talked" into doing this McCollege thing by a friend that got his Bachelor's degree through UOP. All I can say is, I don't talk to that friend anymore and I cannot WAIT to be done with UOP.

I've read through these posts, and I do agree with some points about how the classes are a bit of a joke. I work full time, therefore I do my homework when I get home in the evening, usually around 7-9pm. Luckily, I'm a single girl with no kids, so I have time to devote to it - I just don't understand how these women with families, kids, a house, laundry, dinner to get on the table and a dog can do online courses!! Anyway, I take two courses every nine weeks. I have an assignment (or "DQs") due on every day except Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

I gotta tell ya, there are a lot of times that I just don't feel like debating the differences between the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, or trying to find out what the benefit to Linux over Unix is....and I have "fudged" my way through many assignments, with excellent grades. That being said, it DOES depend on your instructor. Some could give a flying leap IF you turn in an assignment at all. I'm convinced that MANY do not even bother really reading them once you do. Although I'm not proud if it, I have literally copied and pasted info off the internet into a "1050 to 1750 word paper" and gotten excellent feedback on it.

I have had one or two instructors that were hard-asses and I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to get away with such nonsense, but for the most part, if you're good and bullshitting and embellishing - you can do great at UOP. Every class I've taken, I've gotten an A or B in.

I'm on the way to completing my Associates Degree, which I have a feeling will be completely useless in my future. However, since I only have about 4 more months to go, I'm going to finish it out. Of course, the "counselors" are already on me to sign up for my Bachelor's...but I told them that THAT was not going to happen.

I'm tired of being tied down to UOP. I'll be glad when its over!

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#391 Consumer Comment

B - What About South University?

AUTHOR: J.b. In Jax - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, May 26, 2008

B,

I am about to graduate next month from South University. I was just wondering what your thoughts were on the quality of South University's education, if any?

I'm glad I didn't chose UoP 3 years ago, that's for sure.

J.B.

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#390 Consumer Comment

AVOID THESE SCHOOLS, THEY ARE USELESS

AUTHOR: Curtis - (Canada)

POSTED: Saturday, May 17, 2008

Some lessons Ive learned after having been screwed by a 'business/career/trade' college.
1)If the school is Private, stay away from it
2)If the school is for-profit, stay away from it
3)If the school offers people the ability to finish a course offered at a public college or university in less that half the time it normally takes, stay away from it
4)Do the credits transfer to other PUBLIC colleges and Provincially funded universities? if not, stay away from it
5)are there multiple posts about the institution on educational forums and on the internet in general that are negative in nature, if so, stay away from it
6)Does the school offer job placement assistance, guaranteed high paying jobs after graduation,scouts/employers from companies that come to the school to look for grads,a 70-90% graduate employment rate and a whole bunch of other really over-the-top guarantees?!,if so,stay away from it
7)Does the school have multiple 'campuses' spread out all over the country?if so, stay away from it
8)Is the school on the third floor of a scummy building? if so, stay away from it
9)Does the school seem to change names every couple of years? If so, stay away from it
10)Does the school go through a constant change of instructors and management? If so, stay away from it
11)Does the school employ ex-grads as teachers?, if so, stay away from it
12)DO they advertise on tv, have a 1-800 number and do they have glossy print ads? If so, stay away from it
-If I would've had a list similar to this before I enrolled in that institution, I would've thought twice about making said decision...It doesnt get any simpler then this. Basically your "bachelors" is not really a bachelors, and your little "masters" is not really a masters! Employers know what to look for, and all these "business" college certificates arent worth jack.
Bottom line:DO YOUR RESEARCH!!

Curtis

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#389 Consumer Comment

Thanx you!

AUTHOR: Jen - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Thank you for your help! I am transferring to Walden at the end of the term. I feel like such an idiot..... I guess I had just heard good things about UOP from other people, I didn't even do any online research. Never again!

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#388 Author of original report

What about Kaplan?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, April 28, 2008

I have had direct experience with current and former employees of Kaplan. With that, most of the comments I have heard from the current and former employees lead me to believe that Kaplan's sales methodology is not far off from UOP's. As I understand it from word of mouth, Kaplan has a BOILER ROOM environment for the enrollment personnel. High pressure on the sales force tends to result in high pressure on the consumer.

In the end, you're probably going to find a better source of info by looking for reports on Kaplan in ROR. To test, I looked up Kaplan in the ROR search field and 6 pages of consumer comments came up.

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#387 Consumer Comment

What about Kaplan?

AUTHOR: Jen - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, April 27, 2008

I think I may remember you mentioning something about Kaplan in one of your earlier posts.... any thoughts?

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#386 Author of original report

Jennifer

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Jennifer,

Has it changed? Yes, for the worst I am afraid. But I believe that if they are to continue to exist in this competitive market, they will soon have to make some significant operational changes. If not, they will only be able to prey on the un-informed and unaware consumer. If you would have known 1 year ago what you know now, you probably would have made different decisions. The word is out on UOP, it is just not strong enough to counter the dominate market presence they retain at this point.

The telltale signs will come mid 2009 after the Bush administration is out of office and new blood is in key positions at the US DOE. Hopefully, a significant crackdown on misuse and abuse of Federal Title IV is on the way. If UOP is forced to comply with the rules surrounding sales reps and Title IV usage, enrollment will take a hit. Enough of a hit that I believe they will need to reposition their stance in the stock market which, at this point, is highly focused on enrollment growth.

With regards to your specific choices; they depend on your academic status. There are plenty of other online bachelor programs out there. Most will take anywhere between 60 and 90 credits in transfer. So if you are more than 30 credits away from finishing your bachelor degree at UOP, you can transfer elsewhere. This will most likely save you a significant amount of money. UOP's tuition is ridiculously high when compared to the quality of the degree.

Follow your gut. I personally have a hard time giving money to an entity that is wholly corrupt. But then again, I do pay taxes Who does that money go to again? Oh yeah, totally corrupt corporations with no-bid contracts

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#385 Consumer Suggestion

So, what now?

AUTHOR: Jen - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I have been enrolled in UOP for over a year now and I have worked really hard keeping my GPA up. Then, I find this site and I feel like an idiot. Is all my work really in vain? I had no choice but an online college after my son was born with a disability. This forced me to stay home as he cannot be in daycare or anything like that. I didn't just want to stay home and do nothing else productive, so I decided to start at UOP. I originally heard from many people that UOP is a GREAT online school, one of the best.

But now, I'm starting to regret my decision. What do I do now? Has it changed in the almost three years since you originally posted this?

I know that I have worked hard, and I know I am not one of those lazy or dumb students that many people think attend UOP. Maybe I made bad decisions in the past, or I would have been at UNT, where I received a full scholarship. I don't regret my life decisions, but should I regret my education decisions?

Please give me some insight as to where to go from here. Should I finish the rest of the year and then transfer? Advice would be greatly appreciated!!

-Jennifer

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#384 Consumer Comment

Abby don't let the have-nots get the best of you

AUTHOR: David - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, April 14, 2008

You will only get from a college or degree what you put into it--period. Anyone that thinks that they will simply "plug-in" to a college and become brillant or make a return on their investment is foolish.

If you go to UOP make sure you demand the quality education that you expect--and then make sure you deliver on your end. I have heard so many complaints about hard work, long hours, and too much research that it makes my ears bleed and take pity on those that think that they can get an education without breaking a sweat or writing a check. The strange thing is, you will find the same complaints at any other school...it's the squeaky wheels that will never succeed. And you'll find a lot of squeak on this forum.

I received my BSIT from UOP a few years back and I'm happily making $110K because of it. The college is accredited and growing.

The one failing is that maybe that they don't weed out those few that aren't ready or able to get a college education.

Seriously, not everyone is cut out to have a college education.

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#383 Consumer Comment

Thank you B and Everyone

AUTHOR: Abby - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 12, 2008

Firstly, I would like to thank B and everyone here for expressing their opinions.

I am an UoP student. I was taking my BS in Bus. Management but stopped when my father passed away in 2005. I have a year worth of classes left before graduating. Fast forward to now. I just returned to UoP. This time I decided to take a certificate course since there is an immediate need for it in my job. I've been in the certificate program for 1 week now and everything is going well. For now, I feel investing in the certificate program at UoP will benefit me. I've already discussed this with my manager [at my job] and completing the program at UoP will help me with my pending promotion.

My major concern is obtaining my BS degree. After reading all your posts, I feel the same as many here. A BS degree should have credibility and have weight. It shouldn't be a joke. I mean, why work your a** off to get one, right? So, I am so grateful to have stumbled on this site.

Because of my schedule, online learning works best for me. I will see if I can transfer my UoP credits for my BS Bus. Management degree to one of the other online schools mentioned earlier. I will finish the certification program at UoP but for my BS degree, I have to go to an online school that will give me a degree with weight and credibility.
Thanks!

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#382 Author of original report

Thank God I found this site

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Don't be as concerned about online colleges, as you should be about bad colleges online or ground. Many traditional universities now online degrees. The debate about good reputation is subjective at best. As you can read in this blog, there are many who feel UOP has a good reputation and many who disagree.

In the case of Everest University Online, they are ACICS accredited, better known as National Accreditation. This is often considered as a lower level of accreditation than regional. It may not be an issue but if you ever plan on applying for graduate school or transferring credits into a regionally accredited university, you may find that a nationally accredited degree or credits will not be acceptable.

Look around, take your time. There are many good institutions out there offering online degrees. Reputation is subjective. Just make sure that you don't feel like they are only trying to sell you a degree. Call UOP and see what they say, I'm sure you'll get the pressure approach. Talk to some other institutions and if you get the feel they actually are trying to help you, you're probably safe as long as that institution is regionally accredited.

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#381 Author of original report

Thank God I found this site

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Don't be as concerned about online colleges, as you should be about bad colleges online or ground. Many traditional universities now online degrees. The debate about good reputation is subjective at best. As you can read in this blog, there are many who feel UOP has a good reputation and many who disagree.

In the case of Everest University Online, they are ACICS accredited, better known as National Accreditation. This is often considered as a lower level of accreditation than regional. It may not be an issue but if you ever plan on applying for graduate school or transferring credits into a regionally accredited university, you may find that a nationally accredited degree or credits will not be acceptable.

Look around, take your time. There are many good institutions out there offering online degrees. Reputation is subjective. Just make sure that you don't feel like they are only trying to sell you a degree. Call UOP and see what they say, I'm sure you'll get the pressure approach. Talk to some other institutions and if you get the feel they actually are trying to help you, you're probably safe as long as that institution is regionally accredited.

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#380 Author of original report

Thank God I found this site

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Don't be as concerned about online colleges, as you should be about bad colleges online or ground. Many traditional universities now online degrees. The debate about good reputation is subjective at best. As you can read in this blog, there are many who feel UOP has a good reputation and many who disagree.

In the case of Everest University Online, they are ACICS accredited, better known as National Accreditation. This is often considered as a lower level of accreditation than regional. It may not be an issue but if you ever plan on applying for graduate school or transferring credits into a regionally accredited university, you may find that a nationally accredited degree or credits will not be acceptable.

Look around, take your time. There are many good institutions out there offering online degrees. Reputation is subjective. Just make sure that you don't feel like they are only trying to sell you a degree. Call UOP and see what they say, I'm sure you'll get the pressure approach. Talk to some other institutions and if you get the feel they actually are trying to help you, you're probably safe as long as that institution is regionally accredited.

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#379 Author of original report

Thank God I found this site

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Don't be as concerned about online colleges, as you should be about bad colleges online or ground. Many traditional universities now online degrees. The debate about good reputation is subjective at best. As you can read in this blog, there are many who feel UOP has a good reputation and many who disagree.

In the case of Everest University Online, they are ACICS accredited, better known as National Accreditation. This is often considered as a lower level of accreditation than regional. It may not be an issue but if you ever plan on applying for graduate school or transferring credits into a regionally accredited university, you may find that a nationally accredited degree or credits will not be acceptable.

Look around, take your time. There are many good institutions out there offering online degrees. Reputation is subjective. Just make sure that you don't feel like they are only trying to sell you a degree. Call UOP and see what they say, I'm sure you'll get the pressure approach. Talk to some other institutions and if you get the feel they actually are trying to help you, you're probably safe as long as that institution is regionally accredited.

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#378 Consumer Comment

Thank God I found this site

AUTHOR: Christina - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 08, 2008

I have recently been looking at taking some online college courses. I have researched UOP and also Everest University Online (or so I thought) I would assume UOP and Everest have similar policies on enrollment, pricing, accreditation, etc. Now I am extremely concerned with the whole idea of online college. Does anyone know of any that actually have a good reputation?

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#377 Consumer Comment

Education via University of Phoenix

AUTHOR: Terri - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 01, 2008

This is in response to the former enrollment advisor's letter about the University of Phoenix. In the very first sentence the lack of education is apparent where the word "that" is placed before the pronoun "I." Anyone who has trudged through the University of Phoenix's writing reviews will recognize "that" is not appropriate in the sentence as the word is used. Additionally any numbers from one to nine should be spelled out and digits used only in expressing numbers 10 and higher. The second sentence would have been better written if the person had "recently resigned my position as one of the highest paid advisors" rather than "I recently quit" as the sentence lacks academic clarity. The sentence about receiving payments on enrollments in 2003 is incomplete lacking appropriate grammatical composition. For those who read and do not know what MBA/MKT stands for these two abbreviations should have been spelled out for those less fortunate.

The above paragraph is just a small example of the errors throughout your complaint. You should also be aware a "person's lively hood" is appropriately displayed as "livelihood" not as two separate words.

Before you complain as a disgruntled former employee about the University of Phoenix, you should have your academic abilities assessed by a college or university of your choosing. The belief is that should you choose to accept this challenge, you will find that the best thing you did for the University of Phoenix was to resign as enrollment advisor.

As a University of Phoenix alumnus with Honors Distinction that I earned by toil, sweat and diligence I must admit that I am elated that you were not my academic advisor OR my enrollment advisor. The negative attitude of your presence at the University of Phoenix is emanated throughout the poorly written complaint filed on this website.

Step back and take a look at the real problem which is not solely one person's fault but as anything in life, what the individual makes of one situation or another.

Sincerely,

T

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#376 Consumer Comment

Joke of All Time

AUTHOR: Jonid - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 31, 2008

I don't even know where to begin. I just spent ten weeks of my life in UOP, time that I will never get back, let alone the money I wasted and the massive brain suck of discussion groups that should more appropriately be called a "sharing of ignorance." I learned a lot though. Like, never do this again. There really are people out there who have jobs who are not very smart, to put it mildly. You may not meet them in real life, but you will at UOP.

I signed on for the UOP BSIT/Visual and Media. I am a published writer, and an artist, and have some background in advertising and live in a small town, so I thought cool, I can become not just a muddler with web pages and brochures but a real expert. I was one quarter away from having completed my bachelors with honors in ancient history at UCSB, but don't live there anymore, so that was out. But here I could learn real marketable skills as opposed to attic greek (which I loved by the way) and be qualified for a real job, as opposed to real estate market speculation which is what I have done in the past to make money. The syllabus was perfect, just what I and a lot of other fools wanted to learn.

I poked around a bit at on-line colleges, but UOP seemed fine, I wanted that skill set. I had two friends who had just finished in accounting and another friend who took his doctorate in geology. They all talked about how hard it was, and how worthwhile and just what a wonderful, demanding and fulfilling experience it was. And UOP made it real easy to sign up, since I really don't have much patience with paperwork and once I had made the decision I wanted to start right away. Also, living in AZ, I thought it would have brand recognition, which it does, but not in quite the way I thought.

At least I got out quick. That is all I can say in my defense. The first class was a joke, a big group hug with everyone posting to the discussion groups about; how excited they were, how happy and proud their families would be (this must have come from ECs, because it was a real dumb idea, your 2 year old does not give a crap if you have a degree, he wants lunch), how they had always failed before and now were going to make it, how their jobs and careers would be enhanced by the UOP degree. At least that is what I thought they were saying, because no one could write a clear sentence. They couldn't spell, they couldn't read, they couldn't conjugate, they didn't know what conjugate meant... I don't know about the rest of the class, but I asked my Learning Team (Ignorance Team) and they all got 100% on everything, even the stuff that I didn't do for them.

Okay, so I thought, well this is the very first class. Everybody in the entire school has to do it, so there are some dummies here, after this I am in upper division and they will have learned something. I was unaware for the first three weeks that these were all bachelors candidates, there was another lower level somewhere out there.

Next term I doubled up classes and got business and computer systems. I had an AS in econ, summa c*m laude, I don't know why that wouldn't suffice for business systems, except that UOP wanted another cash prize out of my hide. Needless to say, these classes were MARGINALLY better. About one-fourth of the students could spell, and some had really mastered their APA formatting so that they could have arguments about it in their learning teams.

So they offer ONE WEEK, of business finance, from which one is supposed to be able to deal with reading balance sheets, income statements, understand Sarbox, and common business ratios. No problem for me, I never cracked, or clicked, a text. But I already knew that stuff. My fellow students were lost deep in the desert of ignorance, where they remained. I queried my learning team, just to see if anyone had learned anything, I really couldn't judge because I already knew this stuff. Not one of them had any idea what to even do with the material they had supposedly just learned. The last DQ of the week was, "What is ROI?" Not one person had a clue. The posts rambled along with stuff like, "I think if a business spends money up front it is a sign that they care and are confident." This is not an exact quote, I can't remember bad spelling. Or, "I sometimes wonder about investing so much in school because it takes time from my family and children and housework and job. But I know when I am successful that it will be 100%." Point is, this isn't a question that is answered with I feel, or I believe, it is a boring business calculation that anyone who can google can at least take a stab at. But their lack of any comprehension at all proved my point that although we had been required to look at the financial docs of a virtual company, and do similar calculations for individual papers for class, no one had learned ANYTHING.

My other class was computer systems. The text had an acronym for every paragraph, I looked at it once. I had to write a paper on the databases I use in work. Well I work at home, my database is my purse, briefcase, console of my truck, door of my truck, and finally to the desk, where eventually it all gets filed. I also pointed out I use some databases for mailing, and accounting. My fac was not amused though, because I hadn't written it in APA third-person format. OMG, it never occurred to me that the pile of crap on my desk warranted academic writing. She did kindly suggest that I seek out the Center for Writing Excellence, and they could show me how to do it, "I would love it, they would really help me." At the same time, one of my LT partners turned in her section of a paper I was supposed to edit. The virtual org. was a 50 million grossing company. She was supposed to determine the computer needs for the F&A office, just the office itself, not the entire company. Now I hadn't expected her to be able to figure this out on her own, so I simply told her, there are 8 employees, all need compatible PCs that work with the server and the ERP software, and the four management people need laptops. So she came back with the solution, we would recommend PDAs. I flipped out. My fac, who had recommended I needed writing help, suggested I turn over the reigns (sic). All because I suggested to the fac that Nancy's A grade at the end would be meaningless to her, because she wouldn't know if that was A as in apple, or A as in ate.

So I finally pulled my head out of my rear and did some research. And of course withdrew from school immediately. I don't even know how I will ever again face my friends who went all the way through this joke of a school and went into debt, when they could have just gone to CC for practically nothing.

I went ahead and made this post long, just to demonstrate what really happens in a UOP Learning Environment. If you are reading this and thinking that well, this is all just ranting, well it is, but I tried to show with examples what really goes on in these classes. I would not hire a UOP grad. I would wonder about their intelligence level for having survived it. And that skill set I wanted, well I can learn C++ on-line for $120, my son is doing it for fun, much more rigorous than UOP. For me that same class where I would have learned nothing due to herding my team all the time, would have cost me a grand.

B is absolutely right. This school was designed to shake down government guaranteed student loans and grants. That is its only purpose. It is a big cash machine based upon how many bodies are enrolled. I was fortunate in that I have had enough real college experience and had been successful enough in college in the past to know that this is not what school is supposed to be about. So I got out. I feel really bad for the poor students who are doing this for their kids, or a promotion, or whatever, and are going to be saddled with enormous debt at the end and very little to show for it. The DOE should absolutely shut this place down, but then that can be said about a lot of colleges, even not-for-profits, that shake the government student loan tree and pay fat salaries to administrators and offer really poor educational quality. But UOP has to be the worst I have ever seen.

Joni

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#375 UPDATE EX-employee responds

But B in Phoenix failed to report on the other half of the equation, What do you get for the $?

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 30, 2008

I never actually received any money from Phoenix so I may not actually be an ex-employee, but here is my story. I have a doctorate in business administration from USC, I have been awarded two separate Senior Fulbright Scholarships, I have published over two dozen articles in professional journals, including two in the Harvard Business Review and I have taught in a dozen MBA programs around the world. I cite these facts to establish that I am an experienced, highly regarded professional.

About five years ago, Phoenix made a major effort to recruit faculty so I thought it might be a good way to supplement the meager wages paid the State of California. The first step was making a personal presentation to a "cattle call" at a Phoenix facility. I was truly embarrassed for all other applicants. How they could have gotten that far, was a mystery to me. In any case, after the cattle call, a Phoenix representative took me aside and said they would like me to join the faculty. The next step was to complete a Phoenix "training" program. Understand that I had been teaching these courses for over twenty years with the highest student ratings.

So I showed up to meet with a much smaller, much more diverse group of "students". A man and a woman conducted the training session like Prussian generals, i.e., you will do this, you will not do this, but the bottom line was that under no circumstances should you ever flunk a student, do anything to discourage at student. In short, your basic job was to be a cheerleader and do eveything possible to keep the student enrolled.

What I found particularly interesting was that neither of training instructors had ever actually taught a class in anything. What was also of interest was that they both drove the absolute top of the line Mercedes Benz.

After about four weeks, they got around to course content. I will admit that I have encountered some pretty bad MBA programs in my travels around the world, but Phoenix stuff was in class by itself. I couldn't pass off this crap to students and have any self respect whatsoever. This didn't seem to bother my "class mates". In any case, I quit.

A couple of years later, Phoenix came back to me and asked if I would like to be faculty in their online school. I said tell me more. I was told that the first thing was I would have to take a spelling tests. This is after twenty-four published books with almost a million copies sold!! I think you can figure out how the online program at Phoenix works for yourself.

Since then, I have had experience with five more online schools and the conclusion is inescapable; online universities are ONLY interesting in enrolling unqualified students who can obtain government grants or loans to cover the "tuition".

So that brings us back to B's observations about money and the bottom line (no joke intended) is that students in online universities get screwed coming and going. Mores the pity.

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#374 Consumer Comment

Tried UOP and was not happy. Student from 2005-2006.

AUTHOR: A - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 30, 2008

I tried UOP for over a year and a half and I was not happy with the education that I was getting for the amount of money that I was paying. I felt that most facilitators (they are not called instructors) didn't really teach. Where we, as students, were required to post three times a week we were lucky to hear from the facilitator once a week. They usually posted a document that was meant to 'explain' the week's teachings. Often they were following some sort of script for the class. One even admitted that they had to follow what UOP wanted them to teach so their hands were tied as to what they could do.

As for what these facilitators told us about their background? How do we know it's all true? Some of them would post a few pages about what they accomplished and I always wondered why they would be teaching at the UOP when they were clearly over qualified to even teach. Ever hear the saying, "Those who can do, those who can't teach"? I never really believed that until attending UOP.

I was enrolled in Information Technology where they kept pushing the business and project management side of IT. That was not what I signed up for. I wanted to learn programming, what I was promised, not Microsoft Project, which is what I go.

Group projects were a joke. Usually one person did all the work but everyone got credit for it. I complained over and over about the group projects and was told that they were required to emulate 'real world' experience and that all colleges did this. I work in IT and these group projects aren't even close to how the real world works. Sure we have meetings but most of the time you do your part

I needed to take six weeks off for surgery and they told me it was fine but after three weeks they had me listed as dropping out. When I finally did drop out it took weeks of resending paper work to achieve. When I had to contact anyone from UOP it always took a few days to do so.

I started back at a local college, going back to the traditional class room where we meet once a week and there is no such thing as group projects. This college, a highly reputable college, accepted every single credit from my community college Associates Degree but not one from UOP. So that makes a year and half completely wasted there.

In my opinion, nothing beats face to face learning. When you don't understand something the professor is right there to clarify and respond to questions. They have office hours where you can stop by at any time.

If online learning is working for you than all power to you but this was just not for me.

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#373 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Your information is right on and I am glad to hear what you said, FYI

AUTHOR: Uop Employee - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 29, 2008

Brian Mueller has an extra e. I know its just typo and I am not nitpicking. I love what you wrote and wish something could be done. What about contacting our Congressmen or another government official? Incidently after the name on most of these it is @apollogrp.edu or @phoenix.edu. (sometimes both, I was in the IT department)

Thanks for the most insightful and intelligent contribution to Ripoff Report!

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#372 Consumer Comment

UOP (Apollo) stock hammered; $277 million dollar class-action loss a crusher!

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, March 28, 2008

I didn't think it could happen again: Apollo Group (aka UOP, aka Amway U) stock, despite a $438 million dollar Apollo buy-back has now, again, been halved!

Chairman John Sperling drove the stock up to $82 with the buy-back, then, Apollo insiders exercised a million shares of stock options with YEARS remaining on the options.

The post-class-action-lawsuit-loss stock bashing was impressive: $82 to $55 to $41; another 50% stock loser, which no buy-back could forestall.

I doubt we'll see another buy-back; Apollo's cash reserves are dwindling. UOP now even has it's own lawsuit web-page, claiming it'll turn the Sept 2009 Plaintiffs, "on their heads". Yeah, just like they turned the Chicago cops on their heads, huh?

Naturally, to stem the tide, Amway U has hired more salespeople and spent a bunch more on marketing to capitalize on W.C. Fields profound philosophy: "there's a sucker born every minute". Rather than upgrade infrastructure and bring in quality professors, Amway U has simply decided to sign up more chumps, thereby dumbing-down their sorry programs even further.

Here's the next bold step for UOP: the "high-school dropout direct to Master's" program. It's seems that UOP conferring (or should I say anointing) "Master's" Degrees on GED students ain't cuttin' it. No, let's get radical: simply grant a Master's to a kindergartner and bypass education altogether.

"Pay the fee,
get a B,
that's the way,
at UOP!"

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#371 Consumer Comment

James did you read the whole thread?

AUTHOR: R.d.v. - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 23, 2008

B. only got nasty with those who came in nasty.

He has already told us why he left, and he has never openly admitted he was one of the EAs who lied to people.

Over the last couple years many people have come into this thread and wrote the exact same gibberish as you - it has all been covered.

And how exactly is B supposed to make the changes over at UOPO? he doesn't even work there anymore. Plus, if you would have read the whole thread before opening you mouth, you would have seen that B has been very passionate about online learning and has discussed his philosophies with us.


(Sorry B, just in case you wanted to respond, just figured I would give you a break since you have responded to one of these every month.)

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#370 Author of original report

Who ordered the Kraut?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 23, 2008

James,

While I know this blog is long with many entries, you should probably do your reading before making a comment. I could care less which language you would want to debate in because it is obvious that regardless of the language, you seem incapable of extracting the critical points from the reading material. Most of what you ask above has been asked and answered in prior posts. As for my responses turning rude, if you would have paid attention you would see that this happens under one of two circumstances. First, a UOP supporter enters my thread to defend UOP with no valid supporting documentation to refute my claims. I have provided multiple, factual points that can be verified by simple searches which no one has been able to counter.

So when people enter this blog spouting personal testimonials saying UOP is this great place and that I am lying, I go on the attack. It becomes obvious real quickly that they have no foundation to their claims, only personal testimony built on the fact that they are students and feel the need to defend the institution. Second, most of the people I go after, go after me first Just as you did here.

As you can read above on MULTIPLE occasions, you are not the first fool to chalk my posts up to be being a disgruntled employee. Since you asked for explanation, and you obviously need it spelled out for you here it goes.

As stated in my first few posts herein, there are good people at UOP. People who try to do things right, who try to do right by the students they assist. This does not overshadow the comprehensive issues plaguing UOP from a corporate standpoint. One individual or group of individuals is not going to change that place in any meaningful way because those who could act as change agents at the executive level are the ones creating the issues from the top down. As stated in many posts herein, I was very successful while I was there, I also did things the right way. I did not see the need to lie or manipulate students to get them to enroll. I did see others doing this because they did not posses the skills necessary to meet their job tasks without cheating or lying.

When I started at UOP, this problem existed but did not become systemic until approximately 2004 when the corporate culture changed drastically. Brian Muller went on a crusade to grow UOP. He instilled a cheap labor model, increased hiring but UOP did not increase prospective lead flow. Law of diminishing returns means more people working the same amount of leads results in a decrease of results per person. While it was obvious that many advisors were struggling to meet their minimum job performance expectations, the executive team made no attempt to rush adjustments to the performance expectation plan or compensation system. Many employees became desperate to keep their jobs by hitting their monthly performance goals. When you mix desperation with lack of resources, people resort to shady tactics in the name of self preservation.

When it became obvious to me that this was happening more and more, and the frustration was rampant in the organization I started to realize that things were turning for the worst. While this was just one of the many issues plaguing UOP, it was the one that impacted me and my associates the most. When the choice I had to make was between resorting to lying and cheating to hit my monthly goals, or simply leaving my position I chose to leave.

While this was explained in previous comments, you seemed to overlook those points because it did not support your claim. Typically a tactic of those without a clue.

Saving my own skin? From what? I will openly admit that when I started this blog 3 years ago it was done to expose UOP for what they had become and what they still are today. I was angry that an organization with so much potential to be a positive force chooses not to be. There is no reason for it to resort to the practices it engages in except the greed of a small few. In the end, I did help grow an organization I believe now to be inherently evil.

For that I do have regrets. Like with most traditional concepts of sin, the intent is what matters. My intent was positive but I am none the less guilty of contributing even if it was unknowingly. When I realized that no amount of effort would change things internally, I left in the hopes that other organizations in the online education field operate in a more ethical and positive manner. Luckily there are some that exist.

With regards to this blog, it is obvious that exposing potential consumers of UOP and existing users of UOP to the truth has an impact. The impact is on the only place that UOP cares about, their wallets. What you will see in coming years is UOP facing some major issues in the public arena. My points and stance about them as an organization has been validated on multiple occasions via lawsuits, government actions, and accreditation visits.

I truly hope that UOP rights the ship. I believe there is much riding on their success for an entire industry and millions of people who use online education. I just know that it will take a major blow to their bottom line to effect any significant or meaningful positive change. Perhaps the lawsuit of 2009 and temporary suspension of the Title IV funding could do it. Unfortunately, billion dollar organizations can buy their way out of trouble.

One more thing about your inability to pay attention. You say that you see no evidence of me trying to fix anything or provide a solution. Hello? Did you even read this blog? If you had, you would notice on multiple posts I try to offer guidance and assistance to those with questions. In fact, look a few posts up from this one where the guy was asking about Regis U.

Regardless of the language you use, when you comment on something without actually knowing what you're talking about, you sound like a fool. Yes, I am going after you here but if you notice you're the one that started it. If you're going to swing first you better be d**n sure you're going to be able to swing last.

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#369 Consumer Comment

Questioning B motive.

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 22, 2008

First, I would like to know why your so upset B. I am going to chalk you up to disgruntled reemployed. I am going to tell you why. You never mention anything about the circumstances in which you finally left. You clearly have no remorse of the part you took. Indeed, I bet your money spent just fine.

You openly admit that you were part of the dubious practices going on. You clearly state what the Matrix is and how it works. You admit to being one off their highest paid people.

Now all of a sudden you are going to go Paladin on us? I do not believe you. Although I agree that there are things that are seedy things going on, (I am student trying to get out) I do not believe you created this thread to help others. I believe you did it because you are angry over something personal. Your tone is that of some one with a vendetta. Please do not tell me you quit because of seedy practices. If these practices are as horrible as you claim, a person of moral character would have gotten out long ago. I would have. I find it hard to believe that, after being one of their best for years, you would just go Paladin. I have yet to see you show any remorse for the part you took in this. Do you feel bad at all over it? I am getting the impression that you just might be trying to save you own skin. There is more you are obviously not telling us.

Also your mean character is clearly showed in you rudeness to others and your inability to debate the issues without becoming juvenile and insulting. This destroys your credibility. You seem like a man in the know, please tell me you are doing more than sitting at your computer trolling this thread.

You act like a crusader, yet you do not mention what other steps you have taken to solve this problem. I would like to know. In my humble opinion, people should not complain that much about an issue unless they are actively working on a solution. I have seen you offer none.

Before you start in on my spelling and grammar, I would like to invite you to disscuss the issues in German(my first language) with me. I doubt ill ever come back to this thread again, so maybe not.

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#368 Consumer Comment

Thanx B. Great Thread

AUTHOR: R.d.v. - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 22, 2008

First of all I find it ironic that the advertisement on this page right now is UOPO.

Second, wow three years worth of threads, took me a while to go through them.

Before I start, B if there is anyway to get in touch with you I would love to throw ideas back and forth, as I am writing a piece about "non-traditional" universities, hopefully for the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Now into the nitty gritty. I have been looking into getting into UOPO as an instructor, i could use the extra money and it would help me with this piece. I have already worked for Strayer, DeVry and a few other non-trad universities, although I taught on the ground most of the time. (I would like to mention that I am a dedicated professor, and do make sure that my students get the most out of a truncated class. It's not just about money to me.)

I also have had some experience with online education from the student standpoint, I have 2/3 of my masters from a Norwich University Masters Program. (although paying out of pocket has led me to put a temporary halt to it.)

I have come to the following conclusions about these types of programs:

First, I do believe that there is a place for non-traditional learning, and that venue is most likely going to be the most effective in an online setting. I think Asynchronous is probably the way to go, as synchronous seems to void the aspect of "learning on your own time."

Second, I do believe that degrees from the major online universities, are indeed, of less value (on the job market) than a degree from some of the worst brick and mortar CC and universities. Why do I say this? Because my research has shown it. (I will argue quality of student later, but I do want to mention that B&M institutions also let riftraft in, and that UOPO is not the only school with "morons") Also, this opinion is not because both of the degrees i have completed came from B&Ms.

TO those who have said they are employed in education during the course of this thread: were you employed in education BEFORE going to UOPO? If not, are you situated in a locale that Teach For America wouldn't even touch? Down here in Florida there are teachers that slip by on just HS diplomas, let alone a degree from any institution. I know that most public schools in the north will no longer consider UOPO degrees when looking for teachers. Why? Because they know the quality is much less than what their own institutions can provide, and their own institutions produce more than enough teachers for the north. It is not just Intel that does not want UOPO grads, the state systems of higher education in many states will not hire on someone with just UOPO graduate degrees anymore. If UOPO grads are not good enough to teach the populace, why are they good enough for business? I think this just strengthens B's point (i believe you made this point about a year ago) that the flood of UOPO grads that are subpar (and there are some that are NOT subpar) is leading to the deterioration of American business capabilities. In other words, a glut of unqualified graduates are bringing down the standard for US business.

TO that one poster that claimed she was an adjunct, big whoop - I was an adjunct at a CC before I graduated my BA. Lets turn it again, are you an adjunct at a UOP ground campus? I think there may be a good chance that you are. Academic nepotism at UOP seems to be rampant. Don't believe, just go search for some UOP professors on google many will have degrees (and a lot of these it will be their only graduate degree) from UOP.

As B has stated, working professionals are not always the best teachers, especially in a 5 week period. IF your only credentials is working at UOP and getting a degree there, are those really credentials for teaching?

Third, the education is subpar in general. YEah, I know some of you have worked real hard and you may be learning much, but in general the courses are easier at these non-trad universities. This is due to many factors B and others have stated over the years (
I was teaching a course which should have never been taught in the 8 week hybrid (online and in classroom 4 hours a week) form DeVry uses at its ground campuses. I should have known something was up when three weeks into the course i was told by my dean and by my mentor that I had to "dumb down" (exact words) the course because of many excuses made by these faculty members, a few of which include: students could barely read; form sentences; were not interested in your subject; were aloud to plagiarize in other classes, so it is ok;could not sit the whole four hours or take physical tests; amongst other excuses. Ok I thought, I am teaching a 400 (4th year at a normal university) course - there should be some standard.

at the end of the class, I had one student who showed up to three courses and did not participate online (required) - I failed them. I had another student who was not smart enough to at least change up wikipedia articles before submitting a paper. Since he came to every class and he participated, I gave him many chances to redo his work, he did and he got a C. (Although he begged for an A because his GPA needed it, I do have standards and probably breeched them by not failing him in the first place.) Everyone else in the class received an A or B, although only two deserved it. Anyway, my dean asked me why would I fail said student and mark the other so low? Well I thought that was obvious and I told him. He then replied, "well we have to keep them enrolled."

The student who got a C had been given a B, because they had attended every class, and the Dean thought that should count for something. THe failed student was given an A!!!! WTF? The dean would never answer my questions about said student's grade. If you are going to keep someone afloat, give them a C not an A. But... I am pretty sure I know why they were given their grade. On the last day of class, this last student showed up in a pretty provocative outfit and had to talk to me urgently after class. For you UOPO graduates (sorry could not resist the poke) i will explain it to you. I was offered favors for grades, and turned her down. I guess she just went up the food chain.

Anyway, I have not had the same experience at Strayer and they seemed to have a more teacher friendly policy. I am trusted with my grades there. So this just goes to show that not every non-trad university is the same, as UOP may not be like that on the ground, but I have been told by instructor friends that it is, in fact, that way online. As B has pointed out, there is a heavy curve to keep students in attendance. For-profit universities are often misguided in the way they handle academics.

Okay that was a long example, but I will get back to the thread at hand.

I do believe that if UOP was perhaps reshaped it could be much better - however I personally would never risk a degree from UOP because of all the situations that have tarnished their name. Even if they change names (ie firestone, bridgestone anybody?) people are still going to associate them with crumby education. Much safer for people to start programs with Universities that are less known, but still offer decent programs. For that matter I would stay away from ITT because of the flak it has taken in recent years. I am going to take a look at NCU's programs just to see what a "not-so-popular" school is like in the online arena. Although my PhD is going to be from a B&M, but then again I am in the Humanities and it is near impossible to land a tenured job with an online degree... This is probably a bias that won't fade for another 20 years.

And since I have forgotten many of the points I wanted to make in this overly long point, i will leave on this last note.

When I was searching for PhD school (and this is all traditional schools) I searched for one with reputation in my field that would allow me to get a job afterwards, one that I wanted. This philosophy needs to be taken at the BA and MA level with online and trad schools. Is the UOP degree really going to get you where you want to go, or is the name recognition so bad that no one is going to hire you. Just like in the academic world, employers like hiring committees at Universities, know a bad school name when it comes up on the application.


Yeah many UOP grads have found success (like 2 out of 100k are in fortune 500s! lol) but the numbers are skewed because so many people already had those decent jobs first. BUT, I have good news for all you UOP graduates as you flood the market. Since the degree is becoming so common, in 20 years it will be worth something - even if UOP continues to just stamp diplomas. Why? because UOP graduates will be the vast majority of the workforce, so there will always be someone willing to hire one!

One correction to something said before by a poster,
"who would hire a UOP graduate over an IVY leaguer?" The answer: another UOP graduate.

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#367 Consumer Comment

University Of Phoenix (aka Apollo Group, Aka AmwayU) UOP Taxpayer/Securities Fraud, Chicago Cops nail UOP in class-action suit Phoenix AZ

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 20, 2008

How may Rip-Off Report contributors have been railing for a class-action lawsuit against UOP? (aka Apollo, aka AmwayU...I'll hereinafter refer to UOP as "Apollo"; it's not a University, but is the "Amway of Education" and carries about the same respect).

Well, the Policeman's Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago filed a class-action fraud suit against in Apollo in the Phoenix-based US District Court. The case was tried in Phoenix, in front of a Phoenix jury, who found, by a 12-0 vote, on January 16th, Apollo guilty of FRAUD.

Damages of $277 million were awarded to the Chicago cops and Apollo shareholders.

Apollo was begging for this; they had these stats on their side: since 1996, this was the fourth securities fraud case, out of 2,218 filed, in which the jury found for the Plaintiff (0.18034% success ratio). Based on the prior 10 years' cases, Apollo went in with a 99.81% chance of winning--and lost, by a 12-0 vote of Phoenix jurors.

What was the case about? Apollo failed to inform it's shareholders a 1.5 billion dollar taxpayer rip-off fraud lawsuit against is going forward against Apollo. The trial is set for Sept. 15, 2009. Yes, folks, it seems your student loan money, your tax dollars, have paid for sales commissions and Hawaiian vacations. Heck, you even blew 157 million on a "University of Phoenix" stadium in Glendale in a two-business bidding contest which Apollo CEO Brian Mueller stated was necessary for "credibility". The other bidder? You guessed it, "The Pink Taco" (love that name!) Mexican restaurant bid 30 million.

John Sperling, Founder and Chairman of Apollo read the writing on the wall: between Jan. 14th and 16th (jury verdict) Sperling, and his brother Peter sold over a million shares of Apollo stock at $82 a share. How did Apollo's price get to $82? They repurchased $438 million of their own stock! Today, Apollo closed at $55. (Funny, the stock options sold had seven years remaining on them).

John Sperling knows there's a sucker born every minute (that's you, ROR chumps). That's how Apollo makes money. Apollo knows you can't bust on your federal student loans--you've got to pay 'em back, even if you bankrupt.

Apollo has done this before: their stock was limping at $5. The "51% rule" (for federal student loan funding, a school had to offer 51% of it's classes on-campus) was keeping Apollo from making an on-line killing. John Sperling sent Apollo lobbyist Sally Stroup to Washington so that Sally would grease the palms of John Boehner and Tom DeLay. Once Bush was elected, Boehner and DeLay pimped Sally to Become Undersecretary of Education (in charge of student loans!!!). Sally immediately granted an "experimental" waiver of the 51% rule to Apollo and the stock soared to $100. Eventually, Boehner tried to make the waiver law (as part of the Katrina Relief package!) but that got tabled. Once Boehner became House Majority leader, the 51% rule was rescinded and Apollo ran wild. That, readers, is how your student loan monies turned into sales commissions, rather than educational infrastructure and salaries for great professors.

As of this writing, Bank of America has revised the Apollo stock target price from
$90 to $58, citing "corporate tuition reimbursement risk." Translation: Intel won't pay another dime for it's employees getting a crummy "education". And, the stock has been downgraded to a "sell."

Will Apollo go away? Of course not. There's a sucker born every minute. And, like Amway, Apollo has found the perfect siren song to lure the suckers: an on-line home study MBA, no pre-qualifying, hell, you don't even need a BA to get an MBA: a GED will do

Apollo is the Amway of the Millenium: like Amway, they bought stadium naming rights (Orlando's Amway Arena); like Amway, it's wildly expensive, yet has a horrible reputation; like Amway, it's nothing more that an MLM scheme with an "educational" twist; like Amway, Apollo will never go away: there are just too many suckers out there; like Amway, Apollo shatters lives.

Why would I put this essay at the bottom of "B"s thread? Because, B's factual, insider approach has yet to be impeached or refuted. Read the beginnings of this guy's thread regarding the Intel memo. Then, Google UOP and Intel; B had the 411 on Intel/UOP months before the media broke the story.

I appreciate your work, B.

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#366 Consumer Comment

I knew this place was stealing my grant money....

AUTHOR: Taking_it_like_a_man_from_uophx - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 18, 2008

They didn't even have all my classes in my schedule listed at first, and didn't change it until I mentioned something about it (Planned Obsolesce/Failure?). They for some reason started distributing my "excess" funds in two checks instead of the usual one check. I don't know why they would do this unless giving them a few more days of using my money to their benefit really makes any difference. I told them to take my loan money, and they did, but then when my pell grant money arrived they sent it to me about two weeks after the money had been dispersed to them. I just recently received my 1098t form and on it the list my taxable income as being much lower than what it actually is. They basically lied and said they took my grant money part of my loan money, and made no mention as to why they are about $1,000.00 short on the form. Wouldn't that get ME in trouble when I file my taxes here in about a week?

I am going to this school for Information Technology, and ever since I enrolled I've had the thought that I've made a huge mistake . Going here for my associates degree is going to end up costing $19,000+. I am pretty sure that I want to transfer out of this school into one that is actually accredited in my field. The problem is that I have no idea what other schools would be good to go to, and would accept the credits from uophx. I don't want to waste the over 5k I have invested already. I currently have a 3.84GPA, and if you have any suggestions for an American citizen living outside the US currently please shoot me an e-mail or a reply to this message. Take note that a ground school isn't for me, because I have two very young kids (2 years, and 4 months). I seek a well accredited institution, and (no seriously it's not a joke) want to get my Bachelors from M.I.T. but I know that they will NOT accept UOPHX credits. Hell I wouldn't accept UOPHX credits if I were a gas station manager, let alone an actual real accredited university. You know what the biggest thing that angers me is? The instructors think that because they are employed by UOPHX they are geniuses. God, they might as well be Apple employees.

Thank you, N.

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#365 Consumer Comment

Thanx B

AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 17, 2008

Thank you B, yes it helps a bunch!

What other schools "may not matter but I live in CA" for an online degree in IT would you reco?

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#364 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Regis

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Tia,

Regis was one of the first traditional ground campuses to really embrace the online format. With that, they are ahead of the other traditional entities offering online courses and degrees. They are well known for the quality of their K-12 Masters of Education programs. I believe they have a few other offerings outside of Education as well. From what I know, they appear to have a solid program and good brand name. From what I have heard, they still treat admissions much like a traditional entity even for their online offerings, possibly requiring a series of essays to enter or even the GMAT or GRE exam.

I would say for education based programs, they would be a good option but please do your homework on their comprehensive services for out of state online students. Compare that to the overall time/cost investment vs. some other entities. The time/cost includes the pre-test costs if they still require those. Most of your for-profit online entities will not have the same testing requirements. Although Regis is a good program, I'm not sure any additional efforts or investments would pay more of a return to you than with any other online degree program from an accredited school.

Hope this helps.

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#363 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Regis

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Tia,

Regis was one of the first traditional ground campuses to really embrace the online format. With that, they are ahead of the other traditional entities offering online courses and degrees. They are well known for the quality of their K-12 Masters of Education programs. I believe they have a few other offerings outside of Education as well. From what I know, they appear to have a solid program and good brand name. From what I have heard, they still treat admissions much like a traditional entity even for their online offerings, possibly requiring a series of essays to enter or even the GMAT or GRE exam.

I would say for education based programs, they would be a good option but please do your homework on their comprehensive services for out of state online students. Compare that to the overall time/cost investment vs. some other entities. The time/cost includes the pre-test costs if they still require those. Most of your for-profit online entities will not have the same testing requirements. Although Regis is a good program, I'm not sure any additional efforts or investments would pay more of a return to you than with any other online degree program from an accredited school.

Hope this helps.

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#362 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Regis

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Tia,

Regis was one of the first traditional ground campuses to really embrace the online format. With that, they are ahead of the other traditional entities offering online courses and degrees. They are well known for the quality of their K-12 Masters of Education programs. I believe they have a few other offerings outside of Education as well. From what I know, they appear to have a solid program and good brand name. From what I have heard, they still treat admissions much like a traditional entity even for their online offerings, possibly requiring a series of essays to enter or even the GMAT or GRE exam.

I would say for education based programs, they would be a good option but please do your homework on their comprehensive services for out of state online students. Compare that to the overall time/cost investment vs. some other entities. The time/cost includes the pre-test costs if they still require those. Most of your for-profit online entities will not have the same testing requirements. Although Regis is a good program, I'm not sure any additional efforts or investments would pay more of a return to you than with any other online degree program from an accredited school.

Hope this helps.

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#361 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Regis

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Tia,

Regis was one of the first traditional ground campuses to really embrace the online format. With that, they are ahead of the other traditional entities offering online courses and degrees. They are well known for the quality of their K-12 Masters of Education programs. I believe they have a few other offerings outside of Education as well. From what I know, they appear to have a solid program and good brand name. From what I have heard, they still treat admissions much like a traditional entity even for their online offerings, possibly requiring a series of essays to enter or even the GMAT or GRE exam.

I would say for education based programs, they would be a good option but please do your homework on their comprehensive services for out of state online students. Compare that to the overall time/cost investment vs. some other entities. The time/cost includes the pre-test costs if they still require those. Most of your for-profit online entities will not have the same testing requirements. Although Regis is a good program, I'm not sure any additional efforts or investments would pay more of a return to you than with any other online degree program from an accredited school.

Hope this helps.

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#360 Consumer Comment

"B", How does Regis compare to UOP or the others that you do like?

AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 16, 2008

Hi, sorry if double post but don't see my original post. What are your thoughts regarding Regis University? Simple online degree bashers need not respond.

What is your opinion B and other intellegent people that are posting here.

TIA!

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#359 Consumer Comment

HELP!!

AUTHOR: Roberta - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 08, 2008

My husband is in his 4th week of class and is interested in transfering to a different school but we are unsure of what will happen with his financial if he does this and now we are concerned with what will happen with the money that has already been given to UOP and the the two classes he is currently enrolled in through them. Do you have any advice as to what to do so that we do not come up with the same problems that others have come across?

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#358 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Rocco Round 4

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 08, 2008

Rocco came and played a game, a game he could not win
Elitist pride and undue ego, these traits were Rocco's sin
It's better to be thought a fool and simply close one's mouth,
Than to speak of things from ignorance and remove a single doubt
My daddy is a lobbyist the execs, they bow! you hail
Give poor old daddy's back a break and quit riding on his coattails.
Dartmouth is a top end school, a great place to begin.
But even at Dartmouth, as you prove, d****ebags still get in

I would take a different approach here if you really want anyone to take you seriously.
At first you just appeared misinformed and a bit illiterate. After a few exchanges now you're revealed yourself to be a spoiled, elitist, ignorant, entitled, brat who rides his fathers successes as if they were his own. You are officially the male version of Paris Hilton.

Saying I win is typically code for, I'm getting my a** kicked in here and I have to pretend like I don't care and this is my last posting

What else you got Rocco?

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#357 Consumer Suggestion

Might as well give my last 2 cents

AUTHOR: Rockymasonicaccountant - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, March 07, 2008

So u have assessed my intellect based off of a couple of posts and u call yourself logical? No the executives don't hang out with interns... USUALLY! My dad is a lobbyist i could get them on the phone right now if i bitched enough to him! U and I both know brick and mortar institutions are the best way to go if u want a better career!

Sitting in front of a screen all day can't teach u the things u need to know to succeed in life but college can. Say wat u will with ur online UOP mba but wat it comes down to is the statisics which show that online grads don't far as well in the job market as regular grads!

Im an undergraduate at dartmouth and u were a fly by hight con artist with a fake mba! I win =)

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#356 Author of original report

Response 3: Rockymasonicaccountant

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, February 29, 2008

Ahhh, so disappointed.

See Rocky, I tried to keep this civil with a bit of sarcasm. It is obvious that your lack of intellect and insight into this topic leaves you resorting to insults and incoherent points. You revealed yourself truly with one comment. I AM AN INTERN (KPMG is a big company, I'm sure all the executives hang out with interns....) While I don't doubt the legitimacy of KPMG in the tax and audit field, the fact that you are an intern only proves many of the points I made earlier. The fact that you are an intern demonstrates that you lack significant knowledge and more importantly, the insight experience brings. This is why you're an intern. I am not knocking interns here, I hire interns too. I'm only knocking one intern who believes they know more about a subject they obviously know nothing about. In fact, your whole comprehensive doctrine surrounding online education seems to have been hijacked from a few other people's opinions, given that those opinions conveniently align with your belief system. Here's a thought, try thinking for yourself. Better yet, go experience something before you comment on it.

Elite? Perhaps you are referring to Ivy Leagues. Great, tell me this you educational fascist, what prompted the "Ivy League"? Let me give you a hint, it had nothing to do with academics If college athletics make institutions elite, then I guess the national champion each year means that's the best academic institution.

Do this, read through that series of posts between the two of us. Try to do this without personal bias, consider it an intern research project. Ask yourself, if you were a 3rd party reading this exchange, would you consider the points you make valid? Considering you have been completely outclassed in every aspect of this discussion I would figure you would just quit. I sincerely hope you don't because this just adds to my blog. The fact that you take the stance you take, but make the points you make, only supports my case that people who take issue with online education typically don't have a good reason why and cannot face the fire when it comes to a logical debate. Every time, without fail, they do what you have done.

With regards to my life and your LOL. You're an intern. Enough said.

Yes, a blog is a dorky hobby, but I obviously embrace it. You want to call me into question? Let's put it this way, you're basically calling me a loser. This reflects poorly on you. Not because you're a bad sport, but because if I am a loser, you just got your a*s demolished and dominated in every way by some loser. Where does that leave you?

Anything else there Rocco? If not, the secretary on the 3rd floor is out of paperclips so get back to work.

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#355 Consumer Suggestion

Um ur not considered successful in my opinion

AUTHOR: Rockymasonicaccountant - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, February 29, 2008

U worked for UOP and were low paid to do so i take it u don't have that gr8 of a job now right? I intern with KPMG ( sure hope u know the signifigance of that) and ive had several discussions with some of the hiearchy there and they believe online education for an undergraduate is a joke! Im not gonna debate with you anymore on the validity of online education b/c u can't debate the statistics of low job placement and lack of networking possiblities!

Im sure estanford or ecornell is just had hard to get into as the real institution and i never said many good colleges don't offer online programs! I SAID ELITE! Throw ur online piece of paper around all u want but instead of doing this how about u tell me where u are with ur life lol. So u as an employer would take excuses lol. Where the hell have u been corporations don't give a flying s**t about ur family or your feelings!

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#354 Author of original report

RE: DIVA327

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, February 29, 2008

Diva,
Did you take a class? By this I mean did you enter the class by logging in and posting 2 or more times in any given week?

If you did, you owe the money. Disclosure of failing to meet the minimum academic requirements for admission is your responsibility. They will say that you claimed to be eligible for the program you entered, so they allowed you into the program on good faith.

Their application for admissions requires that you submit minimum confirmation of educational background. If you did not enter anything on the prior educational history and can prove that your application shows you were ineligible and no one told you, you may have a chance to fight it. This is not impossible and I've seen advisors alter applications to show minimum requirements just so they can get the enrollment. However, you'll have to prove the advisor altered your application. The only way to do that is to prove another IP address, other than they ones you typically use, accessed your application website by logging in as you at any point in the admissions process.

Good luck with that.

In the end, 99.99% chance you will need to pay the money owed

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#353 Author of original report

Response 2: Rockymasonicaccountant

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, February 29, 2008

Your comment: As an employer would u rather have an employee who had a rigorous concrete daily college schedule or an at your leisure online program?

Your tactic here is extreme contrasts. On one hand you place traditional education in the category of rigorous and on the other hand you place online in the category of leisurely. This is often seen in the with us or against us mentality. It is not that black and white. Having to show up at a specific time in a specific location does not mean the course was rigorous. Being able to access a course of study when your personal schedule allows you to does not mean the course is leisurely.

To respond to your statement above, I will do so as an employer. When I interview a candidate there are many elements I am looking at. Education is simply one of the elements. Educational background is a pre-screening qualify, not the determining factor in the quality of the candidate. As I review a resume, if I see that a candidate completed a bachelor or graduate degree and it is apparent they did so while working full time, it speaks volumes. If you assume that all online students simply lounge around all day and have no other responsibilities you are mistaken. If you want to talk about rigor, work an 8-9 hour day, commute an hour each way, pick your kids up, cook them dinner, help them with their homework, put them to bed the go to school. Traditional education has left these professionals largely without a viable option. Online opens the opportunity for them. Leisurely? I think not.

Let's also talk about the need for both theory and application. Reading Dr. Spock's book on raising a child and actually raising a child are very different things. This is not to say that theory isn't important. You learn a great deal of important foundational knowledge as an undergrad. But how you apply that knowledge in practice is critical. This is why internships and work-study programs are so valuable. So as an employer, who would you rather hire, someone that has all theoretical knowledge (traditional bachelor graduate) or someone who either completed internships as part of their program or who worked full time and attended an online college? For me, the fact that I know they obtained both the theoretical knowledge and the application experience is extremely valuable.

If you want to test this theory go find some young children. Spend two weeks explaining to them how to ride a bike, let them read a book on it, but don't let them get on a bike until they successfully pass a test over the information learned in the past two weeks. Once they pass, put them on the bike without training wheels and push them How many of them do you think will simply ride away smoothly vs. crashing? Next try the same thing with swimming Welcome to the world of business. This is why a bachelor degree from a traditional or online institution with no experience will only get you an entry level position 90% of the time. Who would I hire? Whoever the best candidate is. Let's be clear on something. Any degree, online or ground, guarantees nothing except and opportunity that may not be there unless you have it.

Your comment: If u come in to do the exam 10 minutes late well then u fail it!

Unfortunately, my employees must be late every now and then. If I assume they don't have lives outside of work, I'm foolish. Being 10 minutes late does not negate the need for their job to get done. This is a time management issue, not a something relevant to how well they actually do their job. You are contrasting social etiquette skills to theoretical & application based knowledge. Yes it is important personally and professionally to be on time. But if you think the only place you can learn how to do that is traditional college you are fooling yourself. This point has no relevance to traditional education quality being somehow superior to online or to the idea that traditional students are superior to online students. In the real world if I fired somebody every time they were late, I'd be dealing with a dysfunctional turnover rate and a production problem. Thus, out of business.

Your comment: In my opinion u simply don't get an adequate education without the deadlines and mandatory classroom time periods!

By this comment I can only assume you have no experience or limited experience with online education. If you did have experience, this comment would not have been made. Please try to avoid taking a stance such as this when it is obvious by conducting even the most minimal amount of research that online education does retain deadlines and even a mandatory class/time period at the majority of institutions.


Your comment: If online education isn't inferior to traditional education then how come most of the elite institutes do not offer online degrees?

Again, please do your research. Ever heard of Cornell (eCornell), Stanford, even Harvard? I would include the links but ROR blocks them out. There are literally hundreds of traditional, well known, well respects campuses offering online degrees and courses. Did you know you can get an online MBA from Colorado State? Here's one more, ever heard of Thunderbird College? Check them out and see if they are or are not considered one of the top business schools in the world then see if they offer an online degree


Your comment: Its wat you do that counts and online graduates simply don't cut it in the real world in my opinion!

I'm an online grad, I do very well in the real world. Please quantify what counts as cutting it. Considering two factors: 1. Online enrollment significantly outpaces that of traditional and even traditional education now offers online. 2. Online students are already in the real world. I would say your statement lacks weight.

Is your contention that a graduate of Colorado's St.s MBA program online is inferior to the graduate who attended ground? What if they did a mixed online/ground program? Is only the degree valid?

Your comment: Would people want to vote for a senator who sat at home on the computer all day during his college years?

Who knows. What we do know is that Americans are more than willing to vote for a coke sniffing, draft-dodging, alcoholic, C student with a speech impediment for a double term. I'm guessing online education is low on this list of no-no's when it comes to politics if good ole' Jorge is still in office. Let's face it, he's set the bar pretty low. Most people could trip over it, online degree or not

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#352 UPDATE EX-employee responds

No Info Verified

AUTHOR: Diva327 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, February 29, 2008

My EA nor the AA never verified my previous schooling info. I have graduated from high school yet, so how did I even attend college? Now I being sent to collections for non-paid courses. Can I fight this?

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#351 Consumer Suggestion

B...

AUTHOR: Rockymasonicaccountant - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 28, 2008

I guess u and I have different views of education. I view education as a way to make yourself seem more appealing to potential employers and to gain practical real life skills. As an employer would u rather have an employee who had a rigorous concrete daily college schedule or an at your leisure online program? College is more about when you do the work than how u do the work or how well u do the work even. If u come in to do the exam 10 minutes late well then u fail it! Obviously u might learn more material if u can do it unrestrained by dates but in real life there r dates and deadlines.

In my opinion u simply don't get an adequate education without the deadlines and mandatory classroom time periods! If online education isn't inferior to traditional education then how come most of the elite institutes do not offer online degrees? Without the job placement and prominent alumni to back it up, wat is a university? I believe its the impact the university has on the world that makes it a worthwhile organization! Without that its just a paper mill.

Just having an impact on the minds of those who participate is simply not enough! Who cares wat you know or wat u say? Its wat you do that counts and online graduates simply don't cut it in the real world in my opinion! Would people want to vote for a senator who sat at home on the computer all day during his college years?

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#350 Author of original report

To: Rockymasonicaccountant

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 28, 2008

Normally I welcome criticism focused at UOP. In this case, the comments you make are directed at online education in general. As I have stated many times in my posts herein, I am a supporter of online education. UOP is the issue, not online education. Because of that I'll put some time in here and respond to your points.

You began your post with What is UOP's career placement rate? As with any online institution, it is relatively low. This has nothing to do with the quality of education. It has to do with the student demographic population at an online college verses a traditional entity. If you look at the research (Check Eduventures) the overwhelming majority of online students are 1. Adults. 2. Professionals. This means they are already in a career looking to advance within their organization or field. It becomes obvious that a college with 1000 bachelor graduates or master graduates that have never held a career position would have a much higher career placement rate than an online college with 1000 graduates already working in career. Don't let a generational bias be your gauge for academic quality. One has nothing to do with another.

Your second point has to do with AACSB (I assume that's what you meant when referring to AASCB) AACSB Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Only institutions with business programs are eligible for AACSB. This has no reflection on their other academic offerings and programs. This is not a gauge of institutional academic quality or regulation as with regional accreditation. It is simply a gold star for a specific school within an entity. There are plenty of great institutions, online or traditional, that do not have AACSB accreditation for their schools of business. This point has no real relevance to the argument surrounding the academic quality between online and traditional. If you research the AACSB you'll find the focus of accreditation surrounds the full time faculty ratios and backgrounds, not the academic program delivery.

With regards to online accepting anyone, and that somehow being a bad thing, well I guess that point depends on how you look at it. Yes, top Ivy League & traditional institutions try to limit enrollment to the top percentile by pre-measuring tests & essays. Good for them. What about the other 98% of high school graduates? What about the other 3 billion working Americans that might want to advance their education, learn something, and better themselves? Is your stance that only certain people should have the privilege of learning? Is it fair to require a professional with 20 years experience to take a test geared towards recent graduates of high school? If that same business professional fails to hit a high score on the GMAT, does this mean they shouldn't be able to learn in a master degree? If this is your stance please consider this. Unless you are a wealthy, white male, not to long ago you too would have been viewed as someone not worthy of learning. Let's go ahead and put the academic elitism away for now.

An individuals potential is not always apparent via testing. Do I feel that there should not be some measurement of academic integrity? No. However, I believe that like most things, the proof is in the pudding. If someone should be failing a class because of sub-par academics, then they should fail the class. Many online colleges treat their students just like traditional colleges. Failure is failure. UOP tends to pass people just so they can get the next courses tuition dollars. This lowers the academic standard. This however, is not a gauge of online education, just UOP.

With regards to waking up in the morning and going to class. Kudos to you. But I don't remember simply waking up and going to class as being an indicator of your standard as a student, or the quality of an institution. Some folks have a job and a family. In your world I guess those are excuses and the only valid way to learn is to do it the same way as you. Again, academic elitism. Let's be real, when you learn is irrelevant. Your next point is on how you learn: Online vs traditional face to face. Okay, so this is essentially a proximity argument then? Great! Along those lines I should learn more when sitting in the front of the class than in the back. In fact, any interface outside of interpersonal face to face relation of knowledge is somehow invalid. This means that although you read an author's books, you didn't really learn anything because he or she didn't relay it to you in person. So pretty much any medium, TV, books, internet, music, telephone, video conference, etc. These are all things to be avoided as they are invalid forms of communication or relation of information

It's amazing that those mediums are so popular today considering that there is no way people are getting the same information they would if they were there in person. Okay, I'll put the sarcasm away for now. If you are going to say that online education is inferior simply because of the modus of delivery, you are taking a stance that fails every legitimate litmus test. It is not when or how someone learned, it is what and if they learned. If quality and legitimacy are measured by face to face medium, you can tell my online stock broker that I really don't need to pay him because his services don't count. I'm sure he'd disagree with you and his fat salary seems real enough

The difference between being an academic and being an academic elitist is this. An academic believes their way of learning/teaching is the best way for them to learn/teach. An academic elitist believes their way of learning/teaching is the best and only way for everyone to learn/teach. Kinda like being religious, or being a religious fanatic. It's a big leap from praying to jihad.

Last point about state schools ASU is a state school. ASU is by no means the gold standard of academics

In the end, if online is so far inferior to traditional, why are so many traditional entities offering online degrees? It either is or is not a valid form of education. It cannot be both. So we're much better off judging an individual institution's quality based upon track record and merit. The online vs. traditional argument no longer applies. There is too much grey area.

Enough with the academic elitism. The problem here is UOP, not online education.

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#349 Consumer Suggestion

What is UOP's career placement rate?

AUTHOR: Rockymasonicaccountant - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 28, 2008

If all of this is true and it really is a diploma mill that would lead me to believe that most people who recieve degrees from this institution don't recieve job offers in their fields of study before or after graduation. I mean that is kinda pathetic its not even accredited by the AASCB. Even the lowest ranking state colleges where I live are accredited by AASCB.

I cannot believe some moron on here would compare this diploma mill to Ivy leagues. Ivy leagues accept only the top GPAs and test scores while this ripoff accepts anyone. U don't even have to take SAT, ACT GMAT, OR GRE!! WTF is up with that?

I love how the person defending UOP tries to bring up GPA lol. Who cares wat gpa u get in a fake online university? It doesn't count in real life if the school itself doesn't count! It sicken's me how people think that their online degree is just as valid as the one im working so hard right now for!

My degree is from a college where u have to get up in the morning and be there at the same time every day. Its not some online joke where u trade emails lol. I meet people face to face and learn how to deal with REAL people in REAL life not over the phone or on the internet!

Seriously Just go to a state school so u don't have problems with the validity of your degree

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#348 Consumer Comment

Former Student of WIU, AXIA, and now University of Phoenix!

AUTHOR: Kimberly - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Wow, your letter really hit home. I have been doing TONS of research lately on these three colleges and have been appauled. I am going to be brief because the more I talk about it them more upset I get... I recently transfered over to finish my degree to UOP. I started with WIU back in 2003. I was told I get a 20% discount on my classes because I am a spouse of active duty military and I was sold! I thought finally I can finish my degree online since we move around so much, needless did I know I was going to get the short in of the stick at the end.

Anyway to make a long story short I never got the 20% discount was transferred over to Axia to finish my associates (which I did), then UOP which I just completed my second class (and my last one) and just found out I paid 20,241.00 for an associates degree..unbelivable. It is not so much the amount but the fact that I was lied to and now they are saying they have nothing to do with WIU and they never offered a 20% discount at WIU or Axia...go figure. Of course no one works there anymore that helped me like my counsler who enrolled me Sanjeev the 20% guy... If anyone had the same military discount or knows about it the 20% back in 2003 I would greatly appreciate your help in proving them wrong! Sincerely, Kim

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#347 Consumer Comment

Current Student

AUTHOR: Destructo - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

You'll be upset when you receive your first bill from UoP, and realize you agreed to pay $15K for an Associates degree, when you can enroll in a local community college and pay no more than $5K for the same degree.

I'm still in UoP, but only for another two weeks.

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#346 Author of original report

Response to Current Student in Wisconsin

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Response to Current Student in Wisconsin

Ladies and gentlemen who might be reviewing this post, please, please, I beg of you, read Mr/Ms Current Student's post. Notice he or she mentions a 3.5 GPA. This is the type of student you would be in class with Scary right?

If this guy or gall can pull a 3.5 GPA, I have a retarded hamster that will graduate Valedictorian

Current Student: Thanks again for supporting my cause, feel free to come back and post any time. Your post was freakin' awesome

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#345 Consumer Comment

A good way to tell if it is an "Accredited" institution

AUTHOR: Cheryl - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A friend of mine was contemplating signing up for Phoenix Online Classes and she wanted me to help her to fill out the financial information. She was a stay-at-home mom that did not have the time for campus classes. The cost was astronomical, but they made it look appealing to her because of the convenience of time. I put my phone on speaker so she could hear the conversation, then called the Registration Office at the University of Georgia in Athens. I asked them if they would accept credits from The University of Phoenix Online and they adamantly said no. If a school is in the "University System" they will accept credits from one school to the next - so if UOP is supposedly accredited, then why won't UGA take their credits on transfer? It's pretty clear to me. My friend decided not to enroll. Good call.
C

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#344 Consumer Comment

A good way to tell if it is an "Accredited" institution

AUTHOR: Cheryl - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A friend of mine was contemplating signing up for Phoenix Online Classes and she wanted me to help her to fill out the financial information. She was a stay-at-home mom that did not have the time for campus classes. The cost was astronomical, but they made it look appealing to her because of the convenience of time. I put my phone on speaker so she could hear the conversation, then called the Registration Office at the University of Georgia in Athens. I asked them if they would accept credits from The University of Phoenix Online and they adamantly said no. If a school is in the "University System" they will accept credits from one school to the next - so if UOP is supposedly accredited, then why won't UGA take their credits on transfer? It's pretty clear to me. My friend decided not to enroll. Good call.
C

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#343 Consumer Comment

A good way to tell if it is an "Accredited" institution

AUTHOR: Cheryl - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 26, 2008

A friend of mine was contemplating signing up for Phoenix Online Classes and she wanted me to help her to fill out the financial information. She was a stay-at-home mom that did not have the time for campus classes. The cost was astronomical, but they made it look appealing to her because of the convenience of time. I put my phone on speaker so she could hear the conversation, then called the Registration Office at the University of Georgia in Athens. I asked them if they would accept credits from The University of Phoenix Online and they adamantly said no. If a school is in the "University System" they will accept credits from one school to the next - so if UOP is supposedly accredited, then why won't UGA take their credits on transfer? It's pretty clear to me. My friend decided not to enroll. Good call.
C

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#342 Consumer Comment

You are Just Bitter

AUTHOR: Current Student - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 26, 2008

I feel that everyone that has something negative to say about University of Pheonix must be just plain evil. i have been enrolled with th university ofPhoenix since august of 2007 and i love it.

I talk with each of my councilors at least once a week and they explain anything new that is taking place and answer any questions that I have about my classes or the school. They are a grop of individuals who do not deserve alll the slander.

I believe that the writer of this repeort is just angry because they lost their job, get over it and move on, yo ay you were one of the top paid, if they were so bad you wold have worked there for the years you did and yu would especially wouldn't have went to the university yourself.

i have had nothing butgood things happen to me since i started this school. i t i right for me i go to school when i have time and i am doing great currently averaging a 3.5 GPA. i couldn't ask for a better school. When i need tutoring i just go to my campus in brookfield and they have workshops you can go to online. Other universities and colleges that i have researched have never been this dedicated to ther estudents and my instructor comments o eveyones discussion question and its like we all get one on one time with our instructors.

All i can say is that with out the University of Pheonix I don't know where i would be i have always wanted to go to college but i have two kids and work third shift as a receptionist and it just is not possible with my schedule but when i heard about UOP then everything changed and it chaged for the best. Now i m much closer to forfilling my dream of strting my own business as an event coordinator.

Thank you to all the staff and faculty and UOP. I really love you for giving me this oppurtunity that would never have been possible without you.

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#341 Author of original report

Response to your Question

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Argosy is a private for-profit entity. They typically have pretty good programs, services and support online. They do have multiple ground campuses throughout the US. Tuition is often a little higher than most people prefer, right around $1400 per online course and $54000 for a full 120 credit BA degree. That works out to $10,920 for a 24 credit hour academic year. This is due to the fact that Argosy uses Federal Funding and they know you are eligible for loans in the amount of:
$7400 yr 1
$8300 yr 2
$10,500 yr 3
$10,500 yr 4
$10,500 yr 5
Referring to a 24 credit hour academic year 120credits/24credits per year = 5 years.

Grand total = $47,200 in loans. So if you don't qualify for Pell Grants too, you're paying approximately $8,000 out of pocket for tuition assuming you're not transferring any credits. In my opinion, that's expensive. But that all depends on if you're starting as a freshman or a junior.


With regards to Fort Hays, I know very little about them. What I do know about traditional campuses trying to offer online degrees is that in general, they're not very good at it. In the movie Fight Club Brad Pitt makes a comment about "sticking feathers in your butt does not make you a chicken..." This rings true with traditional education entities suddenly offering online courses. There is more to online than just translating ground based curriculum into an online format. I would be weary of many traditional education entities who offer online. They don't invest money into servicing the online student's needs. They treat you like a ground based student, the problem is that you're not a ground based. I would drill them on their services for online students before enrolling.

If you're coming in as a freshman or sophomore, take a look at Rio Salado Online out of Arizona. It is a member of state funded Maricopa Community Colleges. You can get your AA degree for around $7200 then transfer elsewhere. If you're coming in as a junior or senior check out either National University for their psych program ($1215 per class) if you need to use a Stafford Loan. Or Northcentral University ($825 per class) if you're not planning on using a Stafford Loan.

Either way, good luck.

B

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#340 Consumer Comment

UoP -- I'm Out

AUTHOR: Destructo - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 20, 2008

I've been enrolled with UoP for approximately six months now, and I can't stand it. The assignments are hard to understand, or even find to complete. Luckily, I have a federal grant, which is paying for my time there, but I'm dropping out at the end of this semester. I was all about UoP, until I started to realize the price for the education.

At UoP, I'll spend approximately $12K-15K for an associates degree, while I can goto a local community college, and have a better hands-on experience, for less than $5K. I can understand how UoP is getting money, simply because I work a full-time job, have a family, and have a son. I'm constantly busy, and wanted an easy way out. But, I've realized a simple conclusion, YOU CAN'T FIND AN EASY EDUCATION! So, with all that being said, quit trying to take the easy route, as it'll be much more difficult in the long run.

They are accredited, but as previously mentioned, it doesn't mean anything. I've learned that employers take an "online degree" as a waste of time and money.

The simple advice I can give, don't waste your time or money. It'll be tough, but find a local community college or university.

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#339 Consumer Comment

Question for you B

AUTHOR: Hb - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 19, 2008

B-
I have enjoyed all of the information that you have provided! I was considering enrolling at the Western International University- initially, I was turned off by the "hard sell" approach that I have encountered so far. If they are so great, why are they trying to push me into enrolling?? After reading all of the comments on this thread, I will definately be looking elsewhere.....

In my research, I have come across a couple of schools- I am interested if you or anyone has any insight. I have read reviews- but it is so hard to know whether a disgruntled few are the minority or the majority! I am searching for an online program for psychology.

There is a school here in IL called "Argosy University" which apparently used to be associated with the IL Professional School of Psychology(associated with, or took it over- it is unclear to me). They offer live classes and online, and also have a PsyD program, if I decided to go for it.

The other school I found was Fort Hays State University- which I found on a "10 Best Buys" sight for online tuition costs....the tuition seems very reasonable, and it appears to be a real "brick& mortar" university. Appearances can be deceiving!
I realize I might be crossing lines here-that this is not a forum for online college reviews, but everyone involved in theis discussion seems very knowledgeable about this, and figured I could take the ridicule if I am angering anyone....
I will apologize for any typos, grammatical erors and mispellings- its been a long day, cut me some slack!

I appreciate your feedback, thank you for saving me from WIU!!

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#338 Author of original report

Unhappy People?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Let's not confuse dissatisfied consumers with outright exploitation of tax dollars, investment dollars and misleading/unethical business practices. You are attempting to confuse the real issue through misdirection. Do you work for the Bush administration, Big Oil, Big Auto? Similar tactics have been used lately to justify the war, and lack of recognition regarding climate change.

Perhaps a better analogy would have been comparing UOP/Apollo to Enron, World Com, Global Crossing, Tyco

Here is one real issue. Last week Apollo lost a lawsuit filed by shareholders and must pay $280 Million in restitution ($5.50 per share). This was the direct result of Apollo's failure to disclose a scathing review regarding unethical recruitment practices by the US Department of Education. It was determined that Apollo willfully and intentionally withheld this information from its shareholders.

This leads us to the second real issue. UOP is in the business of education. Their regional accreditation is through the HLCNCA. As a sub-note here, this is not the same either Princeton which is Middle States or Yale which is New England Association. This is typically the catalyst for Federal Title IV Eligibility. As many realize, Title IV consists of Federal Grants, Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and Loan Forgiveness Programs. As Federal Programs, this means that American Tax Dollars are used to fund these programs. In the case of UOP, at last count they used approximately $2 Billion in Title IV monies. As an organization that generates approximately $2.5 Billion in revenue annually, where do you think the vast majority of the money comes from? Next point. Federal Monies were created and intended for the purpose of assisting eligible persons in obtaining a better education. The intent of these monies was not to be used for corporate profiteering. As mentioned above, the recruitment practices of UOP have been, and continue to be questionable. Specifically regarding usage of Federal Monies to entice would-be students to engage a degree program without using personal monies.

Often, it is not disclosed to or understood by prospects, that enrolling in only 1 course does not allow them access to the Title IV funds. UOP has a notoriously high default rate on Federal Loan and Grant faults. Title IV Safe Harbor Rules exist to stop entities from using what appears to be no out of pocket temptations in the recruiting practices. While UOP stands by its POLICY of compliance for the compensation matrix for enrollment, the PRACTICE has been and continues to be one of paying enrollment advisors bi-annually based upon the number of students that enroll for, and successfully complete, 1 course.

In short, the PRACTICE at UOP, regardless of the policy they put forth, is to pay enrollment based upon enrollment performance. Because UOP is a Tile IV entity, access to money is an obstacle easily overcome. In the end, UOP is using Title IV Tax Payer Dollars, to entice students to enroll with limited out of pocket expense, in order to pad new enrollment numbers and revenues to report to shareholders and attract new investor monies. Brilliant? Yes. Ethical? No.

So your point, and comparison to Ford it irrelevant and avoids the real issue. Dissatisfied customers are merely a symptom. The illness is far worse than any one symptom. I would agree that Ford shares a similar illness called corporate greed. They simply go about manipulating the American consumer through lobbyists, pseudo-science, and limiting government interference when it comes to their product's environmental impact. Don't worry, eventually the truth will come out regarding big oil and auto makers. The truth regarding tobacco is now front and center in the TRUTH television campaigns. These show the lengths Big Tobacco went to hide the truth about their operations and product. We will see the same type of social revolt against auto/oil because of the environment sometime in the future.

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#337 UPDATE EX-employee responds

There will always be unhappy people

AUTHOR: Jack - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, January 28, 2008

No matter what company one deals with, eventually there will be dissasified consumers. Does this mean the company is bad? Go ahead and check the number of dissatisfied Ford customers.

I was an Enrollment Counselor for UOP for nearly two years. I was one of the oldest employees there, being 50 when I started. UOP is a University designed for the adult learner.

I never lied to students. I didn't have to. UOP is a fully Regionally Accredited College the same as Princeton or Yale. The classes are geared towards the returning, older student: those working full time with families and additional obligations but the desire to complete the education put off over their lifetime.

Are the classes structured differently than a traditional college? Of course. Adults do not learn in the same manner as younger students. Adults learn by experiential education, younger students by rote. Therefore the learning team structure of the program.

Are recruitment personal paid by-the-student? No. That would be a violation of Accrediation Rules, just as paying Atheletes to attend a college is a violation. Do violations occur? Of course, and they are dealt with.

Are the degrees worth the paper they're written on? Ask any UOP graduate with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a teaching position. Name me one school who would say that just because the Bachelor's degree was from University of Phoenix they are not qualified to teach.

Finally, look at the CLEP program. Why can one take a CLEP test, Score a 50%, and yet earn six credits toward their associate degree? Does that make the associates any less valuable? Or is one simple earning college credits for what oone may have learned in their lifetime.

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#336 Consumer Comment

Every College has serious problems

AUTHOR: Oslo - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, January 28, 2008

1. Because you receive a paycheck from this college, you really are Polly Anna about it.

2. You shouldn't undermind the problems that many students have with business colleges as yours.

3. This web-site has saved me money, and many of the things that are complained about are true.

4. Consumers need a uncensored web site that allow a victims to give the facts about their own situation.

5. Shame on you, for trying to stamp out their right to do so.

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#335 Consumer Comment

I LOVE The University of Phoenix - and NO, it is NOT a rubberstamp education!

AUTHOR: Dharma - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 07, 2007

I am currently a student of Axia College, and will be earning my Associate's Degree in Business Administration in two weeks. The last two years working with this college have been comprehensive, intensive, and sometimes exhausting. Yet, it is one of the most rewarding and educational experiences that I have ever had. Whenenver I needed help, there was someone there for me. The class schedules were rigorous, but specially designed to meet the needs of busy working adults.

Without a college like the University of Phoenix, I could never have gotten a college degree, and I will be forever grateful. And YES, they are fully accredited, work with government agencies, are accepted by the FAFSA program, and you can receive your Pell grant through them. This is no easy thing - not every college is accredited like this, and employers have exhibited respect and admiration for the degree. I live in Michigan, but I visited Arizona, and went to the main campus. I was more than happy with what I found there.

Also, there are satellite campuses all over the country, including Ann Arbor, MI (home of the University of Michigan). Disgruntled former employees should stop trying to ruin other people's dreams, and find something else to kvetch about. UOP is a real college, run by real people, and is accepted in the real world.

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#334 Author of original report

g-man

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 29, 2007

Regarding the market saturation of UOP in the US and around the world, I would say that brand recognition is a different situation than brand quality. As UOP was one of the first to market in the late 70's and 80's they have had a 20+ year head start over most any other entity. This means that people recognize the name brand of University of Phoenix. However, this in my opinion has no relevance to UOP's true brand quality. Again, in my opinion UOP has been a great success at building brand recognition/expectation but a terrible failure at delivering on those expectations. After all, Enron had great brand recognition for a while but how was their quality? You would find it difficult to locate someone who did not recognize Michael Jackson or Britney Spears as they both have great brand recognition, but this is very different than how people personally feel about these two celebrities. High brand recognition and poor deliver is why blogs like this one and many others exist about UOP. Keep in mind, this blog and this entire site will retain mostly negative feedback about any institution or entity listed. Hence the name Rip Off Report.

With regards to your possible experience as an international student with UOP, I cannot speak from first hand experience as an international student and I was never an international advisor at UOP. I would tell you to ask your current enrollment advisor how long he or she will hold on to your file before handing it over to an academic advisor. For most regional students at UOP, the EA holds this student file for 1 class and then passes it off. This is where a significant decrease in customer service occurs. Most of the academic advisors at UOP are overworked and underpaid dealing with 300-500 students at any time. Beware that your support in the UOP program by advising may significantly drop off after your first course. If you are self-directed this should be no issue. The one positive I can say about UOP is they retain the most robust international academic and enrollment team anywhere in the industry. They are years ahead of pretty much any other online entity.

There is no reason to rush this. I would postpone starting right away and explore your options. Check out Walden, Capella, Argosy, Northcentral, Strayer, Grand Canyon. They all have options for international students. If it turns out that UOP is still your best option then start classes. I think you will find a better option exists.

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#333 Consumer Comment

Shocking news 'B'! need information.

AUTHOR: G-man - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, October 28, 2007

I came across this discussion by accident, looking for other information UOPO. I am suppose to start UOP this coming week, now I am having second, third, fourth and fifth thoughs about it.

But my situation is a bit different from all of you, I am an international online student. Maybe 'B' can give a little advise on the possible pit falls that I might face. I am not reading alot of positive feedback from people who started UOPO, I am really concern at this point.

Here is a college that is known world wide, there has to be some good structure in there. Every where you look, there it is in your face UOP/UOPO.

Talk to me!

g-man
International Student

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#332 Consumer Comment

Thanx to B!

AUTHOR: Jacob - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, September 15, 2007

I just wante to thank the author of this thread for opening my eyes into the world of private education. I am a Student at Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and I am studying Criminal Justice. I am returning to school to better myself, and my family. When I first applied to SCC I was interested in studying networking, and systems administration. After several months of little factual information, I was able to determine that their program was basically intended as vocational tech, not as prep to continue into a bachelors program. This prompted my to revert back to my original major in Criminal Justice, as I did not want a degree that would be worthless.

After declaring Criminal Justice as my major, I spoke with the Chairman of the department to get an idea of what direction I would need to go in order to get a bachelors from UNL after SCC. I was advised by this person that UNL would not accept Criminal Justice credits from SCC, much like no one will accept their Networking credits either. He then advised me that if I wanted a bachelors degreee, I would have to apply to either Bellvue University or Hamilton College.

Upon reading this thread, I did some serious looking into both of those schools, and was shocked to find out that they are little better than UOP. Hamiltons website would not even give specific information, it simply wanted you to give out large amounts of personal information, and await contact from them. The Bellvue website was vastly more informative, but I learned that for Criminal Justice the only offered what they term as an accelerated degree program. R

Further reading about it leads me to believe that the program is conducted in similar fashion to what I have read about UOP. To top all of this off, the cost per credit hour is nearly twice that of UNL or most other colleges.

I sincerely want to thank B for exposing the kind of things that private colleges will do in order to make money. I can honestly say that his postings on this site have saved me from making a costly mistake. I must also say that I am shocked that the local community college is so corrupt. I was born and raised in Tempe, AZ, and attended MCC part time off and on for a few years. After dealing with MCC and the Maricopa Community College system, I am shocked at all the differences between them, and SCC.

Thank you B,

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#331 Author of original report

Anon

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Thanks for the info. That's pretty interesting. Just be prepared for the backlash to come your way for pointing this out. Most people do not take kindly to truth when it takes them out of their safe little comfort zone.

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#330 Consumer Comment

STOP ATTENDING ALL THESE JUNK ON LINE SCHOOLS AND YOUR PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED

AUTHOR: Margaret - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 11, 2007

All brick & morter colleges and community colleges offer on line classes now at reasonable state tuition rates. If everyone would just stop this Bull$#*& of attending these rip off places of higher education, you would not be getting yourselves in a financial bind, or having these rip off companies trying to ruin your credit. Then UOP, AXIA, STRAYER, CAPELLA, and who ever else Jon Doe for profit schools will close up shop and be gone for good!

These on line schools are a 100% rip off. I have taken a few on line classes through one of my local community college's and I am satisfied to know that its 100% accredited and transferable to any 4 year university, no questions asked.

Please everyone, stop giving yourself a heartache

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#329 UPDATE Employee

Keystone Mercy recommends University of Phoenix for their employees and eligible for their tuition reimbursement plan.

AUTHOR: Anon - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, September 10, 2007

I came across the TaxPayers Against Fraud web site (wtaf.org) that listed Keystone Mercy Health Plan's $5 million fine
and the University of Phoenix's fraud case for illegal incentive payments to school recruiters both in a link dated
11/31/06

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.


interesting connection:

Keystone Mercy recommends University of Phoenix for their employees and eligible for their tuition reimbursement plan.

How Keystone Mercy, a non-profit processor of federal Medicare claims, can be oblivious to University of Phoenix's EEOC
settlements, low level of instruction, low graduation rate, inflated tuition, lack of accreditation by the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) for their MBA and lack of GMAT, and the largest fine in history imposed by the Department of Education
makes me wonder if Keystone is just plain ignorant or willfully ignorant perhaps due to a vested interest on Keystone's part
such as stockholders in Apollo Group Inc (University of Phoenix's parent company) or promotions/positions secured via University of
Phoenix's worthless degrees.


Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits 2/11/2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/education/11phoenix.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5088&en=5c8573d57de4bffe&ex=1328850000

KEYSTONE MERCY HEALTH PLAN TO PAY GOVERNMENT $5 MILLION
TO RESOLVE CIVIL LIABILITIES UNDER THE FALSE CLAIMS ACT
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/pae/News/Pr/2006/oct/Keystonepress.html

University of Phoenix fined $9.8 million by feds
(largest fine ever imposed by the United States Department of Education)
http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2004/09/13/daily21.html


EEOC settles claim with University of Phoenix (religious discrimination)
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued the University of Phoenix,
alleging religious discrimination against non-Mormon enrollment counselors 9/28/2006
http://www.aznews.us/university_of_phoenix_favors_mormons,_eeoc_says.htm


EEOC settles claim with University of Phoenix (sexual harassment)
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=7002114 11/29/2007

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#328 Consumer Comment

Wow, now there's cynicism for ya!

AUTHOR: Adam - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, September 09, 2007

UOP poster said this,

"Don't be upset with the person who worked you over..."

I'm guessing anyone who's ever done business with you had trouble walking for a few months...But hey, if you can sleep at night, Rock On!

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#327 Author of original report

Consumer Onus

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, September 06, 2007

I will not argue that the onus is upon the consumer to educate themselves and scrutinize their options prior to rendering a decision.

I am not even going to get into the comment about the Federal Gov't being a business. I don't remember that part in the constitution Obviously fiscal responsibility is not this administration's strong point.

You made a couple of comments that need to be examined. First you say that if a person can't afford UOP don't go Later, you ask if an individual would buy a used caror a house without inspection? What we know about buying a car or a house is this: The vast majority of people who buy a car or home use a loan.

Typically, the type of car or home they buy is highly dependent on their ability to qualify for a car loan or home loan. If they cannot qualify for the loan, they do not get the car or home. This is not the case at UOP because of Title IV. Borrowers do not need to qualify for a Title IV Loan based upon credit or borrowing history. UOP knows this and they use this fact to sell loans to a sub-prime borrowing market.

Considering UOP uses about $2Billion a year in Federal Title IV, and considering UOP's extremely high loan default rate per capita, UOP would not be in business if suddenly Title IV loans required a credit check. We have seen what happens when you lend money to sub-prime borrowers in the housing market. It makes a mess.

Yes, the onus is on the consumer. Why is their no obligation by the corporate entity to operate at some type of minimally ethical level? Money Trumps all things and as long as there is profit to be made by those in power, any action can be justified even illegal wars.

You say that you can't stand people who claim they have been duped. Perhaps you are projecting your own ability to scrutinize and be skeptical about things on others assuming that others retain the same ability. Unfortunately that is not the case. If it hasn't been obvious in the last two presidential elections, approximately 50% of Americans are easily duped.

Education is critical to remedying the lunacy, backward thinking, and brainwashing that has somehow convinced the majority in this country that scrutinizing government and for-profit corporations is unpatriotic. UOP is an educational entity and they participate in the same practice of taking advantage of the trust some people place in others.

Especially individuals that one might safely assume have their best interests in mind. I am guessing many Catholics thought it was safe to leave their little boy with a priest. I am guessing that many prospects who speak to a UOP counselor assume this individual will act in their best interest. While you may know better, others obviously do not. For this reason, information such as that which is provided herein is necessary. At minimal, someone who comes here and reads this will know to be weary of what they are being sold and conduct their own research.

With regards to offering opinions about personal experiences rather than brushing off the responsibility onto someone else, all I have done here is share my experiences and opinions, I have also taken on the responsibility for many things.

What I will not take responsibility for or will I accept any excuses for are things I saw happen as an employee. Management decisions and directives were made knowing full-well that such decisions would have a negative impact on the workforce and student population. Beyond that, anything that was viewed as something UOP could get away with was okay regardless of how unethical. Of all the shady things I saw happen, the only time I saw individuals terminated were in cases where there was a paper trail. Forged documents, forged applications, forged FAFSA applications, fake SFA agreement, etc.

While the onus is on the consumer, it is time for the consumer to start holding these entities to a higher standard. As it is the American people working within these entities, we can no longer afford to mentally segregate our actions as employees from our actions as individuals.

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#326 Author of original report

Consumer Onus

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, September 06, 2007

I will not argue that the onus is upon the consumer to educate themselves and scrutinize their options prior to rendering a decision.

I am not even going to get into the comment about the Federal Gov't being a business. I don't remember that part in the constitution Obviously fiscal responsibility is not this administration's strong point.

You made a couple of comments that need to be examined. First you say that if a person can't afford UOP don't go Later, you ask if an individual would buy a used caror a house without inspection? What we know about buying a car or a house is this: The vast majority of people who buy a car or home use a loan.

Typically, the type of car or home they buy is highly dependent on their ability to qualify for a car loan or home loan. If they cannot qualify for the loan, they do not get the car or home. This is not the case at UOP because of Title IV. Borrowers do not need to qualify for a Title IV Loan based upon credit or borrowing history. UOP knows this and they use this fact to sell loans to a sub-prime borrowing market.

Considering UOP uses about $2Billion a year in Federal Title IV, and considering UOP's extremely high loan default rate per capita, UOP would not be in business if suddenly Title IV loans required a credit check. We have seen what happens when you lend money to sub-prime borrowers in the housing market. It makes a mess.

Yes, the onus is on the consumer. Why is their no obligation by the corporate entity to operate at some type of minimally ethical level? Money Trumps all things and as long as there is profit to be made by those in power, any action can be justified even illegal wars.

You say that you can't stand people who claim they have been duped. Perhaps you are projecting your own ability to scrutinize and be skeptical about things on others assuming that others retain the same ability. Unfortunately that is not the case. If it hasn't been obvious in the last two presidential elections, approximately 50% of Americans are easily duped.

Education is critical to remedying the lunacy, backward thinking, and brainwashing that has somehow convinced the majority in this country that scrutinizing government and for-profit corporations is unpatriotic. UOP is an educational entity and they participate in the same practice of taking advantage of the trust some people place in others.

Especially individuals that one might safely assume have their best interests in mind. I am guessing many Catholics thought it was safe to leave their little boy with a priest. I am guessing that many prospects who speak to a UOP counselor assume this individual will act in their best interest. While you may know better, others obviously do not. For this reason, information such as that which is provided herein is necessary. At minimal, someone who comes here and reads this will know to be weary of what they are being sold and conduct their own research.

With regards to offering opinions about personal experiences rather than brushing off the responsibility onto someone else, all I have done here is share my experiences and opinions, I have also taken on the responsibility for many things.

What I will not take responsibility for or will I accept any excuses for are things I saw happen as an employee. Management decisions and directives were made knowing full-well that such decisions would have a negative impact on the workforce and student population. Beyond that, anything that was viewed as something UOP could get away with was okay regardless of how unethical. Of all the shady things I saw happen, the only time I saw individuals terminated were in cases where there was a paper trail. Forged documents, forged applications, forged FAFSA applications, fake SFA agreement, etc.

While the onus is on the consumer, it is time for the consumer to start holding these entities to a higher standard. As it is the American people working within these entities, we can no longer afford to mentally segregate our actions as employees from our actions as individuals.

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#325 Author of original report

Consumer Onus

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, September 06, 2007

I will not argue that the onus is upon the consumer to educate themselves and scrutinize their options prior to rendering a decision.

I am not even going to get into the comment about the Federal Gov't being a business. I don't remember that part in the constitution Obviously fiscal responsibility is not this administration's strong point.

You made a couple of comments that need to be examined. First you say that if a person can't afford UOP don't go Later, you ask if an individual would buy a used caror a house without inspection? What we know about buying a car or a house is this: The vast majority of people who buy a car or home use a loan.

Typically, the type of car or home they buy is highly dependent on their ability to qualify for a car loan or home loan. If they cannot qualify for the loan, they do not get the car or home. This is not the case at UOP because of Title IV. Borrowers do not need to qualify for a Title IV Loan based upon credit or borrowing history. UOP knows this and they use this fact to sell loans to a sub-prime borrowing market.

Considering UOP uses about $2Billion a year in Federal Title IV, and considering UOP's extremely high loan default rate per capita, UOP would not be in business if suddenly Title IV loans required a credit check. We have seen what happens when you lend money to sub-prime borrowers in the housing market. It makes a mess.

Yes, the onus is on the consumer. Why is their no obligation by the corporate entity to operate at some type of minimally ethical level? Money Trumps all things and as long as there is profit to be made by those in power, any action can be justified even illegal wars.

You say that you can't stand people who claim they have been duped. Perhaps you are projecting your own ability to scrutinize and be skeptical about things on others assuming that others retain the same ability. Unfortunately that is not the case. If it hasn't been obvious in the last two presidential elections, approximately 50% of Americans are easily duped.

Education is critical to remedying the lunacy, backward thinking, and brainwashing that has somehow convinced the majority in this country that scrutinizing government and for-profit corporations is unpatriotic. UOP is an educational entity and they participate in the same practice of taking advantage of the trust some people place in others.

Especially individuals that one might safely assume have their best interests in mind. I am guessing many Catholics thought it was safe to leave their little boy with a priest. I am guessing that many prospects who speak to a UOP counselor assume this individual will act in their best interest. While you may know better, others obviously do not. For this reason, information such as that which is provided herein is necessary. At minimal, someone who comes here and reads this will know to be weary of what they are being sold and conduct their own research.

With regards to offering opinions about personal experiences rather than brushing off the responsibility onto someone else, all I have done here is share my experiences and opinions, I have also taken on the responsibility for many things.

What I will not take responsibility for or will I accept any excuses for are things I saw happen as an employee. Management decisions and directives were made knowing full-well that such decisions would have a negative impact on the workforce and student population. Beyond that, anything that was viewed as something UOP could get away with was okay regardless of how unethical. Of all the shady things I saw happen, the only time I saw individuals terminated were in cases where there was a paper trail. Forged documents, forged applications, forged FAFSA applications, fake SFA agreement, etc.

While the onus is on the consumer, it is time for the consumer to start holding these entities to a higher standard. As it is the American people working within these entities, we can no longer afford to mentally segregate our actions as employees from our actions as individuals.

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#324 Author of original report

Consumer Onus

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, September 06, 2007

I will not argue that the onus is upon the consumer to educate themselves and scrutinize their options prior to rendering a decision.

I am not even going to get into the comment about the Federal Gov't being a business. I don't remember that part in the constitution Obviously fiscal responsibility is not this administration's strong point.

You made a couple of comments that need to be examined. First you say that if a person can't afford UOP don't go Later, you ask if an individual would buy a used caror a house without inspection? What we know about buying a car or a house is this: The vast majority of people who buy a car or home use a loan.

Typically, the type of car or home they buy is highly dependent on their ability to qualify for a car loan or home loan. If they cannot qualify for the loan, they do not get the car or home. This is not the case at UOP because of Title IV. Borrowers do not need to qualify for a Title IV Loan based upon credit or borrowing history. UOP knows this and they use this fact to sell loans to a sub-prime borrowing market.

Considering UOP uses about $2Billion a year in Federal Title IV, and considering UOP's extremely high loan default rate per capita, UOP would not be in business if suddenly Title IV loans required a credit check. We have seen what happens when you lend money to sub-prime borrowers in the housing market. It makes a mess.

Yes, the onus is on the consumer. Why is their no obligation by the corporate entity to operate at some type of minimally ethical level? Money Trumps all things and as long as there is profit to be made by those in power, any action can be justified even illegal wars.

You say that you can't stand people who claim they have been duped. Perhaps you are projecting your own ability to scrutinize and be skeptical about things on others assuming that others retain the same ability. Unfortunately that is not the case. If it hasn't been obvious in the last two presidential elections, approximately 50% of Americans are easily duped.

Education is critical to remedying the lunacy, backward thinking, and brainwashing that has somehow convinced the majority in this country that scrutinizing government and for-profit corporations is unpatriotic. UOP is an educational entity and they participate in the same practice of taking advantage of the trust some people place in others.

Especially individuals that one might safely assume have their best interests in mind. I am guessing many Catholics thought it was safe to leave their little boy with a priest. I am guessing that many prospects who speak to a UOP counselor assume this individual will act in their best interest. While you may know better, others obviously do not. For this reason, information such as that which is provided herein is necessary. At minimal, someone who comes here and reads this will know to be weary of what they are being sold and conduct their own research.

With regards to offering opinions about personal experiences rather than brushing off the responsibility onto someone else, all I have done here is share my experiences and opinions, I have also taken on the responsibility for many things.

What I will not take responsibility for or will I accept any excuses for are things I saw happen as an employee. Management decisions and directives were made knowing full-well that such decisions would have a negative impact on the workforce and student population. Beyond that, anything that was viewed as something UOP could get away with was okay regardless of how unethical. Of all the shady things I saw happen, the only time I saw individuals terminated were in cases where there was a paper trail. Forged documents, forged applications, forged FAFSA applications, fake SFA agreement, etc.

While the onus is on the consumer, it is time for the consumer to start holding these entities to a higher standard. As it is the American people working within these entities, we can no longer afford to mentally segregate our actions as employees from our actions as individuals.

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#323 Consumer Comment

response to B

AUTHOR: Uop Graduate - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, September 05, 2007

B --

I can understand that you might disagree with the enrollment practices at UOP. I submit that it is still a business! All colleges, universities, and even our Federal Government are businesses with profit in mind. I think it is the wise student that realizes this. People should (granted in my opinion) choose schools for a variety of reasons.

UOP fit my life style and budget just fine. If a person can't afford UOP don't go. If you don't like the education, leave. If you need an advisor to tell you how to read a class schedule and set your classes up, find one. As for the enrollement staff who ran to the building at 4am -- kudos to them. Get the sale. Should I believe that no other school is as interested in increasing enrollement? It is a buyer beware world where no one person deserves more consideration than another.

I have worked hard for all I have. I take full responsiblity for my decisions and the consequences. My disagreement with some of the posts on this site are in that they discount the student's responsibility in the entire transaction. I can't stand people who claim they have been duped. How is this possible? Do your homework. Be prepared for the consequences of your actions. Don't be upset with the person who worked you over -- learn from it. If anyone thinks they have been "tricked, sold, duped, lied to" it is their responsibility to determine the facts BEFORE signing anything. So, if in fact UOP treats enrollments like they are selling used cars -- they are pretty d**n good at it. Would you buy a used car without information? A house without an inspection? Your education is just a big purchase and should be treated as such.

How about offering opinions about personal experiences rather than brushing off the responsibility for the outcome onto someone else?

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#322 Author of original report

To UOP Grad

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 29, 2007

I recently EARNED my MBA through UOP Online. I have gone to the 'brick and mortor' schools to earn my two AA degrees and BA degree. I chose UOP Online because of my fathers good experience with UOP and my personal need for flexible education.

This is an apples and oranges comparison. To make this point valid you would need to go take and MBA program or courses at a traditional ground campus. I would even recommend trying an MBA at a UOP competitor online. Somewhere with at least a minimal screening process. Walden or GCU for example. Then you can draw contrast.

I found the MBA program to be as challenging, if not more challenging than my traditional education experience.

Considering your traditional coursework was at the AA and BA levels, if the UOP masters degree was just as challenging, you have a problem. The masters degree should be more challenging that an AA or BA.

I think that there are some important points to be made about accusations against UOP for less-than-honorable enrollment practices. Let me start by saying I have not worked for UOP in any position, nor do I know anyone who does. My enrollment experience was this -- I made the phone call to UOP. I asked to be enrolled.

Yes, you would have been known as a floor call in UOP jargon. Your group would make up approximately 1% of the total conversations had on any given day at UOP. What that means is that they vast majority of the people enrolling have been solicited by phone. I could tell some stories surrounding how valuable these floor calls were viewed by EA's desperate to hit their enrollment numbers. But that would be another story.

I will share one story as it is relevant to my next point here. I remember (before the overtime suit in 2004). UOP Floor Calls were distributed based upon a phone login. The earlier the advisor logged into their phone in the morning, the higher the chances were that they would receive a floor call.

What this meant, is that advisors would be waiting outside the building at 4AM for the doors of the building to open. When they did you would see dozens of people sprinting to their work station trying to log onto their phone to get into the call queue. That is how desperate people were to get enrollments.

To make my point, if you think that an individual would be willing to show up to work 2-3 hours before their shift, sprint to the phone to login, refuse to take a break or lunch before their floor call came, BUT somehow not be willing to bend the truth or outright lie to a prospect to get them to enroll, you are delusional. So yes, I concede that not every student at UOP was duped into enrolling or lied to, it does not change the fact that many of them were.

I did have some poor experience with changes in counselors, advisors and such, but to be perfectly honest -- I didn't need these people.

That is fine, you were obviously self-directed. Not every individual shares that trait. Some need and deserve assistance. Wouldn't you expect some level of service for $1700 a class? This is online, the classes don't cost that much to facilitate. The reason the academic advisors often don't care is because they slum them out and don't pay them nearly enough. If UOP cared about service or retention, Academic Advisors would make more than Enrollment Advisors.

I chose UOP because I work 12 hour days. I have two children and a husband that desire a little attention too. I leave my house at 630am and return any where from 630pm to 830pm. I also work rotating Saturdays. I would 'attend' class all times of the day.

No one is faulting the working busy adult for wanting education. UOP has brand recognition strength, but weak brand delivery strength in general. There are many other colleges that could have delivered education to you around your schedule.

Right now there are others doing better and cheaper than UOP. UOP is still growing, but these other institutions are taking huge chunks out of their market share. Hopefully this forces UOP to do it better. They have such a huge head-start, I believe that will take a while.

I would encourage any prospect student to get information from a variety of sources before enrolling at any school.

I couldn't agree more. That is why this site exists. Maybe it would not have deterred you from calling and enrolling years ago or maybe it would have. It depends on whether or not you consider yourself a shrewd consumer.

Do we stigma those who started at community colleges? Compare the cost and enrollment procedures and those influences that affect enrollement. How about any college that visits high schools to intice children to enroll in their school? Schools that pursue athletes? Schools that actively pursue the children of well-to-do alumni? I am sure Harvard has enrolled students that we laymen might not think are Harvard caliber.

This issue here is lying to students to get them to enroll. The issue here is misuse of Federal Title IV funding (tax dollars) in order to turn a prophet. The issue here is price gouging for years as a monopoly existed for online education. The issue here is failure to demonstrate any type of ethical compass for their employees or students. The issue here is lawsuit. The issue here is shady stock gifting. The issue here is violation of Title IV Safe Harbor Rules. The issue here is lack social responsibility. Get it?

There is a major difference between recruitment and what UOP has done. There is a difference between sales, and doing whatever it takes to make the sale. If an organization is taking the shady used car salesman approach to sell you a degree, just like some used car lots, what you are getting just might be a lemon.


With regards to the alumni of UOP. I am sure there are still some pretty impressive people in the program and a few more that have graduated from there. What I can tell you is their reputation has come under serious scrutiny because of the SEC investigations and HLC mandates. Considering it takes 2-3-4 years to finish a degree in most cases. I would assume that many of the graduates you saw had enrolled prior to these issues coming to light. If nothing changes, I doubt we will continue to see "A-list" alumni coming out of UOP. One things for sure, they wont be employees of Intel...

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#321 Consumer Comment

UOP Grad, good experience

AUTHOR: Uop Graduate - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Reading this "ripoff report" has been interesting to say the least. I would like to offer insight into my experience with UOP Online.

I recently EARNED my MBA through UOP Online. I have gone to the "brick and mortor" schools to earn my two AA degrees and BA degree. I chose UOP Online because of my fathers good experience with UOP and my personal need for flexible education.

I found the MBA program to be as challenging, if not more challenging than my traditional education experience. As in traditional classes, I had my difference of opinion with some instructors and always had one or two students in class that I just didn't mesh with. I actually had worse experiences in traditional school.

I think that there are some important points to be made about accusations against UOP for less-than-honorable enrollment practices. Let me start by saying I have not worked for UOP in any position, nor do I know anyone who does. My enrollment experience was this -- I made the phone call to UOP. I asked to be enrolled. I was asked my background, my GPA, my reasons for wanting to be part of the UOP program, and my intentions for my new degree. I was not asked to take the GMAT. I did well on SAT's and the OCS exam for the US AirForce (I was one of two in testing session that actually passed the pilots exam). I have always done well acedemically. No enrollment counselor had to sell me or convince me. I made a choice on my own. I take pride in that. There must be some credit given to the fact that student initiate contact with the school.

I did have some poor experience with changes in counselors, advisors and such, but to be perfectly honest -- I didn't need these people. I attended class, completed assignments, and EARNED my grades. Please don't fault UOP students simply for where they have attended. I can produce all of my papers and am confident they will earn the same grades at any other traditional school. As for the problems with transferring credits, I experienced this problem at traditional schools! I earned an AA in poli sci and when I transferred to an out-of-state school to finish my BA, I found that I would have to re-take two classes to complete my BA because the credits did not include TEXAS specific ciriculum. I find that no different that UOP credits transferring or not transferring to other schools.

I chose UOP because I work 12 hour days. I have two children and a husband that desire a little attention too. I leave my house at 630am and return any where from 630pm to 830pm. I also work rotating Saturdays. I would "attend" class all times of the day. I could log in during lunch or downtime and read and read and read and read, take notes and be prepared to offer my "attendance" at night after making dinner, doing laundry and sending the kids off to bed. I don't have the luxury of living with mom and dad and attending a traditional school. I found UOP to be challenging (and please, no comments on my ability to enroll at any other traditional school -- I can prove that I can) and most importantly, easy to fit into my schedule. I am now pursuing a change in careers to allow me to spend more time with my family while not taking a pay cut. I have not had any prospective employer disqualify me from an interview because my degree was earned at UOPO. In fact, I took today off because I have an interview for another job.

I would encourage any prospect student to get information from a variety of sources before enrolling at any school. I also offer these final thoughts:

Do we stigma those who started at community colleges? Compare the cost and enrollment procedures and those influences that affect enrollement. How about any college that visits high schools to intice children to enroll in their school? Schools that pursue athletes? Schools that actively pursue the children of well-to-do alumni? I am sure Harvard has enrolled students that we laymen might not think are Harvard caliber.

If UOP is so terrible a school, why then do persons in US Govt, Arizona State Govt, Superbowl, and other prestigious organizations agree to appearances or associations with UOP - in particular UOP Online. (You should have seen the faces at our graduation ceremony presentation!)

If the education is so poor, why is UOP so popular with adults with established careers and reputations, why are many of our military attending, and WHY is attendance so wide spread. You should have seen how many people flew to Phoenix to graduate this summer from the online program. The online program graduates have to go to Phoenix if they want to "walk". If this was just a piece of paper - bought and paid for, why would so many flock to Glendale, spend money, just for a walk across a temporary stage? We students take pride in our accomplishments, thats why! We don't just "feel", we know that we earned our degrees and will go on to contribute!

Kudos to all students who have earned their degrees! Every school has their fair share of employees, students, and community advocates who have disputes, disagreements and complaints. Take everything with a grain of salt!

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#320 Consumer Comment

(Applause....) Awesome B....

AUTHOR: Thomas - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, August 20, 2007

At the risk of diminishing your post B, just a brief point.

The problem is not with any one UOP employee, but rather a corporation which practices bad business. The scope and breath of problems at UOP can, in my opinion, only be explained by leaders who have placed profit far and above the interests of students. How else could you have one of the corporate officers at UOP, according to a US Dept of Education report, openly speaking of subverting government regulations meant to protect students (while benefiting from tax payer dollars in the way of student loans)?

The saddest thing of all is that the folks at the top, who set policy, procedure and practice, will likely walk away from the table being handsomely rewarded for their work. All the while rank and file employees come to sites like this "carrying the water," defending this school. Sad sad sad.

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#319 Author of original report

Since you asked for it

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 19, 2007

With all the directions I could possibly take this I am going to go pretty easy on Ron as it is apparent from his post that he is a very delicate flower.

Dude, grow a set.

Let's start with the basic misread of the name of this site. Rip Off Report seems to denote the concept that if there is a business that makes in onto this site, the content of the posting does not rain praise down upon that business. If you didn't want to hear what UOP has done, is doing, and will keep on doing to many consumers, I would say you should probably avoid this site. Especially considering that mine is not the only thread in ROR about UOP. There are many more. Also, knowing your delicate sensitivities I doubt your shrink would condone you looking here. That's like sending a young bulimic girl with body image issues, a years subscription to both Play Boy and Fine Dining Magazine.

Next, I mention repeatedly that there are 'good people working at UOP trying to do things right'. Obviously you feel you are one of them. I will not debate that claim. However, this does not excuse you, as it did not excuse me, from contributing to the perpetuation of a corrupt entity which regardless of any good it might serve, cannot amend for the damage is has done and is doing. I tried to change it from the inside. It did not work and I was still enrolling students into a program that does not have their best interest in mind. You are in the same situation. Who knows, maybe you will have more success than I did attempting to change things for the better there. I highly doubt it.

Next, your anger, angst, ire, resentment and malcontent are completely misplaced. You are essentially blaming the victims of UOP for making you feel bad about the fact that the company you work for, screwed them over. If you want to be angry, be angry at UOP for what they have done. Right now you are angry at those who have told their story and at me for giving their story validation. I do not blame you for thinking this way. Most individuals can self-justify anything the 'group' they belong to is involved in no matter how heinous. They simply say 'I'm not doing it' even if the company, group, system or country they exist within is doing it. This explains the crusades, the inquisition, the Holocaust, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Darfur, and most recently, Iraq. Indirect association does not cleanse you of being complicit. When it comes to UOP we are both guilty, this is my penance. What will be yours? You are only stupid if you fail to realize the truth of what has been said herein.

Next, as for this website being dedicated to all things negative, obviously as stated earlier you missed the point where ROR is a site (not mine) dedicated to listing negative reviews about businesses. Where I differ, as you can see from the posts directly above this exchange, I offer legitimate advice in the hopes that it will help people make informed decisions. The negative comes when people enter my specific thread with the intent of defending UOP using false claims and invalid rhetoric. I have not had a single person negate the claims made herein because everything I have said has been validated by investigations, lawsuits, employee/consumer testimonies, DOE reports, AZDOL reports, stock reports, etc. Most people who enter this site on the attack are doing so because of the issues discussed in the paragraph above. They are angry because of the claims made against the group they belong to and need to defend it because they feel they must defend themselves. How is it that you and others can differentiate yourselves from the unethical and questionable practices at UOP, but you are unable to differentiate yourself from UOP when someone attacks it? Seems strange!

Next, (people need to understand what UOP is and let it be). I couldn't agree more. If more people were aware they would let UOP alone and UOP would have to change or go out of business, thus solving the problems. The debate is not whether UOP is trying to be a traditional university. The debate for me is 'should a business, posing as an educational institution, be allowed to: A. Utilize tax dollars through Federal Financial Aid as a for-profit business. B. Be allowed to continue to operate in an unethical and duplicitous manner?' I vote no and I write about why herein. You vote yes, but only because part of the money being exploited from US Taxes goes to pay your salary. If you didn't work there or never worked there, how would you feel about the situation? Exactly!

You may think you wasted your time in this blog on ROR. Obviously it bothered you enough to keep reading and write back. If what I say lacks credibility, why did it bother you, why did you write? My purpose has been served here because now you can't claim ignorance to the problems of the company you work for. Whether or not you acknowledge the problems is your choice.

I am not the problem. Do you blame the smoke alarm for the fire? You may not like what I have to say. You may not like to be waked at 2:00am to a loud smoke alarm. You can take out the batteries or choose not to read this blog. That's the amazing thing about choice. But if you make that choice and remove the batteries or ignore the obvious I point out herein, you can't cry about it when you get burned. And from what I have seen Ron, you strike me as someone that just might cry.

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#318 UPDATE Employee

Thanks for informing me that I am a hopeless, unethical, stupid loser

AUTHOR: Ron - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 19, 2007

Based on the comments I have been reading here, it appears that I might as well just quit my job, drop out of school and simply give up on everything that i believe and apologize to everyone. This is because I am aparently stupid enough and unethical enough to believe that I am living a legitimate life and earning an honest wage as an enrollment counselor at the "evil empire" of the University of Phoenix. Gosh, I was so deceived as to actually believe that I was helping people better themselves by going to school when they could not go to school any other way. I was even stupid enough to believe that it was a good thing for me to also go to school and complete my own degree after being unable to get back to school after several years.
To the likes of B and others, I am so upset I cannot even express to you my anger and frustration. You have effectively destroyed the validity of my vocational and educational goals in your arrogance. It's as if people like me and the folks I am helping have a second chance at college that are unable to attend a traditional school are somehow unworthy or ineligible of even having a place at the table.

Go ahead and tear me to shreds in this forum. Go ahead and insult me and destroy my character. I'm sure I've even got a few grammar and spelling errors, too. Call me stupid and unethical because of where I work and where I go to school. Pronounce doom and non-success on me because I somehow was unable to to go to a traditional school or work somewhere else. The biggest mistake I've made is all the ridiculous amount of time I've spent on this website tonight instead of working on my paper!

This is nonsense! I work at U of P and most of the negative portrayal by B and others is just a lot of whining. Yes, it is difficult, but for heaven's sake, the portrayal of us all being a bunch of monsters is absolutely demoralizing. I have had it! There is geniuine concern in our division for the well being for students. i am NOT being pressured by management to get "asses in the classes" or any other such nonsense. I have read so much nonsense in these websites it is amazing. Some of you people out there are willing to believe anything negative! And you call us the suckers??!! Gimme a break!!

B is just more compelling in his posting because he is willing to take more time to spew his views here. He is really on a mission to promote and magnify anything negative about U of P possible. I don't know why it is so important to him to magnify and emphasize everything that is negative. There are so many more things that are positive about U of P. There are thousands of students and employees who are happy and finding a second chance in their careers or educational goals. It may not be Harvard, but it is a legitimate, accredited school that is recognized by employers. It works for thousands of working adults like myself who would not otherwise be able to go to college at all. If I had unlimited resources and options, U of P may not be the best choice, but for the working adult it makes sense.

People need to understand what U of P is and just let it be. It never has been nor is it trying to be a traditional university, so stop trying to judge it as if it were! I spend my whole life trying to be positive and B and this entire website is completley dedicated to all things negative. What a waste. I need to get out of here. I am thoroughly depressed and seriously feeling like quitting my job and quitting school. This is NOT because I am feeling "rescued" by all these wonderful postings, but because you have all made me feel like a total loser. i honestly feel like ai would be better off now to be NOT in school and just working a dumb job at a fast food place or something based on what I have been reading here. Thanks a lot.


OK - go ahead and start tearing me to shreds.

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#317 Consumer Comment

Thanx B

AUTHOR: Rick - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, August 18, 2007

I am going to talk to an advisor from NEU on Monday and ask if they have had any issues transfering from UOP/AXIA. For the frogram that I want to get into the only requirment is that you have an AA Degree. Assuming there are no issues I think I will stick with Axia just because I can get my degree so fast. The cost is not an issue since my work will pay for all of it.

I agree with you though the other stuff you said in other posts regarding UOP. I work for a very large company and have spoken to many recruiters. Like Intel, they are not very fond of Schools like UOP. They much prefer more recognized schools. With my approach I will still get my degree from NEU which is a nation leader.



Thanks for you help

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#316 Author of original report

Rick

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 17, 2007

If you want a quick online AA degree from college you won't deal with any issues, check out Rio Salado Online. Rio is a community college out of Phoenix offering AA degree programs. Also, their tuition is like $65 per credit for in state and $130 per credit for out of state. Better deal than AXIA plus no worries about transfer later on. Rio will look like any other community college when NEU sees the transcript.

Should you choose to stay at AXIA, I do not see any reason as to why your AA would not transfer. AXIA is regionally accredited. Typically transferring an AA into another college means that they will scrutinize your general education courses to make sure you have the required English, Math, Science, Humanities, and adequate electives. What you may find at NEU is that when you declare your major, that specific major may require additional English, Math, Science, Humanities or Elective credits as pre-requisites to the major courses you need for graduation. If you know what you will be taking at NEU I suggest you look at the pre-requisites and try to take similar courses in your AA program as your elective credits.

Good luck

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#315 Consumer Comment

Transfering from UOP to NEU

AUTHOR: Rick - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 17, 2007

Has anyone tried transfering credits from UOP/AXIA college to Northeastern Univerity ?

Because I can get my Assoc. Degree in 1.5 years from AXIA, I was thinking about just getting my Assoc. Degree there and then transfering to Northeastern Univerity. They have a degree completion program there and to get into the program you have to have a Assoc. Degree.

Anyone try a similar approach ?

Thanks in advance

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#314 Consumer Comment

Thanks to the author

AUTHOR: Adam4884 - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 16, 2007

I just want to sincerely thank the author, B for telling us about her experience. I am a recent college graduate from a state supported university in NC and while job searching yesterday I came across some opening for enrollment advisor positions at UOP in Charlotte and Atlanta. I applied to both and got a call today about the position in Atlanta. I chatted with the lady who was nice but didn't strike me as very professional. She told me there would be a group interview next week for the enrollment advisor position at their campus in the Dunwoody area of Atlanta.

Normally I would be thrilled about a job in Atlanta since I love the city but my gut told me something wasn't right. I did some research and was brought here and after reading comments from user Tim, B, and others I will not be wasting my time by going to a group interview for this position in Atlanta next week.

Thanks for saving a big headache for me! I can't think you all enough. I want to get into a career in Higher Education but not like this.

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#313 Author of original report

Accreditation

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, August 07, 2007

UOP is accredited through the HLCNCA and recently received ACBSP accreditation for their school of business. (Although I am not confident they will be able to retain ACBSP)

The public is generally unaware or uninformed regarding what it means to be accredited. Unfortunately the HLC has somewhat of a notoriously lenient reputation when it comes to enforcing accreditation standards. Basically the HLC expects certain governance rules to be complied with by any college they accredit along with non-specific academic rules. Essentially they want the institution to operate honestly and demonstrate that students are learning at the level the institution claims.

What the general public does not realize is that the HLC is very slow to place an institution on probation or pull accreditation. They must consider the comprehensive impact of taking such action especially when looking at UOP. Consider UOP's 250,000+ students, 5000+ employees, etc. Punishing the institution means punishing these people as well.

Typically the HLC will conduct site visits and make recommendations to the institution. If that institution continuously fails to comply they may then choose to put them on probation until the issues are remedied. Only as a last resort where an institution has blatantly demonstrated an unwillingness to comply or shown they are incapable of complying with the HLC pull accreditation. The HCL seems infinitely patient with institutions demonstrating effort towards compliance without ever fully complying.

UOP will never lose accreditation from the HLC.

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#312 Consumer Comment

Accreditation?

AUTHOR: Jc - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, August 06, 2007

Is it still the case that UoP is not accredited?

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#311 Consumer Comment

For goodness sake Donald,

AUTHOR: Irving - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Are you the only employee at the UOP? Why isn't Nixxon able to obtain accurate information about getting his money back, or not being charged, from his sales person, or an academic advisor? Are students provided this information upfront, in a clear, concise manner? If so, why do so many seem to come to this site for accurate information!

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#310 UPDATE Employee

To Nixxon

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 30, 2007

Don't post anything in the class. No messages. No goodbyes. No explanations to the instructor. As long as you do not post, then you will not qualify for attendance. If there is no attendance, then they cannot charge you for the class.

No matter what your enrollment counselor may try to feed you, don't give in and tell him you want to put it off for right now. They may insist on setting a firm date in the future but just tell them you want to hold off till you feel ready. You will still owe for the application fee and possibly the books but you won't owe the tuition on the class. Additionally, since you won't have attendance, they will not be able to certify you for financial aid so the loan won't go through either.

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#309 Author of original report

Fasttrack? Maybe, but to where?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 23, 2007

Outside of the many comments that could be made regarding this post I will be gentle because it does well to support my point that much of how UOP operates is based upon sub-par academic standards.

Plagiarism is still such regardless of providing sources. True learning and true demonstration of learning requires that a student show capacity to express attained knowledge in their own words, testing, hypothetical or real application of said knowledge. If you have read the content and feel that you cannot summarize or express mastery of content in a manner better than the original author then perhaps a quote or paraphrase is relevant. But to say that you are using another individual's private work to complete major portions of your assignments is an indictment of your lack of dedication to the learning process as well as an indictment of the institution allowing you to do this. Well written, college level papers use citations as a way to support and enhance the proprietary writing of the individual. What you describe in your BSBA program is plagiarism. The fact that you may be getting away with it at UOP is irrelevant.

You sum it up nicely when you say I'm not really concerned about comprehending anything since I just want the degree. This should anger those who support UOP more than anything I have said because it demonstrates that someone who openly admits they are not concerned with learning has been able to prosper at UOP.
From this I can draw 1 of 2 possible conclusions. You are either being less than honest in an attempt to psych-out readers and appear to support UOP while at the same time presenting a devastating picture of the entity you claim to support. Or you are telling the truth in which case I would say that only a fool believes that there is nothing to be learned and your whole premise of obtaining a degree simply to show that you have one, assuming that will somehow align competitively with MIT, and being able to go through a program without learning anything is highly flawed. If what you say is true and UOP's degree is on par with other respected institutions of higher learning, you could have gone to MIT and pulled off the same feat. If not, it is reasonable to assume you would have only been able to pull off this feat at UOP, that learning standards are lower, that UOP is (rightfully so) viewed as sub-par, and the degree you obtained means nothing so in then end you would have been better off not wasting the time and money in the first place.

If you only wanted a degree you could have contacted Redding University and they would have given you one.

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#308 Consumer Comment

I hope this page is still acvite I need HELP!!!!!

AUTHOR: Nixxon - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 22, 2007

I hope this site is still active. I need help. I too got sucked into the UOP life. I went in last Tuesday (7-17-07). I signed the paper work and was off to get Sallie Mae to give me a loan. Well Friday night I got a call that my father passed away. So, now that my situation changed I am hoping to be able to "un enroll". I was scheduled to start class this Wednesday (7/25/07). Since I am going to be moving out of state to help my mother out is there anyway out of the UOP? I did not attend class nor did my financial aid get approved (I called and stopped that last night). I called UOP Friday night and was told that since it was less than two weeks till my start date I have to pay for the application fee and the class that I am NOT going to be attending. Anyone know if they can do that? Do I have a way out? Please help I am freaking out this is to much to deal with and I need help! Thanks!!!!!!!

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#307 Consumer Comment

UoP offerst a great, fast and convenient solution

AUTHOR: Fasttrack - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 22, 2007

I am almost done with my BSBA degree at UoP. What I really like about the online classes is that , 90% of the time, I can write my papers during my lunch break at work and the teacher will see the effort that I have put into it. Writing the papers is not as hard as people think. I have my own system. I copy everything from the web, but I make sure to cite my references. I color code the references (say red or blue) then the parts of the text that I am copying from the web are also color coded to match their associated reference. Then, I just type zz or other characters, say qq, at the end of each sentence that I copied.

Finally, just replace all these characters with your citation. This saves a lot of typing. I actually figured out how to complete a 5000 word paper in an hour using these legal methods. I'm not really concerned about comprehending anything since I just want the degree. I've already learned what I need to know to compete with the nerds from MIT. I just need the paper to back me up. UoP rocks for those on busy schedules that want to complete their degrees in only 20 minutes a day. I know once I've graduated, that I actually mastered myself and created a system that will make me successful with other projects I face in the corporate world.

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#306 Consumer Comment

What were your expectations?

AUTHOR: Dan - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 07, 2007

Want to get a degree that will command the same respect and value as one issued by a so-called "traditional" college or university?

Yes---> Enroll at a traditional college or university.

No----> Spend your money at a corporate institution that tells you what you want to hear in order to get your money.

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#305 Consumer Comment

Ron....

AUTHOR: Kyle - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 14, 2007

Have you shared your UOP concerns with your chain of command?

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#304 Consumer Comment

You can understand why....

AUTHOR: Kyle - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 14, 2007

The UOP would attempt to downplay the lack of AACSB accreditation, after Intel decided to no longer fund educations at schools lacking it. (Which, for the UOP, meant the end of a substantial amount of business, and the overwhelming message this decision makes to prospective students.)

It's kind of funny that this recruiter claimed the UOP had some "rare" form of accreditation, but didn't know the name of it. To the former poster, did the recruiter call it "double secret accreditation?"

Just another day under the "Big Top!"

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#303 Consumer Suggestion

Accredidation & options

AUTHOR: Sheila - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 13, 2007

I completed my bachelors degree through UoP Online. I felt it was a great experience. I have since decided to pursue my MBA (online as well). After doing some research, I discovered the whole accredidation issue. One of my co-workers immediately, said I should choose a school with the higher accreditation (aka AACSB). I found an online MBA consortium program through the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Shortly after enrolling, I received a call from an enrollment counselor from UoP indicating I should reconsider my decision and that UoP has recently acheived a new accredidation that is very rare. The UoP rep didn't know what the accredidation was however and was pretty insistant that their program is much better and the AACSB accredidation really isn't that special or important. There are definitely other online degree options available, you just have to research.

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#302 Author of original report

Ronald

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Check out Northcentral University or Walden. Both have great programs and will not use underhanded tactics to get you to enroll. I promise you will get more out of the courses too.

Good luck.

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#301 Consumer Comment

Is it really worth it?

AUTHOR: Ronald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, June 12, 2007

There have been many strong arguments about the pros and cons of attending UoP. There have also been many arguments about the tactics used by UoP to get potential students to enroll, sometimes using strong arm tactics and pressure tactics. There has also been discussion concerning how the university treats employees, and how that treatment translates into how students are subsequently treated.

Let me start off by saying that as a member of the US military, many of us are attracted to the university because of the promise of being able to complete our degrees online. Many of us do not have the ability to attend universities as full time students. I actually remember a time when the university was considered a viable and recognized option for getting your degree. Times have changed since then, and the reputation the university has built has degraded. It is troubling for military students like myself to see how many other graduates are laughed at and ridiculed for attending this university. It troubles me to think that I am spending my hard earned cash and government funding (in the form of the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance) on a degree that means nothing in the long run.

I just want to thank B. for having the guts (and restraint) to put the facts out. With better information available to potential military students, maybe the right choices can be made. As for those of us who are already enrolled, lets hope we can get something positive out of our degrees when we get into the civilian work force.

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#300 Author of original report

GINA...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 07, 2007

Let's try this again. ROR would not list my first attempt at this post due to content. So this time I'll play nice.

Gina?
Did anyone every see the speed dating scene in 40 Year Old Virgin? Anyway

Let's start with the obvious. If you are going to critique another individual's spelling effort, make sure you proof read your own crap. Since you felt is necessary to give us an overview of the difference between Purdue and Perdue, I figured maybe you might know how to spell sarcasm. It is not spelled saracsm. Now you realize my point in the other posts about typos. Perhaps your headaches stem more from your over-inflated and unjustified sense of grammatical superiority, and less from reading other people's spelling errors. Not that it makes any difference, but you spelled typos wrong too.. Typo is a spelling error.Type-O is a freakin' blood type. Nice one.

Now to the meat

The AZDOL lawsuit was not about low performing employees. It was about the fact that UOP knowingly and intentionally refused to pay overtime to employees for years. Perhaps a definition of extortion would help here: the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority. Intentionally avoiding paying employees monies due in order to retain that money for the organization's pursuits would seem to be an act of extortion to me. The other multi-million dollar settlement with the USDOE was related to abuse of Title IV regulations because it was found that the UOP compensation matrix was smoke and mirrors

So before you come here trying to spout information, get your facts straight. Now you might realize what I meant by spewing ignorance. See what you just did there? You pretended to know about something of which you were totally ignorant about the facts, thus, spewing ignorance.

Also, with regards to the housing expense situation and ground campuses. First, look at the title of this blog did you see that the ONLINE part? Second, why don't you examine the process of qualifying for additional living expenses through FAFSA, then get back to us? You forgot to mention that UOP ground classes pretty much run 1 night a week for 4 hours and are made up of working adults by about 90%. As far as UOP's shady dealing with Title IV monies, take a look here: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/auditreports/a09f0008.doc

Incase they omit the link, here is a summary of the report file by the USDOE regarding UOP's handling of Title IV:

We concluded that UOP had policies and procedures that provided reasonable assurance that the institution properly identified withdrawn students, appropriately determined whether a Return of Title IV calculation was required, returned Title IV funds for withdrawn students in a timely manner, and used appropriate methodologies for most aspects of calculating the return of Title IV aid. However, UOP applied inappropriate methodologies to determine the percentage of Title IV aid earned for calculations performed from September 1, 2002 through December 7, 2004. As a result, UOP may have understated the amount of Title IV funds to be returned by over $10 million ($6.3 million from September 1, 2002 through February 29, 2004 and $3.7 million from March 1, 2004 through December 7, 2004).

uh? Yeah, they tried to keep money they shouldn't have

As for you being forthcoming, if you worked at UOP Online anywhere near the enrollment floor and you are sitting here claiming that everything you experienced was on the up and up you are lying. Your point about motivating potential students may be true, but holding a student's dreams and goals as leverage to convince them to take out $50,000 in loans just so they start 1 class and count as an enrollment, well, some of us with an ethical compass may take issue with that. If you never saw the Red Room, if you never saw a performance plan, if you never heard an enrollment advisor lie to a potential student about loans and grants just to make their numbers, you either didn't really work there, or you are lying.

Your estimates regarding the attrition rate at UOP vs. other colleges are way off. Read the Sam Dillon article and review his sources. If you were right they would have never opened WIU which became AXIA. If all their undergrads were doing so well in the program, why would the open a new college for freshman and sophomores and lower tuition?

As far as academic quality, don't take my word for it, why don't you take a look at who made the list of only 4 institutions to have a MANDATED focused evaluation visit by the NCAHLC. In addition, if you think other colleges either online or ground use the same approach to learning where an instructor throws a discussion grenade into the class and the students chat for 5 weeks, you are insane. Plus UOP has the most lax requirements for becoming an adjunct faculty of any online or ground school. Above all, why don't you take a look at how many complaints have been filed with the NCAHLC against UOP by current and former students before you come in here trying to pretend like it is just my problem as a disgruntled ex-employee.

While my reference to sub-par' courses being offensive to you, well, your efforts herein pretty much leave me free of needing to comment on that.

I had a pretty funny closing comment for Gina but I had to leave it out this time around

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#299 Consumer Suggestion

I have an Idea

AUTHOR: Stephanie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 07, 2007

B,

I would love to talk more with you about what goes on behind the scenes with Apollo/UOP/AXIA/WU. I have a new support group/ gathering place for people who want to speak freely about all of this. I would love it if you would join my group. Maybe if enough people join we could get a class-action going so that the people who have been driven in to poverty by the Apollo group can finally get some justice... I know it's not a perfect system but just the thought of them never scamming anyone ever again would suffice for me. Hopefully they will let the link work...
(((ROR REDACTED LINK FOR SECURITY PURPOSES)))

if not maybe this will work

groups dot myspace dot com forward slash uopvictims

you can also look for me as Jynxed on myspace

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

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#298 Consumer Comment

Gina....

AUTHOR: Irving - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 07, 2007

You said,

"....and do not appreciate having our accredited degrees slandered like this after all of our hard work. Also, I don't know anyone who was unable to find a job because of a UOP degree.....Also, those of us who obtained undergraduate or other degrees from different Universities can tell you that we earned our UOP graduate degrees every bit as much as we earned our undergraduate degrees at our state, or other, Universities."

With all due respect, your opinion is not consistent with the body of available evidence on the UOP, from this message board, from a recent New York Times front page article on the school, from a SCATHING U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) report on UOP recruiting, from a multi-million dollar False Claims act lawsuit which may bankrupt the school, and from a recent decision by Intel Corporation to no longer fund employee educations at the school....We can all come here and give our opinions, but ultimately, you know what they say opinions are like?

In a 11 Feb 2007 NYT article entitled, "Troubles Grow for a University Built of Profits," the author cited a USDOE report on UOP recruiting, saying it "systematically operates in a duplicitous manner." (i.e. they had a plan to be deliberately deceptive) This report was compiled after interviewing approximately 60 recruiters in California and Arizona. It describes how the UOP formulated a recruiting system which subverted USDOE rules about paying recruiters commissions based on recruiting students. The report states, "Forty-four out of 61, or 72%, of the recruiters interviewed stated that it was always about the numbers--all about "butts in seats" or "asses in classes"....." DOE rules are meant to protect students from becoming little more than "assess in classes," to protect consumers from large companies who see just one thing, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.....

Or, just read the messages of student after student on the ripoffreport complaining they were misled by UOP recruiting. Of course these are opinions as well, but they are well supported by the sources I quoted above which can be found through a quick google search.

Finally, Intel will no longer fund employee educations at the UOP. It's just one company, so far, but who wants to spend thousands of dollars on a diploma if employers don't think its up to par?


Cheers!

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#297 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Another Perspective-University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona University Of Phoenix

AUTHOR: Gina - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 06, 2007

I was also a long-time employee of UOP/WIU Online, but I have a more positive view on the university. Also, I am not about to "spew" any "ignorance" that was brainwashed into me that I am simply "rehashing" like some new version of a George Orwell novel. I am also not sure what happened to our writer while he was an employee at the University, or why he has listed his name as only "B", but I do know that everything that I witnessed as an employee was above-board. I did not witness any counselors being told to lie or manipulate students. We were told to motivate them to go to class and do well, but maybe some people see that as manipulation. And trust me; it makes no financial sense to have a student drop out after paying for only one class when he can pay for 30 classes and graduate. I would check the dropout rates at other colleges and compare them with UOP's, but I think they are probably pretty comparable.

Because our writer references the $10 lawsuit, I assume that he is angrier about the university's treatment of employees than students, anyway. The lawsuit had nothing to do with the universities academic practices; by the way, it was a department of labor issue dealing with the treatment of low-performing employees. He also mentioned that the university embezzled money from employees? This is news to me. I never caught them embezzling any money from my paychecks, but I'll let you make your own judgments on that one, since I haven't done any research on it.

Also, the writer's allegation about the housing expenses for an on-line campus also raised a red flag with me. I hope that the general public understands that UOP has a very large brick and mortar campus. This means that the university has classrooms that students actually have to walk into to attend class (I apologize in advance for the saracsm). UOP having only an on-line program is a common misconception (unless you live in Phoenix, or Illinois, or Hawaii, or next to any of the other UOP ground campuses across our country). UOP does not merely run an on-line program, nor did it start out that way. Because UOP has such a large on-line program this seems to be a common misconception. And UOP degrees are well respected by anyone who is familiar with the university, especially in the Phoenix area where residents have lived next to the ground campus university for the last 30-odd years.

As stated before, my experience with the university and many of my colleagues' experiences, as well, was very positive. Many of us earned our degrees from UOP while we were employees, worked very hard for them, and do not appreciate having our accredited degrees slandered like this after all of our hard work. Also, I don't know anyone who was unable to find a job because of a UOP degree. Many people don't know this, but a large part of the company's revenues come from employer-assisted tuition. I don't think all those employers would throw their money away on a degree that they don't respect. Also, those of us who obtained undergraduate or other degrees from different Universities can tell you that we earned our UOP graduate degrees every bit as much as we earned our undergraduate degrees at our state, or other, Universities.

Your reference to "sub-par" courses is especially offensive. Also, by the way, Purdue is not spelled "Perdue". Perdue is a poultry manufacturer. We'll ignore the rest of the type-o's, because they are so numerous that it is starting to give me a headache.

Anyway, here's my theory on this attack on the university. UOP has made a pile of cash. Anytime a pile of cash has been made (and is still being made) you are going to have people that are angered by it, and especially if you consider the huge number of employees concerned in a company that large. You simply cannot have that many employees without some of them getting disgruntled. Like our dear writer here who won't state his name.

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#296 Author of original report

Tim

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Tim,

Donald is attempting to downplay the reality of the Intel situation. This is a common tactic that many resort to when evidence against the cause they support is overwhelming. Instead of providing evidence to support the positive aspects of their case, they resort to damage control regarding the overwhelming negative aspects. When the only thing you can say about the Intel/UOP is that basically, "UOP wasn't the only college Intel decided had less than adequate academic standards..." you are not saying anything to actually argue the real point. The real point is that Intel decided UOP had plenty of time to demonstrate academic quality, and they consistently failed to do so. Instead of attempting to show a counter-argument where UOP demonstrated a quality academic standard, (which would be difficult if not impossible) Donald chose to distract from and downplay the issue. As with many of those who defend UOP, their defense often makes a better case for the negative aspects of UOP, than any possible positive. What they are essentially saying is that UOP has failed to demonstrate anything positive which could possibly overshadow their legal issues, academic issues, Title IV issues, accreditation issues, public image issues, personnel issues, stock issues, and management issues.

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#295 Consumer Comment

Intel--Canary in mine shaft?

AUTHOR: Tim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Ok, so new UOP MBA grads can go to Intel and say, "UOP isn't the only school where Intel won't educate it's employees, so give me a job?" This is the "misery loves company" job search strategy?

At any given time about 1/3 of UOP students are enrolled in the MBA program? That's about 100,000 students per year? A HUGE portion of UOP students are getting UOP MBA's even though, as Intel discovered, employees with these degrees were losing out to their peers from other programs. So while a UOP diploma might get someone where they want to go, if employers think UOP degrees don't cut the mustard, why take the chance?

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#294 Consumer Comment

Intel--Canary in mine shaft?

AUTHOR: Tim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Ok, so new UOP MBA grads can go to Intel and say, "UOP isn't the only school where Intel won't educate it's employees, so give me a job?" This is the "misery loves company" job search strategy?

At any given time about 1/3 of UOP students are enrolled in the MBA program? That's about 100,000 students per year? A HUGE portion of UOP students are getting UOP MBA's even though, as Intel discovered, employees with these degrees were losing out to their peers from other programs. So while a UOP diploma might get someone where they want to go, if employers think UOP degrees don't cut the mustard, why take the chance?

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#293 Consumer Comment

Intel--Canary in mine shaft?

AUTHOR: Tim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Ok, so new UOP MBA grads can go to Intel and say, "UOP isn't the only school where Intel won't educate it's employees, so give me a job?" This is the "misery loves company" job search strategy?

At any given time about 1/3 of UOP students are enrolled in the MBA program? That's about 100,000 students per year? A HUGE portion of UOP students are getting UOP MBA's even though, as Intel discovered, employees with these degrees were losing out to their peers from other programs. So while a UOP diploma might get someone where they want to go, if employers think UOP degrees don't cut the mustard, why take the chance?

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#292 UPDATE Employee

Tim, the Intel issue

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Tim,

It seems as if you enjoy using the Intel issue as a strong point against UOP, but the fact is that SEVERAL schools were cut out by Intel due to one determining factor: Professional Accreditation. The only reason UOP is mentioned is because of all the For-Profit schools that were affected, UOP happened to be the largest. There were actually hundreds of schools affected by Intel's change in policy.

The type of accreditation that Intel requires specifically for business related programs is AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and for engineering, ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Since UOP does not offer any engineering programs, seeking ABET certification would be illogical. UOP's educational model is non-traditional so obviously it does not fit with AACSB standards. As stated in the article below, UOP would have to employ faculty on a full time basis rather than a part time basis in order to attain accreditation. This would put a burden on many of the online instructors who also teach at other private and public schools.


From BusinessWeek, Mica Schneider
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2004/bs20040819_8201_bs001.htm

"AACSB-approved schools must employ a certain number of qualified faculty, which some for-profit centers view as unnecessary. "A school with a nontraditional model has a harder time justifying that the model meets our quality standards," says Milton Blood, managing director of accreditation services at AACSB.

Accredition isn't everything, though. The University of Phoenix doesn't have AACSB certification, but it's performing quite nicely. With a stamp of approval from The Higher Learning Commission, an organization for educational institutions, the university has enrolled 15,047 MBAs online in 2003, up 65% from 2002. For-profits also are more adept at meeting higher growth rates because they can hire easier-to-find working professionals to teach classes, instead of professors, which saves schools money."

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#291 UPDATE Employee

Tim, the Intel issue

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Tim,

It seems as if you enjoy using the Intel issue as a strong point against UOP, but the fact is that SEVERAL schools were cut out by Intel due to one determining factor: Professional Accreditation. The only reason UOP is mentioned is because of all the For-Profit schools that were affected, UOP happened to be the largest. There were actually hundreds of schools affected by Intel's change in policy.

The type of accreditation that Intel requires specifically for business related programs is AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and for engineering, ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Since UOP does not offer any engineering programs, seeking ABET certification would be illogical. UOP's educational model is non-traditional so obviously it does not fit with AACSB standards. As stated in the article below, UOP would have to employ faculty on a full time basis rather than a part time basis in order to attain accreditation. This would put a burden on many of the online instructors who also teach at other private and public schools.


From BusinessWeek, Mica Schneider
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2004/bs20040819_8201_bs001.htm

"AACSB-approved schools must employ a certain number of qualified faculty, which some for-profit centers view as unnecessary. "A school with a nontraditional model has a harder time justifying that the model meets our quality standards," says Milton Blood, managing director of accreditation services at AACSB.

Accredition isn't everything, though. The University of Phoenix doesn't have AACSB certification, but it's performing quite nicely. With a stamp of approval from The Higher Learning Commission, an organization for educational institutions, the university has enrolled 15,047 MBAs online in 2003, up 65% from 2002. For-profits also are more adept at meeting higher growth rates because they can hire easier-to-find working professionals to teach classes, instead of professors, which saves schools money."

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#290 UPDATE Employee

Tim, the Intel issue

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Tim,

It seems as if you enjoy using the Intel issue as a strong point against UOP, but the fact is that SEVERAL schools were cut out by Intel due to one determining factor: Professional Accreditation. The only reason UOP is mentioned is because of all the For-Profit schools that were affected, UOP happened to be the largest. There were actually hundreds of schools affected by Intel's change in policy.

The type of accreditation that Intel requires specifically for business related programs is AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and for engineering, ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Since UOP does not offer any engineering programs, seeking ABET certification would be illogical. UOP's educational model is non-traditional so obviously it does not fit with AACSB standards. As stated in the article below, UOP would have to employ faculty on a full time basis rather than a part time basis in order to attain accreditation. This would put a burden on many of the online instructors who also teach at other private and public schools.


From BusinessWeek, Mica Schneider
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2004/bs20040819_8201_bs001.htm

"AACSB-approved schools must employ a certain number of qualified faculty, which some for-profit centers view as unnecessary. "A school with a nontraditional model has a harder time justifying that the model meets our quality standards," says Milton Blood, managing director of accreditation services at AACSB.

Accredition isn't everything, though. The University of Phoenix doesn't have AACSB certification, but it's performing quite nicely. With a stamp of approval from The Higher Learning Commission, an organization for educational institutions, the university has enrolled 15,047 MBAs online in 2003, up 65% from 2002. For-profits also are more adept at meeting higher growth rates because they can hire easier-to-find working professionals to teach classes, instead of professors, which saves schools money."

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#289 UPDATE Employee

Tim, the Intel issue

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Tim,

It seems as if you enjoy using the Intel issue as a strong point against UOP, but the fact is that SEVERAL schools were cut out by Intel due to one determining factor: Professional Accreditation. The only reason UOP is mentioned is because of all the For-Profit schools that were affected, UOP happened to be the largest. There were actually hundreds of schools affected by Intel's change in policy.

The type of accreditation that Intel requires specifically for business related programs is AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and for engineering, ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).

Since UOP does not offer any engineering programs, seeking ABET certification would be illogical. UOP's educational model is non-traditional so obviously it does not fit with AACSB standards. As stated in the article below, UOP would have to employ faculty on a full time basis rather than a part time basis in order to attain accreditation. This would put a burden on many of the online instructors who also teach at other private and public schools.


From BusinessWeek, Mica Schneider
http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/aug2004/bs20040819_8201_bs001.htm

"AACSB-approved schools must employ a certain number of qualified faculty, which some for-profit centers view as unnecessary. "A school with a nontraditional model has a harder time justifying that the model meets our quality standards," says Milton Blood, managing director of accreditation services at AACSB.

Accredition isn't everything, though. The University of Phoenix doesn't have AACSB certification, but it's performing quite nicely. With a stamp of approval from The Higher Learning Commission, an organization for educational institutions, the university has enrolled 15,047 MBAs online in 2003, up 65% from 2002. For-profits also are more adept at meeting higher growth rates because they can hire easier-to-find working professionals to teach classes, instead of professors, which saves schools money."

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#288 Consumer Comment

Amanda

AUTHOR: Tim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 18, 2007

YOu said, "Also, I do not appreciate the remarks that say my education at University of Phoenix is not as good as a degree from any other university."

While you may not appreciate folks saying this, lots of VERIFIABLE information points in this direction. Indeed Intel will no longer pay for UOP educations for their employees. They found employees with UOP degrees were not competitive for internal promotions judged against those with degrees from other universities.

Also, you advise folks to do their own research rather than take the subjective posts here into consideration. How about a U.S. Department of Education report which states that UOP recruiting "systematically operates in a duplicitous manner." And a front page New York Times article entitled "Troubles Grow for a University Built on Profits ," (Feb 11 2007).

Finally, you know what they say about opinions, and thats normally pretty good advice. But compare the UOP ripoffreport site to that of just about any other large corporation. You'll find a small fraction of complaints relative to the UOP. There must be SOME reason for this!

My best,

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#287 Author of original report

Amanda, do you know the name of this website?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Amanda,

Let me first point out the obvious. Counting is not your strong point if you think it has only been a year I have been obsessing. Use all your fingers and toes and count the months between 7/2005 and 5/2007. You must live in really long year world. Second, obsessing? It seems that only those who support UOP see my information herein as negative. The rest of the overwhelming majority in here are just glad to have an outlet to vent their frustrations and see that they are not the only one UOP Ripped Off (This will be important later). Perhaps you have intelligence, but only an ignorant person would be able to ignore the reports in this blog and many others on this site about the negatives of UOP. If you actually read my information herein, you would see that many of the people coming in here, not attacking me, that provide testimonials about their positive experiences at UOP and do not spend time perpetuating invalid information about UOP, I have a decent exchange with. See posts by Wealth. What I point out is that while some individuals have positive experiences with UOP, it does not overshadow or undo the damage they have done to the majority of people that have interacted with them over the years, the damage to the social good, and the damage to the reputation of higher education.

You will be dealt with in my posts in the same manner as those who have come before you and while you claim that evidence to counter my claims is just as abundant as the evidence to support it, you fail to show where and how. In fact, I have seen no dispute to the fact that major companies continue to move away from accepting UOP as a valid degree. Intel Corp's denouncing of UOP as a sub-par learning facility last year supports my claim. Mistreatment of employees is supported by the AZ DOL lawsuit filed against UOP in 2004 supports my claim. UOP paid $12M in fines.

My claim that UOP operates in a duplicitous manner when it comes to Federal Title IV funding is verified by the USDOE in their report and in their investigation in 2004. This cost UOP $10M in penalties. The report by Sam Dillon of the NY Times also validated many of my claims although I did not agree with his approach. The recent decision by the US Appellate Court regarding the current lawsuit filed against UOP for violation of Title IV Funding rules, to allow the suit to go to trial, also supports my claims. So, by all means, please show us all this evidence to the contrary you speak of.

What are you even babbling about telling people to ignore the information in this blog? Are you kidding? Do you know where you posted? The name of this website is called Rip-Off Report not Company Kudos.com. People don't come to this website to praise companies.

If you can't handle the fact that the business you defend screws people on a regular basis, that is your problem. Is it really your contention that all the people in this blog and others that have had a negative experience with UOP should be ignored because it differs from your experience? People have said some stupid things in here, but telling people to ignore the overwhelming evidence presented against UOP by me and many others pretty much takes the prize. You would have had better luck going to New Orleans and campaigning to get a 3rd term for Bush.

And you may be right, not all UOP students are ignorant. But I can promise those intelligent people at UOP wish you would stop trying to act as their spokesperson

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#286 Consumer Comment

All UoP students are not ignorant

AUTHOR: Amanda - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 15, 2007

I must say that I am very disappointed in your comments regarding the University of Phoenix. I am very sorry that you had a bad experience working for the university.

I graduated high school as the Valedictorian of my class. After high school, family issues required me to attend a community college in my home town in which I did very well also. I have found the courses I have taken with University of Phoenix to be just as challenging and rewarding as my previous education. Although there may be students attending the university who are not smart, I do not like your statement that UoP students are ignorant. I am not ignorant.

It is disappointing that you are telling me that my degree will not be worth anything, when I have checked with several major organizations regarding accreditation. ALL of the companies I contacted WILL accept a degree from the University of Phoenix.

Also, I do not appreciate the remarks that say my education at University of Phoenix is not as good as a degree from any other university.

B I must point out that you have been obsessing over this issue for the past YEAR. Get over it. Also, every time someone has something to say that contradicts a previous point that you made, you write a very long response re-explaining what you have already stated, even though there is just as much evidence to support the contradicting comments.

My advice to everyone is to do your own research. Do not depend on the information you read here.

Thanks!
Amanda

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#285 Author of original report

Billy

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Billy,

You are correct, I did not elaborate on my interactions with Sam Dillon. I could have explained more regarding the conversations that took place between Mr. Dillon and I. We had talked about this topic of the failure of UOP leadership to adjust for growing competition which resulted in a cascade effect downward, thus resulting in many of the other issues he points out in his article. Where he fails the reader, is that he does not elaborate on this and in my opinion, makes it seem that any institution with ties to Wall Street is also vulnerable to some type of investor pressure to hit goals. This casts a negative image on for-profit publicly traded education that did not need to be cast.

My main issue is that when we spoke, he outlined the topic of the article as an investigation into the educational recruiting hot-bed that the Phoenix Metro area has become with multiple colleges moving operations here to capitalize on the failure of UOP in maintaining their workforce. This is not the direction the article took at all which makes me question his motive.

In the portions of the article relating to graduation rates, he fails to compare apples to apples. No online college consisting of adult students will ever adequately measure up to the degree completion percentages of traditional campuses made up of mostly younger, recent high school graduates. The measurement compares, as he note, freshman (0 Credits) who complete their degree in 6 years or less. If the student comes in with a few credits, this measurement is void. Considering the fact that most adult students attending online are transferring in credits, and most of the students entering traditional bachelor programs are entering as new freshman, this totally skews the numbers. For those who enter an online program with 0 credits, their personal, financial, and educational situation often makes it difficult for them to maintain a full time academic schedule even at an online college. If you look at the demographics of the average 0 credit freshman at a ground campus, and that at an online it is very different. While UOP is totally guilty of student neglect, the graduation measurement is not a relevant indicator of this fact and is used as an easy substitute, again, to support his point.

The last area I will cover is relating to his point that UOP uses more adjunct faculty than any other college. What he fails to address is that this is happening across the board in education because colleges can no longer afford to pay full time or tenured instructors. His point makes it seem like UOP is guilty of something unheard of in hiring adjunct faculty. In one portion he says that UOP is the largest for-profit college in the US having some 300,000 students, and in the next he says they have more part time faculty than anyone else. Well that would seem pretty obvious when you do the math. There are no other colleges that even come close to that 300,000 mark, but if they did I can promise that they would either change their student to faculty ratio, or hire more part time faculty.

Consider this: Assume the average 4 year college has 5000 students. Assume the student to faculty ratio is 20 to 1. This means that at a college with 5000 students, if the 47% full time faculty rate remains true, this means that the average college has 117 full time faculty and 133 part time faculty. Now assume that to pay a full time faculty their annual compensation with benefits is an average of $80,000 per faculty member and $30,000 a year with no benefits for part time faculty per member. 117 full time member cost the college $9.4M a year and $4M a year for the other 133 part time faculty. Expand these numbers out to 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000 students and see how the cost to maintain full time faculty increases. As the student population grows, I am sorry to say that the money even at ground campuses in not always spent on finding full-time faculty. Ground campuses are just as guilty of this but just on a smaller, less noticeable scale. Hell, they have athletic arenas to build!

All of these issues go back to the greed of those who lead UOP. Mr. Dillon could have easily focused on that aspect and kept it isolated to the real problem which is the leadership at UOP. In stead, he made it a broader issue attacking multiple angles. Why I take issue with that is because it has a negative impact on the whole online education industry and makes it even more difficult for those trying to do it right, to do it at all. The article, although aimed at UOP, did more damage to other online colleges than it did to UOP. They have too much money to feel the impact of that. The only real threat to UOP is the current lawsuit. If they lose Federal Financial Aid at $1.8B a year, they cannot recover.

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#284 Consumer Comment

B....

AUTHOR: Billy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Great points on UOP leadership, obviously they have to take responsibility for the tactics of this company.

I'm not sure how you having talked to the author of the Times article is relevant to your interpretation of his story? Are you saying your conversation with the author changes his story? A UOP employee was on here not long ago "claiming" the story had been retracted. She ran away when called on her claim. Perhaps you speaking with the stories author is relevant, you just did not describe how.

What specifically did the Times article get wrong? The figures quoted come from the U.S. DOE, are those wrong? Or the fact the UOP hires almost exclusively part-time instructors? Or how about the fact the UOP is the target of a lawsuit, which it admits could bankrupt the school, for fraudulently obtaining hundreds of millions in federal student aid dollars?

As to your opinion that Sam Dillon was off base, my reading of available evidence shows he was dead on. (and let's face it, it doesn't hit the front page of the NYT unless things are getting BAD.) Have you read the US Department of Education report on the UOP? Indeed the DOE found that the UOP "systematically operates in a duplicitios manner." That means according to the U.S. DOE, the UOP systematically, or as part of a plan, operates in a duplicitious, or deliberately deceptive manner. This is supposed to be an institution of higher learning? Should students trust their education to a school conducting itself in this manner?

Indeed in late 2006 Intel stopped paying for employee educations at the school. They found their employees with UOP degrees were not competitive for internal promotions when compared with students from other schools. So why risk having your employer be the next to stop patronizing the UOP?

Thanks!

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#283 Consumer Comment

New Victim.....

AUTHOR: Billy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 04, 2007

I had to smile reading your post...Not at YOU, but as someone who has shared a common experience. Many of us have been where you are now, feeling the same things: shame, anger, confusion etc...

Your experience is so similar to so many stories here, "they didn't "tell" me a lie, they just left out amazingly important information." Is this a lie? If I want to become a nurse and school A knowingly sells me on a nursing program, even though they know it is worthless in my home state? Are ommissions lies?

Most consumers here would probably scream YES! Anyhow, WE know exactly what you are talking about, WE have had many of the same experiences. You can do the most good by telling your story everywhere, tell your govt. representative, write to your newspaper.

Thanks for your time

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#282 Author of original report

Billy

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 04, 2007

Billy,

With regards to the NY Times Article, I had a chance to speak with Sam Dillon, author of the article in discussion here, and while some of his points were valid, his overall approach in the article was flawed. He used many assumptions and conjecture in his article as opposed to valid research. The quote you list is an example of where he was simply using a quote, probably out of context, in order to make his point.

While there is some validity to that statement about Wall Street, this statement oversimplifies the relationship between investors and the company. Yes, of course investors contribute monies to a company in the hope that the company will invest that capital wisely. Using that money wisely can increase productivity, performance, etc for the company and allow the stock value to increase thus providing the investor a return on their original investment.

Different types of stocks, in different types of industries, attract different types of investors. To say that UOP succumbed to the pressure from Wall Street is as obvious as saying that falling down means a person succumbed to gravity. This makes it seem as if Apollo Group had no control over the type of expectations they promoted to attract investors. The pressure they felt to perform from Wall Street was directly correlated to the projections they made to past, present and still make to future investors.

The problem was not Wall Street, the problem, in my opinion, was myopic, unqualified, and unethical leadership. AKA, Todd Nelson and Brian Muller.

Arrogance has been the downfall of many. They had plenty of opportunity to change course and stop making outrageous and unattainable growth projections when the market they were in was becoming saturated with start-ups and competition. I would assume that they may be aware of the law of diminishing returns. Obviously this did not stop them from making growth projections to shareholders that were based upon growth rates during their prime years from 1999 to 2003. They failed to hit those goals, their stock showed the impact. They could have changed their approach regarding the methods they use to create stock value for their investors.

Why they did not change stems from overconfidence and lack of foresight by the leadership. Their low rate of successful graduates shows that they never took the time to focus on a long term investment in their students. I never understood this. They always focus and report on new enrollments. Considering that the average degree there is between $20,000 and $60,000, you would think that they would be more interested in retention and the revenue degree completion generates. Laureate Inc, (Walden) takes this approach, attracts a different type of investor with a speculative growth approach, and their stock is doing well.

The result of these outrageous growth projections resulted in unattainable budgets for divisions, directors, teams, managers and enrollment advisors. To compound the hopelessness generated by putting unattainable goals on the shoulders of the workforce, at the same time they had 2 major pay-outs to settle legal issues with the AZ Dep of Labor for violation of overtime law and another with the Dept of Ed for recruitment violations. This cost them about $20M in 2004. Just a drop in the bucket for them but still, compensating for the loss must occur.

I am not sure why the decision was made, but suddenly they began to decimate their sales force which just happened to be the primary generator of revenue. At one time they were willing to pay enrollment personnel relatively well to perform well. They then went from a high performance, well paid, knowledgeable enrollment force, to a force of mostly entry level, un-educated, un-trained, and low paid enrollment personnel. They could not hire fast enough to compensate for the exodus of employees so they began using temp agencies to fill positions. I guess they figured, why pay an advisor $60,000- $80,000 a year to do a job they assumed anyone can do. They gambled on a cheap labor model and obviously this backfired.

As they continued to dismiss or let go of top personnel, their stock plummeted. If you are viewed as an explosive growth stock option, and you are going to project explosive growth, it is probably not a very good idea to get rid of the people responsible for generating enrollments.

With regards to your second question about pressure tactics. I never experienced the extreme as I knew how to avoid becoming a target. They began to use fear as opposed to reward as a motivation. The problem with this is that people only respond to fear if they are afraid. Ironically, $28,000/yr is not enough to make people care. They used many pressure tactics to force performance or force people out. The worst part was that HR was complicit in these endeavors and would always find on the side of the organization regardless of how wrong they were.

The worst thing I ever saw was called the red room which was a room the lowest performers were put in and all of their activities were monitored. They were required to go on a performance plan and if they failed to meet that plan they were let go. This practice lasted a while until the Dept of Ed found out. Now it is still done, but it is handled by the manager, senior manager and director and no one is put into a room.

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#281 Consumer Comment

A New Victim

AUTHOR: Sheila - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 04, 2007

Well I am in the process of applying for axia online. I'm trying to aquire an associates in nursing. I know what classes I need to take for this program. I have looked into it at a local community college. When I started looking at the classes that they have you take at axia they are not the same. So I started doing some research. Come to find out a degree from axia isn't recognized in NYS. I have children and I live pay check to pay check. The thought of wasting my time and the loan I will have to pay back for nothing is mind blowing. I was suppose to start classes the middle of this month. As of now I'm not going to finish my application. I have done almost all of it, he is just waiting for a few items to be faxed. I thought because it was a big university and not like a community college that there was no need to question anything. I'm so glad that I paid attention to what classes are offered for this program and that I already knew what classes needed to be taken to be a nurse. I was never told anything about whether or not some states accept their degree or not. I was just told that I would need to enroll in a local college for the clinical part. I kind of feel like an idiot right now. Although online classes would be more convenient for me, I think I will just enroll in a local college. Atleast I know the ones around here are accredited and the degree I obtain will be recognized. Thanks for all the info you have posted on here. Although I have done some of my own research, this has helped greatly.

Almost scammed

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#280 Consumer Comment

For B

AUTHOR: Billy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, May 03, 2007

Enjoying your thread B. I think you're dead on, the problem is not SALES, but the manner in which they are conducted. How could so many shady practices occur unless management is either aware of or encouraging certain practices?

Do you agree with this quote from the recent NYT article?, "Wall Street has put them under inordinate pressure to keep up the profits, and my take on it is that they succumbed to that, said David W. Breneman, dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia." Is this correct, has the UOP sacrificed ethics or standards to make the quick buck?

You make the point there are good people working for the UOP, how can that be in doubt in such a big company? One more question, I read a lot about intimidation tactics the UOP uses keeping employees in line. The U.S. Department of Education refers to this theme frequently. Can you provide any anecdotes or examples from your years at the UOP?

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#279 Consumer Comment

How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Any idea what these online professors get paid? How does that work?

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#278 Consumer Comment

How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Any idea what these online professors get paid? How does that work?

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#277 Consumer Comment

How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Any idea what these online professors get paid? How does that work?

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#276 Consumer Comment

How Much is the average pay for a UOP Teacher

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Any idea what these online professors get paid? How does that work?

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#275 Author of original report

J, you assume much

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 27, 2007

If you know who I am, then I would assume you might have a better way to contact me. As you choose to contact me in this manner, I am guessing you do not know.

With regards to a question about NCU, why don't you ask them? The quote you list seems pretty self explanatory. I don't think too many people would need help with that part but I guess you are trying to make a point. As you seem to bold SALES in your statement, I guess you are trying to make a point that follows this logic:

If much of the issue within this forum is about the shady sales practices at UOP, and I am who you think I am, why would I list a need for sales people in a job ad? As I cannot speak to the motive of the ad for NCU, I can, as a logical person find many faults with your assertion. So before you pursue this line perhaps you should rethink it a bit.

First, the problem at UOP is not SALES. The problem is their business philosophy and Muller. Their desire for growth and greed prompted unreasonable budgets that could not be hit, which in turn caused a cascade effect all they way down to the sales floor. As I have stated before, there are some good people at UOP trying to do it right, but the SALES people that either choose to, or felt forced to use shady sales tactics and lie to ed consumers is where the problem ended up. The fact that UOP rewarded this behavior through financial benefit is why they just lost the appeal to have the Title IV violation cast thrown out of court.

Your fatal flaw, if your point it to say that SALES means shady sales, is that there are many people with recruiting and sales experience that conduct themselves in an ethical and fair manner and do not lie to the consumer. Walden, GCU, and Capella and many other online colleges use an enrollment sales force to promote their educational products and service educational consumers. Yet you do not see the issues at these colleges that you see at UOP.

"Sales" does not mean "bad" in the education arena. It is the tactic behind the sale that makes it bad or good.

So what was your point?

I hope that answers your question, but like I said, you are better off contacting NCU and asking them.

If you know me, I'm not hard to find, man up and come find me.

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#274 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Comment to B. of Arizona

AUTHOR: J. - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 27, 2007

B. from Arizona I have a comment to make to you. First, I know who you are and your current capacity. How is Northcentral University treating you? After reviewing the website, I noticed that there is a section for Career Opportunities. Within this section, there is a portion dedicated to Enrollment Advisors. The description of the qualifications sounds very similar to those of University of Phoenix Online advisors.

Can you explain what this means,
"Experience in online student recruiting or SALES preferred. Ideal candidates must enjoy talking to, following up with via telephone and conveying to prospective students that NCU is the better way to earn your degree."
?

Thanks for your time.

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#273 Consumer Comment

NEW YORK TIMES

AUTHOR: Wayne - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 10, 2007

If you cannot reach this link then google "trouble brewing at university built on profits"
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/education/11phoenix.html?ex=1328850000&en=5c8573d57de4bffe&ei=5088
Wayne Reno, Nv.

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#272 Consumer Comment

To Ally in Brooklyn....

AUTHOR: H - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, April 01, 2007

and all others thinking of the UOP...

Ally, its good you are feeling positive about the challenge the UOP is providing. However the many problems with the school, as evidenced by recent press reports make a degree from the school look a little precarious.

Indeed, Intel will no longer fund its employees educations at the school. They found that their employees with UOP degrees were not competitive for internal promotions when competing against graduates of other schools.

If you read the 2004 U.S. Department of Education report on the school it will make your toes curl...

Good luck!

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#271 Consumer Comment

WAYNE

AUTHOR: Wayne - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, March 31, 2007

Thank you for clearing that up, I was very upset about how they handeled the way I was recruited, then hit with so many underlying costs, that I thought my grants were to cover. That's how it was explained to me whne I got that first call. Anyway I will coomntact the DOE right now and see if I can get anywhere. Againn thank yoou, and I liked your posting that started this, I also see that someone in Indy does not gree with you much. Thank you have a great day.

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#270 Author of original report

Wayne

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 28, 2007

I hope you meant to say that what THEY are selling is a crock of crap. I would agree. What I was talking about in the section you quote is relevant to Title IV Loans, not grants. Not all students qualify for grants and no graduate students qualify for Pell.

If I were you I would contact UOP Financial and ask for your SAR (student aid report). Then ask for an overview of your accounting statement showing the dispersal of funds. They must provide this to you, it is not an option.

The accounting portion should show all tuition/eResource fees owed/paid by you to UOP. The SAR report will show dispersal of all funds from financial aid including loans and grants. What you should see on the accounting report for funds received should match up directly with the financial aid dispersals less any out of pocket expenses you were required to pay. If they did not disperse funding to you and held the grant becasue of an outstanding balance, this would show.

If there are any discrepancies and funds were not properly allocated you do not need to wait for a class action suit, simple contact the DOE and Federal Financial Aid Offices, fax them the accounting and SAR sheets showing the discrepancies and the situation will be remedied.

The main class action suit currently pending is not about improper allocation of Title IV funding, it is about whether or not UOP broke the FFA Safe Harbor rules which govern the recruitment practices of their EA's.

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#269 Consumer Comment

FED GRANT STOLEN BY UOP

AUTHOR: Wayne - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 28, 2007

HERE'S WHAT YOU SAID, Quote:"So it is official UOP policy to hold the funding in accounts until the person has completed the first few weeks of class. This allows them to send the money back if the student does not complete the class without reporting anything to the lender. The student is then in debt to UOP collections and not to the lender. Not to mention, FA doesn't pay for dropped or failed courses. What of the money in the holding tanks for months at a time. Hmmmm. Well, when you have over 100,000 students, 80% of which use FA in the sum of roughly 15K per year, they are basically counting that money as income for the organization even though technically it does not belong to them yet".

Well I tried to stay in, but could not afford it anymore, I NEVER SAW ONE PENNY OF THE TWO GRANTS THAT WERE SENT TO THE SCHOOL, NOT A CENT, WHEN I CALLED, I WAS TOLD I WAS NOT ENTITLED TO IT, EVEN THOGUH NOW IT IS ON MY CREDIT REPORT AS DEFAULTED. THAT'S A CROCK OF CRAP YOU ARE SELLING....I HOPE TO JOIN THE CLASS ACTION A.S.A.P.

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#268 Author of original report

Joe

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 27, 2007

What you write is partially true. However, there are circumstances which must be addressed.

UOP is in Arizona and there are currently no colleges in AZ with NCATE accreditation. (Makes you wonder why AZ is 49th worst state for K-12 education). However, this does not mean that ASU and U of A degrees in education cannot set up a graduate for licensure in other states. Arizona has reciprocity in 46 states and once an individual graduates from an AZ state approved teaching program their degree has reciprocity in those other 46 states.

Yes, there are specific states closed to this which have strict rules surrounding licensure. The has less to do with out of state program quality and more to do with state education boards being in bed with state colleges and wanting to keep tuition dollars in the state.

Most states are going to set their own rules for program approval. The most consistent method applied is relevant to regional accreditation and program content.

While NCATE is a good additional accreditation to have as an institution for many states and the absolute standard in some, NCATE is not the end-all be-all of educational accreditation standards.

The problem with UOP is that their enrollment advisors and personnel are or should be aware of the states their degree will not set a graduate up to gain licensure in and they should inform the prospect of this fact prior to enrolling. Obviously, this does not always happen and again is yet another example of some of the shady things UOP does.

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#267 Consumer Comment

UOP ED. degrees worthless

AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I'm sorry Ally but what you state is untruthfull. A UOP education degree is not accepted in all states. The only accreditation accepted everywhere is NCATE and UOP's education degrees are unaccredited. There are seven states that make NCATE mandatory and UOP is not allowed to offer their programs there because they are substandard.

New York State does not allow UOP to operate in NY due to unaccredited programs. That's why you will not find any campusus in your state. My UOP MEd degree is worthless so I had to go to an NCATE accredited program. Having to get another degree on top of wasting 32k did not make me a happy camper.

I wish I had understood the importance of professional accreditation before hand.


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#266 Consumer Suggestion

You get what you pay for

AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 26, 2007

My father always told me, "Son, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true".

I have long wondered about the University of Phoenix, and others like it. Now that I am considering going after my Bachelor's degree, I thought I'd look it up.

I know one thing I saw back when I was job searching is that most of your big name employers emphasize on you having a degree from an ACCREDITED university. So I have been doing some searching, and wound up here. I appreciate everyone's candid input, although some of the mud slinging could have been done without.

Basically, it sounds like the for-profit universities are catering to the things that people want to hear: Flexible schedules, student loans, shorter courses, 98% job placement rates, high graduate rates, high $$$ earning potientials, etc etc. But again, if it sounds too good....... I mean, basically, it sounds a lot like the "get rich quick" schemes that are all over tv and the internet. But in the end, who REALLY profits off of those????

I have done a little bit of calling, and I can't find anyone who is accepting credits earned at UoP. I thought about knocking out some of the basics there and then finishing up at a full University, but if they don't accept UoP's credits, what's the point??? It sounds like, from everything I have learned thus far, I am better off just going straight to a regular university from the get-go.

In the end, I think a "real" and "acknowledged" degree is most likely best retained from a 'real' university. The more I read, the more I am thinking that UoP is nothing short of a glorified vo-tech, with some SERIOUS internal problems.

My best suggestion to you all is this: Call a few of your local universities, and check tuition costs and schedules vs UoP. While you have them on the phone, see if they will acknowledge any credits obtained at UoP. If their answer is "No", I think that will pretty much give you your answer as to what potiential employers will think as well when it comes to the open job market.

As for some of the 'Holier than thou' responses directed at Mr. B because he once worked at UoP and has now 'reformed', get off your high horses! I personally say, good for you man! Maybe you screwed up by working there, but if what you say is true, at least you had the balls to get out. To the rest of you who are debunking everything he says because he says he once worked there, shame on ya. I'm certain Mr. B is like myself, and has an eraser on his pencil, simply because he is human and therefore mistakes will happen. For those of you who can't acknowledge that, I will assume you only write in ink and are so darned good that you don't EVER need white-out and never never NEVER start over because you goofed.... Na, you'd be too good for that, aye?

Mr. B, while I rarely take ANYTHING at face value, especially claims against a person, a corporate, or the likes, I appreciate your report and insight here. Combined with the 100 or so other reports I have seen strewn throughout the internet, I am beginning to believe you probably aren't too far from being right about them, if not completely right.

I think I will take my own advice and invest in a sound, established, and trustworthy university. I would suggest everyone else do the same.

I checked the local Better Business Bureau here in our area, and to my suprise UoP is a memebr of the BBB. That never sets well in my book. Just seems fishy. I'm sure I'll get bashed for that comment, but oh well.

Good luck to you all!

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#265 Consumer Suggestion

You get what you pay for

AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 26, 2007

My father always told me, "Son, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true".

I have long wondered about the University of Phoenix, and others like it. Now that I am considering going after my Bachelor's degree, I thought I'd look it up.

I know one thing I saw back when I was job searching is that most of your big name employers emphasize on you having a degree from an ACCREDITED university. So I have been doing some searching, and wound up here. I appreciate everyone's candid input, although some of the mud slinging could have been done without.

Basically, it sounds like the for-profit universities are catering to the things that people want to hear: Flexible schedules, student loans, shorter courses, 98% job placement rates, high graduate rates, high $$$ earning potientials, etc etc. But again, if it sounds too good....... I mean, basically, it sounds a lot like the "get rich quick" schemes that are all over tv and the internet. But in the end, who REALLY profits off of those????

I have done a little bit of calling, and I can't find anyone who is accepting credits earned at UoP. I thought about knocking out some of the basics there and then finishing up at a full University, but if they don't accept UoP's credits, what's the point??? It sounds like, from everything I have learned thus far, I am better off just going straight to a regular university from the get-go.

In the end, I think a "real" and "acknowledged" degree is most likely best retained from a 'real' university. The more I read, the more I am thinking that UoP is nothing short of a glorified vo-tech, with some SERIOUS internal problems.

My best suggestion to you all is this: Call a few of your local universities, and check tuition costs and schedules vs UoP. While you have them on the phone, see if they will acknowledge any credits obtained at UoP. If their answer is "No", I think that will pretty much give you your answer as to what potiential employers will think as well when it comes to the open job market.

As for some of the 'Holier than thou' responses directed at Mr. B because he once worked at UoP and has now 'reformed', get off your high horses! I personally say, good for you man! Maybe you screwed up by working there, but if what you say is true, at least you had the balls to get out. To the rest of you who are debunking everything he says because he says he once worked there, shame on ya. I'm certain Mr. B is like myself, and has an eraser on his pencil, simply because he is human and therefore mistakes will happen. For those of you who can't acknowledge that, I will assume you only write in ink and are so darned good that you don't EVER need white-out and never never NEVER start over because you goofed.... Na, you'd be too good for that, aye?

Mr. B, while I rarely take ANYTHING at face value, especially claims against a person, a corporate, or the likes, I appreciate your report and insight here. Combined with the 100 or so other reports I have seen strewn throughout the internet, I am beginning to believe you probably aren't too far from being right about them, if not completely right.

I think I will take my own advice and invest in a sound, established, and trustworthy university. I would suggest everyone else do the same.

I checked the local Better Business Bureau here in our area, and to my suprise UoP is a memebr of the BBB. That never sets well in my book. Just seems fishy. I'm sure I'll get bashed for that comment, but oh well.

Good luck to you all!

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#264 Consumer Suggestion

You get what you pay for

AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 26, 2007

My father always told me, "Son, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true".

I have long wondered about the University of Phoenix, and others like it. Now that I am considering going after my Bachelor's degree, I thought I'd look it up.

I know one thing I saw back when I was job searching is that most of your big name employers emphasize on you having a degree from an ACCREDITED university. So I have been doing some searching, and wound up here. I appreciate everyone's candid input, although some of the mud slinging could have been done without.

Basically, it sounds like the for-profit universities are catering to the things that people want to hear: Flexible schedules, student loans, shorter courses, 98% job placement rates, high graduate rates, high $$$ earning potientials, etc etc. But again, if it sounds too good....... I mean, basically, it sounds a lot like the "get rich quick" schemes that are all over tv and the internet. But in the end, who REALLY profits off of those????

I have done a little bit of calling, and I can't find anyone who is accepting credits earned at UoP. I thought about knocking out some of the basics there and then finishing up at a full University, but if they don't accept UoP's credits, what's the point??? It sounds like, from everything I have learned thus far, I am better off just going straight to a regular university from the get-go.

In the end, I think a "real" and "acknowledged" degree is most likely best retained from a 'real' university. The more I read, the more I am thinking that UoP is nothing short of a glorified vo-tech, with some SERIOUS internal problems.

My best suggestion to you all is this: Call a few of your local universities, and check tuition costs and schedules vs UoP. While you have them on the phone, see if they will acknowledge any credits obtained at UoP. If their answer is "No", I think that will pretty much give you your answer as to what potiential employers will think as well when it comes to the open job market.

As for some of the 'Holier than thou' responses directed at Mr. B because he once worked at UoP and has now 'reformed', get off your high horses! I personally say, good for you man! Maybe you screwed up by working there, but if what you say is true, at least you had the balls to get out. To the rest of you who are debunking everything he says because he says he once worked there, shame on ya. I'm certain Mr. B is like myself, and has an eraser on his pencil, simply because he is human and therefore mistakes will happen. For those of you who can't acknowledge that, I will assume you only write in ink and are so darned good that you don't EVER need white-out and never never NEVER start over because you goofed.... Na, you'd be too good for that, aye?

Mr. B, while I rarely take ANYTHING at face value, especially claims against a person, a corporate, or the likes, I appreciate your report and insight here. Combined with the 100 or so other reports I have seen strewn throughout the internet, I am beginning to believe you probably aren't too far from being right about them, if not completely right.

I think I will take my own advice and invest in a sound, established, and trustworthy university. I would suggest everyone else do the same.

I checked the local Better Business Bureau here in our area, and to my suprise UoP is a memebr of the BBB. That never sets well in my book. Just seems fishy. I'm sure I'll get bashed for that comment, but oh well.

Good luck to you all!

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#263 Consumer Suggestion

You get what you pay for

AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 26, 2007

My father always told me, "Son, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true".

I have long wondered about the University of Phoenix, and others like it. Now that I am considering going after my Bachelor's degree, I thought I'd look it up.

I know one thing I saw back when I was job searching is that most of your big name employers emphasize on you having a degree from an ACCREDITED university. So I have been doing some searching, and wound up here. I appreciate everyone's candid input, although some of the mud slinging could have been done without.

Basically, it sounds like the for-profit universities are catering to the things that people want to hear: Flexible schedules, student loans, shorter courses, 98% job placement rates, high graduate rates, high $$$ earning potientials, etc etc. But again, if it sounds too good....... I mean, basically, it sounds a lot like the "get rich quick" schemes that are all over tv and the internet. But in the end, who REALLY profits off of those????

I have done a little bit of calling, and I can't find anyone who is accepting credits earned at UoP. I thought about knocking out some of the basics there and then finishing up at a full University, but if they don't accept UoP's credits, what's the point??? It sounds like, from everything I have learned thus far, I am better off just going straight to a regular university from the get-go.

In the end, I think a "real" and "acknowledged" degree is most likely best retained from a 'real' university. The more I read, the more I am thinking that UoP is nothing short of a glorified vo-tech, with some SERIOUS internal problems.

My best suggestion to you all is this: Call a few of your local universities, and check tuition costs and schedules vs UoP. While you have them on the phone, see if they will acknowledge any credits obtained at UoP. If their answer is "No", I think that will pretty much give you your answer as to what potiential employers will think as well when it comes to the open job market.

As for some of the 'Holier than thou' responses directed at Mr. B because he once worked at UoP and has now 'reformed', get off your high horses! I personally say, good for you man! Maybe you screwed up by working there, but if what you say is true, at least you had the balls to get out. To the rest of you who are debunking everything he says because he says he once worked there, shame on ya. I'm certain Mr. B is like myself, and has an eraser on his pencil, simply because he is human and therefore mistakes will happen. For those of you who can't acknowledge that, I will assume you only write in ink and are so darned good that you don't EVER need white-out and never never NEVER start over because you goofed.... Na, you'd be too good for that, aye?

Mr. B, while I rarely take ANYTHING at face value, especially claims against a person, a corporate, or the likes, I appreciate your report and insight here. Combined with the 100 or so other reports I have seen strewn throughout the internet, I am beginning to believe you probably aren't too far from being right about them, if not completely right.

I think I will take my own advice and invest in a sound, established, and trustworthy university. I would suggest everyone else do the same.

I checked the local Better Business Bureau here in our area, and to my suprise UoP is a memebr of the BBB. That never sets well in my book. Just seems fishy. I'm sure I'll get bashed for that comment, but oh well.

Good luck to you all!

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#262 Consumer Comment

MY OPINION DIFFERS

AUTHOR: Kris - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 25, 2007

Although B has his opinion on UOP I am not one to knock it, I too have mine. My personal opinion differs from his because unlike him i have had a great experience with UOP. Before i started UOP i was at a regular community college and all was ok but having a baby and trying to work full time was impossible like i am sure many of you know. I have since been a graduate of UOP i am now a 2nd grade teacher.

My degree is acceptable nation wide and that is a great advantage i found UOP anything BUT easy, we had to study just as much as a regualr college student in a traditional setting and i found the learning experience to be better for me. Financially i have had no issues getting back my refund from financial aid, and paying the remainder of my loans which is small and is not bad, simple payments from a well known company that also disburses loans to many private and well known community and state universities.

The masters degree i will be getting is also acceptable nation wide in the educational field and made sure they both were before i entered online education. Its too bad B didnt have a great experience working at UOP or for that matter get use of your MBA. But i guess you started this forum for a reason although i am not the only one to disagree with you on your thoughts where you had a bad experience and i like many had a great one. Good luck in the future!

-ALLY, Brooklyn, NYC

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#261 Consumer Comment

May Be of Assistance

AUTHOR: Christian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 22, 2007

Please do not attack my grammer as there will be errors for sure.

I like so many were eager to get started. Thought this is really a good way to go being that I work approx. 65 hrs./week.

I was all for going here actually was set to start in about a week when I was having some issues with my GIbill and went to my old unit for some paper work. Was I shocked to find out that the person I spoke with had a simmilar experience as most that have been posting here for a while.

Ultimately it was B who made up my mind and I thank him for this. You see I decided to contact my local school for information gave them my EFC and boy was I shocked to find out that by taking the same amount of classes over a years time I would get a "kickback" if you will from my FA. This something that was never expressed to me during my talks with the EA/FA.

They had informed me that as long as I did not log into my first class I could not be charged (they offer a few courses online so they know) for the costs of going to school. Don't get me wrong you are still obligated to pay the app. fee, but that is far less than it could have been had I not gone to my old unit.

One thing I will say about the EA is that he was always in contact never pushy but then again he never had to be as I was the one who wanted to go ASAP.

My only hope is that maybe this post will help others who are scheduled to attend and are second guessing themselves. You will not be called a quitter if in your heart something just does not feel right.

In closing might a make a small suggestion to anyone interested in going to school for the first time (since HS) or someone furthering an existing education, contact your local college and ask questions about enrollment and financial aspects of college. They are there to assist I have found this to be true as I am going tomorrow to register for the summer session and the fall session.

Oh yeah and about that 65 hr/week job obviously it will be history as I am going to need to devote my time to college, but that is my scenario not everyone will have the same outcome that I am having. Sorry for the rambling.

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#260 Consumer Comment

New York Times

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, March 16, 2007

Surprised at the lack of comments after the NYT article...When the "Old Grey Lady" gets involved, things are usually shaking...

Anyhow, interesting reading here. I have my own story, but first want to comment and thank this past recruiter for telling his story. It's interesting how otherwise good people convince themeselves what they are doing is OK. Undoubtedly most of the employees are making a choice between livelihood and cutting a few corners or telling some fibs. We are all weak (me too!) which is why we must recognize its when corruption is institutionalized and folks assume if the boss says its ok, it must be, that things get dangerous.

Anyhow, I am pursuing a degree in Masters of Counseling. When requesting admission criteria, the recruiter explained the realities. HE never told me, despite a month of communication, that I would first need to "pass" the apparently secret "course" called portfolio, which later I learned is called a "admission readiness assessment." I am therefore under the mistaken impression I have been admitted to the Grad program, but really have only been admitted to an admission interview.

The UOP acts like they are in the right when I complain. I can't recall the last time I've encountered such arrogance. But now that the NYT is involved, this story should be getting more legs and more acceptance, I hope!

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#259 Consumer Comment

Basketball Player Shaq

AUTHOR: Lee - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, February 18, 2007

I started taking classes with the University of Phoenix online in July 2005. I'm one class away from graduating (4/2007). Before I signed up with this school, I had my reservations about it. I signed on anyway.

I'm currently in the Master of Science/Administration of Justice and Security. I hold a BA from one of the top criminal justice colleges in the United States, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. What really made me sign on was Shaq. I was watching TV one night and the news reported that Shaquille O'neal graduated from the University of Phoenix with his MBA.

I said to myself that it must be a good school if a Multi-Millionaire who holds a degree from LSU went there. I conducted further reaserch and learned that a couple of other professionals went there as well.

This experience has been very challenging. I haven't experience too many problems from the administration aspect of the school. Yes, I had numerous financial aid advisors, and academic advisors as well. For the most part, when I needed them for anything, they would respond to my emails and phone call. I never had trouble with finanical aid at all.

When you start a new class, the students are required to post their bio's. I read each bio to see the undergraduate schools these students attended. I was surprised to see some students attended Penn State, University of Texas, USC, University of Maryland, etc. I will admit that from time to time I would run into a couple of idiots in my classes, but you can find that at any traditional school as well.

It's a roll of the dice when it comes to the classes. I had a few awful professors. I'm currently taking one now and she is horrible. Hey, I had horrible professors at John Jay College. Every student throughout their learning process had a couple of bad professors.

However, most of the professor that I had pushed you to the limit. They were hard graders. Almost every week, you had an APA format paper to do. I actually improved my writing skills after writing so many papers.

Also I learned a great deal from the material. The class structure makes you focus and concentrate on the material at hand. The courses are only 6 weeks long but they're not abbreviated courses, they're just compressed.

Let me bottom line this. You can have all the degrees in the world from top ranked institutions but at the end of the day, you still have to sell yourself on the interview. Talking properly, having the ability to work with others, dressing properly, and being good at what you know, are just as important as the degree itself.

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#258 Consumer Comment

UOP Debate

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, February 17, 2007

I have been reading the posts on UOP for over a year. It is currently becoming more of a debate between those that believe that those that don't. I can no longer see proof that UOP is a ripoff. It will be interesting to see what happens to the status of UOP in the next year.

The thread started out being a "whistle blowing" post. It has become a debate. Has the employee that started this thread seen justice? I believe that was the purpose.

My perception of UOP is that it is not a ripoff as much as it is a controversy in the evolution of education.

I am a graduate of UOP. I have obtained a job as an adjunct professor at a local university. My degree has not been laughed at by anyone. In fact, I have received much respect for completing the degree. It is an MBA with an E-commerce component. I read these posts to try and get an understanding as to the prestige of my degree. After almost a year of holding the degree, my experience has been good.

But,as I mentioned before, that is not why Brian started this thread. He wanted us all to know about his experience as an employee. I hope UOP gets that part of its organization straight. Because, as far as I am concerned, its education is great.

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#257 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Joshua

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, February 17, 2007

"I think many of the people that are upset with UOP are simply people that did not really want to invest the time in their education."

Blanket statement.

Claim rendered invalid by the overwhelming number of claims seen herein and throughout multiple other sites.

You may have had a pleasant experience; I am able to concede that point. However, if I were to say that EVERYONE that has attended UOP and had a pleasant experience is delusional, that would be ignorant. Why? Because it is obviously not true. As with your statement, simply because a large group of people are upset UOP does not mean those people can be grouped into a single category of people simply didn't want to invest time in their education.

Ignoratio elenchi...

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#256 Consumer Comment

My Opinion of UOP

AUTHOR: Joshua - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 15, 2007

I received my Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. I have had no problem getting quality employment with my degree from UOP. I attended both ground and online programs and found them more challenging than my classes at FSU and UNF (University of North Florida.)

My enrollment counselor Brian was very staightforward with me and helped me through the technicalities of getting enrolled and also helped me search for scholarships. I am currently working for a marketing firm in Jacksonville and make more than $50,000.00 per year.

I think many of the people that are upset with UOP are simply people that did not really want to invest the time in their education.

I give UOP two thumbs up.

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#255 UPDATE EX-employee responds

UOPs response To New York Times Article

AUTHOR: Joshua - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, February 15, 2007

The article in the New York Times by Sam Dillon has exposed a clash of cultures between traditional academia and newer, market-oriented colleges and universities.

The education crisis

America's economic power depends upon our educated workforce and by all counts, we're failing. Forrester Research has predicted that about 3.3 million U.S. service jobs will move to foreign countries by 2015, yet we continue to leave behind masses of potential students who either can't afford college or can't find a seat in one. It may come as a surprise that your own alma mater is not what the majority of college students may want or need today and for the next decade. Those bucolic, sentimental, ivy-covered campuses may even be obsolete with their heavy investment in physical facilities, semesters based on a bygone agrarian system, and class schedules that appear to honor the more pressing needs of the faculty than the flexibility required by students.

Today the majority of students are cobbling together their education in fits and starts, commuting to colleges part-time while working full-time. Many are single parents and first-generation college students, and frequently they must engage in remedial coursework in order to overcome an incomplete or insufficient educational past. These are the students who overwhelmingly need flexible learning options such as online classes, alternative schedules, financial assistance and access to intensive support services to provide a coherent path to their degree. These are the students that most of the traditional higher education community has left behind.

New market-oriented colleges do the nation's work

Market-oriented colleges like University of Phoenix are an essential part of the solution. The land-grant colleges originally intended to provide broad access to education cannot do it alone. In their quest for prestige, many of them have raised both tuition and admission standards beyond the reach of most students. Community colleges are filled to capacity, graduating fewer than 25% and struggling to learn how to serve this growing population.

In this environment, the rise of private for-profit colleges and universities should be no surprise. These institutions provide educational access to a broad spectrum of students, and they push the envelope on important innovations in flexibility and quality because they are fundamentally organized to confront market forces. Taxpayer dollars are not available to these colleges to fund their growth or services. Rather, public dollars come in the form of loans and grants, which go directly to students to fund their education. As employers, market-oriented colleges pay into the tax system and provide local employment opportunities. It's a perfect example of America's free enterprise system, whereby demand for a service fuels the growth of innovation and supply. Not just any service but one that our nation desperately needs.

Quality and Regulation

Traditions die hard, despite the dismal realities confronting our public education system. Regulation and popular sentiment favor the status quo. It's nice to believe that non-profit organizations have a higher moral purpose, but despite the extreme rhetoric about regulatory mishaps in for-profit education, there is no evidence that the accredited for-profits are any more or less compliant in regulatory matters than their non-profit peers. Indeed, if oversight is a comfort, the private, for-profit higher education sector is certainly the most examined and therefore most transparent in all of American higher education; accountable to local, state, federal and accreditation boards in addition to the Securities and Exchange Commission. They also must provide evidence of outputs or educational quality by maintaining comprehensive learning assessment systems, available to their regulatory overseers.

Education in the 21st Century

However, as with all innovation, skeptics abound to feed the culture clash between the old and the new. Those invested in the status quo objected when land grant colleges were introduced and also when community colleges came on the scene, railing against their supposed lack of quality, For-profit colleges are the latest target. We know that students will choose to earn their education both online and on campus, probably at multiple institutions, and from the colleges that can provide the most support and flexibility. There is no turning back - this is what education looks like in the 21st century.

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#254 Consumer Suggestion

Write About it...

AUTHOR: Carol Ann - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Tell Your Congressperson or Senator about this problem! US Department of Education Report tem to GOA, General Office of Accounting for the Federal Government, since these are federally funded student loans! They will do an investigation. You may also want to report them to Internal Revenue Service for fraud using form3949A, you can download it online.

Then pose it as a question on Yahoo Answers/Questions. Lots of angry students there. Someone needs to stop and thing about some of these colleges period. Even if you sit in the classes, because of clerical errors you may be stuck with student Loans and no usable degree! Bethany University did pretty much the same thing and i was sitting in the classes for almost 4 years!

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#253 Author of original report

Richard, your claims against NCU are invalid and unfounded

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, February 12, 2007

This will be my only response to in this thread. Should you desire to engage in debate over a college unrelated to UOP, start your own thread and let me know, I will engage you there:

I have to disagree with Richard regarding NCU as I have studied their product as well as Nova's. His provided information regarding NCU specifically is incorrect. First, NCU is not a correspondence school.

They use a completely different format than most online colleges but it is not correspondence. Correspondence is considered traditional mail, non interactive education. NCU uses 1 on 1 delivery for their courses. It is asynchronous online interaction similar to that of Walden, Capella, UOP, Nova, and many others. The main difference is that NCU does not require other people to be in your class with you so there is no team assignments or required post check in. NCU format can be argued as better because like many other online colleges, they have open enrollment standards, this can allow sub par students into the program. Because students are isolated 1 on 1 they do not affect other students and cannot hide behind a learning team for a grade. Some people like this, others do not. This DOES NOT make it a correspondence school.

Second, the reason that NCU has this free format is because they do not use Federal Title IV funding. Which means they do not exploit US tax dollars for their own benefit as does UOP. Because they do not use Title IV they do no have the same restrictions as many other colleges that do. There are no terms in which NCU must report attendance or limits on how many classes a student can take in a term. NCU has 12 week classes with the option of acceleration and no limit on the number of courses a student can take in a year or how fast a student can finish. This is not that same at 99% of the other online colleges.

Third, because NCU does not use federal tax dollars to fund their programs, their overall impact on the industry is limited. They do not exploit tax dollars. In truth since you compared them to NOVA Southeastern, NCU has a much more reasonable tuition structure than NOVA. NOVA's EDD program can reach upwards of $50,000 for the degree. NCU's is roughly $27,000. I have worked with NOVA in that past and just because they require the GRE to ender the program does not mean they are a better program. In fact, the current president of NCU use to work at NOVA as their Dean of Education. Strange.

As I am familiar with NCU and you claim they use deceptive advertising, please point out where and how. Is the advertising deceptive or your limited understanding of accreditation and online education leading you to believe they are deceptive?

AACSB is only one additional accrediting body a college can go after and only affects the school of business. NCU is in the process of being accredited by ACBSP (according to their website) which has similar academic requirements for accreditation as AACSB. The only difference is that ACBSP does not require a GMAT. I am unaware of many online colleges with ACBSP accreditation which I think leads to the quality of the program put out by NCU.

Bring the standard of accreditation down? This is a common misconception by those outside of education. The reason NCAHLC accredits so many online colleges is because they understand that the future of education is online. If you have ever been involved with a focus visit by the NCAHLC for program accreditation or review, you see that there is NOT a guideline standard of rules regarding an academic standard or operating method that must be in place for a college to receive NCA accreditation, They leave the compliance in the hand of the institution by allowing the institution to outline their goals, governance, syllabi, teaching method, measurements and reporting. As long as they do this, they are complying with NCAHLC standards. Considering NCU is the largest doctorate education facility in the world, they must be doing something right.

If you had a bad experience with them that is one thing and you are entitled to express you experience. But do not speak to things you cannot back with evidence and obviously do not understand. NCU is not driving down any standard. They are the least of our worries in the education arena considering the fact that they are reasonably priced compared to most and do not exploit Title IV.

You are also wrong about the resources available to students at NCU, I called and spoke with them, they do have what they called an ELRC (Electronic Learner Resource Center). As it was explained to me and a screen shot was sent, it looks a lot like Walden and UOP's online libraries.

Again, why should someone beware of colleges without a physical residency requirement? NCU does have multiple online PhD programs I am not sure what your claim is here.

To me, it sounds as if your comprehensive doctrine has been formulated by listening to those who work in a traditional college setting. These folks are the last people who should speak to or about the online arena. The history of resistance by the traditional sector has gone a little like this:

When online first began in the last 70's ground colleges rejected it as NEVER being a valid method of education. As it grew, it began to force ground colleges to become more service oriented. This meant meeting demand by their students for online courses. So many traditional ground campuses began offering single online coursework. Mind you, this was the format they claimed was invalid yet they found reason money to offer online. Their new claim was that online could only be reasonably used as a supplemental tool for valid education offered in a regular classroom, still claiming that fully online degrees were invalid. As online continued to grow and take market share, it once again forced the grand campus hand. They then began to offer fully online degree's such as Nova and Maryland. Suddenly their tune changed again, it is okay to offer online degrees but only if offered by a ground campus. Bottom line, they keep changing their tune to accommodate their own personal agenda. I believe that if you are going to go to school online then you are better off going to an online school. Ground campuses trying to offer online courses simply screw up the facilitation process because they are not consumer services oriented and are incapable of servicing the online populous affectively. They would like to believe their own hype, that because they are a ground campus they are somehow superior to the online schools. The fact is, the biggest complaint I heard about NOVA is that they don't help their students. So regardless of the rigor of the academics, it does not make the program better.

Many traditional ground campus educators have a sever superiority complex regarding education. They believe they are elite and that learning should be elite. This is the same line of thinking that has oppressed cultures, races and genders, and needs to be put out to pasture. It has no place in modern society. The only reason traditional campus instructors bad mouth online, is because online is a threat. It will get them nowhere.

You are entitled to your opinion, if you had a bad experience with NCU then outline that experience as I did with UOP. Be prepared to defend those claims as I have had to within this blog. If you cannot, your whole claim becomes rendered false. I support the efforts of NCU, Walden, and Capella.

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#252 Consumer Comment

Beware of Northcentral University online PhD programs!!!!

AUTHOR: Richard - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, February 11, 2007

Beware of the Ph.D. on-line programs.

Please help me find the appropriate outlets to discuss on-line doctoral programs. I believe that we need to bring the deception to the forefront this year. I would like to explore several alternatives. Unless something is done soon, I believe that regional accreditation is going to lose value in the market place.

The schools with weak programs and that use deception are going to destroy the market value that many major corporations have built. In order to stay in this market many of the large for profit private schools may need to seek AACSB accreditation or risk the lost of a declining image of regional accreditation.

Beware of the correspondence Ph.D. on-line programs with no residence requirements.

Northcentral University is a good example of a school that will bring down the standards of regional accreditation. Northcentral University on-line purports to be 100% online but is primarily a correspondence school. NCU uses deceptive advertising. It purports to have an online Ph.D. program.

The school is a distance education correspondence program. It is not conducted over the Internet. The Internet capability of the university is grossly ineffective and is one of the weak links in its program. There is no interaction with students and very little, if any, assessment or interaction with professors.

It is what one of my colleagues called, a glorified correspondence school. Yet, NCU continues to promote itself as an on-line delivery system simply because there may be some limited emails and download files or information.

NCU may try to compare itself to large private programs, but these schools are mostly owned by publicly held corporations that are subject to Sarbanes Oxley and thus a higher standard of accountability. They also have the resources to provide multi-media on-line educational programs as well as the library and faculty resources to provide a viable program.

NCU does not have any of these. NCU has demonstrated very little accountability or service initiative. Although NCU is accredited, it promotes its services in a deceptive manner. It should be classified with unethical marketing scams. It is not an on-line program. It is a correspondence school.

NCU is not a student friendly environment, nor is it transparent and accountable in its disclosure. NCU advertising is deceptive and I believe that this is wrong and should be changed and or reported to the public at large. Their student service is not effective and their focus is primarily on money.

Students will receive much better service from large traditional or private universities. They continue to use false advertising and this warrants public disclosure and, at least, preventing others from falling for NCU's deceptions. Although they may rank well in terms of cost, please remember, you get what you pay for. And you will not get much from this correspondence school.

Students should search for an AACSB school or a regionally credited school that has a long successful history and/ or is backed by a credible organization that has the resources to provide a top rated program.

There is no doubt that on-line education and alternative delivery educational programs are an increasing trend. But there is a great difference in the educational quality of the various programs. There is a vast difference in the quality of regional accredited programs.

Sadly, Northcentral on-line may be the one that clearly pulls down the image of regional accreditation. Prospective students, employers and the educational community must be informed of this about this matter in order to make wise choices. 2007 should be the year to bring this out to the public at large and I hope that you play a role in helping with this process.

UOP has a doctorial program that is not AACSB accredited. Many teaching jobs in business schools required professors who are AACSB qualified. UOP has the potential to devote the resources to create a viable program. There has not been much discussion of the doctoral programs at UOP or whether they would ever seek AACSB accreditation. Students who desire a career in academia should beware of online programs that do not have substantial residential requirements.

Currently there are no on-line AACSB schools. Schools that offer alternative delivery PhD programs that may have credibility at the doctoral level could include the University of Maryland University College and Nova Southeastern.

The University of Maryland University College is one of 11 degree granting institutions of the University of Maryland system. Thus, it is a public university. Information on their doctorate in management can be found at:

http://www.umuc.edu/grad/dm/dm_home.shtml

Complete transparency on the University of Maryland University college accreditation and self study can be found at:

http://www.umuc.edu/middlestates/index.shtml

Nova southeastern is a private university and offers doctorate programs that are closer to traditional programs than the on-line programs. That is, they required residency via attendance of classes for their doctorate in business degree programs. They do offer on-line programs for other levels but not at the business doctorate level. This may be a selling point for their program for those wanting to enter academia in the teaching profession.

Information on Nova's accreditation activities can be found at:

http://www.nova.edu/rpga/accreditation.html

Nova is accredited by International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education and Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Information on their doctorate programs can be found at:

http://www.huizenga.nova.edu/FutureStudents/Doctoral/DBA.cfm

Nova's web site is very transparent and they include syllabus for each class.

Nova also published their strategic plan.

http://www.nova.edu/cwis/strategic_plan/index.html.

Nova has made great achievements over the year and their doctorate program seem to be well structure and is expected to receive greater acceptance in academia. Nova is a non profit private university.

These are just two alternatives to on-line programs. There may be other viable programs that will gain credibility in academia. If you are not interested in teaching, then the accreditation and credibility of the school's program is of lesser importance.

Perhaps before you select a program, you should talk with potential university employers and ask them if they would hire you based on the PhD program you are considering. Both the reputation of the school and its specific program as well and faculty and student research will be considered in the employment decision. Please beware of the Ph.D. on-line programs. Do your homework wisely!

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#251 UPDATE EX-employee responds

please read this in the New York Times

AUTHOR: Caroline - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, February 11, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/education/11phoenix.html?ex=1171861200&en=f00fa7d99fd80c89&ei=5070&emc=eta1

this article was published this week (FEB 2007) and confimrs the same concerns that both B and I and other UoP employees past and present in this thread have expressed.

let me say for anyone who keeps calling those of us who are not fans of UoP "disgruntled former employees" that UoP was VERY good to its employees (outside of the enrollment department). i and many other employees were given spa weekends, etc. as "thank yous" from the company. it is the students that get treated poorly.

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#250 Consumer Comment

University of Phoenix - UOP

AUTHOR: J A - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, January 31, 2007

To all:

it's nice to know that I am not alone with my feelings about UOP. I was fastly recruited by their swift talking recruiters to say the least. No wonder it was so easy to enroll with only an $85 enrollment fee up front and it was understood that my stafford loans would take care of most of the tuition.

The recruiter lead me step by step what I had to do, but he did it rather quick to have me in class in less than 3 weeks and not reiterating what everything would mean for me or what types of out of pocket expenses I would ultimately have.

I think my first out of pocket expense cost me about $800. OK, since I was making about $30,000 (in NJ and it's not cheap to live here) I scraped up the money in 2 months. That meant no going out with friends to socialize since I had to pay that.

I hated the group projects because most of the time I did all the work yet all the students in the group got my grade. So unfair especially when people live in different areas of the country or other responsibilities and schedules to follow.

Few, if any, were able to meet online to discuss the project. Then you have the professors (2nd Algebra class), I ran into one who was never around to answer the students questions and I failed it, not realizing that my stafford loan was not going to cover it. I got a B+ in the first Algebra class but failed the second one because the professor never responded to my quesions about what I was doing wrong...as with other students. And if you don't complain to the school about the professor in the first week then you lost your case.

Most of the time you don't realize there was a problem until more than half way through the 2nd week. After that class I began searching for another online college and stumbled upon Kaplan University. Kaplan is a standing name for more than 30 years of helping students study for SATs, PSATs, CLEPs, and more. Kaplan had a better classroom set up and at the time had 3 extra weeks to the schedule to really soak up what you were learning. The professors are graded twice by the students (in the 4th week and at the end of the class). Whenever there is a problem the department heads monitor the class and professor. Students questions are addressed immediately no matter where they are in the class.

Needless to say, it was not a difficult decision to leave UOP. Then my problem got bigger. When I decided to leave UOP and signed the documents saying I was leaving, they then sprung it on me that they could not give my transcript to Kaplan because I owed them $1880!

When you are barely making what it takes to survive at $30K, having $1880 is unheard of especially when you have a disease called cystic fibrosis and your money goes toward medications and doctor appointments all the time. Nonetheless, hear it is 5 years later and I am just starting to get the money up to finally pay the $1880 off to get those credits transferred so I can graduate. I hope they don't just take my money and tell me they cannot transfer my credits over. I am going to go through my attorney to get this done just to be on the safe side.

PS I found these complaints on UOP by accident. WOW, someone really is on my side.

Thank you,

Julie G. - Belleville, NJ

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#249 Consumer Comment

University of Phoenix - UOP

AUTHOR: J A - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, January 31, 2007

To all:

it's nice to know that I am not alone with my feelings about UOP. I was fastly recruited by their swift talking recruiters to say the least. No wonder it was so easy to enroll with only an $85 enrollment fee up front and it was understood that my stafford loans would take care of most of the tuition.

The recruiter lead me step by step what I had to do, but he did it rather quick to have me in class in less than 3 weeks and not reiterating what everything would mean for me or what types of out of pocket expenses I would ultimately have.

I think my first out of pocket expense cost me about $800. OK, since I was making about $30,000 (in NJ and it's not cheap to live here) I scraped up the money in 2 months. That meant no going out with friends to socialize since I had to pay that.

I hated the group projects because most of the time I did all the work yet all the students in the group got my grade. So unfair especially when people live in different areas of the country or other responsibilities and schedules to follow.

Few, if any, were able to meet online to discuss the project. Then you have the professors (2nd Algebra class), I ran into one who was never around to answer the students questions and I failed it, not realizing that my stafford loan was not going to cover it. I got a B+ in the first Algebra class but failed the second one because the professor never responded to my quesions about what I was doing wrong...as with other students. And if you don't complain to the school about the professor in the first week then you lost your case.

Most of the time you don't realize there was a problem until more than half way through the 2nd week. After that class I began searching for another online college and stumbled upon Kaplan University. Kaplan is a standing name for more than 30 years of helping students study for SATs, PSATs, CLEPs, and more. Kaplan had a better classroom set up and at the time had 3 extra weeks to the schedule to really soak up what you were learning. The professors are graded twice by the students (in the 4th week and at the end of the class). Whenever there is a problem the department heads monitor the class and professor. Students questions are addressed immediately no matter where they are in the class.

Needless to say, it was not a difficult decision to leave UOP. Then my problem got bigger. When I decided to leave UOP and signed the documents saying I was leaving, they then sprung it on me that they could not give my transcript to Kaplan because I owed them $1880!

When you are barely making what it takes to survive at $30K, having $1880 is unheard of especially when you have a disease called cystic fibrosis and your money goes toward medications and doctor appointments all the time. Nonetheless, hear it is 5 years later and I am just starting to get the money up to finally pay the $1880 off to get those credits transferred so I can graduate. I hope they don't just take my money and tell me they cannot transfer my credits over. I am going to go through my attorney to get this done just to be on the safe side.

PS I found these complaints on UOP by accident. WOW, someone really is on my side.

Thank you,

Julie G. - Belleville, NJ

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#248 Author of original report

To Joe

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, January 19, 2007

Joe,

Thanks for the shout out. To answer your question about the audit of courses, the answer is no. They do provide a course demo on their website but this does not outline the details like check in and learning teams which often come as a surprise to many who enroll.

The degree requirements are laid out within the site. However, the reason many people run into problems is because they overestimated their credit transfer, they were lied to about potential credit transfer, or the credits that did transfer did not transfer into the areas they needed them.

Basically UOP/AXIA is a degree completion institution. Most people have tried and failed or discontinued their degree in the past and are looking to transfer credits. The ability to transfer credits is a huge selling point. Some advisors use this correctly, some are dishonest. Any potential applicant can ask for a pre-evaluation but they must have access to their transcripts to have this done.

Most applicants do not use the pre-evaluation service because they are un-aware it exists. This is intentional as it can delay enrollment. When the pressure is on the advisor to make the sale, they do not want anything hindering the close. Even if an unofficial evaluation is conducted, it only shows total credits transferable and this does not always explain to the applicant how their degree program will be set up.

Lets say a bachelor degree is 120 credits at UOP. Lets say a potential applicant has 96 credits from a prior college with a major in math. They are applying to the Business program at UOP. They are told by the enrollment advisor that UOP can accept almost all their credits as long as it is from a regionally accredited college.

What they leave out is that UOP has a minimum residency requirement of 30 credits to graduate. So they may take all 96 credits but that does not mean the student will only need 24 credits to graduate, it just means UOP accepted them. The student will still take at least 10 classes to graduate. In addition, 36 of their 90 are probably in math and only a few will transfer at the upper level for the business major. They will still need to take 45-60 credits in their major at UOP.

So basically, it may look like UOP accepted all their credits, but their credit transfer and actual degree plan are very different. The problem is this. There is so much pressure placed on applicants to get started ASAP that they often to no wait for their official evaluation to be conducted before starting their first course.

They agree to start their course in good faith that the initial conversation with the advisor with hold true once their evaluation is done. They have often already completed 1-2 courses before they see their true degree plan which may come as a shock.

At this point they owe the college between $1700 and $2500. If they drop their financial aid will not pay for those classes so they choose to stay until their FA is dispersed and they can drop without paying cash for those classes. This is a total scam and it is done intentionally by UOP to increase their retention overview. Although those people eventually drop after their first semester of courses, UOP is able to repost retention after 1, 2 and 3 classes. SHADY!

With regards to educated consumers, I agree that much of the onus is on the consumer to be aware of what they buy before they buy. But UOP preys on aspirations and dreams of many desperate people. Many of their students like what they get and have no issues. However, too many do not and the carnage of these individuals make up the substance UOP now thrives on.

The vast majority of educated consumers are still ignorant to education. No one really knows what it means to have regional accreditation. UOP uses this to compare themselves to other colleges under the same accreditation such as Michigan and Ohio State. Does this mean that all colleges under the same accreditation are equal? No, but the consumer assumes that because a body is accredited by a regional body, they are good quality and legit. This is not the case.

While it is smart for potential consumers of UOP to investigate, being lied to about something while investigating presents issue for trusting consumers. I believe that a corporate entity, at the basic operating level, has an obligation to be honest with a consumer.

This is the art of the sale. UOP is notoriously dishonest with their methods. As a society we assign basic individual rights to a corporation. However, we overlook the fact that a person has at some level, a moral/ethical compass to navigate and govern them. Corporations have no such compass. We call it business ethics but the US Corporate track record on ethics is less than stellar.

Too many businesses operated their ethics based upon, If we can get away with it, it must be ethical. While I would like to place the responsibility on consumers in this case, UOP has a great disguise with their accreditation and Title IV to look like they are legit. Because of this it is too difficult for consumers to make heads or tails of them. This is why I fight the fight.

I hope that by deterring enough consumers away from UOP it will hit them where it hurts, profits, and make them change their ways. It is a pipe dream and the loss of a few hundred students is no issue. They must lose accreditation which is very hard to do, or they must lose Title IV which they just might.

There is no good solution to this problem. It will take time. UOP (Apollo) has placed their future in the 18-23 year old population. This is a gamble I think will backfire. Online learning is a great forum, but 18-23 year olds are often looking for and needing a different college experience UOP cannot provide. I believe they will lose this bet and their greed for growth will cause them to ignore their adult learner population and other colleges will continue to eat away at their market share.

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#247 Consumer Comment

UOP... is it your fualt that you bought the hype?

AUTHOR: Joe - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 18, 2007

First off let me say to "B" thank you for a witty and fun read. I actually read the whole thread!

I have some questions of the responsibility of those who purchase the services of this corporate entity known as UOP. Do you not have the option to audit a course before you enter the semester or whatever your term is called? It would behoove anyone considering to throw 25-50k at a degree that they might want to check it out before hand.

Are you unable to find your degree requirements? Why do I hear all these stories of people not knowing what they need to graduate??? I remember in my time at Clemson I picked up a course book and sat down and mapped my degree myself and any trip to the couselor was just the freshman orientation formality.

Why haven't any of the UOP grads here who "rightfully" whine about the uselessness of their degree make a few phone calls to HRs and academic advisors to REAL unis that would answer your transfer and degree quality questions? All of them will tell you a UOP degree is next to worthless and won't transfer. It just takes a few calls.

Why didn't you people come online to threads like this to read reviews of UOP before you buy? I check online reviews of products under 100 bucks, I think you should do it for spending 25-50k dollars!

I will not blame you for getting the worst customer service known to man and getting a speal better than the best car salesmen to dupe you into attending this "degree mill" but couldn't a little investigation on your part have uncovered these facts before you jumped in?

Just because it is convienient doesn't mean it is a worthwhile degree. It is generally the ones that are inconvienient that are worth their salt, ie day classes. Next on the ladder is night/weekend classes at the traditional hub and your third resort is online at these well known institutions. The last resort are these for profit corporations with UOP being the worst. I had to quit my day job and work nights so I could go to just an in-state uni.

I just want to comment on these "you get what you put into it" remarks that all defenders of UOP use. I know someone who dropped out of Clemson to go to UOP in SC and his GPA at Clemson was a 1.65, at UOP it was a 3.95. He said that traditional college didn't fit his learning style, the only style he had was to come in hung over every day! Ladies and gentlemen, you seriously need to revaluate the value of a degree. Is it worth spending 25-50k on a degree that has a 95% chance of earning you nothing? The more trasitional your education the more it will be respected, I understand those of you with children can't ever do what I did but those who don't have an opportunity to attend in-state uni and get a degree that you will get the most bang for you buck with. The more your degree is respected the more it is worth. As B likes to state you wouldn't want a Pinto for the price of a Cadillac, go for the darned Cadillac!!!

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#246 Consumer Comment

Intel also dropped

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

Intel also dropped support for Strayer because they did not meet the requirements as well. In this article they also mentioned that UOP also does the same thing. They did not have the business certification that Intel was looking for so they dropped them as well. It is nice to see they also dropped UOP.

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#245 Consumer Comment

Intel also dropped

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

Intel also dropped support for Strayer because they did not meet the requirements as well. In this article they also mentioned that UOP also does the same thing. They did not have the business certification that Intel was looking for so they dropped them as well. It is nice to see they also dropped UOP.

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#244 Consumer Comment

Intel also dropped

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

Intel also dropped support for Strayer because they did not meet the requirements as well. In this article they also mentioned that UOP also does the same thing. They did not have the business certification that Intel was looking for so they dropped them as well. It is nice to see they also dropped UOP.

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#243 Consumer Comment

Intel also dropped

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

Intel also dropped support for Strayer because they did not meet the requirements as well. In this article they also mentioned that UOP also does the same thing. They did not have the business certification that Intel was looking for so they dropped them as well. It is nice to see they also dropped UOP.

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#242 Consumer Comment

I forgot to mention

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

I forgot to mention that for me I want a degree that does not state that it is an online degree. I want it to say the same thing as those attending the university. I also want it to be more like attending the university such as seeing the teachers lectures instead of just reading notes of the lecture. I also want to be responsible for my own work. I do not want others relying on me and I do not want to rely on others for my grade. I also want to get the grade that I earn.

I have read about to many schools that give out A's for sub par work which means the degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. This is why I did my research and I hope that others do their's as well before putting down good money on a program. See if you can see what a class would be like before signing up. This way you can see if it is in fact what you would like to take. What others are saying is so true. Now more then ever you have to investigate things for yourself.

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#241 Consumer Comment

I forgot to mention

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

I forgot to mention that for me I want a degree that does not state that it is an online degree. I want it to say the same thing as those attending the university. I also want it to be more like attending the university such as seeing the teachers lectures instead of just reading notes of the lecture. I also want to be responsible for my own work. I do not want others relying on me and I do not want to rely on others for my grade. I also want to get the grade that I earn.

I have read about to many schools that give out A's for sub par work which means the degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. This is why I did my research and I hope that others do their's as well before putting down good money on a program. See if you can see what a class would be like before signing up. This way you can see if it is in fact what you would like to take. What others are saying is so true. Now more then ever you have to investigate things for yourself.

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#240 Consumer Comment

I forgot to mention

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

I forgot to mention that for me I want a degree that does not state that it is an online degree. I want it to say the same thing as those attending the university. I also want it to be more like attending the university such as seeing the teachers lectures instead of just reading notes of the lecture. I also want to be responsible for my own work. I do not want others relying on me and I do not want to rely on others for my grade. I also want to get the grade that I earn.

I have read about to many schools that give out A's for sub par work which means the degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. This is why I did my research and I hope that others do their's as well before putting down good money on a program. See if you can see what a class would be like before signing up. This way you can see if it is in fact what you would like to take. What others are saying is so true. Now more then ever you have to investigate things for yourself.

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#239 Consumer Comment

I forgot to mention

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

I forgot to mention that for me I want a degree that does not state that it is an online degree. I want it to say the same thing as those attending the university. I also want it to be more like attending the university such as seeing the teachers lectures instead of just reading notes of the lecture. I also want to be responsible for my own work. I do not want others relying on me and I do not want to rely on others for my grade. I also want to get the grade that I earn.

I have read about to many schools that give out A's for sub par work which means the degree is not worth the paper it is printed on. This is why I did my research and I hope that others do their's as well before putting down good money on a program. See if you can see what a class would be like before signing up. This way you can see if it is in fact what you would like to take. What others are saying is so true. Now more then ever you have to investigate things for yourself.

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#238 Consumer Comment

Some things to consider

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 25, 2006

Before signing up with any school do your home work. I had signed up with a number of schools just to get information. I did this before I did my research on these schools. I was shocked with what I found out about most of them.

------ told me that some are on probation and this they will not tell you so do your research first. See if you can get into a class and see if it is some thing that you will like. One lady I had in a math class from my local university suggested that I check out ---- as her brother was taking online classes through them. I have not seen this suggested so thought that I would suggest it.

I have never gone to UOP but did take the test but never did take classes as I thought back then that you paid for your degree. I did not feel that you could learn any thing in 5 weeks. I know that I was thinking of taking computer science there and did not think that you could learn programming in 5 weeks so I went else where.

I did not complete my degree and with my work schedule I am thinking of going back to school. I know that more and more jobs are requiring a degree as you can not work your way up like you used to be able to do. Because of this I am looking at going back to school online. I really appreciate all this information. It made my decision not to go to UOP campus or online that much easier.

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

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#237 Consumer Comment

Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 15, 2006

"We are not seeing the preferred outcomes from the enrollment of Intel employees at certain for-profit schools, such as the Univ. of Phoenix, owned by the Phoenix, Ariz. based Apollo Group," said Intel spokesman Bill Mckenzie.

So, Intel hammers UOP by dropping UOP tuition reimbursement. Alan Fisher, Intel's Extended Education Manager followed up with this scorching remark," it's a reflection of the high standards Intel has."

UOP has graduated hundreds of Intel employees and those graduates simply have not passed muster, and "could not compete for internal openings with outside candidates, who often were held to higher educational standards."

There you have it, folks. Intel has 100,000 employees and has summarily flunked UOP/Apollo. Lots of other schools made the cut, including all of Arizona's(UOP'HQ)public Universities. Heck, even DeVry survived; but NOT UOP.

Now, it's not only United States v. UOP (just type those words into Google for THAT story) but, also, Intel v. UOP.

What happens when all the other corporate hiring managers find out that Intel has canned UOP? Intel now has a huge sampling of UOP grads within their ranks and has found they are getting clobbered in the workplace by graduates of real Universities.

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#236 Consumer Comment

Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 15, 2006

"We are not seeing the preferred outcomes from the enrollment of Intel employees at certain for-profit schools, such as the Univ. of Phoenix, owned by the Phoenix, Ariz. based Apollo Group," said Intel spokesman Bill Mckenzie.

So, Intel hammers UOP by dropping UOP tuition reimbursement. Alan Fisher, Intel's Extended Education Manager followed up with this scorching remark," it's a reflection of the high standards Intel has."

UOP has graduated hundreds of Intel employees and those graduates simply have not passed muster, and "could not compete for internal openings with outside candidates, who often were held to higher educational standards."

There you have it, folks. Intel has 100,000 employees and has summarily flunked UOP/Apollo. Lots of other schools made the cut, including all of Arizona's(UOP'HQ)public Universities. Heck, even DeVry survived; but NOT UOP.

Now, it's not only United States v. UOP (just type those words into Google for THAT story) but, also, Intel v. UOP.

What happens when all the other corporate hiring managers find out that Intel has canned UOP? Intel now has a huge sampling of UOP grads within their ranks and has found they are getting clobbered in the workplace by graduates of real Universities.

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#235 Consumer Comment

Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 15, 2006

"We are not seeing the preferred outcomes from the enrollment of Intel employees at certain for-profit schools, such as the Univ. of Phoenix, owned by the Phoenix, Ariz. based Apollo Group," said Intel spokesman Bill Mckenzie.

So, Intel hammers UOP by dropping UOP tuition reimbursement. Alan Fisher, Intel's Extended Education Manager followed up with this scorching remark," it's a reflection of the high standards Intel has."

UOP has graduated hundreds of Intel employees and those graduates simply have not passed muster, and "could not compete for internal openings with outside candidates, who often were held to higher educational standards."

There you have it, folks. Intel has 100,000 employees and has summarily flunked UOP/Apollo. Lots of other schools made the cut, including all of Arizona's(UOP'HQ)public Universities. Heck, even DeVry survived; but NOT UOP.

Now, it's not only United States v. UOP (just type those words into Google for THAT story) but, also, Intel v. UOP.

What happens when all the other corporate hiring managers find out that Intel has canned UOP? Intel now has a huge sampling of UOP grads within their ranks and has found they are getting clobbered in the workplace by graduates of real Universities.

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#234 Consumer Comment

Intel cuts UOP from tuition reimbursement list

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 15, 2006

"We are not seeing the preferred outcomes from the enrollment of Intel employees at certain for-profit schools, such as the Univ. of Phoenix, owned by the Phoenix, Ariz. based Apollo Group," said Intel spokesman Bill Mckenzie.

So, Intel hammers UOP by dropping UOP tuition reimbursement. Alan Fisher, Intel's Extended Education Manager followed up with this scorching remark," it's a reflection of the high standards Intel has."

UOP has graduated hundreds of Intel employees and those graduates simply have not passed muster, and "could not compete for internal openings with outside candidates, who often were held to higher educational standards."

There you have it, folks. Intel has 100,000 employees and has summarily flunked UOP/Apollo. Lots of other schools made the cut, including all of Arizona's(UOP'HQ)public Universities. Heck, even DeVry survived; but NOT UOP.

Now, it's not only United States v. UOP (just type those words into Google for THAT story) but, also, Intel v. UOP.

What happens when all the other corporate hiring managers find out that Intel has canned UOP? Intel now has a huge sampling of UOP grads within their ranks and has found they are getting clobbered in the workplace by graduates of real Universities.

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#233 Author of original report

To Jesse

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, December 14, 2006

Jesse,

To answer your first question I must speculate. Credit transfer is often different from college to college. Usually it is based upon a few criteria such as course level (bachelor, master, doctorate), course relevance (how the credits relate to the program you transfer to), accreditation, and grade. If you are in graduate level courses, most colleges will only accept 0-2 classes in transfer to their same graduate program. UOP's credits are acceptable based off of most criteria but you will probably find it difficult to transfer master credits in to another college. I think Walden has a 6 credit hour transfer minimum for their master programs.

The second question is subjective and calls for opinion. As mentioned in earlier posts, there are some direct competitors with UOP that try to do it right. Nova, Walden, Capella, Northcentral, National, etc. The line between online and ground is blurring as many traditional ground universities offer online coursework and degree programs. Basically there are 3 or 4 colleges to stay away from. UOP, Kaplan, American Intercontinental University, and any college owned by EDMC (Art Institute, Agrosy, Brown Mackie, and South University)

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#232 Consumer Comment

Thanx You B and others: Made my decision easier!

AUTHOR: Jesse - (Taiwan)

POSTED: Thursday, December 14, 2006

First off thank you B!

I have spent an embarrassing amount of time reading this rather shockingly long debate today. I have been attending U of P for about 6 months and had been increasingly uneasy about the whole process the entire time. However; the events of the last short while, along with reading through the posts here and in other locations, have confirmed my belief that this so called institution of higher learning' is a farce. I feel ashamed that I was able to convince myself this long that all was kosher. I guess the will to see the good in something you really want to work out has a mystifying quality that obscures reality. I suppose it is this quality that has taken many an intelligent man down with a foundering business or allowed a person to endure years involved in a terrible marriage or other form of relationship. It is this quality that allowed me to rationalize my way through the joke of a first class professional' communications and hope that there was a rainbow on the horizon and not the _ _ _ _ (expletive deleted) storm that has blown over as of late. I have degrees (one of them a professional degree) from two of the finest universities in my country that I am quite proud of. I was hoping to acquire a means to develop professionally in a manner that is unavailable to me in my current setting (as I am overseas) and was initially looking at a program with Walden. It turned out that when I had some money saved I could no longer access that option in this country, so I opted to give Phoenix a go.

Right from the get go I (as well as my significant other) had reservations about my decision, but (see above) I decided to go on with it anyway. My first class was not worthy of an undergraduate, let alone graduate, level designation which should have been evidence enough for me to overturn my decision to attend U of P. (see above). Yet, the next couple of courses were alright. I had diligent instructors and it seemed like most of the others in my classes were fairly capable individuals with a desire to learn and better themselves professionally.

Than it began: The next class had three people in it including myself. The other two had a limited command on English, and an even more limited command on the material. I did all the work and finished the course frustrated and ready to quit (see above). The next course was mediocre at best, and a time zone conflict resulted in a barrage of personal attacks from an incensed individual behaving like a rabbit with an amygdalectomy. Again I was left thinking how can this be at a graduate level? I have completed a graduate program at a prestigious university and was surrounded with, by and large, very intelligent articulate people capable of well reasoned-rational-objective debate (as one would, and I feel, should expect).

The kicker: Without going into too great a detail my last class was a shocker, it was pathetic. The new online learning system is rotten, to say it is less reliable than a poorly designed beta version of some second rate software would be a compliment. Not to mention that the server has been crashing all the more frequently, and you call technical service and get to wait on hold for an hour plus while paying the long distance tariff. All this grief and more at a premium price! I must have become a masochist and have simultaneously become too unaware to know it! Another stone to through is the fact that some grimly poor work that was turned in by my learning group in my last class and was given a very high grade. I knew it to be rife with errors, yet this A grade appeared as if by magic. Who if anyone actually looked this thing over? was all that came to mind.
I had become increasingly critical of the whole process finally shedding the cloak of rationalization I had been wearing (see above) and over the last few days (with very little effort) I have read through myriad reports of scenarios analogous to my own; as well as much worse information about the University of Phoenix that I would have never fathomed existed. Had it not been for my geographic location I would have never taken this road to ruin, I am just glad that I have decided to cut loose of it before more of my time and hard earned money had been squandered on a meaningless degree. Lined up next to my prior degrees all one could ask would be why? I talked to a friend (we went trough undergraduate neuroscience together) who doing his PhD at home and mentioned what I had been up to and his response was What?.... don't they have schools over there? how much are you paying for that? are you taking crack? Snicker.snickersnicker.

It was a wake up call, I had no idea about the north American perception of this university and foolishly assumed that if it was granted the ability to collect students loans from the American government that it mush be above board.

I was so eager to get back into to school and further my education, taking on the challenges of simultaneously working and perusing another graduate degree, that I let my ambition obscure reality and did not allow myself to hit the brakes when all the red signals started to appear from the beginning. I am only out of pocket for a quarter of the cost so far so I guess I should consider myself lucky in that sense.

B as you seem to be very much in the know concerning the online learning situation in America I have a couple of quick questions for you. First, I was wondering if there is any possibility that Walden or some other online school grant transfer credits for U of P coursework? Second, if transfer is possible what online university has highest degree of legitimate merit?

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#231 Consumer Comment

Thanx You B and others: Made my decision easier!

AUTHOR: Jesse - (Taiwan)

POSTED: Thursday, December 14, 2006

First off thank you B!

I have spent an embarrassing amount of time reading this rather shockingly long debate today. I have been attending U of P for about 6 months and had been increasingly uneasy about the whole process the entire time. However; the events of the last short while, along with reading through the posts here and in other locations, have confirmed my belief that this so called institution of higher learning' is a farce. I feel ashamed that I was able to convince myself this long that all was kosher. I guess the will to see the good in something you really want to work out has a mystifying quality that obscures reality. I suppose it is this quality that has taken many an intelligent man down with a foundering business or allowed a person to endure years involved in a terrible marriage or other form of relationship. It is this quality that allowed me to rationalize my way through the joke of a first class professional' communications and hope that there was a rainbow on the horizon and not the _ _ _ _ (expletive deleted) storm that has blown over as of late. I have degrees (one of them a professional degree) from two of the finest universities in my country that I am quite proud of. I was hoping to acquire a means to develop professionally in a manner that is unavailable to me in my current setting (as I am overseas) and was initially looking at a program with Walden. It turned out that when I had some money saved I could no longer access that option in this country, so I opted to give Phoenix a go.

Right from the get go I (as well as my significant other) had reservations about my decision, but (see above) I decided to go on with it anyway. My first class was not worthy of an undergraduate, let alone graduate, level designation which should have been evidence enough for me to overturn my decision to attend U of P. (see above). Yet, the next couple of courses were alright. I had diligent instructors and it seemed like most of the others in my classes were fairly capable individuals with a desire to learn and better themselves professionally.

Than it began: The next class had three people in it including myself. The other two had a limited command on English, and an even more limited command on the material. I did all the work and finished the course frustrated and ready to quit (see above). The next course was mediocre at best, and a time zone conflict resulted in a barrage of personal attacks from an incensed individual behaving like a rabbit with an amygdalectomy. Again I was left thinking how can this be at a graduate level? I have completed a graduate program at a prestigious university and was surrounded with, by and large, very intelligent articulate people capable of well reasoned-rational-objective debate (as one would, and I feel, should expect).

The kicker: Without going into too great a detail my last class was a shocker, it was pathetic. The new online learning system is rotten, to say it is less reliable than a poorly designed beta version of some second rate software would be a compliment. Not to mention that the server has been crashing all the more frequently, and you call technical service and get to wait on hold for an hour plus while paying the long distance tariff. All this grief and more at a premium price! I must have become a masochist and have simultaneously become too unaware to know it! Another stone to through is the fact that some grimly poor work that was turned in by my learning group in my last class and was given a very high grade. I knew it to be rife with errors, yet this A grade appeared as if by magic. Who if anyone actually looked this thing over? was all that came to mind.
I had become increasingly critical of the whole process finally shedding the cloak of rationalization I had been wearing (see above) and over the last few days (with very little effort) I have read through myriad reports of scenarios analogous to my own; as well as much worse information about the University of Phoenix that I would have never fathomed existed. Had it not been for my geographic location I would have never taken this road to ruin, I am just glad that I have decided to cut loose of it before more of my time and hard earned money had been squandered on a meaningless degree. Lined up next to my prior degrees all one could ask would be why? I talked to a friend (we went trough undergraduate neuroscience together) who doing his PhD at home and mentioned what I had been up to and his response was What?.... don't they have schools over there? how much are you paying for that? are you taking crack? Snicker.snickersnicker.

It was a wake up call, I had no idea about the north American perception of this university and foolishly assumed that if it was granted the ability to collect students loans from the American government that it mush be above board.

I was so eager to get back into to school and further my education, taking on the challenges of simultaneously working and perusing another graduate degree, that I let my ambition obscure reality and did not allow myself to hit the brakes when all the red signals started to appear from the beginning. I am only out of pocket for a quarter of the cost so far so I guess I should consider myself lucky in that sense.

B as you seem to be very much in the know concerning the online learning situation in America I have a couple of quick questions for you. First, I was wondering if there is any possibility that Walden or some other online school grant transfer credits for U of P coursework? Second, if transfer is possible what online university has highest degree of legitimate merit?

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#230 Consumer Comment

Thanx You B and others: Made my decision easier!

AUTHOR: Jesse - (Taiwan)

POSTED: Thursday, December 14, 2006

First off thank you B!

I have spent an embarrassing amount of time reading this rather shockingly long debate today. I have been attending U of P for about 6 months and had been increasingly uneasy about the whole process the entire time. However; the events of the last short while, along with reading through the posts here and in other locations, have confirmed my belief that this so called institution of higher learning' is a farce. I feel ashamed that I was able to convince myself this long that all was kosher. I guess the will to see the good in something you really want to work out has a mystifying quality that obscures reality. I suppose it is this quality that has taken many an intelligent man down with a foundering business or allowed a person to endure years involved in a terrible marriage or other form of relationship. It is this quality that allowed me to rationalize my way through the joke of a first class professional' communications and hope that there was a rainbow on the horizon and not the _ _ _ _ (expletive deleted) storm that has blown over as of late. I have degrees (one of them a professional degree) from two of the finest universities in my country that I am quite proud of. I was hoping to acquire a means to develop professionally in a manner that is unavailable to me in my current setting (as I am overseas) and was initially looking at a program with Walden. It turned out that when I had some money saved I could no longer access that option in this country, so I opted to give Phoenix a go.

Right from the get go I (as well as my significant other) had reservations about my decision, but (see above) I decided to go on with it anyway. My first class was not worthy of an undergraduate, let alone graduate, level designation which should have been evidence enough for me to overturn my decision to attend U of P. (see above). Yet, the next couple of courses were alright. I had diligent instructors and it seemed like most of the others in my classes were fairly capable individuals with a desire to learn and better themselves professionally.

Than it began: The next class had three people in it including myself. The other two had a limited command on English, and an even more limited command on the material. I did all the work and finished the course frustrated and ready to quit (see above). The next course was mediocre at best, and a time zone conflict resulted in a barrage of personal attacks from an incensed individual behaving like a rabbit with an amygdalectomy. Again I was left thinking how can this be at a graduate level? I have completed a graduate program at a prestigious university and was surrounded with, by and large, very intelligent articulate people capable of well reasoned-rational-objective debate (as one would, and I feel, should expect).

The kicker: Without going into too great a detail my last class was a shocker, it was pathetic. The new online learning system is rotten, to say it is less reliable than a poorly designed beta version of some second rate software would be a compliment. Not to mention that the server has been crashing all the more frequently, and you call technical service and get to wait on hold for an hour plus while paying the long distance tariff. All this grief and more at a premium price! I must have become a masochist and have simultaneously become too unaware to know it! Another stone to through is the fact that some grimly poor work that was turned in by my learning group in my last class and was given a very high grade. I knew it to be rife with errors, yet this A grade appeared as if by magic. Who if anyone actually looked this thing over? was all that came to mind.
I had become increasingly critical of the whole process finally shedding the cloak of rationalization I had been wearing (see above) and over the last few days (with very little effort) I have read through myriad reports of scenarios analogous to my own; as well as much worse information about the University of Phoenix that I would have never fathomed existed. Had it not been for my geographic location I would have never taken this road to ruin, I am just glad that I have decided to cut loose of it before more of my time and hard earned money had been squandered on a meaningless degree. Lined up next to my prior degrees all one could ask would be why? I talked to a friend (we went trough undergraduate neuroscience together) who doing his PhD at home and mentioned what I had been up to and his response was What?.... don't they have schools over there? how much are you paying for that? are you taking crack? Snicker.snickersnicker.

It was a wake up call, I had no idea about the north American perception of this university and foolishly assumed that if it was granted the ability to collect students loans from the American government that it mush be above board.

I was so eager to get back into to school and further my education, taking on the challenges of simultaneously working and perusing another graduate degree, that I let my ambition obscure reality and did not allow myself to hit the brakes when all the red signals started to appear from the beginning. I am only out of pocket for a quarter of the cost so far so I guess I should consider myself lucky in that sense.

B as you seem to be very much in the know concerning the online learning situation in America I have a couple of quick questions for you. First, I was wondering if there is any possibility that Walden or some other online school grant transfer credits for U of P coursework? Second, if transfer is possible what online university has highest degree of legitimate merit?

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#229 Author of original report

To Bonnie

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 12, 2006

Stafford Loans are based upon your current academic level (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior) which dictates your total Stafford Amount. According to levels listed before the funding is as follows: $6500, $7400, $10,500, $10,500. However, if you applied for the loan and you were under 24 years of age, you are not married, and do no have children, you would be considered (dependent) and only eligible for roughly those amounts listed. You would have needed a Parent Plus Loan Denial or Approval to borrow or be awarded the rest of the funding.

If you are attending AXIA, it was my understanding that your tuition should be covered for your first two years by the Stafford Loan unless you are a (dependent) borrower in which case you would have roughly $3,000 out of pocket your first year.

If you are at UOP, you would still be short on funding even if you qualify for the full amount of Stafford. Tuition at UOP Undergrad for 24 credit hours is $11,856.00 plus book fees of $85 per course (8 Courses) putting your first year total at $12,536.00. The Stafford only covers $10,500. When you break it down they should be telling you that by your 4th class you would owe about $500. This will occur again when you get to your 8th class.

With regards to your question on enrollment, there is not a specific answer for you. Yes, you can transfer to another school whenever you would like. However, if your financial aid has not been distributed to UOP/AIXA yet and you have completed a course, once you drop they will be required to cancel or send back the aid. This will leave you will an outstanding balance at UOP/AXIA for the course/s your have taken. They will not release your credits until your balance is paid. In addition, they may send you to collections.

If your funding has been distributed to UOP/AXIA, then you will not be able to use Stafford at another college until they return the funds to your lender. Most of the time if you have taken a few courses, your funds are returned less the money used to pay your tuition for those courses. As you are only eligible for a certain dollar amount for Stafford each academic year, therefore you would be short on funding if you transfer to another school.

The best thing to do is drop and begin paying off the balance at UOP/AXIA or making small payments towards your loan balance. Once you are in a new academic year, you can apply at a different school and use the full Stafford Loan again.

If it is any consolation, you are not alone. Many others run into this problem there.
Good Luck

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#228 Consumer Comment

transfering

AUTHOR: Bonnie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, December 11, 2006

Is their a policy on how long you have to stay enrolled with them befor you can transfer to another school. I have been there for 8 weeks and I have a stafford loan that for some reason doesnt cover all my expences. I would like to change schools but i dont want to owe them any money or lose out money on my loan. please tell me the best way to leave this school. I cannot afford to pay 400 out of pocket every semester plus 3500 in loans. thank you.

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#227 Consumer Suggestion

From a Consumer/Employers Perspective

AUTHOR: Kate - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, November 02, 2006

U of P. I researched this organization while I was looking for an online option to continue to advance toward my degree.

What I found.

1. Accredited colleges will not accept credit transfers from this unrecognized' institution.
2. Corporate entities now use big three credit reporting services to validate higher learning degrees. They do not recognize University of Phoenix.
3. University of Phoenix is a well known entity for predatory lending and collection practices.
4. A long history of government sanction and practice renovations to accommodate challenges to their Title standing.

So if you would like a degree that will not be recognized by real colleges or the types of companies you would HOPE to go to work for and you'd like to enter into an indentured servitude type of relationship with a well known predator go ahead and sign up with this organization!

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#226 Consumer Comment

Apollo (UOP) v. Enron--a stock collapse perspective

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 23, 2006

To follow up on my previous comments lets put into perspective Apollo's stock collapse with that of the late, not-so-great, Enron.

For the one-year period, Sept. 00-01 Enron stock free-falled from 90 to 38 dollars, losing 58% of it's market value.

For the one-year period, Oct. 05-06 Apollo (UOP) stock free-falled from 73 to 36 dollars, losing 51% of it's market value, ranking the Apollo stock collapse as one of the most spectacular of all time.

Even more "impressive" is the fact that the broad markets (Dow, NASDAQ, S&P 500) have registered spectacular gains over the past year.
Enron caught the 9/11 whammy, which really exacerbated the situation.

Now, Enron stock ended up at 30 cents. I'm not claiming that'll ever happen to Apollo. What I am saying is don't think that buying stadium naming rights will lend UOP any more credibililty to it's shareholders or enhance it's academic reputation. UOP's biggest fall came AFTER they were dumb enough to pull the Stadium stunt.

Other companies have tried to give shareholders/clients "warm-and-fuzzies" by buying stadium naming rights, like, say, Enron Field (Houston Astros. Or, how about Adelphia Coliseum? (Tennessee Titans) Or the TWA Dome (St.Louis Rams)?...seems like buying stadium naming rights is, these days anyway, the Kiss of Death.

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#225 Consumer Comment

Apollo Stock Option Investigation--Major Deficiencies

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 23, 2006

Look out, B. Today, the market is at an all-time high of over 12,000. Apollo stock, however, is now in full collapse--having plummeted 22% in one day to 36 bucks. The stock has now gone from 100 to 36 in two years and from 73 to 36 in one year; an almost unbelievable event considering Apollo is now bucking record market advances across such a huge expanse of worldwide equity investment.

In a letter to its clients, Prudential Equity Group stated, this collapse, "raises many questions about the health of the business model." We aren't talking about Title IV, exclusively, anymore; now, we're into an eerie
"Enron-esque, it's deja-vu all over again scenario." (Anybody out there remember Enron Field, home of the Houston Astros?) Now we have UOP Stadium, home of the pathetic, NFL laughingstock, Arizona Cardinals, which Wall Street wags term, "The Aviary of Incompetence."

Apollo may now have to restate past financial statements and has missed the deadline for filing it's third quarter report with the SEC.

Now, not only is the Attorney General of New York and the SEC pulling the string on Apollo, the US Attorney has gotten into the act with a subpoena targeting Apollo accounting and stock option practices.

I never dreamed Apollo stock would tank an additional 22% on the day Wall Street registers its all-time high.

WOW!!!!

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#224 UPDATE EX-employee responds

UOP seems to have bought their way out of the tight spot they were in...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 23, 2006

This is an Article taken from aacroa.org about the tactics UOP has used to position themselves for the upcomming lawsuit. What it looks like is that the DOE (Mistakenly) gave UOP legal documents outlining the plaintiffs entire case. Seems a little questionable to me. In earlier posts I mention that they are in trouble if they are not allowed to buy their way out of this one, looks like they found someone in the DOE who was willing to play ball with them. In any other legal case, the defense team would be thrown off the case.

Department of Education Error Resulted in University of Phoenix Receiving Sensitive Legal Documents
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the U.S. Department of Education provided sensitive legal documents to Apollo Group, the parent company of University of Phoenix, including the entire legal strategy for a whistle-blower suit against the firm. The suit, which was recently reinstated by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, could leave the school liable for billions of dollars it received from federal aid programs. The plaintiffs allege that the aid was fraudulently obtained.

The documents were provided to Apollo Group over a year ago after its lawyers filed a request for their release under the Freedom of Information Act. The Department contends the documents were released in error and has requested Apollo Group return them. Apollo is refusing to do so saying the documents are now part of the public record and were obtained legally after intense and protracted scrutiny at multiple levels within the department.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs are reportedly incensed and plan to move that the firm representing Apollo be disqualified from the case. "It's as if we had a burglar come into our office and rummage through our files," a member of the plaintiffs' counsel told the Chronicle.

The case centers on whether the school paid illegal incentive compensation to recruiters and admissions officers. The U.S. Department of Education bans any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments.

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#223 Author of original report

Tonia

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, October 23, 2006

The online education industry has forced the hand of the traditional colleges to be more flexible to students. Bascially, it has made all colleges look at students as consumers of a product/service/commodity in stead of just applicants. Only certain colleges can afford to just wait for the top applicants in their state or the nation to apply to them. Anymore, educational consumers have demanded more which is why you see so many brick and mortar traditional campuses offering online programs. The problem is that ground campuses lack the infrastructure and the "know how" when it comes to entering the online market. It is a totally different animal.

It would not always make sense to look at a B&M over an online. Many B&M online offerings are still structured much like the ground courses simply becuase the college does not know of a better way to do it. Not to mention, these B&M's are only looking to appease the needs of their current student body, many of which want to just take 1 or 2 online courses to compensate for schedule restrictions. This means that the B&M online format is often much different that colleges that focus on online.

Ultimately, you need to make the decision based upon a few factors: 1. Schedule (Do I work a 40 hour week and have a life, what program fits around that NOT what can I fit around a program)2. Time (if I make this work, how long will this take me) 3. Content (What are these classes like, is it conducive to my learning style) 4. Program (How does this program related to my educational/professional goals? 5. Cost (What will the cost me, what will me return of investment of time and money get me?)6. Options for payment. (What options are available, what do you need as a student).

A good college will help you answer these questions. Again, if you feel more comfortable with ground then go there.

Good Luck

sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

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#222 Consumer Comment

Online Vs. Brick & Mortar

AUTHOR: Tonia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, October 19, 2006

B & All:

Thank you for the quick post. What accreditation should one look for when choosing an online school?

Wouldn't it make more sense to always go to a brick and mortar college? I mean as far as the degree turning into a career?

My fear of the b and m school is the attention and the system in place with some of these colleges. NCU seams to have had a system in place for quite a while. There are other schools too like Drexel and Penn State. They are limited in what they offer. Also, I have heard that the professors in some of the b and m schools don't get back to you in a timely manner. Since they are so new to this arena there isn't anything about them on the net, review wise, good or bad.

If money wasn't an issue wouldn't this be the way to go? Or are Walden and Capella just as good?

Other on-lines I've looked into are Belevue, Troy, Excelsior, UMass, Empire State College and Southwest.

What to do what to do. There are so many.

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#221 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Tonia

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Hi Tonia

Walden is good but you need at least 30 transferrable credits to get in.

Capella is good but their tuition structure is a little funky and can run on the high side depending on how long it takes you.

Strayer, not sure about with the bach program.

NCU is in process of re-design and I have heard rumors that they are going Title IV for the undergrad program and re-structing it so teh price point will be abuot $25K for the degree. This si rumor and nothing soon. So for the safe bet go with Walden.

Good Luck

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#220 REBUTTAL Individual responds

B & others I need your help. Was considering UOP!

AUTHOR: Tonia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 18, 2006

I too am looking into going back to school for a BS in Marketing or Administration. I'm loosing my mind trying to pick a school. What is the best school to go to? I work and am a single mother. Time is an issue. I also can't waste the next 2+ years of my life on a bogus degree.

What school will translate into a career?

Strayer
Capella
Walden
NCU

I need student loans and grants to pay for school. I may also want to go on and get a Masters Degree.

HEEEEELLLLPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!

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#219 Consumer Comment

UOP student

AUTHOR: Ashley - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 13, 2006

I was at a traditional four year college but once I had my daughter I was looking for a way to complete my degree and still be able to work. UOP was recommended to me by a family friend who is an MBA student. This is not her first MBA either she just loves education and studies in her spare time for her own fulfillment. I was leery of the university in the beginning but called the local hospitals to see what they thought of the degree and no one had any issues with it.

Throughout the enrollment process I did feel as others have commented on that I was being sold a used car. I have less than a year to go and I do intend to finish my degree. I have read several of the postings and find that there are a few intelligent individuals who do not discredit on-line learning, while others hate what they don't understand or feel they couldn't do, perhaps from a lack of self-motivation.

As with every institution you get what you put in, and the state funded traditional college I attended had some students that were lacking intelligence and could not form functioning sentences as some have claimed of UOP students. I have personally found that after the first 5 to 6 courses the students that were really lacking any work ethic had suddenly disappeared. The original post was very informative and I wish I knew when I originally enrolled some of the information I have seen posted but hindsight is 20/20.

I have never been one to comment on these types of posts but felt the original commentor deserved some applause for trying to help adults seeking to finish their eduation by giving constructive advise. I think that I have worked very hard to receive my grades and knowledge but I have always been one to do better learning through research rather than sitting through lectures. Unfortunately people who think only idiots are enrolled in UOP are supported by students who post ridiculous and insulting comments that are irrelevent and simply speak to the lack of their own personal knowledge or ability to read.

I am transfering to UF as soon as I am done with my bachelors to the pharmacy school and it is a doctorate program. My credits were transferrable but I do need to attend a community college to finish the required sciences but that would be expected. I wish all seeking to advance themselves good luck in what ever route works best for you and hope people continue to post helpful comments that encourage people to read the small print.

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#218 Author of original report

Feel Felt Found... Dear God

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, October 12, 2006

Thats some funny ish... I remember that DCBA and Feel Felt Found crap they tried to teach. Any consumer with 1/2 a brain new what an advisor was trying to do them and didnt like it. For those who dont know what were talking about it goes back to the sales manipulation tool I talk about in earlier threads. AMOPS, RAMOPS or RAMOPSR is what they call it. (Its an acronym...) The Feel, Felt, Found crap is about overcoming consumer objections in order to move move them to the sales close or the "S" in the acronym. When a consumer would express a concern about price for example, the adivsors were trained to take the following approach. " I understand that you FEEL that the cost of the degree is a little high for your personal budget. I have FELT that way before and and many other students have as well. What I have FOUND is that there is money available to ease the burden of paying everthing yourself through federal grants and loan program..."

Its supposed to make the buyer feel warm and fuzzy while manipulating them into looking at borrowing $46,000 for their bachelor degree. If you fall for it, you get what you deserve. No one ever seems to ask, why is your tuition so much? Or why is your tuition rate designed to use the maximum money availble to a bachelor student through Stafford Loans? If the price point was really about overhead costs and profit margins, the tuition would be lower. This is also why they opened up AXIA. No freshman or sophomore students were willing to fork out the additional $4000 and $3000 out of pocket dollars for the UOP bachelor degree. Look at the cost at AXIA, you will notice that the tuition is designed to fit just under the freshman loan max of $6500 and the sophomore loan max of $7400.
I might point out that UOP is not the only online college that does this, but they are the ones that forced the hand of the other colleges to appear competitive and not devalue their degree in the eyes of the consumer by charging way less.

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#217 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Northcentral University

AUTHOR: Rob - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 11, 2006

About a 15 months ago, I seriously looked into their PhD in Business Admin program. One of the major positives was the waiver of up to 30 of the total 81 doctoral credit hours through the completion of the UOPhx MBA (Man, I cannot get the "feel, felt, found thing out of my head!...yes, inside joke...).

The other positive was the online option for this program. Several of the UOPhx admin and faculty were attending for a PhD or DBA there and found it rigorous. (By the way, Dallas Baptist University has a small but challenging PhD research doctoral program, if anyone lives in this area, it is flexible and substantial.)

To respond about the removal of the Stafford Loan program at Northcentral, I corresponded regularly with one of the directors who had been there for five years. She said that the traditional Stafford loans were not available anymore because their programmatic format did not fit the criteria required by the Department of Education to offer these services.

In an effort to try to buffer the anxiety that these loans were no longer available, the university did a poor P.R. job with a short public paragraph on their website about the reasons for this change. For good reason, it was removed six months later.

Seems to be a pretty good school, smaller enrollment, personal attention, and pretty satisfied students overall. One of many places people can go to see students feelings about the level of instruction for schools is rate my professors. Some of it is pretty silly, but it does give students some feel for things there.

R.T.

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#216 UPDATE EX-employee responds

R.T. You Are Incorrect about Northcentral

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 11, 2006

NCU never had their Title IV revoked. They willingly decided to stop using it. There are stories flying around about this situation but in truth, no sanctions or penalties were issued by the DOE or Title IV to force NCU to withdraw Title IV from their program.

You are correct abuot their financial options for funding loans. If you look at their website you will see that there are 3 main lenders, all are also Title IV lenders. Since the Title IV Stafford Loan Rate is tied directly to the Federal T-Bill, the rate is right around 7% right now. For individual education loans, they are based off of prime rate which is around 8%. The only difference is that the government does not "co-sign" for the borrower and relieve risk to lender so they are willing to loan money to borrowers that would otherwise be unable to borrow. If you read the website, NCU also has a Pell Matching Program for their undergrads.

Basically, there is no difference between private loans and Federal loans outside of the qualifying process. People tend to think that because a college does not use Title IV they are somehow inferrior. That is ignorant. I wish more colleges would do this. If forces down tuition costs and keeps the burden of paying for college of tax payers. It makes colleges more accountable. When you look at the embarrassing default rate on loans at other online colleges, NCU walks on water.

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#215 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Ex-employee, recent MBA grad

AUTHOR: Rob - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Good morning,

I am a former EC at the Dallas, Tx. campus. To preface this, I was a student at Baylor University and UT Dallas for a combined three years prior to becoming a student at UOPhx. Subsequently, I was at UOPhx for a year prior to becoming an EC there, and an MBA student for 1.5 yrs after leaving.

Some of the same frustration is shared with the original poster for many of the same reasons, including (but not limited to) the tremendous pressures to perform to the ever moving and changing matrix performance standards. Sadly, the poor communication with students by the FC's and AC's was another disappointing part of the administration. I feel it is a result of inadequate training and low job experience from high turnover. Ultimately, alot of EC's who cared (myself included) became the "go to" person for everything a student needed. Here is my more moderate take on things:

Is the education at UOPhx excellent? No, not excellent, but not bad either. It is impossible to gain the depth of knowledge on a subject in six weeks, compared to a traditional setting. However, there are a couple of things to note. If you truly take in all of the reading, simulations, and examples, along with completing quality writing, you will work your tail off and learn quick analytical, problem solving, and writing skills. And, as said by others before me, you get out what you put in.

Is it regionally accredited? Yes, Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

There was an argument about the lack of student intelligence at UOPhx classrooms. The people who complained about the stupid people (as defined earlier in the thread) in class may have not experienced private traditional and state schools. Many "stupid" people obtain degrees from good univerities. I have three friends in the MBA program at SMU; only one has a good brain in their skull. One of two friends from an MBA at Duke University has a good solid brain. Of the many college grads I know, the degree did not necessarily make them any smarter, though they graduated with good GPA's.

What was obvious and sad to see at all the schools was students not take the responsibility to dig for written details on the rules at universities or the Title IV funding criteria. Were they victims of malice by a greedy company such as UOPhx? Maybe so. Were they victims of their own lack of initiative or research (ignorance)? Probably some of that too.

Here is the deal. There are other online options now than UOPhx. Some traditional schools have online programs. Students just need to take the necessary time to learn about the commitment requirements of each. UOPhx was a learning style and time frame that worked well for me. I like a fast-paced, intense program. I also know that UOPhx has a pretty good reputation in the North Texas area. Folks at TI, Raytheon, Diamler-Chrysler, Countrywide, etc. recognize the degree, pay tuition reimbursement, and promote people who graduate.

Last note, Northcentral University, (I believe you are referring to the one in Arizona) has NCA regional accreditation and a semi-happy group of student (per some of the forums on the web), however they had lost their Title IV funding status awhile back. You'll need acceptable personal credit to get private loans, or otherwise need to use their pay as you go plan.

Best wishes,

R.T.

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#214 Author of original report

To Stefin

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 06, 2006

I had not heard of SMWW until you pointed it out. I was surprised to see that they actually have an articulation agreement with Northcentral University for the MBA or PhD/DBA Sports management programs. NCU is a pretty good online college. If you plan on completing a masters degree then this might be a bad move depending on the college you want to go to after the fact.

HOWEVER, I would caution you on looking at SMWW accreditation. It does not offer its accreditation info on the website which probably means they are nationally accredited by DTECH or some other body. This isn't necessarily bad, but you will be limited in your ability to use this/these degree/credits to transfer into other regionally accredited colleges or apply for some masters level degrees. It looks like they have an articulation agreement with NCU which means you have to take specific classes at SMWW to qualify for the masters programs at the regionally accredited NCU.

Your call, just make sure you look beyond the next step to where this degree will take you and the options you will have for continuing your education after you finish.

Later

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#213 Author of original report

To Robert

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 06, 2006

My counter argument here may actually support some of what you say. However, it still backs my original points with regards to overall program quality, candidate screening and dollar value.

First, your point regarding the BSN program has some validity. It does have higher academic quality and higher success completion rates. While this is true, the reasons why such things are true go to support my original point. First, the BSN program is a COMPLETION program for registered nurses. This means that most have completed at least an LPN program with at least some academic standard if they are licensed in their state. What this means is that the candidates are already pre-screened based off their professional license and therefore this fact lends itself to result in higher quality applicants coming into the BSN program. This cannot be said for the rest of the bachelor/ AA programs which make up the rest of the degree programs at UOP. In addition, the UOP program is a CCNE accredited program which means it is required to follow a few rules and regulations other programs do not. For example, I believe that CCNE will not accept a D grade in any course from a student. If a D is received they must retake the course. The other catch is that they cannot re-use Title IV funding to pay for a retake after a D grade. The loophole is that the student can retake the class and use Title IV if they fail the class. So what you see at UOP and many other programs is a grade scale of A, B, C, F.

Your point is taken that the BSN program retains a higher quality, but that is only because the applicants and students are already held to a standard by their profession and licensure, the inverse academic curve seen in the vast majority of the other UOP programs is not there. In addition, even if the BSN program retains quality, that quality is still not justified by the $17,000 price tag. There are other less expensive programs out there that are on par or better than UOP's

You are also right that the GRE and GMAT may not be the best tool to use for candidate screening in every instance. HOWEVER, this does not negate their usefulness nor does it eliminate the need for some type of screening process for candidates entering a program. Most legitimate online colleges (Walden, NCU, Capella) not totally focused making money (UOP, AXIA, AIU, Kaplan) use an essay and minimum GPA requirement to screen applicants. And wouldn't you know it, their success rates are higher, their drop rates are lower, and their default rates are lower than those colleges that do not use screening. What this means to serious students at UOP is that they have to allow (time) to filter the riff raff out. Although they are paying $1500 for a class, the learning team environment and OE structure of UOP means that the lazy or stupid students sabotage the entire class and draw down the overall value of the learning experience and therefore the entire degree. There is a reason that UOP is known as a diploma mill and the drop rate in the first 3 classes is higher at UOP than any other Title IV college.

As for your statement about all regional accrediting bodies and therefore regionally accredited colleges being the same, well, you're simply wrong.

First, many of the HLC entities outside of the NCA take issue with the total number of online colleges accredited by the NCA. It is mostly political because colleges under other accrediting bodies outside the NCA are losing students and being basically forced to accept credits and degree programs from all NCA schools, online or not. With that being said and to prove my point to you, contact ASU and tell them you are a bachelor student in a general ed program at UOP Online and ask them if they will take the credits.

As for this statement, All counselors, in any university, especially in a private university need to meet a quota of enrollments per year. Sorry, you are wrong. Only the boiler room colleges that base reporting to shareholders strictly on enrollment growth do it this way. Believe it or not, but privately held colleges and academically sound publicly trades colleges do not have this as a problem. Walden does not base reporting to shareholders strictly on enrollment growth. They pay stock dividends and attract a different type of long term investor. This provides room to avoid boiler room tactics seen at UOP and Kaplan. NCU is privately held so there is no shareholder reporting and therefore no quotas for advisors. Your point there is a straw man argument. other online colleges do it does not make it okay. In fact, the enrollment tactics that UOP uses are in direct violation of Title IV Safe Harbor rules as I outline earlier in this thread.

I can appreciate your passion for defending the college you represent. I think you might want to examine the entirety of UOP. While the BSN and MSN might retain valid quality, it is not nearly enough to compensate or overshadow the negative aspects and impact UOP has on the entire educational industry and the social system as a whole.

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#212 Consumer Comment

Question about a different online program

AUTHOR: Stefin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, October 06, 2006

Blue pill of course...just kidding I like to stay up late.

Anyway I have a question for you or anybody that knows anything about a degree from sports management worldwide. The web address is smww.com. I'm not trying to become a agent or scout but I would like to know if the sports business management degree would benefit me as far as a degree and its qualification in the 'real world'. I'm looking more to get into sports marketing or something of that nature.

Obvisouly it's not as qualified as a business degree from a traditional school but I am just curious if the degree is worth my while. If you can give me any info on this it would be appreciated.

UOP SUCKS!

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#211 Consumer Comment

University of Phoenix

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, October 05, 2006

As an instructor I must say that the UOP nursing BSN and MSN programs are very competitive with other well known universities. Their Bachelor of Nursing program is better than some other colleges that I have taught in. I hear people in this forum slander and speak about the university in a very derogatory way.

For starters, The GRE, GMAT are not necessary for graduate study. There has been ton's of research done on the pro's and con's of these tests. A person may have a very low score on the GRE yet be an excellent student. The study groups are what the students make them to be. The syllabus is very detailed and the instructors take the proactive approach of facilitating. This is more conductive to the adult learner.

We deal with a population of non-traditional students,which are the older adult. Any University or College has to have regional accreditation in order to confer degrees. Then they need to be accredited by other agencies such as the National League of Nursing or the CCNE fro the nursing program. This accreditation is not easy to obtain.

To the people that say that their degree is a joke and not accepted by their employer id very difficult to believe. It is an accredited university and if Harvard, and any state and private university accepts their degrees and credits I don't see why people are knocking down this institution.

Many people see UOP as an easy way of getting a degree, but you have to work for that piece of paper just as hard as another university. All counselors, in any university, especially in a private university need to meet a quota of enrollments per year. In some universities the counselors and advisors are the professors themselves.

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#210 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I feel like Neo...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, October 05, 2006

Red pill or Blue? Glad I could help you wake and see the farce called UOP.

As for Cardinals Stadium, I see two problems.

1. University of Phoenix Arizona Cardinals Stadium sounds funny...

2. The Phoenix is a bird that rises from its own ashes, the Cardinals are birds that play with their heads up their own ashes... ur, I mean, anus's... How do you pluralize anus? Is it Anai? like syllabus and syllabi? As in, "after getting screwed by UOP many people experience sore anai..."

HA!

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#209 Consumer Comment

You saved me B!

AUTHOR: Stefin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 04, 2006

WOW! First off gotta thank B for this thread. If there is anyone out there who still thinks UoP is legit, your plain crazy! This school is an absolute scam in everyway.

I just recently moved states and almost went on with the enrollment process until discovering this facinating website. I have my AA and I'm looking to finish up with a bachlor's in business marketing.

I inquired about UoP via e-mail since I kept on receiving their ads. I was contacted bright and early the following day a by a representative who asked me a few brief questions then directed me to a live enrollment advisor who convienetly worked at the closest campus to my home. Yeah he did a good sale to lure me in the next day for a 'meeting'. Without any waste of time he had me on the computer filling out info for financial aid.

After touring the campus briefly and looking in some classrooms I thought what the heck i'll give it a shot. Later that day (yesterday) I was having some tech issues with FAFSA and FAW so I called my EA only to get pitched some more bs about the program. Still unaware of the whole scandel I was doing an online search about UoP and found this website. I have not yet told my EA that i am not going to attend but I sure can't wait too!

Just a prediction...The Cardinal football stadium will not hold that untrustworthy school's name on their facility for long.

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#208 Consumer Comment

You saved me B!

AUTHOR: Stefin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, October 04, 2006

WOW! First off gotta thank B for this thread. If there is anyone out there who still thinks UoP is legit, your plain crazy! This school is an absolute scam in everyway.

I just recently moved states and almost went on with the enrollment process until discovering this facinating website. I have my AA and I'm looking to finish up with a bachlor's in business marketing.

I inquired about UoP via e-mail since I kept on receiving their ads. I was contacted bright and early the following day a by a representative who asked me a few brief questions then directed me to a live enrollment advisor who convienetly worked at the closest campus to my home. Yeah he did a good sale to lure me in the next day for a 'meeting'. Without any waste of time he had me on the computer filling out info for financial aid.

After touring the campus briefly and looking in some classrooms I thought what the heck i'll give it a shot. Later that day (yesterday) I was having some tech issues with FAFSA and FAW so I called my EA only to get pitched some more bs about the program. Still unaware of the whole scandel I was doing an online search about UoP and found this website. I have not yet told my EA that i am not going to attend but I sure can't wait too!

Just a prediction...The Cardinal football stadium will not hold that untrustworthy school's name on their facility for long.

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#207 UPDATE EX-employee responds

This is Just Funny Because it is Completely True

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, September 29, 2006

I know some of you UOP EA's of the LDS persuasion will be mad, but you're only mad because it's true.

Dawn Gilbertson
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 28, 2006 12:00 AM

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued the University of Phoenix, alleging religious discrimination against non-Mormon enrollment counselors.

The federal lawsuit, announced a day after the country's largest private university signed on as the naming sponsor of Cardinals Stadium, says the company treated employees who were not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints less favorably when it came to sharing recruiting leads on new students, tuition waivers and reprimands.

The school, owned by publicly traded Apollo Group Inc., has 4,400 enrollment counselors, including 2,600 in Phoenix. advertisement

"We have found a pattern of practice at this very large company of preferring LDS workers over non-LDS workers," said Mary Jo O'Neill, regional attorney for the watchdog agency. It filed the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix.

Apollo spokesman Joe Cockrell said the company hasn't seen the lawsuit, but he emphasized in a statement that the 15,000-employee company has "always been guided by equal opportunity and respect for others."

"We maintain a strict anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy and take a zero-tolerance stance on these issues," the statement said.

The University of Phoenix and Apollo have been dogged by murmurs of Mormon influence for years. Apollo's longtime president and chief executive officer, Todd Nelson, was active in the church. He left the company unexpectedly in January. New president Brian Mueller is not Mormon, nor is Apollo founder and Chairman John Sperling.

O'Neill said the UOP case reflects a broader trend the agency is seeing of "intolerance in the workplace for people of other religions."

Last year, the agency settled a case alleging discrimination against non-Mormon employees at Desert Schools Federal Credit Union and another alleging discrimination against a Mormon supervisor at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Overall, it currently has several religious-discrimination lawsuits in litigation, O'Neill said.

"It's not OK for employers to prefer a group of people because of their religion or to discriminate or adversely impact them in any way in their job because they don't belong to a certain religion," she said. "That's what you have in this case."

Katherine Kruse, an EEOC trial attorney in Phoenix, said the agency's investigation revealed "LDS favoritism in both initial assessment of leads and redistribution of leads."

The university recruits students through Internet advertising and other sources, and those leads are funneled to enrollment counselors working at call centers and campuses.

Former enrollment counselor Bob Lein, who filed a complaint with the EEOC in 2003 and is named in the lawsuit, said Mormon managers on his team at the University of Phoenix Online gave the best leads or extra leads and student registrations to "their Mormon friends on the team."

"They would get more enrollments, they'd get good reviews and some of them got promoted out of it," he said. "They took care of them."

Lein said his enrollment numbers fell, so he was reprimanded and fired two years ago. The EEOC lawsuit also says he was terminated in retaliation for complaining about discrimination.

One of the former workers named in the lawsuit was initially denied tuition waivers, which the company offers as a job perk.

The lawsuit seeks relief on behalf of Lein, three other named individuals and an undetermined number of other employees and former employees.

The EEOC is seeking back pay, damages for emotional distress and punitive damages. No court date has been set

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#206 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I Have to Disagree Here

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, September 29, 2006

Regardless of the Cardnial Stadium naming and the billion dollar asset cushion Apollo retains, you are overlooking one very important factor. UOP, like all large businesses in the US operate with both long term and short term debt. Although their total annual profit is good, their net margins are only decent. When you look at their good debt, bad debt, long term debt and short term debt, and net profit margins it may seem like they are untouchable. The problem that you are overlooking is the main source of their income. Title IV. They use 1.7 billion in Title IV funding annually. When you look at their gross revenue, operating expendatures, debt payments, and the net income, without that 1.7 Billion, the doors at UOP close. The DOE does not care who violates the rules outlining Title IV, they have thousands of other schools to look after and they will make no exception for UOP. UOP knows this, they are nervous about it too. Why else would their Director of PR take time to argue with the lawyers about the suit in a public blog forum. Like I said before, if the lawyers do their job, if the court looks at the real evidence, and if UOP hasnt bought someone off already, they will lose this case, then they will lose Title IV. When they lose Title IV, they close.

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#205 Consumer Comment

UoP Not Going Anywhere

AUTHOR: Jim - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, September 29, 2006

Thank you B, for your candid and honest responses to everything throughout this thread. I am not about to fight you on your comments because it definitely might be true. The only thing is that I would not get my hopes up that this institution is going anywhere. They have enough money to deal with any Class Action lawsuit, and they just paid to have the Arizona Cardinals stadium named after the school. That shows to me that they are not scared of any sort of lawsuit at all.

I am a student of the school and am actually very excited about it, and whether the recruiting of the school is inappropriate or not, let's be honest, it is not leaving. As a student I am very disappointed in the school for having those practices, but the job I have today is excited about my going to this school. They will accept this degree with pleasure the further I want to move up in the company and I travel for work so I cannot go to a classroom style school. So this is perfect for my situation. I do not have a problem going to a school that might have bad business practices as long as I get my degree. So far the degree program for me has been nothing less then exceptional and thought provoking. I have enjoyed every class.

Thank you again B for your strong comments and caring for people. This is definitely an important subject that people must know about and must be stopped. I just do not think that students or faculty should be worried about this school getting shut down anytime soon.

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#204 Consumer Comment

Thank you B

AUTHOR: A - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 19, 2006

B,

Thank you for your candid response. Here is the grit of my education so far: I completed an Associates Degree at a non-regional accredited school. It was nationally accredited. It was worth my money and time but I had wished that I did my research beforehand.

I went to UOP because they accepted the majority of general coursework at that college that ASU or U of A would not accept. I did not want to do it over again. I am now just a few classes to finishing my Bachelor degree. I want to salvage my educational career because I have dreams. I probably will just finish my bachelor degree there and transition to a traditional college that promotes a more quality education for future course work. I will pay the price and do what I have to do to be accepted at a traditional college. This is what I am thinking will be part of the sacrifice I will have to pay. But B, you were an Enrollment Counselor before and could possibly shed light on this a little more.

Consumers, be aware. B is telling you nothing shy from the truth at all. Everything he states in here is the truth about the practices that UOP did not just allow but they proliferated and promoted these practices. The only thing that stopped them in their tracks was the DOE. Now they are being sued for these practices. We are all probably hard-working citizens who do our best to contribute to our society and pay our taxes. How many organizations with shady business practices is it going to take before we take a stand against it?

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#203 Author of original report

A- It depends on your program level

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 19, 2006

A,

I cannot tell you for sure because I do not know what level of coursework you are taking. If you are a bachelor student then many colleges will accept your general education coursework up to 60 credit hours. However, there seems to be some bias against UOP credits at ASU and U of A. With that being said, there is also some bias abuot credit transfer between ASU and U of A. The only problem you might run into is upper division credit transfer. You would have to transfer upper division courses based off of waiver applications into the same major at another college. If some of your credits are upper division, you may lose them.

If you are a graduate student, the chances of you transferring 50% of you credits into a ground campus for a masters are limited. Most campuses only let a maximum of 6 credits transfer.

That is about all I can tell you.

good luck

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#202 Consumer Suggestion

Need Help

AUTHOR: A - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 19, 2006

B,

I need your help. By the way, I respect what you are doing and can validate all of your claims. I just need your help.

I want to get out of UOP now and transfer to another college, a traditional college. Problem is that I completed at least half of my classes at UOP. Can I still transfer and will they accept some of the credits?

Thanks!

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#201 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Your quest is almost over B

AUTHOR: Roger - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Hey B- R here who used to work with you under the new, young, lady manager M

You have done a great thing here. I hope the higher ups who scr--ed you repeatedly over the years are following this, and daily regret their decisions. I still remember the good work you prepared and presented to help UOP, and how they took it and twisted it to their own ends giving you no credit. This is sweet justice.

Many are following your work. Keep it up to the deserved end!

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#200 Author of original report

The Laws UOP Breaks:

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, September 09, 2006

Whats up Frank. Yeah, I had to plagiarize the articles because the last few times I have included hyperlinks ROR.com has omitted them. This is HUGE and UOP is in DEEP ISH and they know it. In case anyone wanted to argue, I thought I would take the time to explain what rules UOP breaks in their compensation plan. This information is taken directly from the Student Financial Aid Handbook on the IFAP.ed.gov website. I would include the direct link, but it would be omitted by ROR.

There are some basic rules outlined in the FA Handbook designed to keep colleges from compensating recruitment employees for enrolling unqualified students. As UOP uses 1.7B a year in Title IV funding, they might want to try and comply with these rules.

The first rule:
Adjustments to employee compensation
34 CFR 668.14(b)(22)(ii)(A)
This safe harbor strikes a balance between a school's need to base its employees' salaries or wages on merit, and the Department's responsibility to ensure that such adjustments do not violate the statutory prohibition against the payment of commissions, bonuses, and other incentive payments. Under this safe harbor, a school may make up to two adjustments (upward or downward) to a covered employee's annual salary or fixed hourly wage rate within any 12-month period without the adjustment being considered an incentive payment, provided that no adjustment is based solely on the number of students recruited, admitted, enrolled, or awarded financial aid. One cost-of-living increase that is paid to all or substantially all of the school's full-time employees will not be considered an adjustment under this safe harbor. In addition, with regard to overtime, if the basic compensation of an employee is not an incentive payment, neither is overtime pay required under the Federal Labor Standards Act.

What this essentially says is that UOP has the right to adjust compensation up or down without the adjustment being considered incentive payment provided that the adjustment is not based solely on the number of students recruited, admitted, enrolled or awarded financial aid. This is where UOP enforces their matrix. The term based solely on the number of students recruited is exactly how they get away with their smoke and mirrors matrix. Talk time, outbound/inbound calls, etc are used to make it seem that a review is based on multiple criteria not based solely on enrollments over a 6 month period. However, this method does not stand as valid when it is tied into the rules on paying advisors on ANY enrollments for a revuew. This means that any 6 month review conducted by UOP that considers ANY enrollments in the equation, must still comply with the following rule:

Compensation based upon program completion
34 CFR 668.14(b)(22)(ii)(E)
This safe harbor recognizes that a major reason for the incentive compensation prohibition is to prevent schools from enrolling unqualified students. Completing a program of education or, in the case of students enrolled in a program longer than one academic year, completing the first academic year of that program, is a reliable indicator that the students were qualified to enroll in the program. Therefore, compensation that is based upon students successfully completing their educational programs, or one academic year of their educational programs, whichever is shorter, does not violate the incentive compensation prohibition. Successful completion of an academic year means that the student has earned at least 24 semester or trimester credit hours or 36 quarter credit hours, or has successfully completed at least 900 clock hours of instruction at the school. (Time may not be substituted for credits earned.) In addition, the 30 weeks of instructional time element of the definition of an academic year does not apply to this safe harbor. Therefore, this safe harbor applies when a student earns, for example, 24 semester credits, no matter how short or long a time that takes.

This rule shows that UOP can only consider compensation increases or decreases for enrollments after the recruited students have completed 24 credit hours. There is no way that any student will complete 24 credit hours at UOP or AXIA in a 6 month period. Therefore, if any evaluation includes measurement of any enrollment prior to that student completing 24 credit hours, and any employee compensation is adjusted up or down, University of Phoenix is in direct violation of Title IV compensation rules and regulations.

This is why they are in trouble. This is why if the lawyers and the court do their job, and UOP is not allowed to buy their way out of this, it will be the end of UOP. The day Title IV is gone at UOP is the same day their doors shut.

I really don't think I told you so captures this moment for me.

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#199 Consumer Comment

I was having a bad day....

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, September 08, 2006

...Apollo stock (AmwayU) had crept back up to 51 (still having tanked from 100 two years back).

And then this bombshell hit. WOW! AmwayU is now back to 47 with no bottom in sight. Amazing, as the NASDAQ (where AmwayU is listed)has climbed over 10% during the past month. It's tough for a stock to head South while the listing market is headed North. But, AmwayU found a way to "achieve" a 20% Southbound delta.

Too, I had to verify B's quotes...he took 'em verbatim off the nation's newswires...shameful plagarism, pal...how dare you be so accurate!

I suggest all AmwayU chumps jump ship soonest. You're Diploma's will soon be availible for unrolling from toilet paper spools, nationwide.

Here's the Topper, verbatim, from the LA Times, regarding former enrollment counselors, Mary Hendow and Julie Albertson's allegations:

(quote)The two women also said the company maintained two separate employment files for its enrollment counselors--one real and one fake--in an effort to deceive the US Department of Education about its practices.(unquote)

For B: you now have corroboration from two totally unrelated whistleblowers. I suggest you contact their attorneys soonest. Once this gets before a jury, with possilble treble damages(4.5 BILLION) it'll be all over but the shoutin'.

Thank you, B, for the guts you've shown. You were ripped, hard, and took it with aplomb--as you knew the truth all along...way before I or anyone else one the outside.

Amway U can still make things right...but I don't see how.

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#198 UPDATE EX-employee responds

U. of Phoenix Loses in U.S. Court

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, September 06, 2006

The University of Phoenix must defend itself against charges that it violated federal law by paying its recruiters based on how many students they enrolled, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled Tuesday. The federal appeals panel's unanimous decision, which overturned a lower court's ruling in Phoenix's favor, had been eagerly awaited because of the for-profit university's high profile as one of the country's largest and because of the mammoth size of the malfeasance alleged ? billions of dollars could be at stake.

But the case is also important because it is the latest in a string of decisions in which federal courts have gradually expanded the grounds under which colleges can be sued under the federal False Claims Act, much to the consternation of some college and university lawyers and legal experts. In siding with the former admissions officials who sued Phoenix on the government's behalf, the Ninth Circuit panel leaned heavily on one of those earlier decisions, involving Oakland City University.

At issue in the Phoenix case is a provision in the Higher Education Act that prohibits colleges from offering bonuses or other incentive pay to admissions officers or recruiters based on specific enrollment goals, to discourage them from giving officials extra incentive to bring in any potential student, regardless of academic ability. Two former enrollment counselors at Phoenix, Mary Hendow and Julie Albertson, charge that the for-profit university paid cash bonuses and other gifts to them and to other recruiters based strictly on how many students they enrolled ? charges Phoenix has denied.

In 2003, Hendow and Albertson filed what is known as a qui tam lawsuit, which is filed under the federal False Claims Act by an individual who believes he or she has identified fraud committed against the federal government, and who sues hoping to be joined by the U.S. Justice Department. (The plaintiff then shares in any financial penalties, which can include trebled damages.) The women charged that the allegedly fraudulent behavior had put more than $1.5 billion in federal funds at risk, which set the value of a potential verdict in the case at several times that. The federal government declined to join the lawsuit as a third party, but the Justice Department did file a friend of the court brief in 2005 encouraging the court to rule against Phoenix.

A federal district court dismissed the women's lawsuit in May 2004, concluding that they had not put forward a valid theory for how Phoenix had defrauded the government under the False Claims Act.

But in its decision Tuesday, a three judge panel of Ninth Circuit appeals court concluded differently. Reinforcing and even expanding on last October's decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in United States of America ex. rel. Jeffrey E. Main v. Oakland City University, the Ninth Circuit judges declared that the two former admissions officers (known in False Claims Act parlance as the ?relators") had indeed offered two legitimate theories (known as ?false certification? and ?promissory fraud") for how the university had defrauded the government.
Without ruling on whether the women had actually proven their claims ? impossible without a trial on the facts of the case ? the court concluded that they had met the four requirements of filing a legitimate claim under the federal fraud law: (1) alleging that a defendant had made false statement or engaged in fraudulent conduct; (2) that the action had been taken deliberately; (3) that the act or statement played a direct role in money flowing out of government coffers; and (4) that the government did indeed pay out or forfeit money as a result. At its core, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the university had ? by participating in a several-step process to accept federal financial aid ? committed to abiding by a wide range of rules and requirements, including the prohibition on incentive compensation.

On multiple fronts, the court rejected arguments made by lawyers for Phoenix. To the suggestion ? which other college officials have echoed in fighting False Claims Act cases ? that ?the incentive compensation ban is nothing more than one of hundreds of boilerplate requirements with which it promises compliance,? as the appeals panel phrased it, the court wrote: ?This may be true, but fraud is fraud, no matter how 'small.'
?The university is worried that our holding today opens it up to greater liability for innocent regulatory violations, but that is not the case ? as we held above, innocent or unintentional violations do not lead to False Claims Act liability,? Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall wrote for the court. ?But that is no reason to innoculate [sic] institutions of higher education from liability when they knowingly violate a regulatory condition, with the intent to deceive, as is alleged here.?

With that statement, the court seemed to clearly reject the arguments made by college officials that the federal courts' decisions in this line of cases are making colleges significantly more vulnerable to False Claims Act challenges ? even if they have violated federal law by simple mistake.

And Phoenix's assertion that the ban on incentive compensation is a condition on participating in the federal student aid programs, but not a condition on receiving payment from the government, ?is a distinction without a difference,? the court said. ?In the context of Title IV and the Higher Education Act, if we held that conditions of participation were not conditions of payment, there would be no conditions of payment at all ? and thus, an educational institution could flout the law at will.?

The Ninth Circuit's decision not to dismiss the lawsuit against Phoenix would send the case back to the lower federal court for a trial on the merits. But several other possibilities seem likelier at this point. The university could ask the entire U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to review the decision of the three judge panel.

Or Phoenix's lawyers could appeal the Ninth Circuit's decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, on the hope that the nation's highest court decides to hear the case because it concludes that federal appeals courts have split on the issues in the case. But the Supreme Court declined in April to consider the Oakland City case, letting the Seventh Circuit's decision stand, which would appear to make it unlikely to hear the Phoenix case.


Timothy J. Hatch, a Los Angeles lawyer who represented Phoenix in this case, said that he and the university ?obviously disagree? with the court's conclusions but had not yet decided how to respond to the ruling. Terri Bishop, chief communications officer for the Apollo Group, which owns the University of Phoenix, added in a statement that the decision ?greatly expands the scope of False Claims Act liability beyond what Congress had intended or even what other courts have recognized.? The company is ?carefully reviewing the opinion in order to determine our next steps,? she said.

The two California lawyers who represented the relators in the case, Nancy G. Krop and J. Daniel Bartley, were practically giddy on the telephone late Tuesday afternoon, and said they were eager to get the case before a jury. ?The evidence is all sitting there waiting for a courtroom, and once we get a courtroom,? Krop said, Phoenix ?is in big trouble.?

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#197 Consumer Comment

Selling degrees to people that need degrees

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, August 29, 2006

That about says it all. Might as well be selling crack to people that need crack. Love the AmwayU sales style: it's all about the legal tender. Heck, at least the guy is honest. He makes no bones or judgements about AmwayU's quality of education: just make your stroke. Ya' gotta' love that.

With regards the finishing/completing AmwayU, these three guys that went the distance and finished up: Jim Jones, Marshall Applewhite and Mohommned Attu. Yep, they all saw their delusions through to the end. Which is what every AmwayU "grad" will have to deal with: they got suckered right to completion.

Moreover, it's on record; there's no denying one attended Amway U; kinda like having to tell the cops ya' fell for the Nigerian lottery scams.

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#196 Consumer Suggestion

An Investigator's point of view.

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 27, 2006

As a former Private Investigator, this discussion thread is an investigators dream!

I became suspicious of UOP after my first few classes but kept "baaaa-ing" my way through them because I wanted to finally get my degree in Business & Marketing. I was forewarned by other students about MATH 208/209 and it's utterly ridiculous syllabus, but ignored their advice. After the third week in 209 I could no longer ignore the worthlessness of these programs and finally dropped the class, which I am glad I did because UOP has lied to me every time I have tried to resolve my complaints with them - exposing who they truly are.

But even more revealing is that my daughter graduated this July with a degree, and it has actually been a hinderence in her job search! She even had one prospective employer laugh at her when she proudly stated that she had a degree from UOP. His response was: "Who doesn't have a degree from them." He then told her that they would rather hire someone with no experience and then train them themselves than deal with the "untraining" that they have had to do with other UOP graduates.

Here is some advice from a lowly investigator. Go to the "Search" page on this website and type in ANY other university and see what pops up. Why do universities such as U of U and BYU only have 1 or 2 complaints while the University of Phoenix has hundreds of complaints. Try as you want to attack "B", according to what I can see he is only one of hundreds who have an issue with UOP, including me. I wish I could give you the meaning of what those statistics mean, but I only have UOP training in statistics so I'm afraid my expertise is lacking. And if my spelling or grammar is lacking, well... you get the picture.

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#195 UPDATE Employee

How's 6-3 working out, B?

AUTHOR: Another B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 24, 2006

I'll be happy to corroborate the claims that B has made. I can vouch for his claims that he was one of the top Enrollment Advisors, and was easily in the top 10% pay bracket at that position. I learned a great deal about how to effectively recruit students from him. I don't believe he's ever disputed the fact that he was disgruntled. If anything, he's provided ample reasons to have been. I am not, however, in a position to confirm or deny the business practices alluded to by B.

I have never been motivated enough either way to look into it all that deeply. While I understand B's feelings, and was there to witness the events that resulted in his feelings, I do not share them. While I have no doubt that there are individuals within the organization that put their pay-check above the best interest of the consumer, and even if this is the norm (which I dot believe), I sleep well at night. I make no bones about what I am selling, or that I am selling it. I am selling a degree for people who need a degree. If they feel that what I offer best fills that need, then I encourage them to enroll.

I still believe a statement that I heard B make on numerous occasions. To paraphrase, it went something like this: "This is only a good investment if you finish." I still feel that way. It may not be the best investment for someone, but that really isn't my decision to make.

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#194 UPDATE Employee

Tech Support

AUTHOR: Matthias - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, August 18, 2006

Why aint there no love for Tech Support, man???

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#193 Consumer Suggestion

University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona

AUTHOR: Marie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, August 15, 2006

B, as you've probably encountered, there are many accrediting agencies with legitimate sounding names and acronyms. Let me clarify.

Strayer did not have its' regional accreditation, had lots of other legitimate sounding designations but not the one that mattered if a person was planning to continue their education at a traditonal, established institution.

That was the problem. The traditional institutions did not recognize the accreditation that Strayer had credits obtained at Strayer were not transferable and degrees not recognzed.

Unfortunately for me, that realization did not happen until thousands of dollars were spent obtaining a degree that was not recognized by traditional educational institutions and employers did not recognize the training the so-called degree provided.

The bottom line is that money is the motivation for for-profit schools. While traditional colleges and universities also assess the bottom line, they don't lead with that intent. Shareholders are not their first priority. For-profit colleges do and are very effective in targeting certain individuals to realize their for-profit goals. A solid education is the main lead for traditional institutions.

I say stay with the traditional colleges and universities because in the long-run, a student will do better by it. It's heart-breaking to know that you've invested a lot of hard earned money, time and effort in what appears to be an education program, only to realize that, in the "real world", the degree is not recognized.

Not trying to stigmatize all for-profts, but you need to understand what you're dealing with. My point is to save yourself some grief, look beyond the for-profits. The for-profits are getting to the point where their brand image is increasingly becoming tarnished and their programs and education are becoming suspect. Having been there, done that, I wouldn't recommend it.

Marie

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#192 Author of original report

For Marie,

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, August 14, 2006

Marie,

Although you support some of my points in this thread, I have to discourage the use of blanket statements. Although UOP does have an overall negative impact on the industry as a whole, UOP is not the entire industry. Just because UOP sucks something terrible, does not mean every other college sucks too. Only those colleges like UOP, AIU and perhaps Strayer that establish a "business" that sells education model can be included in the group. I am not ready to write-off the industry as a whole yet because I do see hope for it and I feel that it has and will continue to play an important role in educating our society.

For example, the issue you ran into was because Strayer was not accredited. This would have happened if you had gone to any non-accredited institution either online or ground, for profit or not. You also point out that there are many traditional institutions offering online courses that are not for profit. That is only partially true. Every college is for profit in some way or shape. The issue becomes evident when no checks and balances system is in place at a given college. I know first hand that administrators at traditional ground campuses are looking for new ways to increasing enrollments (revenue) but they must co-exist with academics administrators which have separate but equal power and limit the ways the administration goes about doing this. Many online, for profit colleges are adopting this same method. The problem with UOP is that academics has absolutely no influence over the decisions their President Brian Muller makes. He only cares if they stay accredited. They do just enough to comply but are never concerned with the academic affects on the student.

A couple of examples of for-profit colleges that do it right are Northcentral University and Walden. They operate like traditional ground campuses with regards to the influence their academics administrators have over their business administrators. This is reflected in price point, service, and academic quality.

With regards to the MBA programs, you are correct. Many fortune 500 employers would like a person to have an MBA from an HLC and AACSB accredited institution. This presents a dilemma for them because the vast majority of these companies pay for their employees to attend online college that do not have AACSB accreditation. Strange phenomenon. However, AACSB is only one reputable additional accreditation for a college to obtain. The reason that online institutions tend to avoid this is because to comply, the college must require a GMAT. This would limit the profits of many online colleges. However, there are other options that an online college could pursue academically for additional reputable accreditations. For example, NCU is working on ACBSP (Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs) accreditation. It takes about 2 years to get, but is just as reputable as the AACSB but without the GMAT requirement. The reason many of the online colleges do not go for this is because it requires stringent academic review for 2 years. NCU should have theirs by mid 2007.

I understand your concerns and you have some valid points, just be careful with the blanket statements. Not every for-profit college is the same. Some of them are trying to do it right. It just makes it that much harder when the UOP's and the Strayers of the world cause situations like yours.

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#191 Consumer Suggestion

University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona"

AUTHOR: Marie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 13, 2006

I've read the entire threaded comments regarding UOP Online. I have a degree from Strayer College (now Strayer University), also a for-profit institution.

If I can offer any words of advice to anyone thinking of attending a for-profit institution to get a degree, stay with the non-profits. The for-profits are just that, established to make money. There are lots of traditional universities (Univ of Maryland, NYU, etc) that have online programs which address the issue of schedule flexibility.

My opinion of Strayer changed when I tried to apply to graduate school, not a for-profit one but a traditional, campus-based university. My 4-year BS degree became an embarrassment when applying to graduate schools.

I had a respectable GPA but that was never the issue. The fact that it was a degree from a for-profit implied that it was not a degree at all. It was the coursework and the lack of accreditation at the time (now, they are regionally accredited but it was a long time coming). To circumvent the thorny accreditation issues (their MBA program is not AACSB accredited), they have their own MBA program.

The degrees from these for-profit schools are not worth the paper they are printed on. I know, I have one. Employers do look for AACSB-recognized programs at the MBA level. If you're planning on working top firms in the Fortune 500 (corporations), they expect the MBA to be AACSB accredited.

While many of the for-profits have some decent instructors and courses, graduates of these schools will continue to suffer due to the image of the schools, weak admission standards, poor quality of instruction, unqualified instructors. While these may not be true, perception is reality.

The for-profits prey on people and it's not worth the hassle. Take it from somone who's been there, done that.

Marie, Maryland

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#190 Consumer Suggestion

University Of Phoenix Online Truth about UOP Online RIPOFF Phoenix Arizona"

AUTHOR: Marie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 13, 2006

I've read the entire threaded comments regarding UOP Online. I have a degree from Strayer College (now Strayer University), also a for-profit institution.

If I can offer any words of advice to anyone thinking of attending a for-profit institution to get a degree, stay with the non-profits. The for-profits are just that, established to make money. There are lots of traditional universities (Univ of Maryland, NYU, etc) that have online programs which address the issue of schedule flexibility.

My opinion of Strayer changed when I tried to apply to graduate school, not a for-profit one but a traditional, campus-based university. My 4-year BS degree became an embarrassment when applying to graduate schools.

I had a respectable GPA but that was never the issue. The fact that it was a degree from a for-profit implied that it was not a degree at all. It was the coursework and the lack of accreditation at the time (now, they are regionally accredited but it was a long time coming). To circumvent the thorny accreditation issues (their MBA program is not AACSB accredited), they have their own MBA program.

The degrees from these for-profit schools are not worth the paper they are printed on. I know, I have one. Employers do look for AACSB-recognized programs at the MBA level. If you're planning on working top firms in the Fortune 500 (corporations), they expect the MBA to be AACSB accredited.

While many of the for-profits have some decent instructors and courses, graduates of these schools will continue to suffer due to the image of the schools, weak admission standards, poor quality of instruction, unqualified instructors. While these may not be true, perception is reality.

The for-profits prey on people and it's not worth the hassle. Take it from somone who's been there, done that.

Marie, Maryland

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#189 Consumer Suggestion

Done baiting, now to be constructive

AUTHOR: Steven - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, August 06, 2006

B,

Again, I appreciate your valid attempts to keep this thread professional, for the most part. I am serious about the suggestion that you should take this energy towards Apollo Group into another realm as well. You obviously have a lot of time and energy invested in your position. Take it up a level!

Frank,

I had to have a go at you with those references becuase your character, as presented on here, comes off a bit short and harsh, though I am sure you are not like this in person. I can see tha you are very passionate about your opinion of this organization.I just hope that you have productive alternatives to offer for those who could use them.

Danny in Arkansas,

Go to Axia if you can handle the learning model and investment. If you are worried about transferring credits at some point in the future follow these steps: save a copy of your syllabus and graded paper/ project samples. I would also suggest you get a copy of course descriptions for any courses you complete. This should be followed at ANY accredited school you choose to attend.

Note, many schools reserve a "right to refuse" other school credits to protect their degrees and put their stamp of approval on your completion. THis occurs VERY often even when there are laws stating this cannot occur.

If you look to transfer, become VERY familiar with the receiving school's transfer policies and how to go about appeals at the school and possibly state level (effective at public schools).

Understand that the Axia of UOP model may not work for you. Also understand that competing organizations will be similar. You need to look at accreditation, cost, flexibility and support. Some schools are better at this than others. Due to the blocking poilicies of this site, I cannot name other schools that would be a viable alternative form the cost and accreditation perspective, I do suggest that you speak frankly to your enrollment counselor about this.

Finally-- to all who read this thread, UOP has its place in the market and the OVERALL learning model has proven viable and valuable. There are many other colleges and Universities adopting the basic learning model and extended campus structure of UOP. Many also learn from the errors that UOP has made in its history, while others have not.

The main problem that faces many consumers of UOP and distance education, especially those on this board, has to do with communication flaws. I am not making an apology for issues that consumers have encountered, but I do suggest that they shop around if there is any question. Check with sources such as college source, the CHEA, the US Department of education, etc.

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#188 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I understand your points

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 03, 2006

Brian, I only go after idiots that come in here spewing nonsense and posting incoherent gibberish. You did not do that. I understand your points and they seem valid on a case by case basis. Isolating and looking at issues in the micro sense has a tendency to decrease impact and distract from the comprehensive picture. If a doctor was to diagnose a person's health based upon segregate contributing factors and symptoms without considering the overall body of factors, it would ultimately be an ineffective and dangerous way to operate as a doctor.

In this sense, it is necessary to take your points and look at them as a comprehensive doctrine of issue and then make a diagnosis. Lets start with your point about Mircosoft and Enron. I take two point issues with this:

1. I have said before that the disclaimer of All businesses do it so it doesn't matter if UOP is guilty is an ineffective deflection tactic and a dangerous line of thinking. 1 company or 1000 companies doing something wrong will never change the fact that something wrong is being done. Corporate accountability, and therefore ethics, in our culture have become non-existent because civic duties by the consumer populous have been shucked. Individualism has created an atmosphere where people are rarely concerned with anything that does not obviously and directly affect them. What they do not realize is that these matters which they ignore often have a wider macro impact that will inevitably affect them.
2. The negative long term socio-economic impact of UOP will affect far more than the monopolization practices of Microsoft or the fraudulent investing, accounting and reporting practices of Enron. I do not see Enron and Microsoft on the same level, I feel Enron's scenario better matches UOP considering the recent investigation launched by the SEC. Regardless, if UOP was only guilty of fraudulent stock practices then my post would not exists. Their negative impact goes far beyond the world of business and is poisoning the higher education system in America. Our ability to educate our citizens directly reflects our ability to survive and prosper as a nation. To quote Fat Mike from NOFX, The Idiots are Taking Over UOP has taken the work and sacrifice investment out of education and learning equation and replaced it with a monetary sacrifice. Unfortunately, the mess we are heading for socially is not something we can buy our way out of and can only be remedied by hard work and sacrifice. This brings me to my next point.

You make a point a UOP degree will work for you if you want it to work for you. Perhaps, but what work was required for the degree? As you quoted me, you can learn in a UOP program and you get out of it what you put into it. However, allowing a business to sell education means that academic quality takes a back seat and someone working hard for an A at UOP is discredited by the vast majority of students that breeze through for a B. You obviously take pride in your military experience. Why? Perhaps the service, work and sacrifice? What if, a company wanted to sell military experience and a person could achieve valid experience compared to yours by simply showing up online a few days a week and paying a bunch of money. What if society didn't differentiate between your military experience and theirs? Hey, they may have even worked extremely hard in their program, but is it valid? Why? Suddenly your military experience means nothing socially. Wouldn't you want there to be some standard set?

I don't care what anyone argues about this, UOP's courses are not designed based off the needs of busy adults or academics. They are based off of a business revenue cycle. Academics takes a far back seat.

Lets avoid extremely comparisons to the Ivy League. No one in here has ever put someone down for not attending a Tier 1. Also, I attended a good school for my undergrad and yes, in some of my larger classes at the lower division, the requirements and challenge was limited. However, these instances were few and far between. Even with that, I still had to pass the tests. For the most part, what is required in 5 classes at a regular academic college over 16 weeks cannot be compared to the 5 week per class structure at UOP. This does not mean that online cannot be used as a legitimate format for education, it just means that a biography, 3 writing assignments, 2 team assignments, 2 posts per day 3 days a week for 5 weeks, and 1 final paper is not conducive to learning. Other online colleges know this which is why their classes are longer and require more. UOP is not concerned because they love the revenue cycle.

UOP may have a great concept. But make no mistake, it is a business concept, not an academic one. There are too many good schools out there both online and ground that are better for the student academically and financially. The problem is that UOP has given this industry a bad name and is a pock mark on the face of society.

Regardless, when you do not compartmentalize the issues and problems with UOP and look at it with a wide angle lens, here is what you get:

An unethical business: (SEC violations, False reporting, Overtime Compensation Violations, Stockholder Fraud, False Advertising, Consumer Manipulation)
An unsound academic facility: (Violations of Title IV funding recruitment law, false reporting of freshman graduation rates, sub-par facilitator hiring practices, illegal recruiting practices, low standards of educational expectations, inverse academic curves, discrediting the value of the degree in America, perpetuating the dumbing down of America )
An unsound Title IV user: (Violations of Title IV usage, Violation of transparent Title IV consumer information, high unnecessary burden on taxpayer money because of an extremely high loan default rate per-capita)
A tyrant of an employer: (Illegal use of employee compensation for capital investments, hostile work environments, employee abuse, high dysfunctional turnover)

This list could go on and on. Bottom line is that nothing good UOP does can outweigh, outshine, overshadow or erase the bad. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just wish people would look at the evidence available to them before they form one. Perhaps I ask too much.

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#187 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I understand your points

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 03, 2006

Brian, I only go after idiots that come in here spewing nonsense and posting incoherent gibberish. You did not do that. I understand your points and they seem valid on a case by case basis. Isolating and looking at issues in the micro sense has a tendency to decrease impact and distract from the comprehensive picture. If a doctor was to diagnose a person's health based upon segregate contributing factors and symptoms without considering the overall body of factors, it would ultimately be an ineffective and dangerous way to operate as a doctor.

In this sense, it is necessary to take your points and look at them as a comprehensive doctrine of issue and then make a diagnosis. Lets start with your point about Mircosoft and Enron. I take two point issues with this:

1. I have said before that the disclaimer of All businesses do it so it doesn't matter if UOP is guilty is an ineffective deflection tactic and a dangerous line of thinking. 1 company or 1000 companies doing something wrong will never change the fact that something wrong is being done. Corporate accountability, and therefore ethics, in our culture have become non-existent because civic duties by the consumer populous have been shucked. Individualism has created an atmosphere where people are rarely concerned with anything that does not obviously and directly affect them. What they do not realize is that these matters which they ignore often have a wider macro impact that will inevitably affect them.
2. The negative long term socio-economic impact of UOP will affect far more than the monopolization practices of Microsoft or the fraudulent investing, accounting and reporting practices of Enron. I do not see Enron and Microsoft on the same level, I feel Enron's scenario better matches UOP considering the recent investigation launched by the SEC. Regardless, if UOP was only guilty of fraudulent stock practices then my post would not exists. Their negative impact goes far beyond the world of business and is poisoning the higher education system in America. Our ability to educate our citizens directly reflects our ability to survive and prosper as a nation. To quote Fat Mike from NOFX, The Idiots are Taking Over UOP has taken the work and sacrifice investment out of education and learning equation and replaced it with a monetary sacrifice. Unfortunately, the mess we are heading for socially is not something we can buy our way out of and can only be remedied by hard work and sacrifice. This brings me to my next point.

You make a point a UOP degree will work for you if you want it to work for you. Perhaps, but what work was required for the degree? As you quoted me, you can learn in a UOP program and you get out of it what you put into it. However, allowing a business to sell education means that academic quality takes a back seat and someone working hard for an A at UOP is discredited by the vast majority of students that breeze through for a B. You obviously take pride in your military experience. Why? Perhaps the service, work and sacrifice? What if, a company wanted to sell military experience and a person could achieve valid experience compared to yours by simply showing up online a few days a week and paying a bunch of money. What if society didn't differentiate between your military experience and theirs? Hey, they may have even worked extremely hard in their program, but is it valid? Why? Suddenly your military experience means nothing socially. Wouldn't you want there to be some standard set?

I don't care what anyone argues about this, UOP's courses are not designed based off the needs of busy adults or academics. They are based off of a business revenue cycle. Academics takes a far back seat.

Lets avoid extremely comparisons to the Ivy League. No one in here has ever put someone down for not attending a Tier 1. Also, I attended a good school for my undergrad and yes, in some of my larger classes at the lower division, the requirements and challenge was limited. However, these instances were few and far between. Even with that, I still had to pass the tests. For the most part, what is required in 5 classes at a regular academic college over 16 weeks cannot be compared to the 5 week per class structure at UOP. This does not mean that online cannot be used as a legitimate format for education, it just means that a biography, 3 writing assignments, 2 team assignments, 2 posts per day 3 days a week for 5 weeks, and 1 final paper is not conducive to learning. Other online colleges know this which is why their classes are longer and require more. UOP is not concerned because they love the revenue cycle.

UOP may have a great concept. But make no mistake, it is a business concept, not an academic one. There are too many good schools out there both online and ground that are better for the student academically and financially. The problem is that UOP has given this industry a bad name and is a pock mark on the face of society.

Regardless, when you do not compartmentalize the issues and problems with UOP and look at it with a wide angle lens, here is what you get:

An unethical business: (SEC violations, False reporting, Overtime Compensation Violations, Stockholder Fraud, False Advertising, Consumer Manipulation)
An unsound academic facility: (Violations of Title IV funding recruitment law, false reporting of freshman graduation rates, sub-par facilitator hiring practices, illegal recruiting practices, low standards of educational expectations, inverse academic curves, discrediting the value of the degree in America, perpetuating the dumbing down of America )
An unsound Title IV user: (Violations of Title IV usage, Violation of transparent Title IV consumer information, high unnecessary burden on taxpayer money because of an extremely high loan default rate per-capita)
A tyrant of an employer: (Illegal use of employee compensation for capital investments, hostile work environments, employee abuse, high dysfunctional turnover)

This list could go on and on. Bottom line is that nothing good UOP does can outweigh, outshine, overshadow or erase the bad. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just wish people would look at the evidence available to them before they form one. Perhaps I ask too much.

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#186 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I understand your points

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 03, 2006

Brian, I only go after idiots that come in here spewing nonsense and posting incoherent gibberish. You did not do that. I understand your points and they seem valid on a case by case basis. Isolating and looking at issues in the micro sense has a tendency to decrease impact and distract from the comprehensive picture. If a doctor was to diagnose a person's health based upon segregate contributing factors and symptoms without considering the overall body of factors, it would ultimately be an ineffective and dangerous way to operate as a doctor.

In this sense, it is necessary to take your points and look at them as a comprehensive doctrine of issue and then make a diagnosis. Lets start with your point about Mircosoft and Enron. I take two point issues with this:

1. I have said before that the disclaimer of All businesses do it so it doesn't matter if UOP is guilty is an ineffective deflection tactic and a dangerous line of thinking. 1 company or 1000 companies doing something wrong will never change the fact that something wrong is being done. Corporate accountability, and therefore ethics, in our culture have become non-existent because civic duties by the consumer populous have been shucked. Individualism has created an atmosphere where people are rarely concerned with anything that does not obviously and directly affect them. What they do not realize is that these matters which they ignore often have a wider macro impact that will inevitably affect them.
2. The negative long term socio-economic impact of UOP will affect far more than the monopolization practices of Microsoft or the fraudulent investing, accounting and reporting practices of Enron. I do not see Enron and Microsoft on the same level, I feel Enron's scenario better matches UOP considering the recent investigation launched by the SEC. Regardless, if UOP was only guilty of fraudulent stock practices then my post would not exists. Their negative impact goes far beyond the world of business and is poisoning the higher education system in America. Our ability to educate our citizens directly reflects our ability to survive and prosper as a nation. To quote Fat Mike from NOFX, The Idiots are Taking Over UOP has taken the work and sacrifice investment out of education and learning equation and replaced it with a monetary sacrifice. Unfortunately, the mess we are heading for socially is not something we can buy our way out of and can only be remedied by hard work and sacrifice. This brings me to my next point.

You make a point a UOP degree will work for you if you want it to work for you. Perhaps, but what work was required for the degree? As you quoted me, you can learn in a UOP program and you get out of it what you put into it. However, allowing a business to sell education means that academic quality takes a back seat and someone working hard for an A at UOP is discredited by the vast majority of students that breeze through for a B. You obviously take pride in your military experience. Why? Perhaps the service, work and sacrifice? What if, a company wanted to sell military experience and a person could achieve valid experience compared to yours by simply showing up online a few days a week and paying a bunch of money. What if society didn't differentiate between your military experience and theirs? Hey, they may have even worked extremely hard in their program, but is it valid? Why? Suddenly your military experience means nothing socially. Wouldn't you want there to be some standard set?

I don't care what anyone argues about this, UOP's courses are not designed based off the needs of busy adults or academics. They are based off of a business revenue cycle. Academics takes a far back seat.

Lets avoid extremely comparisons to the Ivy League. No one in here has ever put someone down for not attending a Tier 1. Also, I attended a good school for my undergrad and yes, in some of my larger classes at the lower division, the requirements and challenge was limited. However, these instances were few and far between. Even with that, I still had to pass the tests. For the most part, what is required in 5 classes at a regular academic college over 16 weeks cannot be compared to the 5 week per class structure at UOP. This does not mean that online cannot be used as a legitimate format for education, it just means that a biography, 3 writing assignments, 2 team assignments, 2 posts per day 3 days a week for 5 weeks, and 1 final paper is not conducive to learning. Other online colleges know this which is why their classes are longer and require more. UOP is not concerned because they love the revenue cycle.

UOP may have a great concept. But make no mistake, it is a business concept, not an academic one. There are too many good schools out there both online and ground that are better for the student academically and financially. The problem is that UOP has given this industry a bad name and is a pock mark on the face of society.

Regardless, when you do not compartmentalize the issues and problems with UOP and look at it with a wide angle lens, here is what you get:

An unethical business: (SEC violations, False reporting, Overtime Compensation Violations, Stockholder Fraud, False Advertising, Consumer Manipulation)
An unsound academic facility: (Violations of Title IV funding recruitment law, false reporting of freshman graduation rates, sub-par facilitator hiring practices, illegal recruiting practices, low standards of educational expectations, inverse academic curves, discrediting the value of the degree in America, perpetuating the dumbing down of America )
An unsound Title IV user: (Violations of Title IV usage, Violation of transparent Title IV consumer information, high unnecessary burden on taxpayer money because of an extremely high loan default rate per-capita)
A tyrant of an employer: (Illegal use of employee compensation for capital investments, hostile work environments, employee abuse, high dysfunctional turnover)

This list could go on and on. Bottom line is that nothing good UOP does can outweigh, outshine, overshadow or erase the bad. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just wish people would look at the evidence available to them before they form one. Perhaps I ask too much.

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#185 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I understand your points

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 03, 2006

Brian, I only go after idiots that come in here spewing nonsense and posting incoherent gibberish. You did not do that. I understand your points and they seem valid on a case by case basis. Isolating and looking at issues in the micro sense has a tendency to decrease impact and distract from the comprehensive picture. If a doctor was to diagnose a person's health based upon segregate contributing factors and symptoms without considering the overall body of factors, it would ultimately be an ineffective and dangerous way to operate as a doctor.

In this sense, it is necessary to take your points and look at them as a comprehensive doctrine of issue and then make a diagnosis. Lets start with your point about Mircosoft and Enron. I take two point issues with this:

1. I have said before that the disclaimer of All businesses do it so it doesn't matter if UOP is guilty is an ineffective deflection tactic and a dangerous line of thinking. 1 company or 1000 companies doing something wrong will never change the fact that something wrong is being done. Corporate accountability, and therefore ethics, in our culture have become non-existent because civic duties by the consumer populous have been shucked. Individualism has created an atmosphere where people are rarely concerned with anything that does not obviously and directly affect them. What they do not realize is that these matters which they ignore often have a wider macro impact that will inevitably affect them.
2. The negative long term socio-economic impact of UOP will affect far more than the monopolization practices of Microsoft or the fraudulent investing, accounting and reporting practices of Enron. I do not see Enron and Microsoft on the same level, I feel Enron's scenario better matches UOP considering the recent investigation launched by the SEC. Regardless, if UOP was only guilty of fraudulent stock practices then my post would not exists. Their negative impact goes far beyond the world of business and is poisoning the higher education system in America. Our ability to educate our citizens directly reflects our ability to survive and prosper as a nation. To quote Fat Mike from NOFX, The Idiots are Taking Over UOP has taken the work and sacrifice investment out of education and learning equation and replaced it with a monetary sacrifice. Unfortunately, the mess we are heading for socially is not something we can buy our way out of and can only be remedied by hard work and sacrifice. This brings me to my next point.

You make a point a UOP degree will work for you if you want it to work for you. Perhaps, but what work was required for the degree? As you quoted me, you can learn in a UOP program and you get out of it what you put into it. However, allowing a business to sell education means that academic quality takes a back seat and someone working hard for an A at UOP is discredited by the vast majority of students that breeze through for a B. You obviously take pride in your military experience. Why? Perhaps the service, work and sacrifice? What if, a company wanted to sell military experience and a person could achieve valid experience compared to yours by simply showing up online a few days a week and paying a bunch of money. What if society didn't differentiate between your military experience and theirs? Hey, they may have even worked extremely hard in their program, but is it valid? Why? Suddenly your military experience means nothing socially. Wouldn't you want there to be some standard set?

I don't care what anyone argues about this, UOP's courses are not designed based off the needs of busy adults or academics. They are based off of a business revenue cycle. Academics takes a far back seat.

Lets avoid extremely comparisons to the Ivy League. No one in here has ever put someone down for not attending a Tier 1. Also, I attended a good school for my undergrad and yes, in some of my larger classes at the lower division, the requirements and challenge was limited. However, these instances were few and far between. Even with that, I still had to pass the tests. For the most part, what is required in 5 classes at a regular academic college over 16 weeks cannot be compared to the 5 week per class structure at UOP. This does not mean that online cannot be used as a legitimate format for education, it just means that a biography, 3 writing assignments, 2 team assignments, 2 posts per day 3 days a week for 5 weeks, and 1 final paper is not conducive to learning. Other online colleges know this which is why their classes are longer and require more. UOP is not concerned because they love the revenue cycle.

UOP may have a great concept. But make no mistake, it is a business concept, not an academic one. There are too many good schools out there both online and ground that are better for the student academically and financially. The problem is that UOP has given this industry a bad name and is a pock mark on the face of society.

Regardless, when you do not compartmentalize the issues and problems with UOP and look at it with a wide angle lens, here is what you get:

An unethical business: (SEC violations, False reporting, Overtime Compensation Violations, Stockholder Fraud, False Advertising, Consumer Manipulation)
An unsound academic facility: (Violations of Title IV funding recruitment law, false reporting of freshman graduation rates, sub-par facilitator hiring practices, illegal recruiting practices, low standards of educational expectations, inverse academic curves, discrediting the value of the degree in America, perpetuating the dumbing down of America )
An unsound Title IV user: (Violations of Title IV usage, Violation of transparent Title IV consumer information, high unnecessary burden on taxpayer money because of an extremely high loan default rate per-capita)
A tyrant of an employer: (Illegal use of employee compensation for capital investments, hostile work environments, employee abuse, high dysfunctional turnover)

This list could go on and on. Bottom line is that nothing good UOP does can outweigh, outshine, overshadow or erase the bad. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I just wish people would look at the evidence available to them before they form one. Perhaps I ask too much.

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#184 Consumer Comment

Glad I did not go to UOP

AUTHOR: Blasian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 03, 2006

I am 23 years old in Albuquerque, New Mexico and I almost made the mistake of attending UOP. I was working full time and hit some hard times in my life. I was not interested in dealing with the hassles of a big university. First of all, when I went to ask for information at UOP their staff pressured me BIG time. I caved in because they put the whole "you need to do this for your future" trip on me and I was a bit younger at the time and I listened. I thought I could get a degree at 21 years old and be working making big dollars. I realized later on I was wrong about this school.

After attending just one class I noticed how fast the curriculum was! How could I even learn anything! UOP is so darn expensive it would eat up ALL my financial aid and I would need to take out additional loans to cover the cost! After that I dropped UOP after only a week of class and they still tried to charge me $1000! Oh and yes, the curriculum is not up to par with other universities. My employer (I was new at this time) is an engineering facility and they told me the absolute truth about UOP:"Your degree will be just an expensive piece of paper. We would not hire a UOP graduate here." Their degrees are practically worthless. I am glad I got out when I did. That school is a total scam and degree mill.

Now I attend the University of New Mexico where I am challenged and I actually learn something. Their coursework is at a normal pace where you can absorb the material instead of having it thrown at you. Dont be fooled and think you can get a quick degree and start making lots of money. If you are able to attend a bona fide university do it. There is no easy way!

Now I just want to say that this is only my opinion. There may be people that have found success with this degree. But why pay so much for mediocre or insufficient education?

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#183 Consumer Suggestion

Just a few thoughts...

AUTHOR: Brian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, August 03, 2006

First off... to B's original posts, you do touch on some valid points. Shady business tactics and unethical business practices are bad no matter who practices them, period. Is UOP guilty of this, who's to say. What I do know, is that when corporations become fat and rich, they tend to do things like that. We've seen business ethics go to the wayside with companies like Microsoft and Enron. Are we saying that since they practiced shady business and their exec. mgmt let it happen, that they are or are not credible companies? I'm getting off point here, so back to the topic at hand.

B, I'm not here to bash... as I mentioned before you had valid points. But what I will say is the UOP degree will work if you want it to work for you. Meaning, I work along side people with degrees from more astute institutions and they're no more looked upon as being smarter or better than I am. I also have a military background, which I feel to this day has gotten me where I am. Degrees... much like the military show a sense of pride an accomplishment. Both, key qualities that an employer looks for. They're looking to see if you start something, can you actually finish it.

Also, who is to say which school is better and which is worse. I work with a guy who went to Notre Dame, and he is constantly asking me questions and accepting my suggestions. I mean think about it? Notre Dame!!

Please everyone, don't ever let anyone put you down because you didn't go to Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame or Berkley. Different schools exist for different folks. What works for you, may not work for me. My brother is a biology major from Virginia Tech (Big 10) school. However, when talking business and process he's lost. So you see, and this goes back to other posts as well... you get out of it, what you put into it.

And lastly... B' I'm not knocking your original post, as you probably have valid complaints. I'm just trying to let these other people know that hard work and determination will pay off in the long run. I've been to both community colleges and traditional Universities, well just one. Old Dominion University. During that time, I literally sat in the back of the classroom and did nothing. I didn't have to speak. Some kids even brought tape recorders and sat them on the desk... now tell me, how is that learning?

UOP has a great concept that works for some and not for others. If you're mature and working for a living... chances are their program will be something you can benefit from. If you're just out of High School and are still smoking it up w/your buddies, you probably won't do well w/UOP. It's a matter of fit and there are different fits for everyone.

Most recently in my Q3 review, I was asked when I plan to finish my BS in Business Management. I said, "September". Both my manager and 2 levels up are very happy for me and thought that it was quite an achievement. Now, I don't know that I'll see dollars and promotions but as for a sense of self-pride and gratification, I think it will do just fine.

Just my opinion.

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#182 Author of original report

Pat, I think a Tic Tac might be in order...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 31, 2006

You might want to go gargle and rinse after what just came out of your mouth...

We have another un-informed sheep on our hands folks. Say "baaaaaa" join the herd and go about your day. Before you come in here ranting, make sure you know what you are talking about. First, DOE has stated that what you just admit UOP does is "illegal". An institution of higher learning retaining the capacity to use Title IV funding cannot pay their sales advisors based upon the number of enrollments they bring into the institution. If they are going to compensate based upon enrollments it must be done in term. This means that they must show that the applicant completed a certain amount of their program or completed the program they enrolled for prior to compensating the enrollment advisor. This presents two MAJOR problems for UOP. 1. They have terrible retention with regards to applicants and even worse program completion ratios. 2. Their employee turnover rate is so high on the EA side there is no use in tacking an applicant for 2 years because the person that enrolled them probably quit or was fired. Now you know why they have it set up they way they do.

They have been found in violation of compensation law, fined, and warned multiple times. The newest incarnation of your holy matrix is only the latest attempt to cover up the fact that EA's are paid strictly off of new enrollments. The DOE is not fooled and UOP will again be fined. The "fluff" in the matrix with regards to things like, decision making, contact, calls per day, talk time, skill, etc serves two main functions. The first is to distract the DOE from the actual factors dictating salary increases/decreases at UOP. The second is to control payment to EA's. 20% of $30,000 is $6K. Most advisors never see a 20% increase unless they do 3 or 4 times the enrollments of the highest person on the curve. This means the average raise is about 4-7% or about $1500 per year or $125 a month or $0.70 an hour. The first release of this current matrix 2004 found enrollment managers maxing out their employees on all their other point contributors thus resulting in raises even when the enrollments were at a meets or lower.


Direct from Muller, the directors in each division were told to tell the managers to re-do the evals in order to give either no raise or only that 4-7%. (Go talk to Bret Romney who was an AXIA-WIU East Coast Senior Manager at the time and had to sit in with all his managers 2nd re-do reviews to change them.) Oh, that's right, you are in Arkansas and not Phoenix so best guess leads me to believe you have no clue as to the internal workings of the online campus. But hey, other than not really knowing anything what else would keep you from coming in here and pretending like you do? They could not decrease reviews based off of enrollments as that is a direct violation so they went back in and changed evaluations based upon, attitude, creativity, problem solving and all that other crap. Pat, you have no clue what you are talking about. Unfortunately ignorance is contagious and you should be quarantined. I have warned many times that defenders of UOP will come in here spouting foolishness yet it seems that UOP is only consistent in producing fools.

As for colleges moving into the cyber world, I do not deny that this method can be a legitimate way for busy working adults to obtain an education. But do not confuse education with what UOP does. If you think UOP has set their classes up for 5 and 6 week sessions because it is conducive to education you are delusional. Go study their revenue generating cycle in the strategic and tactical business plan and you will see what I am talking about. It is a genius method of making a ton of money with little overhead on a bad product. This is why AXIA is having so many problems. AXIA has a different class format as you know (or should know) where 2 classes are taken every 8 weeks. This does not fit into their precious revenue cycle which is a major problem for them. The other issue is that they started AXIA in the hopes they would be able to convert more Level 2 students into UOP bachelor students, this is also not happening.

What is that crap about welfare and getting people off of it. You should be able to show a direct correlation in numbers with regards to efforts UOP is making in the community that have resulted in a direct decrease of welfare users. You're lying, you know it, so stop it. Even if that were true, which it is not, do you really expect people to believe that the majority of welfare users have access to internet, computers, etc and can afford the out of pocket expense at UOP? Talk about using big tobacco tactics. Don't try and make it something it isn't. Muller's target market is not the indigent and downtrodden, there is no money in it. I have said this before, even if they did some support of local communities, the small amount of good they do can never overshadow the overall negative impact they have on our social, ethical and economic environments.

Don't BUTT into the bull? Wow, arrogance from a UOP sheep, should I be surprised? Go study what a bull is on the stock exchange and you will see that anymore UOP is far from being a bull. (Frank should like that one) I noticed that you didn't even comment on the fact that UOP is under investigation by the SEC for violations regarding stock options and reporting. Although highly un-ethical, you still don't seem to be able to put it all together that this type of behavior is rampant and is a viral sickness infecting all aspects of the organization. Yet you still come in here and try to shield the truth from the eyes of those that might be fooled into believing such hype and false claims bestowed upon them by UOP. I feel like Sam Jackson in Pulp Fiction talking to that guy in the chair, UOP is that guy in the chair. Arrogance has been the downfall of many great men. Don't butt the bull? We should start a new thread just so your ego has a place to post, there isn't room in here for that kinda crap.

Isolated ignorance really serves no threat, if you were unable to interact with others I would carry no concern as you simply act as a possibly cancerous cell without capacity to infect other cells. The problem at hand is that you are trying to spread by contributing ignorant misinformation, and that makes you dangerous. So before you can infect anyone else, I will cut you out.

I thought I might point out just before I go that you are also a hypocrite. You say, Look B whatever your problem is or was with UOP, do not attempt to steal someone else glory What exactly is it that you are trying to do in here with this last post?

Let's see what Pat is made of.

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#181 UPDATE Employee

UOP is Good School!!

AUTHOR: Patricia - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 30, 2006

I am a current employee of the University of Phoenix. I will first say that every organization has their share of problems, especially Universities. I will also say that it is typical for a person to encounter a bad situation on a job and then start to bad mouth the organization when their employment has ended.

Yes, Enrollment Advisors are paid a base salary and their promotion and raise is based on a matrix. The matrix is structured based on your time on the job and the amount of enrollements you bring in for each month and the number of retentions. For instance 0-6 months on the job is only responsible for enrolling 4 students a months which equals out to 24 at the end of 6 months and retention should equal out to 18 at the end of 6 months. W

hen the EA receive their 6 month review, they are eligible for a raise that range all the way to 20%. But just like any job, employees are kept based on their performance. As far as the classes, they are designed to allow individual that otherwise would not be able to attend college and opportunity to better themselves and their families. For B to make the statements that he or she made is a little shy of the truth, it is starnge that more Universities are moving into cyberworld, offering more classes online.

People working a full-time job and have families do not want to sit in class from 5:45 to 9:30 2 to 3 nights a week. It is impossible for them to do that, so they continue to stay with a job that does not want to pay them. I am not just defending UOP because I am employed with them, I am defending them because I know that the University is actually doing some good within the communities and educating more people mean less people on welfare and depending on the system to survive. Look B whatever your problem is or was with UOP, do not attempt to steal someone else glory.
Do Not But Into The Bull!!!

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#180 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Frank and Danny

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 28, 2006

Frank,
sounds tempting, but I'll stick with real estate. Currently looking at Prescott AZ as that is the next hot market out here. Not another dime goes to UOP.

Danny, there are a bunch of other colleges that work just like AXIA with regards to schedule but have cheaper tuition and better academics. Look at ********* College online for your AA degree. I think their total tuition is cheaper than 1 semester at AXIA. Something like $150 a credit hour for 3 credit classes. Some online concept without the "for-profit" only feel you will get with AXIA.

Stay clear of AXIA.

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#179 Consumer Comment

I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

AUTHOR: Danny - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 28, 2006

I am 23 years old, i have a wife and two children and me and my wife both work full time. I tried my community colledge part time and only lasted one semester. While i did get A's it was just too overwhelming. The online thing is perfect for my situation. I HAVE to have that flexibility. What if i attend Axia just for my assosiates for information tech. degree and then transfer that degree to my local colledge for my bachleor. (You see, in the 20 months that it will take for my assosiates, i will be in a situation where i can quit my job and focos on school.) I already checked and the degree from axia will transfer. Would this senerio work or doI need to get out now. If axia really is a scam how do i get out. I have already started the admissions process and i filled out my fafsa and only submitted axia for the funds. Please help B, your imformation would be very valuble to me.

And to all the spelling and grammer bashers did you know that:

The Hmanud mnid can raed msis sepled wrods. Msot poeple taht can raed at mddile shcool lvel can raed tihs. As lnog as you get the frist and lsat ltters rghit the mddile can be a mess and you can sitl read it.

This seems to be an imformal thread so as long as you can read and understand what people are saying (rather typing)why focous on the spelling and grammer. It's not like we are submitting a colledge paper.

Anyway, i know that is kind of corny (or lame if you perfer)but i read it once and thought it was neat.

Thank you

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#178 Consumer Comment

I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

AUTHOR: Danny - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 28, 2006

I am 23 years old, i have a wife and two children and me and my wife both work full time. I tried my community colledge part time and only lasted one semester. While i did get A's it was just too overwhelming. The online thing is perfect for my situation. I HAVE to have that flexibility. What if i attend Axia just for my assosiates for information tech. degree and then transfer that degree to my local colledge for my bachleor. (You see, in the 20 months that it will take for my assosiates, i will be in a situation where i can quit my job and focos on school.) I already checked and the degree from axia will transfer. Would this senerio work or doI need to get out now. If axia really is a scam how do i get out. I have already started the admissions process and i filled out my fafsa and only submitted axia for the funds. Please help B, your imformation would be very valuble to me.

And to all the spelling and grammer bashers did you know that:

The Hmanud mnid can raed msis sepled wrods. Msot poeple taht can raed at mddile shcool lvel can raed tihs. As lnog as you get the frist and lsat ltters rghit the mddile can be a mess and you can sitl read it.

This seems to be an imformal thread so as long as you can read and understand what people are saying (rather typing)why focous on the spelling and grammer. It's not like we are submitting a colledge paper.

Anyway, i know that is kind of corny (or lame if you perfer)but i read it once and thought it was neat.

Thank you

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#177 Consumer Comment

I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

AUTHOR: Danny - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 28, 2006

I am 23 years old, i have a wife and two children and me and my wife both work full time. I tried my community colledge part time and only lasted one semester. While i did get A's it was just too overwhelming. The online thing is perfect for my situation. I HAVE to have that flexibility. What if i attend Axia just for my assosiates for information tech. degree and then transfer that degree to my local colledge for my bachleor. (You see, in the 20 months that it will take for my assosiates, i will be in a situation where i can quit my job and focos on school.) I already checked and the degree from axia will transfer. Would this senerio work or doI need to get out now. If axia really is a scam how do i get out. I have already started the admissions process and i filled out my fafsa and only submitted axia for the funds. Please help B, your imformation would be very valuble to me.

And to all the spelling and grammer bashers did you know that:

The Hmanud mnid can raed msis sepled wrods. Msot poeple taht can raed at mddile shcool lvel can raed tihs. As lnog as you get the frist and lsat ltters rghit the mddile can be a mess and you can sitl read it.

This seems to be an imformal thread so as long as you can read and understand what people are saying (rather typing)why focous on the spelling and grammer. It's not like we are submitting a colledge paper.

Anyway, i know that is kind of corny (or lame if you perfer)but i read it once and thought it was neat.

Thank you

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#176 Consumer Comment

I have alredy started the admissions process. Help.

AUTHOR: Danny - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 28, 2006

I am 23 years old, i have a wife and two children and me and my wife both work full time. I tried my community colledge part time and only lasted one semester. While i did get A's it was just too overwhelming. The online thing is perfect for my situation. I HAVE to have that flexibility. What if i attend Axia just for my assosiates for information tech. degree and then transfer that degree to my local colledge for my bachleor. (You see, in the 20 months that it will take for my assosiates, i will be in a situation where i can quit my job and focos on school.) I already checked and the degree from axia will transfer. Would this senerio work or doI need to get out now. If axia really is a scam how do i get out. I have already started the admissions process and i filled out my fafsa and only submitted axia for the funds. Please help B, your imformation would be very valuble to me.

And to all the spelling and grammer bashers did you know that:

The Hmanud mnid can raed msis sepled wrods. Msot poeple taht can raed at mddile shcool lvel can raed tihs. As lnog as you get the frist and lsat ltters rghit the mddile can be a mess and you can sitl read it.

This seems to be an imformal thread so as long as you can read and understand what people are saying (rather typing)why focous on the spelling and grammer. It's not like we are submitting a colledge paper.

Anyway, i know that is kind of corny (or lame if you perfer)but i read it once and thought it was neat.

Thank you

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#175 Consumer Comment

Steve, that's what you have to show for 30 years???

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 28, 2006

30 years of AmwayU and you show me two mid-level non-players from the back of the corporate phone book phone book?...so impressive!!!

Tell you what, let's expand this to the Russell 2,000, or even, what the hell, the Wilshire 5,000!!!

If this all you can show me from 30 years of Amway U...now, it's obvious why the stock has tanked...

Hey, B!..do I short Amway U, or simply buy the puts??? How about I do 20 six month futures at 35 bucks???...we're talkin' a 10X MONSTER payout...you in bro'?

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#174 Author of original report

MBA/ED?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 26, 2006

You have been looking on the Futures Magazine website. Thats a typo on the site. It should be MBA/EB. As for some stats, since your brining them up, they have 68 MBA grads listed on that site. Lets round up to 100 to make it fair. UOP has around 300,000 students. Lets say 50,000 are in the MBA programs. Lets say in the last 10 years (As the report you are quoting goes back to 1996) UOP has graduated another 30,000. 100:80,000 ratio here. This means that less than 1% of UOP MBA grads go on to do something.

I really wish Rip Off Report wouldnt have ousted my hyperlinks to that report on the study of Apollo. One of the most damaging points was that it actually showed a flyer handed out by UOP lying about graduation rates for bachelor degree candidates entering the program as freshman. UOP listed its stat at 68%. This is a blatent lie as discoverd by the investigation. They graduate 7% of their bachelor students. This is how all other colleges report it. UOP knows the 7% is extremely bad so they padded their results to include Junior and Senior level entrants in their grad ratios. This means 7 out every 100 or less than 1 out of 10 undergrads at UOP coming in as Freshman actually finish their program.

Two people landing decent jobs with UOP degrees shows nothing. I'll bet even those two people wouldnt hire a UOP grad for more than an entry level position.

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#173 Consumer Comment

not a CEO/ CFO, but this you can verify.... sorry, Frank I had to.

AUTHOR: Steven - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Kimberly A. Davis, 2002 MBA/ED graduate, has accepted a position as Vice President within Citigroup's Corporate and Investment Banking Division in Washington, D.C.

Monica Maza Rocha, 2005 MBA graduate, has been promoted to Assistant Vice President, Capital Markets Operations at Chase Home Finance in Iselin, N.J.

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#172 Author of original report

Hard Evidence

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 24, 2006

(((ROR REDACTED LINKS FOR SECURITY PURPOSES))


The above is two links. One link is to a consumer law report/investigation into proprietary schools in the US. Outlining many of the problems I speak of in this thread. The second is a less official summary printed in the Arizona Republic 1.5 years ago.I am posting this because many of the people coming in here to defend UOP are either too stupid or too lazy to research this stuff by themselves. The best part is on pages 15 & 16 consumer law report on the marketing structure of UOP and the Department of Educations investigation into the compensation plans of the Enrollment Advisors at UOP. Before you come in here defending UOP again, remember, this is information taken directly from the DOE investigation. No one is making it up. It is just how it is.

Now the amazing part will be the fact that some idiot is still going to come in here trying to lie and defend UOP as an organization. Pretending like these things are only from days of long ago. They will be lying, the same way the people lied about how it was never like that there and have now been proven wrong by the DOE report provided above.

If all you doubters could only see the smile and the gesture I am make towards you right now as I bask in the lovely sweetness of being right.

CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

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#171 Consumer Comment

Better hope the Hiring Manager hasn't bought Apollo stock!!!

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 24, 2006

...h*o boy! Here we go with an Apollo mole, talking about "professionaism." Like the Amway faithful of 20 years past, they'll do anything to spin the topic away from the hard numbers...and, the numbers are there for all to see...the stock is now down to 46, yet online enrollments are UP 20% and Axia enrollments are up 10%...why isn't Wall Street responding with through-the-roof buying?

It's because the Apollo (AmwayU) suckers out there aren't doing their homework...earnings are down, despite the huge enrollment gains...you'll note that no one refutes the Apollo stock getting hammered--the numbers are just too stark...

What happens to UOP job hunters when the HR pro or the CEO/CFO of the hiring company asks why a UOP MBA should be hired when the stock has lost over 50% of it's market value in less than two years?

Look, all you UOP moles have to do to shut me up is have a Fortune 500 HR manager, CEO, CFO (name and company included) come on Rip-Off Report and say, "we love UOP grads"!!!...but, we all know that'll never happen. NO Fortune 500 company would be caught dead with a UOP grad in a postion of authority.

The beat goes on.

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#170 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Steve, let's not pick fights with Frank, this isn't his thread...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 22, 2006

Steve, you are right about the fact that Apollo is one of many companies under the thumb of the SEC right now. JBL, Apple are also in the mire. This changes nothing. Only UOP supporters are trying to use the number of companies involved as a shield to say, "if we were the only one's doing it that would be different..." WRONG. This type of internal, unethical, greed driven, ego fueled practice at the highest level of the organization only goes to support everything I have been saying about the unethical practices the entire organization engages in.

If a company is willing to short its stock options and back date them so executives can make more money, why is it so hard for people to believe that enrollment advisors are lying to people? This probe only goes to prove that this is not an academic institution, it is a business selling degree's. De-valuing what a true degree represents in our society, and letting people, (like some of those in this thread) think they have accomplished something by attending UOP.

As for starting a "watchdog" organization. No, see one already exists called the DOE. Right now UOP is under the microscope with them. Considering education funding was cut by 18B in funding last year, and UOP uses 2B annually in Title IV, where do you think the DOE is going to try and make up some groud on their budget restructering. UOP has already been fined once for paying EA's on commission. THey are still doing it, and the DOE knows it. I would be suprized at a HUGE fine in the pipeline for UOP, enough to shut the doors on the place. FINALLY!

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#169 Consumer Comment

Did you read the busnesswire press release Frank?

AUTHOR: Steven - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 21, 2006

Frank,

Did you note that Apollo Group was recommended for delisting along with a number of the 70 corpporations that are part of the option probe?

Did you also note that the company and the others facing similar sanctions filed immediate appeals that stopped the delisting pending the results of the inquiries?

Please have the courtesy, as "B" does, to cite your sources.

You may not agree with this company or another, but try to show some professionalism.

"B",

I am glad that you have found an outlet for your dislike for your former employer. I am also glad that you have found a new avenue for your education as well. Could you also apply this energy into looking into the other online options out there?

I feel that you have a good sense to pick up on improper practices of individuals. Have you thought about starting an organization that could be a watchdog for the industry?

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#168 Consumer Comment

more Apollo trouble: SEC, US Attorney investigation

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Nasdaq has de-listed Apollo stock and will not allow Apollo to submit it's quarterly report. Seems like AmwayU (er, Apollo; aka U of Phoenix)has decided to invent its own stock option plan. So, the SEC and US Attorney from New York are pulling the plug on that scam...oh, to be an Amway U insider!...the ghost of Ken Lay lives!!!!

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#167 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To all ye doubters, what Frank did is actually took them time to probe into the financial scenario at UOP. He nailed it on the head

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, July 17, 2006

Frank, where ya been the last year...I was beginning to think I was alone here. It was a cold place, filled with mindless drones incapable of critical thinking, deductive logic, and all the higher thinking skills one learns are a normal college.

To all ye doubters, what Frank did is actually took them time to probe into the financial scenario at UOP. He nailed it on the head when he said asked how a college that sells MBA programs can't even get its own business practices right.

One thing that is really troubling is that they have known this since 2004 and done nothing but try to hide it. In 04, they rolled the UOPX stock back into the Apollo Stock to hide the damage Frank is talking about.

In the last report to the shareholders meeting, there were some interesting facts brought up. One of the most interesting items was the fact that Florida is considering the possibility of kicking UOP out of the state. Muller dances around this point very nicely but you can bet that there is much more to it. Here is the transcripts of the last quarterly meeting.

http://media.seekingalpha.com/article/12328

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#166 Consumer Comment

UOP stock getting hammered

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 16, 2006

Lots of comments about this thread not being credible, so here are some hard numbers:over the past two years, Apollo (U of Phoenix, aka AmwayU) stock has free-falled from 97 to 47. Those are hard numbers, folks. Shareholders are flying from Apollo like a covey of pigeons.

Of course, AmwayU, (er Apollo) stock has an obscene ROI. Why? Read through this thread and you'll find out.

Two years, over 50% of Amway U's market value down the toilet. What does an MBA from this sorry outfit mean if it can't even take care of its own business?

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#165 Consumer Comment

UOP, Yes or No?

AUTHOR: Justin - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 12, 2006

WOW, did anyone notice that this is a year long debate. Wow. Well I'm just finishing up my AA degree, and looking into UOP, among other online degree programs.

Im 21 years of age with two very beautiful and loving children. Of Course I have to work for a living, and its a struggle. I plan to finish my degree in Business on schedule, if not sooner.

UOP would be a very convient option, rather than attending classes on campus for the next two years. I dont think i can manage if I have to do that. Well when i go through this debate with everybody, my mind changes from pro to con, with every other point. Im very confused, I dont know who to believe.

Of course if you do your own research, you will have to go to a UOP website, which will be pro, no doubt. If you get the info from a public website like this one, you have to think that the cons, are disgrunted people, that have personal problems with the company.

Other than that im getting a wide range of personal opinions. I dont want to waste the time and money on the degree if it is not going futhur my future.

On a second note, i Have to strongly agree with the guy that was making the point about comming out with a degree, and not getting a CEO position right off the back. That is one of my pro arguments. This is too crazy.

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#164 Author of original report

Another for the records...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Okay, for those of you familiar with this site, I hope you appreciate the restraint I show with our new friend Danielle. Like many of our participants in earlier posts that have supported UOP, just allowing people to actually read what you wrote Danielle, does well to support my arguments about quality standards at UOP. If you are going to make a point, make a coherent one.

I will stand by my original modus operandi of not picking people apart for spelling and grammar (sort of). What I will say is that unless you are 8 years old, you have no excuse for the gibberish you just spewed on this webpage. If you would like to continue to support my argument then please, keep posting.

I will take some liberties here with my assumptions about you Danielle and even if I am correct, you probably will deny it so here we go anyway.

First, you have limited tenure at AXIA, probably 6 months maximum. This is probably your first job in a large corporate setting. You are young, between the ages of 20-25. You are working on completing your bachelor or associate degree. You only have maybe 1-2 years prior experience probably all in entry level positions. You may have even been a temp that was moved to full time. I know this, because this demographic became the hiring standard as I was exiting WIU/AXIA.

Second, you have limited knowledge with regards to the history of the organization in general. This would not be a bad thing unless you were to say, come into a discussion thread and made invalid and inaccurate claims when you obviously know nothing.

Third, okay, I said I wouldn't go there but da** woman! Did you actually read what you wrote before you submitted it?

What I am about to say you can confirm internally by anyone who worked there prior to 2004. Try one of the Yeager brothers, Ted is pretty cool and he'll probably tell you the truth depending on who is listening in.

You were obviously not there during the days of the RED ROOM where low performing enrollment advisors were sent when their numbers were not up to par. (I could have said pare there so you could understand) Sorry, couldn't resist that shot.

Did you ever wonder why you MUST make over 100 calls per day and have at least 4 hours of talk time? You can thank the RED ROOM for that. What they did is take the bottom performers and put them on activity plans where they were forced to make a certain number of calls and talk for a certain length of time. They were forced to sign a performance plan document which allowed UOP to fire them if they did not make the minimum number of calls. I bet you didn't know that.

As for being forced to lye to students, I never claimed enrollment counselors were asked to give people chemical burns As for telling L-I-E-S, you obviously were not there in the days before AXIA/WIU had their nice little tuition package which just happens to fit nicely into the Level 1/Level 2 financial aid plan.

Try telling a Level 1 student they would have to come up with $2600 for their first 4 classes in the UOP bachelor program and see if EC's didn't get extremely creative with their explanations. See, what EC's would do, is tell students that the first classes would be paid for if they used financial aid, they just left out the fact that the student would need to pay for the 3rd and 4th classes. That is called lying.

As for your claim that UOP has high academic standards, basing my assumption off your skill as a writer, I am guessing you have limited educational experience and therefore no ability to use comparison or reference to make such a claim.

We can pretty much assume that from what you have shown us thus far, when you state that UOP has great quality, it is equal to someone who has never seen or driven a car before, thinking that the Pinto is a fine automobile. The Pinto was a car, in that it had wheels and an engine just as UOP is a college as is has teachers, oops sorry, facilitators and students.

If you recall, the Pinto had a little problem, it used to blow up if someone hit it in the rear end. What does this teach us about UOP? Do not keep your UOP diploma in the trunk of your car because if you get hit it will explode and kill you.

As for the no overtime statement you made. You have two major problems here. One, you didn't read the post all the way. Two, you haven't been there long enough to know that in 2004 the Department of Labor settled out of court with UOP for $20,000,000 because they refused to pay employees overtime for oh, 20 years. See, this is why you now have overtime pay.

The other thing you forgot to look up is that the reason your new matrix is designed the way it is, is because the DOE also fined UOP another $18,000,000 for non-compliance with the rules and regulations for advisor compensation plans. The found out that UOP was in fact, only paying advisors based off of enrollments. These are things you can easily find on the internet.

As for why I left if I was highly paid. What is considered highly paid at UOP is a drop in the bucket when you see what's in the real world. $65,000 a year is nothing. Plus, the new matrix, as you should know, has or at least had, extremely high expectations for enrollments based off your pay range.

In order to hit a meets I had to enroll 96 students every 6 months or have my pay reduced 10%. Considering the average rep was doing 6 enrollments per month, my expectations were 3 times as high as the normal rep while my pay was only twice as much and my total leads per-month remained static. (static means it didn't change).

There was mass exodus (that means people left) of top reps when they changed the matrix. See, this is why they now have people like you working there. They can pay you crap, treat you like crap and fill you full of crap and you will smile and ask for more.

As for your final statement, I was fired and I am angry, little girl, I have addressed this multiple times. I was not fired and I am not angry. In fact, leaving UOP is the best thing that ever happened to me. You will one day see what I mean.

I truly hope you respond as I found you original post extremely entertaining. Plus, you support my cause very well. If you really like UOP then do them a favor, and don't help them in here. You don't know what you're talking about. Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt

You are the future of UOP and anyone who comes in here and reads what you wrote is going to know I am right.

Simply amazing

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#163 UPDATE Employee

This is really rediculous

AUTHOR: Danielle - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 12, 2006

First off I would like to say I work for Axia of Univeristy of Phoenix Online and I cannot believe that people think this job is a sweat shop and and that we lye and rip people of we have rules and regulations that we have to follow or we will be fired right there on the spot. Next to think that our class's are not up to pare that they are not challenging. That is also rediculous and far from the truth.

You hear all these statements from disgruntal emeployee's who probably didn't do well at the job. If this person was the highest paid then why would they quit. Let's all wake up with any school or buisness there are going to be slackers and procrastinators that are going to say that we didn't do our job and didn't tell them. It is not our fault that people don't pay attention to what we are saying. This is a university and it is going to be hard and you are going to have to put time into it. Poeple want a degree to be online, they want it to be quick. They also want it to be fully accredited and they only want to put a little effort. Now honeslty did you really want to goto school. Did you drop because you were scared and didnt think you could do it and now you are angry about it. Also another comment that I have read on this wonderful page is they didn't know they had to pay Student Loan's back if they fail or do not finish. Let's just look at the name of the Student Loan. The last word is loan, which means you have to pay it back. Also in the several application's that we walk you through it state's that if you fail you have to pay. If you drop you have to pay.

As far as having to work and not getting overtime and so called commission on enrolling yes if you do your job and you are not late and you meet standers you get a raise but come on is that any different then any job also the no overtime is not correct either. I have a good feeling that this person did something such as lied to the students or didnt come to work so he was fired and he is angry. Every buisness or program will have unhappy people that is just how the world works.

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#162 Consumer Comment

UoP Madness

AUTHOR: Rite - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 11, 2006

I go to UoP online because the company pays for it. I know it is full of idiots but why cry and whine, and type thousands of pages of grief over it? Haha ... B is right, however I wonder why anyone would want to debate with him. You can never win.

But this is really just a flame thread, entertaining for a few minutes. What a shock, some folks aren't thrilled with a huge bureaucracy! Wow, amazing!

Everyone in this thread is heavily biased. No credibilty whatsoever.

Have a nice day

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#161 Consumer Comment

Thanks for the Links

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 09, 2006

B.
Again I say, I respect your opinon. It is honest, and you are entitled to it.

The link I provided was not to defend UOPs honor or dishonor. It was provided to give a glimpse into learning experience. Some may feel it is not enough, some may feel it fits them.

You have your own agenda and I does not affect me--I am finished with my degree and it feels good to place it on my resume.

God's blessings to you B.

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#160 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Still not enough

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, July 09, 2006

I know the posts above are long and many. However, there are a few times when people come in defending UOP and saying that they had a positive experience. As long as they have been constructive and avoided just blowing their horn about their high GPA I have left them alone. I have said before that although a few people have had a positive experience at UOP, it does not counteract the overwhelming negative affect UOP exerts on the social and education environment. Aside from the academic and financial problems, they also have major issues with internal employee treatment. They have a history of fradulent activity when it comes to employee compensation and abuse of Title IV funding rules and regulations. If you go back through here and review, simply ask yourself which side of the fence you are on, then look who is on that side of the fence with you. The overwhelming majority of the people who have defended UOP have proven themself to be at best, dimb. Even that "professor" that came in here spouting off couldnt even spell right after lecturing me on my format. And that guy claims he's teaching! The good does not outweigh the bad. Those of you who support UOP should be more concerned about these problems than anyone else. Something is obviously wrong there. Ignoring it solves nothing
Trying to distract from it makes it worse. Since we are providng links to websites, I thought Id include a list of my own.

http://www.avoiduniversityofphoenix.com/Warning.html

http://uopsucks.com/home.html

http://www.obhe.ac.uk/news/sample396.html
GOOD ONE!!! http://www.fool.com/News/mft/2004/mft04062508.htm?source=EDNWFT

Good One!!! http://beautifulatrocities.com/archives/2005/06/remedial_higher.html

There are hundreds of these, this is enough for now.

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#159 Consumer Comment

A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 08, 2006

To anyone interested, following is a link to an excellent example of UOPO. This is for MIS and it is from 2003. A lot has changed since 2003, but it will give you some indication as to the the what it takes to get a degree from UOP. It is NOT a degree mill.

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The%20Class%20I%20Am%20Presently%20Taking:

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The Class I Am Presently Taking:

If neither of the above links work, go here
http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_UoP_MS_CIS_Handbook.htm and then choose the link which says: "The Last Class I took". Actually, this whole site is interesting.

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#158 Consumer Comment

A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 08, 2006

To anyone interested, following is a link to an excellent example of UOPO. This is for MIS and it is from 2003. A lot has changed since 2003, but it will give you some indication as to the the what it takes to get a degree from UOP. It is NOT a degree mill.

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The%20Class%20I%20Am%20Presently%20Taking:

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The Class I Am Presently Taking:

If neither of the above links work, go here
http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_UoP_MS_CIS_Handbook.htm and then choose the link which says: "The Last Class I took". Actually, this whole site is interesting.

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#157 Consumer Comment

A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 08, 2006

To anyone interested, following is a link to an excellent example of UOPO. This is for MIS and it is from 2003. A lot has changed since 2003, but it will give you some indication as to the the what it takes to get a degree from UOP. It is NOT a degree mill.

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The%20Class%20I%20Am%20Presently%20Taking:

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The Class I Am Presently Taking:

If neither of the above links work, go here
http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_UoP_MS_CIS_Handbook.htm and then choose the link which says: "The Last Class I took". Actually, this whole site is interesting.

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#156 Consumer Comment

A Good Example of UOP Curriculum

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 08, 2006

To anyone interested, following is a link to an excellent example of UOPO. This is for MIS and it is from 2003. A lot has changed since 2003, but it will give you some indication as to the the what it takes to get a degree from UOP. It is NOT a degree mill.

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The%20Class%20I%20Am%20Presently%20Taking:

http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_uop_updates.htm#The Class I Am Presently Taking:

If neither of the above links work, go here
http://billslater.com/uop/wfs_UoP_MS_CIS_Handbook.htm and then choose the link which says: "The Last Class I took". Actually, this whole site is interesting.

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#155 Consumer Comment

To B

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 08, 2006

B. I want to thank you for your recommendation. Your response tells me that you are sincere about your opinions--I respect that.

However, I have to tell you that I have attended a local university for a master level degree (the university was AASCB certified) . I took the GMAT to get in and jumped every one of their hoops. Once I started the classes, I was faced with the same barriers I experienced with my undergrad classes. I was tired of fighting and decided to transfer to UOP. In comparison, the classes are the same, just a different time frame, different environmental delivery,and evaluation method. In the university's classes, I was presented with a syllabus, which outlined the assignments, test dates, and readings.

In UOP's classes I was presented with the same. In the university class the teacher gave an lecture each week for that week's learning objective. In UOP's classes, I receive a lecture (written) for each weeks learning objective. Pretty much the same. The big difference is I had to do more testing than writing in the traditional university. I learned what I needed to learn in order to pass the test. At UOP I had to do more writing, so as a result I had to research, then be able to turn into thoughts, on paper, what I researched and learned (this is where the learning came in).

I did take undergrad statistics--it was terrible. I learned enough to pass the tests, but I still did not know statistics. When I took it at UOP, I learned statistics, because I was not just learning for a test. I had to read and re-read the text to work the exercises. In addition, my statistics instructor at UOP gave us midterm and final tests--as well as written assignments. In the written assignments, I was given business scenarios in which I had to apply the statisical information for various results (try doing that and not learn anything). Through all of this I learned statistics--really learned--for the first time. I use it in my business practices and understand how it works.

See B, learning style is what is important. I am one that likes to learn. The way UOP presents the lessons allowed me to learn and apply. Again, I respect your opinion. But for me (and I can only speak for myself), UOP was the best choice. It was not just a chat room experience. Also, I never had any problems with the service. Everything went smoothly. In fact, my counselor would call me and email me to let me know about changes.

My rebuttal is not for defense of UOP, but for my defense. I am sorry for your problem with UOP, but as you can see by my experience, everyone does not have the same problem.

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#154 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To Wealth

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 08, 2006

All I can say is that I would advise you to go take a few classes in a masters program with AACSB or ACBSP accreditation. In fact, I am familiar with UOP's E-Business course sequence. Since you have your MBA, the Stats, Accounting and Finance courses at this other college should be a breeze.
You will learn quickly the difference between what 6 weeks requires and what 16 weeks requires. You will find that UOP left a few things out BECAUSE they rely on students to fill in the gaps for absentee professors. If students were supposed to teach the class, they wouldn't be in school learning!

Sure some folks have pearls of wisdom in the class, but when was the last time you paid $30K to sit in a chat room? This method makes UOP a haven for mis-information. Ultimately what you have is working professionals with a masters and NO actual teaching training or experience, acting as professors, and a group of students chatting back and forth about how they interpret the material. This is a recipe for disaster

Also, regarding your point about the program differences between Walden and UOP. In my opinion, saying UOP's program is more comprehensive because of the course descriptions is like saying you prefer the flavor of one ice cream over another simply by reading the ingredients on the outside and never tasting either.

Just go take some classes at the masters level at a local university, then come in here and say that UOP is a great program.

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#153 Consumer Comment

UOP is a Good School

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, July 07, 2006

OK. This is to the last discourse. I did not read all of it, but what I read did not ring true. First of all, I graduated from UOP with an MBA in Ebusiness. I compared the courses from UOP with Walden. UOP's course list was much more comprehensive. You can learn anything in five to six weeks. You make it sound like the learning is just in the classroom. The learning is started in the classroom and continues throughout the week with readings, assignments, team assignments, and research.

What I liked about UOP was that I was not just learning from a teacher, I was also learning from other classmates. For the first time I did not feel like I was competing with my classmates for the teacher's approval.

UOP is education for adults. It is taught so that the individual can learn. Yes, it is expensive, but so was my undergrad, not for profit, private college. My undergrad college was $300 per credit hour in 1987. Today it is $450 per credit hour. Most of my professors where puffed up bigots. I learned because I wanted to learn. They did their best to make it very hard for me, because they did not believe I was suppose to be there. I was a black woman taking computer science. I will leave the rest to your logical understanding. In addition, I spent most of my time disputing grades I was given because of bigotry--I even had to take one professor before a grievance board because he gave me an F for an assigment (I won and he was fired). The assignment was to write a database program for a library. Mine was one of the only ones which worked. He believed I must have cheated and copied from one of the other students. So, I spent much of the last two years of my undergrad fighting to graduate.

UOP was different. I enjoyed my learning experience. I also learned. I am not an idiot. I went to UOP because I believed I would get a fair shake--and I did. I am a very intelligent woman. I worked for my grades at UOP. I graduated with a 3.72. I say that because, it seems the perception is that UOP just gives away the grades.

The fact that UOP makes it easy for a person to enroll does not make it a bad school. They are reaching for a market of people who wish to obtain a quality education without being judged. I am one such person.

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#152 Author of original report

M, this is a long one...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, July 06, 2006

M,

Thus far you have been non-confrontational and presented your points without insult. Because of that I will continue to also operate in such a manner. However, regarding my next statement and your last post above, I hope you take what I am about to say as constructive criticism and not an insult. Your last post revealed to me a lack of experience and understanding with regards to the value and role of higher education on both the macro and micro scale in our social and economic systems. I understand the point you are attempting to make but taking it at face value you are basically saying that the overall actions of UOP are irrelevant because:

A. other businesses do it. B: The education behind what we call a degree is irrelevant in our society today. Both points I take issue with but before I get into that, I would like to provide a comparison based off of some of the points you use to make your argument.

With regards to the price of UOP and your claim that their price point is within the mid-line of for-profit online entities is incorrect. Let's look at Walden U and compare what they do academically vs. price and then contrast that with UOP. Walden is a for-profit online college and they are currently taking huge chunks of business away from UOP. They can do this because wise educational consumers understand the balance between, price, quality, and service. Walden is driven by both administration and academics equally. They are growing and doing it right.

Walden price for 9 classes at $240 per credit hour with 5 qtr credit classes = $10,800
UOP price for 9 classes at $495 per credit hour with 3 smstr credit classes = $13,365

Difference = $2565.00 per year or roughly $8,000 for 3 years of college.

I compared it to 3 years because Walden has a different academic operating MO. You cannot get into Walden's bachelor program without 30 smster/45qtr credits completed and at least a 3.0 GPA. Why? 2 reasons:1 is because the financial aid available to Level 1 freshman students is limited and Walden understand that although they could make money off these students, it is in the best interest of the student and the college to attend a less expense college like Rio Salado Online wich is an affiliate partner of Walden but operate as a non-profit online entity in Phoenix. RSO's tuition per class is about $230 so their freshman year can be completed for roughly $2500. Well below the Level 1 financial aid offered by FAFSA.
The second reason is to screen candidates to make sure they are qualified to handle the academic standards of the program.

What was UOP's solution to the high drop rate of level 1 and 2 students in 2004? WIU AXIA. They did not do this in the best interest of the student, they did it to maximize profits. WIU AXIA's tuition was designed to fall right on the maximum allotted amount of Title IV funding available to Freshman/Sophomore students. They finish their degree, then move on to UOP's bachelor completion program. This means a student going through both programs and completing 120 credits ends up paying over $42,000 for the degree when all is said and done.

At Walden, the student spends $32,400 and another $2500 at the starting college to get into the program totaling $34,900.

Interesting fact:
Title IV Funding Stafford Loan for independent students per year:
Year 1 = $6500
Year 2 = $7400
Year 3 = $10500
Year 4 = $10500
Total = $34,900

Right in line with Walden while UOP using that funding, plus an additional 7K plus. (considering that many Pell Eligible applicants on average get roughly $1500 per year in funding)

Why is Walden's tuition and program so much more well designed for the interests of the consumer/student? Why is Walden's program so much more difficult to get into? Why is Walden's relative operating expense higher because they invest more revenue dollar per-student than UOP yet UOP has much higher tuition? Why is the consumer dollar value so much more at Walden than UOP. Why does Walden's program not burden Pell and Stafford programs with extremely high default and non-payment rates even though their program is tougher?

The answer is greed. Walden, as well as multiple other colleges in this arena (Cappella, NCU, Strayer, etc.) have shown that for-profit education can be profitable as well as academically sound, and consumer oriented depending on where the entity sets is priorities. Consumers should go to these other colleges but the brand name recognition and dishonest enrollment practices at UOP do well to attract un-informed consumer. This has and will continue to have negative impacts on UOP as they must appeal to only the lowest common denominator of students that want to do nothing for a degree or do not care about standards. All the real candidates will be at competitor institutions. Muller knows this, which is why the only way he will ever hit his goal of 1,000,000 students is to buy other colleges with better academics and better images.

UOP is driven by the greed and arrogance of 1 Brain Muller CEO. He does not care for academics, for consumers, or for the impact his operating motive has on the ethical environment of business and the health of the industry, nor does he care about the wider impact his actions are having on education in the US.

Now let me get back to my original 2 points. First, just because other entities do it does not make it okay for UOP to do it. In fact, the only reason other entities do it is because UOP set the foundation for how to make a lot of money in for profit education without concern for rules, quality or academics. Our society has fallen asleep when it comes to hold corporate entities accountable for the actions and their impact on environmental, social and economic systems. In fact, UOP has been guilty of violating many rules and laws, but simply because they have a ton of money, the authorities have only given them slaps on the wrist. Our system of government and the rule of law never accounted for the influence large corporations would have on bodies of authority. Entities like UOP corrupt the ethical fabric of business by exploiting their employees, un-aware consumers, and the public services such as Federal Title IV.

You make a point that UOP should have a higher default rate than other colleges because they are the largest college in the US. This is only true when dealing with the overall number and not comparing it to the percentages. If you want to get a good feel for how bad UOP is, take the current number of defaults they face per-capita. If you compare their percentage per 1000 student to any other college you will see what I mean. They abuse the purpose of Title IV.

The second point was regarding the impact higher education has on the individual all the way up to the US being competitive nation in the global economy. Education and a college degree is more than just a way to segregates the haves from the have nots. This mentality has detrimental affects on so many things and UOP is responsible for perpetuating it. On the individual level, my college experiences outside of UOP have been more engaging and I have learned much more than you have lead on that college actually teaches. My second masters after my first at UOP did well to prepare me for running and understanding a business on many levels. In turn, my undergraduate degree built a solid foundation for me to continue to develop educationally and professionally. Yes a degree is important but when I hire new employees, I do weigh heavily their educational experience and source of the education. Consistently, UOP produces candidates less prepared for success and the big problem is that they produce so very many of them. You cannot teach a masters level student accounting or statistics in 6 weeks when they have no foundation in that area already.

Our ability to thrive as a nation and compete as a country rides upon our nations ability to educate its people. What I call the UOP affect is the result of having thousands of people running around feeling entitled to certain things simply because they obtained their degree. UOP has been a major culprit and the dumbing down of educated Americans. Because they make it about profit only, they are the biggest offender of selling degree programs. At UOP it is about time, patients and money when it comes to being a student. It is not about academics, learning, or effort. This results in many college graduates with only surface level foundation skill sets. Yes, on the job learning is critical but companies do not want to have to teach a person how to learn. This is why we use a college degree as a standard. Many situations in business, government, science, math or any social crucial function cannot be solved in 5 weeks, 1 hour a day, 3 days per week.

Entities like UOP are one of the reasons why there are so many educated idiots in America with ADD and short attention spans. Real learning and development takes TIME and/or large amounts of EFFORT and UOP has left these critical factors out. This is type of short attention span learning is exactly why this current administration in office now can screw up something like Katrina so badly and only a year later, no one seems to care but those who it affected.

UOP and its disservice to this society is not something that can be so easily written off. The reason I take the time to sit here and do this is because I know they are a bigger threat to so many things than most people even realize. My biggest issue is that they could do so much good if they only changed their motives. Brian Muller has no place in any type of higher education facility.

My rant has gone on long enough. I just really take issue with those who defend UOP without seeing the bigger picture of how their actions affect so many things negatively.

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#151 UPDATE EX-employee responds

From "M" to "B"

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 05, 2006

I would like to address some of the issues that you mentioned in your last post.

I do not have a power point presentation on why for-profit schools cost more than not-for profit schools, perhaps it is because shareholders are involved and because they are well, making a profit. If you are saying that one is better than another, then that is just a matter of a opinion. But UOP is not the only for-profit school and they are pretty much middle of line as far as tuition of schools the country, including both for profit and not for profit. If you are comparing apples to apples, UOP's prices are comparable to other for profit online schools.

I would be careful about comparing UOP to schools that are not in this category, that UOP cannot touch with "academic rigor". I believe that this point really returns to the exclusivity factor. People don't want to go to Harvard because classes are difficult or challenging, people want to go to Harvard, because only a select few are accepted and boy, does it look good on a resume.

I think in exploring this topic you need to be able to step outside of the traditional framework and be honest about what really happens in a classroom. When you say that a student would have to dedicate 30-40 hours in a classroom a week for the 5 weeks to be effective, do you think that this actually happens in classrooms across the country? Minus the 30 minute breaks in a traditional classrooms, the first 20 minutes class doesn't start, the two hours the professor is lecturing on the topic with no other discussion, 25% of the class not attending until the day of the test and 50% of the class not listening and pissed off that they are actually in class when they could be reading the book at home.

In theory, I understand what you're saying. But realistically, even if people were really investing that time into one course,which they are not, and the time was productive, which it's not, people WILL NOT remember most of what they learn anyway.

I am trying not to be too philosophical about it, but degrees have always been a way to separate the "haves" from the "have nots" and really nothing more. You learn most about the career you choose to do, from doing the career you choose to do, not your bachelor's degree. This is my opinion, based on what I have observed of others' lives and my own and certainly may not be supported by UOP.

So why even get a degree you ask? Because employers want it. Because it's prestigious. Because that's the way this country works. Why a more expensive school like UOP over San Diego State? If you can get into San Diego State (there are so many people applying to this school who's education I found to be subpar that you now have to be pretty exceptional to get in), you can take night courses for 3 and a half hours a night, for four days a week, for four and a half years while working full-time, and be able to accomodate for the courses that that are required to graduate, but only pop up with one class for that semester in the middle of the day, three times a week-please go to that school. It is better for you because UOP is more expensive. But if you are taking one or two courses a night, during a 16 week semester, IF you complete your degree, you will complete it in about 8 years and you have missed out on 4 years of the income that were getting your degree for in the first place.

To summarize I just think it's unfair to question the strategy UOP uses without questioning what higher education has really done for us traditionally.

Last point, another way to look at having the "number one default rate". First off being the number one private university in the entire country, it would be no surprise that UOP has more students in default. Secondly, the population that UOP serves is a little different from others, these are people that have to work obviously, most of which do not do it for fun and are unable to attend a traditional school because of their lives, which may then in turn cause them to have to leave UOP. If UOP wasn't around, they might not be going to school period, or end up in default at another college.

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#150 UPDATE Employee

Response to B.

AUTHOR: Hasina - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Again I repeat that in the almost 5 years that I have worked at UOP, I have seen Enrolment advisors mis-lead students, is this intentional? Perhaps on occasion. I still say the majority of enrollment advisors dont lie to students. They dont have to. They can do thier job with out lying. Those who dont have the skills or confidence to do their jobs are the ones who have to lie to get students to enroll. THats not a UOP thing, thats an individual who has not work ethics thing. The same thing happens at Universities across the US. And actually B. My supervisor does care if I stay or quit, which is why when I turned in my resignation a year ago, she talked me out of leaving. I was contemplating returning to the social work field and decided to stay at UOP.I say agian anyone who is thinking about attending make your own decision.

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#149 UPDATE EX-employee responds

not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

By the way Hasina

I am not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully. I was under the impression that UOP online pro-rated the course cost by week. Perhaps I am incorrect.

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#148 UPDATE EX-employee responds

not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

By the way Hasina

I am not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully. I was under the impression that UOP online pro-rated the course cost by week. Perhaps I am incorrect.

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#147 UPDATE EX-employee responds

not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

By the way Hasina

I am not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully. I was under the impression that UOP online pro-rated the course cost by week. Perhaps I am incorrect.

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#146 UPDATE EX-employee responds

not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

By the way Hasina

I am not sure I understood your point about the 50% thing fully. I was under the impression that UOP online pro-rated the course cost by week. Perhaps I am incorrect.

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#145 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To M and Hasina

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Let me start with M. Although your intentions are good you are missing some issues with the points you bring to the table.

What we are talking about is business vs. education. Spurling himself is quoted as saying he believes that for profit education retains more accountability than traditional education does. Perhaps his intentions are good, but the outcome of accountability between shareholders and students will always leave the student on the short end.

You compare SDSU with UOP. Fine, maybe they have similar academic standards, I do not personally believe that but for the sake of argument I will give you that one. If they do have similar academic quality, why should UOP be able to charge $1400 for a class while SDSU is about that cost for a full semester of classes? The accountability is to the shareholder, to the income sheet, to the stock value, not to the product or the consumer.

At SDSU, or any public or private non-profit two separate but equal entities make decisions, academics and administration. Academics often serves as a balance system when the administration team is trying to maximize profit margins.

UOP has no such system in place. 5 weeks is not enough time for a person to cram a semester worth of education into. For it to be affective, an individual would need to be able to dedicate roughly 30-40 hours per week to school which defeats the whole foundation of the UOP convenience thing.

For this to be the case, and for them to charge that price and then be the number 1 user of Title IV funding with the highest default rate in the nation is doing more harm to our society than any good. The good being the opportunity for average Joe to get a degree. If you want to compare academics, compare apples to apples with regards to price point and you will soon find that those institutions UOP competes with on price point, it cannot touch with academic rigor.

By the way, I think you know you are not being forthcoming with regards to the training you received. The AMOPSR or RAMOPSR and the DCVA crap they teach is designed as a manipulative tool by which advisors can manipulate consumers. This would not be bad if the institution did not disguise sales people as counselors.

To Hasina,
Your point about Title IV at UOP being the same as at any other institution is also misleading. It is not. Look at the distribution of FA at UOP vs other colleges with regards to the class completion. Also, going back my point above regarding 5 week classes and the cost of the degree, comparing the 50% rule to 4 posts over 2 days at UOP vs weeks of class at another institution is invalid.

You are not making valid comparisons here. The student could post, checking in and welcome response emails to their class on day one, and ask two questions about the syllabus the second day in class, and suddenly that education is supposed to be worth $700? I think not. It is a money ploy. That's it, a way to increase retention through manipulation.

UOP knows a person is less likely to drop if they are told they owe money and if you are going to say that the enrollment team is being upfront with people about that then you are lying. I know how much academics hates enrollment. You guys are always cleaning up after the lies or misinformation given to students by enrollments. You know as well as I do that you and the students are just a number at that place.

You've been there 5 years and you know they wouldn't even blink if you quit tomorrow. I felt bad for academics while I was there, you guys dealt with a ton of crap brought on by the internal policy of Brian Muller. Sell. Sell. Sell.

I understand your desire to defend the organization you work for, but why back them when they have done nothing to back you or the educational consumer? I understand your points, but just like M, you are not comparing apples to apples here with 5 week classes vs traditional semesters/quarters.

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#144 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To M and Hasina

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Let me start with M. Although your intentions are good you are missing some issues with the points you bring to the table.

What we are talking about is business vs. education. Spurling himself is quoted as saying he believes that for profit education retains more accountability than traditional education does. Perhaps his intentions are good, but the outcome of accountability between shareholders and students will always leave the student on the short end.

You compare SDSU with UOP. Fine, maybe they have similar academic standards, I do not personally believe that but for the sake of argument I will give you that one. If they do have similar academic quality, why should UOP be able to charge $1400 for a class while SDSU is about that cost for a full semester of classes? The accountability is to the shareholder, to the income sheet, to the stock value, not to the product or the consumer.

At SDSU, or any public or private non-profit two separate but equal entities make decisions, academics and administration. Academics often serves as a balance system when the administration team is trying to maximize profit margins.

UOP has no such system in place. 5 weeks is not enough time for a person to cram a semester worth of education into. For it to be affective, an individual would need to be able to dedicate roughly 30-40 hours per week to school which defeats the whole foundation of the UOP convenience thing.

For this to be the case, and for them to charge that price and then be the number 1 user of Title IV funding with the highest default rate in the nation is doing more harm to our society than any good. The good being the opportunity for average Joe to get a degree. If you want to compare academics, compare apples to apples with regards to price point and you will soon find that those institutions UOP competes with on price point, it cannot touch with academic rigor.

By the way, I think you know you are not being forthcoming with regards to the training you received. The AMOPSR or RAMOPSR and the DCVA crap they teach is designed as a manipulative tool by which advisors can manipulate consumers. This would not be bad if the institution did not disguise sales people as counselors.

To Hasina,
Your point about Title IV at UOP being the same as at any other institution is also misleading. It is not. Look at the distribution of FA at UOP vs other colleges with regards to the class completion. Also, going back my point above regarding 5 week classes and the cost of the degree, comparing the 50% rule to 4 posts over 2 days at UOP vs weeks of class at another institution is invalid.

You are not making valid comparisons here. The student could post, checking in and welcome response emails to their class on day one, and ask two questions about the syllabus the second day in class, and suddenly that education is supposed to be worth $700? I think not. It is a money ploy. That's it, a way to increase retention through manipulation.

UOP knows a person is less likely to drop if they are told they owe money and if you are going to say that the enrollment team is being upfront with people about that then you are lying. I know how much academics hates enrollment. You guys are always cleaning up after the lies or misinformation given to students by enrollments. You know as well as I do that you and the students are just a number at that place.

You've been there 5 years and you know they wouldn't even blink if you quit tomorrow. I felt bad for academics while I was there, you guys dealt with a ton of crap brought on by the internal policy of Brian Muller. Sell. Sell. Sell.

I understand your desire to defend the organization you work for, but why back them when they have done nothing to back you or the educational consumer? I understand your points, but just like M, you are not comparing apples to apples here with 5 week classes vs traditional semesters/quarters.

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#143 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To M and Hasina

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Let me start with M. Although your intentions are good you are missing some issues with the points you bring to the table.

What we are talking about is business vs. education. Spurling himself is quoted as saying he believes that for profit education retains more accountability than traditional education does. Perhaps his intentions are good, but the outcome of accountability between shareholders and students will always leave the student on the short end.

You compare SDSU with UOP. Fine, maybe they have similar academic standards, I do not personally believe that but for the sake of argument I will give you that one. If they do have similar academic quality, why should UOP be able to charge $1400 for a class while SDSU is about that cost for a full semester of classes? The accountability is to the shareholder, to the income sheet, to the stock value, not to the product or the consumer.

At SDSU, or any public or private non-profit two separate but equal entities make decisions, academics and administration. Academics often serves as a balance system when the administration team is trying to maximize profit margins.

UOP has no such system in place. 5 weeks is not enough time for a person to cram a semester worth of education into. For it to be affective, an individual would need to be able to dedicate roughly 30-40 hours per week to school which defeats the whole foundation of the UOP convenience thing.

For this to be the case, and for them to charge that price and then be the number 1 user of Title IV funding with the highest default rate in the nation is doing more harm to our society than any good. The good being the opportunity for average Joe to get a degree. If you want to compare academics, compare apples to apples with regards to price point and you will soon find that those institutions UOP competes with on price point, it cannot touch with academic rigor.

By the way, I think you know you are not being forthcoming with regards to the training you received. The AMOPSR or RAMOPSR and the DCVA crap they teach is designed as a manipulative tool by which advisors can manipulate consumers. This would not be bad if the institution did not disguise sales people as counselors.

To Hasina,
Your point about Title IV at UOP being the same as at any other institution is also misleading. It is not. Look at the distribution of FA at UOP vs other colleges with regards to the class completion. Also, going back my point above regarding 5 week classes and the cost of the degree, comparing the 50% rule to 4 posts over 2 days at UOP vs weeks of class at another institution is invalid.

You are not making valid comparisons here. The student could post, checking in and welcome response emails to their class on day one, and ask two questions about the syllabus the second day in class, and suddenly that education is supposed to be worth $700? I think not. It is a money ploy. That's it, a way to increase retention through manipulation.

UOP knows a person is less likely to drop if they are told they owe money and if you are going to say that the enrollment team is being upfront with people about that then you are lying. I know how much academics hates enrollment. You guys are always cleaning up after the lies or misinformation given to students by enrollments. You know as well as I do that you and the students are just a number at that place.

You've been there 5 years and you know they wouldn't even blink if you quit tomorrow. I felt bad for academics while I was there, you guys dealt with a ton of crap brought on by the internal policy of Brian Muller. Sell. Sell. Sell.

I understand your desire to defend the organization you work for, but why back them when they have done nothing to back you or the educational consumer? I understand your points, but just like M, you are not comparing apples to apples here with 5 week classes vs traditional semesters/quarters.

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#142 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To M and Hasina

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Let me start with M. Although your intentions are good you are missing some issues with the points you bring to the table.

What we are talking about is business vs. education. Spurling himself is quoted as saying he believes that for profit education retains more accountability than traditional education does. Perhaps his intentions are good, but the outcome of accountability between shareholders and students will always leave the student on the short end.

You compare SDSU with UOP. Fine, maybe they have similar academic standards, I do not personally believe that but for the sake of argument I will give you that one. If they do have similar academic quality, why should UOP be able to charge $1400 for a class while SDSU is about that cost for a full semester of classes? The accountability is to the shareholder, to the income sheet, to the stock value, not to the product or the consumer.

At SDSU, or any public or private non-profit two separate but equal entities make decisions, academics and administration. Academics often serves as a balance system when the administration team is trying to maximize profit margins.

UOP has no such system in place. 5 weeks is not enough time for a person to cram a semester worth of education into. For it to be affective, an individual would need to be able to dedicate roughly 30-40 hours per week to school which defeats the whole foundation of the UOP convenience thing.

For this to be the case, and for them to charge that price and then be the number 1 user of Title IV funding with the highest default rate in the nation is doing more harm to our society than any good. The good being the opportunity for average Joe to get a degree. If you want to compare academics, compare apples to apples with regards to price point and you will soon find that those institutions UOP competes with on price point, it cannot touch with academic rigor.

By the way, I think you know you are not being forthcoming with regards to the training you received. The AMOPSR or RAMOPSR and the DCVA crap they teach is designed as a manipulative tool by which advisors can manipulate consumers. This would not be bad if the institution did not disguise sales people as counselors.

To Hasina,
Your point about Title IV at UOP being the same as at any other institution is also misleading. It is not. Look at the distribution of FA at UOP vs other colleges with regards to the class completion. Also, going back my point above regarding 5 week classes and the cost of the degree, comparing the 50% rule to 4 posts over 2 days at UOP vs weeks of class at another institution is invalid.

You are not making valid comparisons here. The student could post, checking in and welcome response emails to their class on day one, and ask two questions about the syllabus the second day in class, and suddenly that education is supposed to be worth $700? I think not. It is a money ploy. That's it, a way to increase retention through manipulation.

UOP knows a person is less likely to drop if they are told they owe money and if you are going to say that the enrollment team is being upfront with people about that then you are lying. I know how much academics hates enrollment. You guys are always cleaning up after the lies or misinformation given to students by enrollments. You know as well as I do that you and the students are just a number at that place.

You've been there 5 years and you know they wouldn't even blink if you quit tomorrow. I felt bad for academics while I was there, you guys dealt with a ton of crap brought on by the internal policy of Brian Muller. Sell. Sell. Sell.

I understand your desire to defend the organization you work for, but why back them when they have done nothing to back you or the educational consumer? I understand your points, but just like M, you are not comparing apples to apples here with 5 week classes vs traditional semesters/quarters.

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#141 UPDATE Employee

Quit Bashing UOP

AUTHOR: Hasina - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

I have sat here and read all the comments on how these disgruntled employees feel about UOP. I think the comments shold be taken for just that. I am employed by UOP and have been for almost 5 years. Have I seen instances where Enrollment advisors have misled students? Yes. However I beg to differ with B. I have seen more instances of students being told up front of their individual situations and being left with making thier own decisions. I have found that those who lie and twist the truth with their students, are those who are desparate to get a student to enroll.

In any sales type of environment, your performance measures are based on how well you perform. UOP is no different. I have been in some of the training for enrollment advisors and I have never witnessed any training that encouraged employees to lie. Those who choose to decieve choose to do so because they lack the skills or the confidence to get the potential student to believe in what they are providing. THis can only be remedied by knowing the product inside and out, and believeing in the product yourself. If you dont believe in the product or you dont think it has value then why are you selling it?

I have seen hundreds of students walk across the stage at graduation and it is an awesome emotional event. Some of the graduates would never have accomplished this goal had it not been for an educational environment that focuses on the working adult which is what UOP is. Is UOP for everyone? No its not. But who should make that determination? The student! What a few of the disgrunteld employees failed to mention is that you can request to sit in on a class prior to starting your class, or you can sample an online class. This way you can get a feeling of what you are going to experience.
As for transfer credits, most schools have a residency policy that requires you complete so many credits at thier institution in order to receive a degree from them. UOP is no different. The transfer between any 2 schools can cause you to loose credits, not just to or from UOP.


As for grades, I realy dont even understand how anyone can say that everyone gets an A or B. that is absurd. As an academic advisor I can surely tell you that this is not true, just ask the students who have gotten D's or F's. I bet they wish they could have gotten ans A or a B.
As for financial aide, the requirements are government mandated. You have to attend a certain percentage of weeks of instruction to be eligable for the funds you were awarded. Many people think that just because they were approved for funding, that they automatically get the money and tuition is covered. This is not true and this is not a UOP thing its a government thing. If you dont meet 60% (I think) of the attendance requirements, then you have not really earned the fundings you were slated for and the funds are returned to the lender. In the mean time you still attended class and so now you have to pay for the instruction you did receive.

All colleges have a policy about tuition. If you attend a portion of the course, you are obligated to pay a portion of tuition, up to a certain point. At a traditional school if you attend a course and lets say that school is on a semester system, if you attend a certian amount of days you are only entitled to a certian percentage refund. Once you attend half of the semester you may be entittled to 50% refund. THe same applies at UOP. THe fact that 5 weeks in the undergrad program is equivelant to one semester of traditional education means that once you attend the first night, you owe 25% of the tuition, once you attend the second night, you owe 50% of the tuition. So there really isnt any difference.


All in all UOP is a good institution with a rigerous ciriculum, and some of the best instructors, who are leaders in their fields. My advice is to research your options and make your own decisions on whether or not UOP is for you. Also no matter where you go, if you are told something that seems too good to be true or just doesnt seem right, ask for it in writing. If you cant get it in writing then that should raise a red flag. If you have academic concerns then ask to speak to an academic advisor they are the ones who would better be able to assist you, if you have financial aid concerns or questions then ask to meet with a finance rep. The majority of enrollment advisors at UOP do a great job, and they dont have to lie or decieve or ommit anything.

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#140 UPDATE EX-employee responds

How is UOP different?

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, July 04, 2006

I am not going to sit and pass judgment on either side of this debate. I think it is ignorant to say that the people in the classrooms are stupid and that you would be better off going to another school where "your intelligence" will be better matched. Pull your nose out of the air, or GO TO THAT SCHOOL, challenge yourself-whatever.

I think it is ignorant to write the original person "B" off as a disgruntled employee, I don't think he would get on and slam UOP if he didn't believe what he was saying was true. My opinion, if I may, is that maybe it was true, for him, maybe it was true at that point in time.

I have inside information also, however. I can tell you that I was able to succeed as an enrollment counselor and I did not lie to my students ever nor was I ever trained to. I was never encourage not once to do anything deceitful with my students, not ever, in fact to be as upfront as possible to avoid a negative experience.

If you are going to complain about UOP, complain about something that can't happen at any school. I graduated from SDSU, in some of my classes, I was surrounded by people that struggled with concepts that I thought were fairly simple. I was advised poorly, took unnecessary courses, mainly because I had to to do it myself, I didn't have the luxury of an academic counselor who cared, planning each course with me. Drop out rate? Are you kidding me? How many students drop out of traditional colleges each year? Bad instructors? I had plenty at San Diego State, what about you? Inability to find a job? I looked for a job for three months after earning my degree and found a job paying $9.90 hour, best offer. Some of your credits not transferring? If you take anything less than college algebra, I don't know any school who will accept it, let alone UOP, and if you haven't surpassed that math level, you have to take the prerequisites to get to that level and no, those remedial classes are probably not going to apply to a degree program.

THIS STUFF IS ANY SCHOOL, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN. I feel incredibly sorry for the people who were misadvised, that is unfortunate. But there are people who change schools everyday because something bad happened at their previous school and there aren't rip-off reports about it. Furthermore, people need to take more responsibility for understanding what their told. I don't understand how someone could not know that they were a dependent student until after their first class, the financial paperwork you have to complete goes over dependency status very clearly!!

Maybe many of you would advise that not getting any college education is better than UOP, I don't agree. For some people, it is their only option. No, UOP does not have exclusivity, they don't make people take GRE's and the GMAT, those tests are designed to keep people out. The philosophy at UOP is that anyone (at least those who are meet their qualifications) who wants an education, should be able to get it.

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#139 Consumer Comment

My UoP Experience

AUTHOR: K - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, June 30, 2006

It seems as though I am not the only one who had a less than desirable experience with the University of Phoenix. I will not say I hate them, but I will definitely NOT be recommending them to anyone I know.

It all started last August, when I decided I wanted to look into getting a degree. I have never had the desire or need to go to college, however, I am very well aware of the fact that a degree can't hurt.

I went online and began researching online programs. Due to my hours& the amount of travelling I was doing at the time, it would be near impossible for me to attend a typical college. Thats when I found the UoP. I proceeded to call my local campus & was put in touch with an enrollment advisor.

After playing 20 questions, I was told I could start in two weeks, if I could get my butt up there quick enough to get all of the "formalities" (ie, application process, financial aide, etc) taken care of. Being eager to start down the road towards that paper, I was at the local campus the very next day. This is where the problems began..

The application process was cake, with the exception of the "non-refundable" $110 application fee. I was accepted! On to the financial aide advisor. She was a very nice person, but as I later found out, failed to clearly explain everything to me.

According to the Federal Government, you are considered a "dependant" until you are 24. At the time I applied, I was only 19. In simple terms, this meant my mother would have to co-sign several loans with me. However, because of her current financial situation, she was unable to. It was after my first class that I learned that I would have to come up with $1200 every FIVE WEEKS to continue my "education". Two days later, I withdrew.

A week later, I received a bill for my ONE class for the amount of $375 dollars. As with others on this site, I also did not want my credit ruined, so I sent payment right away.

A few more weeks (and thirty phone calls to ensure the withdrawl was final) later, I get ANOTHER bill for $70 for a "resource fee". (For those of you unfamiliar with this fee, this is the fee you are assessed to access you materials online) At this point, I had HAD it with paying these people.

I sent a letter of dispute to the corporate collections dept, explaining to them I had NO intentions of paying for something that was of NO use to me, due to that fact that I had number one, already paid close to $500 for ONE class, and secondly, hadn't even gone on to access the "Resources". I received a letter back from them about two weeks later stating that they were sorry I did not have a good experience with them and that they would waive the fee. End of story? WRONG!

Just last week I went on to check my credit report, when lo and behold, there is a $70 CHARGE OFF from the Apollo Group on my credit! I have now spent the past 5 days trying to track somebody, ANYBODY down that can help get this matter resolved. I have been transferred to, no joke, twenty different people, who in turn send me in the opposite direction, chasing my tail again.

Again, I do not hate the UoP, but I would DEFINITELY look into other options before going through this school. It should be used as a last resort.

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#138 Consumer Comment

My UoP Experience

AUTHOR: K - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, June 30, 2006

It seems as though I am not the only one who had a less than desirable experience with the University of Phoenix. I will not say I hate them, but I will definitely NOT be recommending them to anyone I know.

It all started last August, when I decided I wanted to look into getting a degree. I have never had the desire or need to go to college, however, I am very well aware of the fact that a degree can't hurt.

I went online and began researching online programs. Due to my hours& the amount of travelling I was doing at the time, it would be near impossible for me to attend a typical college. Thats when I found the UoP. I proceeded to call my local campus & was put in touch with an enrollment advisor.

After playing 20 questions, I was told I could start in two weeks, if I could get my butt up there quick enough to get all of the "formalities" (ie, application process, financial aide, etc) taken care of. Being eager to start down the road towards that paper, I was at the local campus the very next day. This is where the problems began..

The application process was cake, with the exception of the "non-refundable" $110 application fee. I was accepted! On to the financial aide advisor. She was a very nice person, but as I later found out, failed to clearly explain everything to me.

According to the Federal Government, you are considered a "dependant" until you are 24. At the time I applied, I was only 19. In simple terms, this meant my mother would have to co-sign several loans with me. However, because of her current financial situation, she was unable to. It was after my first class that I learned that I would have to come up with $1200 every FIVE WEEKS to continue my "education". Two days later, I withdrew.

A week later, I received a bill for my ONE class for the amount of $375 dollars. As with others on this site, I also did not want my credit ruined, so I sent payment right away.

A few more weeks (and thirty phone calls to ensure the withdrawl was final) later, I get ANOTHER bill for $70 for a "resource fee". (For those of you unfamiliar with this fee, this is the fee you are assessed to access you materials online) At this point, I had HAD it with paying these people.

I sent a letter of dispute to the corporate collections dept, explaining to them I had NO intentions of paying for something that was of NO use to me, due to that fact that I had number one, already paid close to $500 for ONE class, and secondly, hadn't even gone on to access the "Resources". I received a letter back from them about two weeks later stating that they were sorry I did not have a good experience with them and that they would waive the fee. End of story? WRONG!

Just last week I went on to check my credit report, when lo and behold, there is a $70 CHARGE OFF from the Apollo Group on my credit! I have now spent the past 5 days trying to track somebody, ANYBODY down that can help get this matter resolved. I have been transferred to, no joke, twenty different people, who in turn send me in the opposite direction, chasing my tail again.

Again, I do not hate the UoP, but I would DEFINITELY look into other options before going through this school. It should be used as a last resort.

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#137 Consumer Comment

My UoP Experience

AUTHOR: K - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, June 30, 2006

It seems as though I am not the only one who had a less than desirable experience with the University of Phoenix. I will not say I hate them, but I will definitely NOT be recommending them to anyone I know.

It all started last August, when I decided I wanted to look into getting a degree. I have never had the desire or need to go to college, however, I am very well aware of the fact that a degree can't hurt.

I went online and began researching online programs. Due to my hours& the amount of travelling I was doing at the time, it would be near impossible for me to attend a typical college. Thats when I found the UoP. I proceeded to call my local campus & was put in touch with an enrollment advisor.

After playing 20 questions, I was told I could start in two weeks, if I could get my butt up there quick enough to get all of the "formalities" (ie, application process, financial aide, etc) taken care of. Being eager to start down the road towards that paper, I was at the local campus the very next day. This is where the problems began..

The application process was cake, with the exception of the "non-refundable" $110 application fee. I was accepted! On to the financial aide advisor. She was a very nice person, but as I later found out, failed to clearly explain everything to me.

According to the Federal Government, you are considered a "dependant" until you are 24. At the time I applied, I was only 19. In simple terms, this meant my mother would have to co-sign several loans with me. However, because of her current financial situation, she was unable to. It was after my first class that I learned that I would have to come up with $1200 every FIVE WEEKS to continue my "education". Two days later, I withdrew.

A week later, I received a bill for my ONE class for the amount of $375 dollars. As with others on this site, I also did not want my credit ruined, so I sent payment right away.

A few more weeks (and thirty phone calls to ensure the withdrawl was final) later, I get ANOTHER bill for $70 for a "resource fee". (For those of you unfamiliar with this fee, this is the fee you are assessed to access you materials online) At this point, I had HAD it with paying these people.

I sent a letter of dispute to the corporate collections dept, explaining to them I had NO intentions of paying for something that was of NO use to me, due to that fact that I had number one, already paid close to $500 for ONE class, and secondly, hadn't even gone on to access the "Resources". I received a letter back from them about two weeks later stating that they were sorry I did not have a good experience with them and that they would waive the fee. End of story? WRONG!

Just last week I went on to check my credit report, when lo and behold, there is a $70 CHARGE OFF from the Apollo Group on my credit! I have now spent the past 5 days trying to track somebody, ANYBODY down that can help get this matter resolved. I have been transferred to, no joke, twenty different people, who in turn send me in the opposite direction, chasing my tail again.

Again, I do not hate the UoP, but I would DEFINITELY look into other options before going through this school. It should be used as a last resort.

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#136 UPDATE Employee

Late Assignments

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, June 29, 2006

I've had plenty of instructors at UOP who would deduct 10-20% per day for lateness. I've even had some instructors that were so anal that they did not accept late assignments at all.

How many classes have you actually taken at UOP Andy? I've taken 18.

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#135 Consumer Comment

UoP is a RIPOFF

AUTHOR: Andy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 28, 2006

I recently attended Uop. The first thing I was told is that more than likely my finaid wouldnt cover the tuition. So I took out a loan, even before it was approved, i was already enrolled. That should have sent red flags flying everywhere. I attended the first class and didnt like it at all. The "facilitator" told us to make sure to go to class since we were paying for it. He stated that we could pretty much figure out what he was making per class. Ummm....my brain was dead after 8 hrs of work. He told us his job was to make it as easy as possible for us to attain an A. Even if we missed work, we could make it up with no real deduction due to its lateness.

My professors at the local CC would have deducted at least 20 points for a late project. The other thing I didnt like was the team work atmosphere. In reality I didnt like it one bit. I dropped the following day. What a surprise to find a bill for almost $700. What the hell are these people trying to pull off. Has the BBB investigates these people, has the DOE, SEC, FBI? Why arent there any people investigating. As far as I know it took them almost 5 yrs to gain certification in Texas. Whats the deal. We should all start a petition to our respective Attorney General.

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#134 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I also worked for UoP Online

AUTHOR: Caroline - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, June 21, 2006

I do not believe B's comments to be those of a "disgruntled ex-employee" & would like to add some thoughts to what he's said. I was a Finance Advisor and later an Academic Advisor for UoP Online. I don't who B is but I see that we worked there at least partially during the same time period. Please don't pick on my spelling, it's late and I'm not bothering to proof.

While I was there, enrollment counselors were paid on commission based on how many students they enrolled. I was upset by what I thought were errors in EA conversations with students.
They glossed over costs (saying $400 per credit hour means $1200 per class but people unfamiliar with colleges may not know that. of course they can read it, but many did not & you shouldn't have to read fine print to find out the cost of tuition.) They would say that you don't have to pay your loans back until you are out of school. This led many students to think "until you graduate" when it means graduate, quit, fail out, be injured and not be able to continue, etc. Working adults are vulnerable to life situations that interupt school work and then the loans are due. B/c of the accelerated schedule, if you logged into class twice...you were going to owe SOMETHING. You don't have 2 weeks to drop without being charged. The culture of the school rushes enrollment. They allow and encourage you to start before your financial aid application has even made it to processing. So if there is a problem, the student is already racking up fees before the problem comes to light. If you take one class and quit, you don't get your financial aid money (B mentioned this) and you are collected on by the school and then referred to professional debt collectors.

I was an honest person trying my best to help students and I did well at my job. I reported what I was hearing EAs say to my supervisor and to an Enrollment supervisor but nothing ever changed. I realized these weren't mistakes, they were misleading on purpose. I personally called my new students as quickly as I got their files to attempt to get all of the correct information to them but often they were already in class when I got the file. The worst thing I ever was involved in was a student who had failed both of his classes, owed over $3,000 (financial aid doesn't pay for Fs), and when I contacted him about payment I realized very quickly that he was mentally handicapped. He didn't understand at all that there was any chance that he would have to pay for these classes and he was not capable of doing online college work. He didn't understand the situation enough to even be upset. I was livid that this had happened. If that doesn't tell you how far EAs would go to get an enrollment, nothing ever will. The one who enrolled him drove a very expensive car.

The EAs who were not comfortable with aggressive or misleading tactics did not do well and were often upset and distressed. One actually came to me and asked if I could contact her student and talk the woman out of enrolling b/c she had children and was on welfare and could not possibly afford the tuition. Even maximum financial aid for a freshman barely covers half the cost. That EA was in tears at least once a week.

UoP online can be good for some people. Many companies will pay for their employees to attend. For someone who needs to have a college degree on their resume in order to advance in their job and their employer will pay most or all of their tuition...I think this works well for those students. However, if you have to apply for loans to attend, I don't recommend it.

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#133 Consumer Comment

To Lloyd - in the process of revamping their MBA program to a new version with an additional accrediting body. Not AACSB but close.

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 18, 2006

Lloyd,

You will be fine with either NCU as the guy above me mentions. I am doing so consulting for them now. They are in the process of revamping their MBA program to a new version with an additional accrediting body. Not AACSB but close. I cannot remember the name right now. Walden is also great. Either way you go the admissions standards are higher so they filter out the riff raff up front. I think NCU's MBA is only like $17,000 while Waldens is $24,000 I think. The major difference is the schedule, Walden's program is Federal Title IV Financial Aid compliant so you can use a stafford loan but they take a more traditional approach, somewhat like UOP with regards to attendance requirements. NCU does not choose to use Title IV so you have to use personal student opportunity loans with them. This however, allows them much more freedom with course setup. You dictate your own schedule. I know The Executive Director of Enrollment at each college. The Director at Walden is Mr. Upham, great guy, he can get you hooked up with an enrollment advisor. The EDOE at NCU is Mr. Passey, he is more likely to assist you directly as NCU has a much smaller employee and student population than Walden. Make sure you ask for the new MBA program though, their old program really wasnt fit for competitive development of graduate students.

Anyway,
good luck.

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#132 Consumer Comment

Yeah

AUTHOR: Jonathan - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 18, 2006

I'm not sure why a GMAT or GRE would mean all that much anyhow. It seems to me that the main thing is that the school is fully regionally or nationally accredited. I just can't seem to envision a potential employer asking me if I took a GMAT and having that been the thing that my potential employment hangs on. In fact, when I got accepted to The Ohio State University I did not have to take the SAT.

I have never taken the SAT. I only took the ACT and that was acceptable to OSU. I have taken the Pre-ACT, the ASVAB (beware of recruiters beating down your door!) and, the ACT.

I am a bit worried though that since it seems none of these online schools require a GMAT or GRE that I will be a bit behind the curve when it comes to my degree holding weight. I may have to find a school that does indeed require one of these exams and try to get in there and see if I can take most of my courses online. I'd check into the Kaplan GMAT/GRE preparation courses to make sure I do the best I can on the test. Does anyone know if a degree from Strat, Walden or the school mentioned by the above poster is not quite as prestigious as one from a university that requires GMAT/GRE?

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#131 Consumer Suggestion

Look at NCU

AUTHOR: Lloyd - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 18, 2006

Jonathan,

I am personally working on a doctorate at Northcentral University (ncu.edu). I can say that I am very pleased with their program, responses, and concerns. I received Bachelors at the UOP and a Masters at Davenport, and found that team study is a great experience; however, never liked the idea of having my academic grade hinged on team members I could not influence for doing their part of assignments. Northcentral University is an RA school with a nice selection of degree studies with no team assignments or daily postings. The invention of GMAT, AACSB, and other disqualifiers do not have value greater than Regional Accreditation. Might be worth a look.

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#130 Consumer Comment

I need advice........thank you B! Please give me some advice!

AUTHOR: Jonathan - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, June 17, 2006

I recently graduated from The Ohio State University, where I received a BA in psychology and a BA in criminology. I also completed a minor in sociology. I am now entering the full-time work force and I have had an extreme desire to complete a graduate program simultaneously.

While I attended the brick and mortar OSU central campus I also took advantage of taking some classes online there, which I enjoyed a great deal. Since I will now be in the work force and I will be pressed for time I naturally gravitated toward online classes to complete an advanced graduate degree.

I have contacted AIU Online and The University of Phoenix Online both in my research for a good online graduate program. I am a skeptical person by nature and I really wanted to check the credentials of these schools so I have been conducting extensive research on each institution that piques my interest.

I am extremely happy I found this site and I want to personally thank B and the others for posting their concerns here over The University of Phoenix Online, as well as info about other online programs at other schools. I was very close to applying to one of the schools I've read horror stories here about and I have now changed my mind. Thank you so much for this service!

I have a question for you B. You stated earlier that a degree from The University of Phoenix Online is almost worthless because even though they are indeed regionally accreditated, they are not AACSB accredited since they do not require a GMAT or GRE exam for entrance into their graduate program.

You spoke highly of Walden University and one other online school though because they have slightly higher admissions standards. However, these couple schools you recommended instead are not AACSB accredited either, right? I am asking because I am desperate to find a good onoine program in which my degree will mean something and this is definitely not an attack on you.

I am EXTREMEY thankfull for the information you have distributed here. Does an advanced degree from Walden University have a higher degree of legitimacy despite it also not requiring a GMAT or GRE exam?

I think I read that Walden University requires a 3.0 cumulative GPA on undergrad work to be admitted and that seems a little steep. My cumulative GPA at OSU was close to that but I am a bit afraid that I might have been just short because I completed a LOT more coursework than what was required for my dual major and minor.

I had an excess of credit hours that I earned....a rather large excess and I suffered some very unfortunate personal crises during my time at OSU. Do you have any recommendations for me and for a good program for someone like me?

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#129 Consumer Comment

There is Hope

AUTHOR: Wealth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, June 12, 2006

Hello all in this newsgroup:

I have recently graduated from UOP online with a MBA. My experience was positive. I feel that I have accomplished much. However, from the posts that I read, UOP is not considered to be a valid University. Also, many statements have been made regarding the validity of the degree and its acceptance. Well, this prompted me to do research and I find there is hope. Following are highlights from my research:

1. In my city UOP is accepted by employers because of the brick and mortar presence.
2. I did a search in Google using "MBA from University of Phoenix". I found that many people have received degrees from UOP and are professors, executives, or lawyers. In addition, many have parlayed MBAs from UOP into PhDs. See the following example:

Born in a small South Dakota town, M. Tilden Moschetti's life journey thus far has held many twists and turns up and down the western United States. Before practicing law, he has worked in areas of management, finance, information systems, and business process improvement in businesses from small to Fortune 500, from private sector to public. M. Tilden Moschetti holds a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco School of Law, an MBA from University of Phoenix, and a BS from University of Oregon. He is a member of the American Bar Association, acts as an executive of the Small Firm Section of the California Bar, and holds professional memberships in the groups such as the Association for Conflict Resolution and San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.

You may view the whole profile at http://www.moschettilaw.com/lawyer-attorney-1080132.html.

So you see there is hope. I really only pursued the degree to learn more about business. I own an Ecommerce Web Design Consulting business. What I learned from UOP greatly increased my knowledge and allowed me to end with an absolutely invaluable business plan.

Personally, I have never been one to worry about what the "elitist" thought about me or my abilities. For me, UOP was the best place for me. Before attending UOP, I attended a state college. The learning experience for me was competitive--not nurturing. At UOP the discussion questions helped me to develop a voice. I became aware of my own intelligence and critical thinking skills. For the first time I was not competing against my classmates, but I was learning from them. By the time I finished the program I had learned how to communicate my perceptions on what was being presented. In the state institution, I was constantly parroting what the professor wanted to hear--not what I had learned. In addition, I was able to apply everything I learned. To me, what is most important about education is not the GPA, but the synthesis of what is learned. In fact, my GPA was only a 3.72. The instructors I had were very serious about grading the assignments. In addition, I did have tests in many of the classes. According to many posts this did not happen--it looks like UOP may be trying to clean up its act.

In regards to the team structure. The complaints about this must have reached the right people. Most of my instructors would peruse the newsgroups and would send evaluations to teammembers for rating of others on the team. I found this was done whenever one or two teammates did not pull his/her or their weight. In addition, I learned how to speak up if I felt a teammate was not doing his or her part. As a result, I developed leadership and communication skills which are desperately needed in business.

So, there you have it. My post is for those who have read these posts and have already received a degree from UOP. There is hope. Just go to Google and put in "MBA from University of Phoenix" (or replace MBA with whatever degree you received). You will find a myriad of people who have this degree and have gone on to do great things.

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#128 Consumer Comment

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AUTHOR: Charles - (Canada)

POSTED: Monday, June 12, 2006

I already post this comment elsewhere, but I am going to paste it again!

I writing this out of anger, so please excuse my grammer.

In addition, I hate to bash any educational institutions, but I just find it in my heart to write this to warn all potential UOP students, about this unethical and deceptive behaviour adversting, recurriment of UOP.

Anyways, on January of this year, I was spammed by University of Phoenix offering online distance course with offer of tutition wavier for my first course and textbook material. Since I hated those spammers, I took UOP for a ride, let alone I love learning. Two days later I got call from a conuciler from UOP, and she urged me to apply for the Canada-Ontario OSAP Government Financial Aid, which I refused, and I told her that was not necessary, and instead I give her a MasterCard that is about to expired in one month. Strangly enough, they do not ask me to send them a proof I identity for check if my Social Insurance Number or address is valid. (P.S. I used my uncle's address and fake Social Insurance Number generated by a online site). They only ask me by MasterCard or urged me to applied Financial Aid.

At this time, I was already a second year student enrolled in Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Marketing and Minoring in Anthrolopology at the University of Toronto. I had no plan to transfer, nor I inform UOP of my current status.

So I decided to b.s. the counciler to belief that I used to enrolled in oversea university for two years, and I will have a copy of transcript within a month for them. As a result, I was allowed in to enrolled in a third year Accounting course.

Next is what I found shocking... absolutely shocking. I tooked their 3rd accounting ACC440 course, and it was even easier than our first year MGT120H accounting here at the University of Txxx. Even worse, it was so easy, I think just about everyone got a A... This lead me to think UOP had no quality control, basically if you can hold a folk, you can get a A. At U of T, we don't have best program on earth, but at least they only hand out A(s) to only A students, our courses are hard, really hard, and class average are normally 68% to 69% (C+).

Two days after I finished this course, I called up counciler, who unfortunately no longer worked there. I told new counciler that I no intention to enrolled any further at UOP, given what I felt about the quality of their program. She then demanded that I paid for my first course before I was allowed to withdrawal. By now, my credit card had already expired and I wasn't ready hand anything over this evil institution nor given them my real Social Insurance Number. Instead arged for 30 minutes straight on the phone with this b*tch and eventually she offered me another course free of charge provided I do not drop out. I must say, I never this much pressure in my life, so decided to give them another doubt (I dont' know why am I even bother wasting my time).

So, I decide to use my next credit on different topic Marketing, my favorite. MKT463, holly micro, this course I think is half as hard as our MGT252, btw I worked my as*off and got 61% on that course. But guess what, MKT463, I got A+, without barely touching the textbook.

Again, I demand a withdrawal, except this time for real, for already 20 minutes I wouldn't no for answer and eventually again she allowed me to cancel my enrollment provided I paid for the courses I had taken. Guess what, I said YES, send me the invoice since I told them my new MasterCard is on way in the mail. Now, I am sure they are on their way in the mail. Don't worry guys, these idoits get a penny off me, since the credit card I used belong to my uncle and his address and a bogus birthday and SSN. Thanks Uncle Jeff for allowing me use your expired CC and to mess around with his evil corporation.

Now, here is my commments:
First, if you are serious of getting a degree go to a real college, and get it. UOP have no quality control, like i said, if you can hold a fork, you can get a A. Both of the course I took, I got A+ (just to let you know guys, I haven't got a A for very long time at U of T), in fact most of my grades are either Cs. Secondly, the counciler are more like gold diggers, if you are going to take courses with them, do not allow them to hold of a government financial aid... i just don't trust them.

Guys, I am not saying my school are superior than other schools, but I personally believe any school is better than UOP. Its just make me sick that some people can get a Bachelor degree this easy without having to work to hard for it, let alone getting As. For me and my friends, our business school (Rotman School of Management/ University of Toronto). We worked really hard and most get low Cs. Just to let you know that our professor could get into serious trouble if he/she hands out to many As, our class average must be C, no exceptions. Its just not fair. In addition, at least our tutition are only $9,000 per year and get access to real counciler. Lastly, believe me, after going thru their program myself, you can count that I believe would never hired anyone from this school. In my opinion, their degree are worth just as much as the paper that they printed on!

In the end, I must say since I only did 2 courses with this institution, I can not say that all their program sucked, but as far as business, I will give them a failing grade.

So, my advice to anyone choosing a college is to do your investigation and don't believe anyone. After all, you have live with your decision, not them.


Charles - Toronto, Ontario
Canada

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#127 Consumer Comment

UOPO is a complete waste of time!

AUTHOR: Matthew - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 11, 2006

My girlfriend and I were once students at UOPO a year ago. She was working on her Bachelors of Education and I was trying to finish my Associates of Business. I had started out at a State Community College but due to medical problems, I had to withdraw. I heard about UOPO, so I decided to give them a chance and call one of the Advisors. The advisor's name was Craig Baker. We both enrolled in classes and started to do the classes online. The classes were unorganized and half of the time, you couldn't get a hold of your instructors due to the face that they were hardly in class or were not in for the week. That happened every week.

I then had some medical complications were I had to have surgery. I missed a week of school. I had call them in advance, to let them know that I would be missing school due to medical reasons. I had valid documentation from my Dotor and my Specialist vertfiying in case they needed them. I wanted to take a a leave of abscence for the surgery. I know that most colleges and Universities you can ask for one in situations like mine. they would also let you finish where u left off. They rudlely told me that if I missed the week of school I would be s**t out of luck and would owe them money. I told them i would make up all the assignments and everything, they still told me I'm s**t out of luck.

They ended up kicking me out of school and now are trying to hound money out of me. I have refused to pay them and I never will. They have threatened me with lawsuits if I dont pay them. I wont pay them! I would like to thank B for warning people about this wannabe school.

M
Saco, Maine

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#126 Consumer Comment

Question for B - Update

AUTHOR: L - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 11, 2006

B,
After discussing this with my husband and after he has viewed the posts here, I have decided to transfer to a traditional university. We were thinking about this 2 classes ago but decided that if I changed schools, I would lose too many credits. However, with some information we received from you and other posters on this thread, we decided that since I have half way to go and because UOPO is so expensive, I may actually come out on top by switching! Most importantly, I have my hub's support.

I just heard UOPO is once again increasing tuition July 1st to $495 per credit hour - that's twice in 6 months! Plus the eResource fee is going from $70 to $78.

I am SO glad I found this Website and your post. Whatever crap others say, it's all just that - crap. I have lived it and I KNOW you're telling the truth and I sincerely appreciate your taking the time to tell people what it is like at UOPO. Some of your posts must have taken some time to articulate accurately what has taken place. I had all the information already but just needed help "connecting" the dots.

I am a student in good standing at UOPO - I have spent 3 years of my life fighting with them to get sub-standard service and fair treatment in the classroom. It has been an emotional rollercoaster. I feel beat up.

PEOPLE, if you care one bit about quality, the value of your degree, or are the type of person that strives to do his or her best in whatever you attempt - DO NOT GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX.

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#125 Consumer Comment

Question for B

AUTHOR: L - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, June 11, 2006

B,
A little background info to my situation before my question. Please bear with me. I've been attending UOPO for the past three years and am close to 30k in debt. Too late to jump ship now. The further I get into my core, the crappier the facs are. Yes, I finish assignment for no-show, ignorant, obnoxious and retarted team mates - after 3 years it becomes second nature and a fact of life. When I get good team mates, I am sincerely grateful. When you're 30k in debt with no tangible "equity", the world looks very different and you'll put up with a lot to get through.

This year I have attended the worst classes ever at UOP. The quality continues to plummit. I wish I could say I was amazed at the audacity and lack of ethics of some of the facs, but SHOCK and AWE are better descriptions. They continue to hire unethical, greedy people who are there to collect a paycheck. When I first started UOPO, poor quality instructors were maybe one out of 7 now the ratio is more like 1 out of 3.

Additionally, last year UOPO went through a phase where they no longer have "instructors" in classes but now only "facilitate" learning. What a JOKE. They continue to redefine their learning objectives in order to provide less value to students. Value costs money. I am in week 5 of a particularly sub-standard course right now.

I am a dedicated student and work dilligently at maintaining a good GPA - even if some folks think it is crap or not adequate. Maybe it is crap, I guess I have nothing to compare it to but I know that I work my butt off for it and I had a dream of my BS being worth something. Maybe it won't be worth anything in the marketplace but I know the blood, sweat, and literal tears it has cost me. It will always have that value to me.

My question is, late last year one class was so poor that I begged to get an interviewer to review the class. Of course that was worthless and had no benefit on any of the chums taking the course, including myself. Anyways, after 8 Academic Advisors, I went to a director to be changed to a different Advisor group. Now my FA and AA are level II advisors. What do I need to know about this new level of advisors? I assume I am on some kind of "crap" list to have received this "special" level of service.

I think the thing for me to do is to finish the BS and go on to get an MBA from a quality school.

Your thread is excellent - keep up the great work. You are informing people with fact. I wish I knew then what I know now - my choice would have been different.

L

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#124 Consumer Comment

THANX FOR THE INSIGHTFUL INFO!!

AUTHOR: Carrie - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, June 02, 2006

I want to say thank you to B and everyone else. I am glad I came across this site. I signed up for UOPO just a month ago. I did the financial aid process and figured that this was a good accredited school since the government supports it! There were some discrepencies with my FA paperwork due to my dads taxes.

I didnt find this out until after 3 weeks of my classes, I cant afford school on my own so I was forced to drop. I now owe UOP like 400 dollars for those classes. My finance counselor said that as long as I come back at the end of june (at that time I can file as a dependent student, no parents on app)it will be ok and I will not personally have to pay the money.

After stumbling across this site, I picked up the phonebook and started calling some accounting firms (my major). I asked what they thought of a degree from UOP, 3 out of 10 literally laughed in my face, 4 said, are you kidding me? And the last 3 said, we dont make it a habit of hiring people with a degree from that school. I was shocked. I knew that UOP was too good to be true, it just seemed to simple to get a degree in accounting.

I did go to Merced college in california for 3 years. 1 year for general crap, 1 for nursing and 1 for accounting. UOP didnt even transfer my credits like they were supposed to and I was taking 2 writing classes that I know I have already completed and are transferable! I felt like a genious in those classes. I didnt even have to read the assignments before I made my posts!

UOP is definitly a ripoff, well, that is if you plan to do something constructive once you graduate and get your degree. As for me and my accounting, I will stick with real colleges that I know are legite and stop trying to take the short/easier route. Good luck to everyone and I hope you take this forum to heart. Those of you almost done with your degree or those who just attend the school, do yourself a favor, pick up a phone book, call some firms which deal with your major and ask what they think of a UOP degree. Hey you never know, maybe some of you are lucky and can find someone who looks a UOP as an accredited college..

Carrie - Belton,Tx

PS - I thought there was something weird about this college having several different names. UOP, Axia college, Apollo group.. The stock and money issue proved that for me..

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#123 Consumer Comment

Making Lemondaid...

AUTHOR: S - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 31, 2006

As others have already noted, you may get what you pay for, but ultimately it's what you make of it that counts.

This thread may be drifting from B's original post about UOP's business practices, but I think its still applies.

Case in point:
I'm currently finishing up the program I started at UoP several years ago (with a big break in between), and had my share of disappointments with UOP (underwhelmed with their academic grading, lazy/inept teammates, 'teachers' that should be doing something else useful, etc). But I'm too far in to quit now and will be finishing (oops, they just added several 'unfinished' courses to my calendar!) late this year.

Look, I'm *GLAD* 'B' came out and has shone light into UOP's business practices; this will help get their academic house in better shape and will help give UoP degree's more weight.
Yes, at times I laughed at the courses I took as part of this program, but in the end, it's just a step in the right direction, that's all. I think that UOP has a pretty neat learning model but they need to tightened up their standards, i.e. tougher grading, longer class sessions, make the learning teams accountable for their offline time, and more testing!!!
That would help in A) giving their students real VALUE for their money, and B) give their degree programs more credibility.

Agreed; some of the people I've had to work with aren't up to the caliber of the kind of people you would think should be in an institution of higher learning, however, those folks are only going to get out of the class what they put in...the downside is, in an online environment with learning teams, the entire team is responsible (as is your individual grade) for a team project, and as B pointed out (quite rightly I might add) the grading is done on the curve and is DUMBED down so that everyone passes.

In my opinion, this means that people that would normally flunk ('f') out get a 'C', and people with a 'C' get 'B' or 'A'!

The good part about this?...is that if the numbskulls your working with don't get it' it's up to you to pull it together, which has resulted in my learning on how to effectively manage a learning team and it's resources and time, how to be diplomatic with people, how to help others even when it's frustratingly simple (to you anyways), and how manage your time (and others) more effectively in the short time span that your given.

Not all of UOP has been great, but most of my experience has been *good*, especially in the upper level classes, and it's not just the academic learning it's the experience that counts as well. I'm really hoping that a 'real' school like Perdue or Stanford is much, much tougher...

Having said that, however, I recently found that my state-sponsored PAC10 traditional brick-n-mortar institution of higher-learning has mapped MOST (not all) but most of my higher level classes in the UOP program I'm in, to the same program that they offer, i.e. they recognize and accept those UOP classes!

No, it's not a one-to-one mapping, but its close and many of the UOP classes I've taken or will take are considered equivalent to their offerings. This means that *some* of the course offered by UOP is being recognized by your traditional schools, and my experience (both professional and as a student) bears this out; the more technical courses UOP offers are very up-to-snuff.

I don't give a rip about their recruiting practices, etc, I *knew* what I was getting into (other than my concerns about academics) and it's bearing out (mostly). So, the only worry I have is if my degree will transfer into my local schools Master's program, once I'm done here.

If I didn't say it before, thanks B for your insights.

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#122 Consumer Comment

Making Lemondaid...

AUTHOR: S - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 31, 2006

As others have already noted, you may get what you pay for, but ultimately it's what you make of it that counts.

This thread may be drifting from B's original post about UOP's business practices, but I think its still applies.

Case in point:
I'm currently finishing up the program I started at UoP several years ago (with a big break in between), and had my share of disappointments with UOP (underwhelmed with their academic grading, lazy/inept teammates, 'teachers' that should be doing something else useful, etc). But I'm too far in to quit now and will be finishing (oops, they just added several 'unfinished' courses to my calendar!) late this year.

Look, I'm *GLAD* 'B' came out and has shone light into UOP's business practices; this will help get their academic house in better shape and will help give UoP degree's more weight.
Yes, at times I laughed at the courses I took as part of this program, but in the end, it's just a step in the right direction, that's all. I think that UOP has a pretty neat learning model but they need to tightened up their standards, i.e. tougher grading, longer class sessions, make the learning teams accountable for their offline time, and more testing!!!
That would help in A) giving their students real VALUE for their money, and B) give their degree programs more credibility.

Agreed; some of the people I've had to work with aren't up to the caliber of the kind of people you would think should be in an institution of higher learning, however, those folks are only going to get out of the class what they put in...the downside is, in an online environment with learning teams, the entire team is responsible (as is your individual grade) for a team project, and as B pointed out (quite rightly I might add) the grading is done on the curve and is DUMBED down so that everyone passes.

In my opinion, this means that people that would normally flunk ('f') out get a 'C', and people with a 'C' get 'B' or 'A'!

The good part about this?...is that if the numbskulls your working with don't get it' it's up to you to pull it together, which has resulted in my learning on how to effectively manage a learning team and it's resources and time, how to be diplomatic with people, how to help others even when it's frustratingly simple (to you anyways), and how manage your time (and others) more effectively in the short time span that your given.

Not all of UOP has been great, but most of my experience has been *good*, especially in the upper level classes, and it's not just the academic learning it's the experience that counts as well. I'm really hoping that a 'real' school like Perdue or Stanford is much, much tougher...

Having said that, however, I recently found that my state-sponsored PAC10 traditional brick-n-mortar institution of higher-learning has mapped MOST (not all) but most of my higher level classes in the UOP program I'm in, to the same program that they offer, i.e. they recognize and accept those UOP classes!

No, it's not a one-to-one mapping, but its close and many of the UOP classes I've taken or will take are considered equivalent to their offerings. This means that *some* of the course offered by UOP is being recognized by your traditional schools, and my experience (both professional and as a student) bears this out; the more technical courses UOP offers are very up-to-snuff.

I don't give a rip about their recruiting practices, etc, I *knew* what I was getting into (other than my concerns about academics) and it's bearing out (mostly). So, the only worry I have is if my degree will transfer into my local schools Master's program, once I'm done here.

If I didn't say it before, thanks B for your insights.

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#121 Consumer Comment

Making Lemondaid...

AUTHOR: S - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 31, 2006

As others have already noted, you may get what you pay for, but ultimately it's what you make of it that counts.

This thread may be drifting from B's original post about UOP's business practices, but I think its still applies.

Case in point:
I'm currently finishing up the program I started at UoP several years ago (with a big break in between), and had my share of disappointments with UOP (underwhelmed with their academic grading, lazy/inept teammates, 'teachers' that should be doing something else useful, etc). But I'm too far in to quit now and will be finishing (oops, they just added several 'unfinished' courses to my calendar!) late this year.

Look, I'm *GLAD* 'B' came out and has shone light into UOP's business practices; this will help get their academic house in better shape and will help give UoP degree's more weight.
Yes, at times I laughed at the courses I took as part of this program, but in the end, it's just a step in the right direction, that's all. I think that UOP has a pretty neat learning model but they need to tightened up their standards, i.e. tougher grading, longer class sessions, make the learning teams accountable for their offline time, and more testing!!!
That would help in A) giving their students real VALUE for their money, and B) give their degree programs more credibility.

Agreed; some of the people I've had to work with aren't up to the caliber of the kind of people you would think should be in an institution of higher learning, however, those folks are only going to get out of the class what they put in...the downside is, in an online environment with learning teams, the entire team is responsible (as is your individual grade) for a team project, and as B pointed out (quite rightly I might add) the grading is done on the curve and is DUMBED down so that everyone passes.

In my opinion, this means that people that would normally flunk ('f') out get a 'C', and people with a 'C' get 'B' or 'A'!

The good part about this?...is that if the numbskulls your working with don't get it' it's up to you to pull it together, which has resulted in my learning on how to effectively manage a learning team and it's resources and time, how to be diplomatic with people, how to help others even when it's frustratingly simple (to you anyways), and how manage your time (and others) more effectively in the short time span that your given.

Not all of UOP has been great, but most of my experience has been *good*, especially in the upper level classes, and it's not just the academic learning it's the experience that counts as well. I'm really hoping that a 'real' school like Perdue or Stanford is much, much tougher...

Having said that, however, I recently found that my state-sponsored PAC10 traditional brick-n-mortar institution of higher-learning has mapped MOST (not all) but most of my higher level classes in the UOP program I'm in, to the same program that they offer, i.e. they recognize and accept those UOP classes!

No, it's not a one-to-one mapping, but its close and many of the UOP classes I've taken or will take are considered equivalent to their offerings. This means that *some* of the course offered by UOP is being recognized by your traditional schools, and my experience (both professional and as a student) bears this out; the more technical courses UOP offers are very up-to-snuff.

I don't give a rip about their recruiting practices, etc, I *knew* what I was getting into (other than my concerns about academics) and it's bearing out (mostly). So, the only worry I have is if my degree will transfer into my local schools Master's program, once I'm done here.

If I didn't say it before, thanks B for your insights.

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#120 Consumer Comment

Making Lemondaid...

AUTHOR: S - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 31, 2006

As others have already noted, you may get what you pay for, but ultimately it's what you make of it that counts.

This thread may be drifting from B's original post about UOP's business practices, but I think its still applies.

Case in point:
I'm currently finishing up the program I started at UoP several years ago (with a big break in between), and had my share of disappointments with UOP (underwhelmed with their academic grading, lazy/inept teammates, 'teachers' that should be doing something else useful, etc). But I'm too far in to quit now and will be finishing (oops, they just added several 'unfinished' courses to my calendar!) late this year.

Look, I'm *GLAD* 'B' came out and has shone light into UOP's business practices; this will help get their academic house in better shape and will help give UoP degree's more weight.
Yes, at times I laughed at the courses I took as part of this program, but in the end, it's just a step in the right direction, that's all. I think that UOP has a pretty neat learning model but they need to tightened up their standards, i.e. tougher grading, longer class sessions, make the learning teams accountable for their offline time, and more testing!!!
That would help in A) giving their students real VALUE for their money, and B) give their degree programs more credibility.

Agreed; some of the people I've had to work with aren't up to the caliber of the kind of people you would think should be in an institution of higher learning, however, those folks are only going to get out of the class what they put in...the downside is, in an online environment with learning teams, the entire team is responsible (as is your individual grade) for a team project, and as B pointed out (quite rightly I might add) the grading is done on the curve and is DUMBED down so that everyone passes.

In my opinion, this means that people that would normally flunk ('f') out get a 'C', and people with a 'C' get 'B' or 'A'!

The good part about this?...is that if the numbskulls your working with don't get it' it's up to you to pull it together, which has resulted in my learning on how to effectively manage a learning team and it's resources and time, how to be diplomatic with people, how to help others even when it's frustratingly simple (to you anyways), and how manage your time (and others) more effectively in the short time span that your given.

Not all of UOP has been great, but most of my experience has been *good*, especially in the upper level classes, and it's not just the academic learning it's the experience that counts as well. I'm really hoping that a 'real' school like Perdue or Stanford is much, much tougher...

Having said that, however, I recently found that my state-sponsored PAC10 traditional brick-n-mortar institution of higher-learning has mapped MOST (not all) but most of my higher level classes in the UOP program I'm in, to the same program that they offer, i.e. they recognize and accept those UOP classes!

No, it's not a one-to-one mapping, but its close and many of the UOP classes I've taken or will take are considered equivalent to their offerings. This means that *some* of the course offered by UOP is being recognized by your traditional schools, and my experience (both professional and as a student) bears this out; the more technical courses UOP offers are very up-to-snuff.

I don't give a rip about their recruiting practices, etc, I *knew* what I was getting into (other than my concerns about academics) and it's bearing out (mostly). So, the only worry I have is if my degree will transfer into my local schools Master's program, once I'm done here.

If I didn't say it before, thanks B for your insights.

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#119 Author of original report

Amris

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 27, 2006

Amris, you are entitled to your opinion, I can agree with some points but I take issue with others. It is true that a common adult learns better through theory and application as their brain structure changes through maturity. Adults require a context of application to process the information they have been given. If they cannot place the information into a useful real-world scenario, they sometimes have a hard time retaining that information.

Children and undergraduate students typically do not retain an associative reference point by which they can apply any real-world experience to. They do retain a higher capacity for memorization and therefore are taught differently. The best educators bridge the gap between the two. Let me give you an example of why UOP fails terribly with their one sided approach. I had the displeasure of taking Statistics 500 level for my masters at UOP and the pleasure of taking Statistics 500 at Walden for my other masters. UOP takes the real world approach and provided many discussions about how stats might be used in a real world scenario. Yes, the equations were included but students without a strong background in stats could not keep up with the rest of us because the online format is not conducive to teach anything that requires memorization and unfortunately, finance, accounting and statistics require memorization of equations. UOP's approach fails terribly at teaching this when compared to the rigorous approach Walden took with their courses which used both theory and application, as well as testing. On this point alone, a degree is not just a degree. Taking a single approach to all subject matter in a program is one of the differences that stratifies academic programs.

I will agree with you that the name of a college does not always mean a higher quality of candidate for employment. I have said this throughout the thread, in many programs just like in life, you only get out of it what you put into it. The problem with UOP is that some students exert a great amount of effort into learning and are therefore actually qualified. This is in no part due to the academic rigors at UOP. It is an individual choice and I can tell you that someone who exerts a great amount of effort and someone who skids by at UOP will both graduate with a relatively high GPA. The academic requirements are so lax at UOP that it under minds the efforts of not only the students who work hard, but the academic community as a whole. If you think that informed hiring managers at top companies do not weigh where a candidate is educated then you are wrong. All things being equal between two candidates, the college and the person dictate the offer.

With regards to your statement that your last teacher is a lawyer, that is just irrelevant. I am sure many of the facilitating staff at UOP are intelligent professionals. Being a qualified lawyer does not make the persona qualified teacher. I agree that anyone with experience can relate that experience to someone. But the art of teaching is much more than relating experiences. Since you issued the challenge of saying to your class facilitator, (this is a reason why UOP calls them facilitators and not professors or teachers by the way) that he/she was a joke. I would take that challenge. I know for a fact that the vast majority of facilitators at UOP have no formal teaching experience. If you want a challenge, go to any teacher that has been formally trained and tell them that their training and experience in the art of teaching is useless because you think anyone with experience in a field is qualified to teach in that area.

I really feel that you are missing the point here. It is the unethical business practices at UOP that have degraded the academic standards at UOP. It is about the money. At other institutions money is a factor but there are two equally powerful forces at work, administrative and academics. Therefore you see a balance. This balance is not in place at UOP.

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#118 Author of original report

Amris

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 27, 2006

Amris, you are entitled to your opinion, I can agree with some points but I take issue with others. It is true that a common adult learns better through theory and application as their brain structure changes through maturity. Adults require a context of application to process the information they have been given. If they cannot place the information into a useful real-world scenario, they sometimes have a hard time retaining that information.

Children and undergraduate students typically do not retain an associative reference point by which they can apply any real-world experience to. They do retain a higher capacity for memorization and therefore are taught differently. The best educators bridge the gap between the two. Let me give you an example of why UOP fails terribly with their one sided approach. I had the displeasure of taking Statistics 500 level for my masters at UOP and the pleasure of taking Statistics 500 at Walden for my other masters. UOP takes the real world approach and provided many discussions about how stats might be used in a real world scenario. Yes, the equations were included but students without a strong background in stats could not keep up with the rest of us because the online format is not conducive to teach anything that requires memorization and unfortunately, finance, accounting and statistics require memorization of equations. UOP's approach fails terribly at teaching this when compared to the rigorous approach Walden took with their courses which used both theory and application, as well as testing. On this point alone, a degree is not just a degree. Taking a single approach to all subject matter in a program is one of the differences that stratifies academic programs.

I will agree with you that the name of a college does not always mean a higher quality of candidate for employment. I have said this throughout the thread, in many programs just like in life, you only get out of it what you put into it. The problem with UOP is that some students exert a great amount of effort into learning and are therefore actually qualified. This is in no part due to the academic rigors at UOP. It is an individual choice and I can tell you that someone who exerts a great amount of effort and someone who skids by at UOP will both graduate with a relatively high GPA. The academic requirements are so lax at UOP that it under minds the efforts of not only the students who work hard, but the academic community as a whole. If you think that informed hiring managers at top companies do not weigh where a candidate is educated then you are wrong. All things being equal between two candidates, the college and the person dictate the offer.

With regards to your statement that your last teacher is a lawyer, that is just irrelevant. I am sure many of the facilitating staff at UOP are intelligent professionals. Being a qualified lawyer does not make the persona qualified teacher. I agree that anyone with experience can relate that experience to someone. But the art of teaching is much more than relating experiences. Since you issued the challenge of saying to your class facilitator, (this is a reason why UOP calls them facilitators and not professors or teachers by the way) that he/she was a joke. I would take that challenge. I know for a fact that the vast majority of facilitators at UOP have no formal teaching experience. If you want a challenge, go to any teacher that has been formally trained and tell them that their training and experience in the art of teaching is useless because you think anyone with experience in a field is qualified to teach in that area.

I really feel that you are missing the point here. It is the unethical business practices at UOP that have degraded the academic standards at UOP. It is about the money. At other institutions money is a factor but there are two equally powerful forces at work, administrative and academics. Therefore you see a balance. This balance is not in place at UOP.

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#117 Author of original report

Amris

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 27, 2006

Amris, you are entitled to your opinion, I can agree with some points but I take issue with others. It is true that a common adult learns better through theory and application as their brain structure changes through maturity. Adults require a context of application to process the information they have been given. If they cannot place the information into a useful real-world scenario, they sometimes have a hard time retaining that information.

Children and undergraduate students typically do not retain an associative reference point by which they can apply any real-world experience to. They do retain a higher capacity for memorization and therefore are taught differently. The best educators bridge the gap between the two. Let me give you an example of why UOP fails terribly with their one sided approach. I had the displeasure of taking Statistics 500 level for my masters at UOP and the pleasure of taking Statistics 500 at Walden for my other masters. UOP takes the real world approach and provided many discussions about how stats might be used in a real world scenario. Yes, the equations were included but students without a strong background in stats could not keep up with the rest of us because the online format is not conducive to teach anything that requires memorization and unfortunately, finance, accounting and statistics require memorization of equations. UOP's approach fails terribly at teaching this when compared to the rigorous approach Walden took with their courses which used both theory and application, as well as testing. On this point alone, a degree is not just a degree. Taking a single approach to all subject matter in a program is one of the differences that stratifies academic programs.

I will agree with you that the name of a college does not always mean a higher quality of candidate for employment. I have said this throughout the thread, in many programs just like in life, you only get out of it what you put into it. The problem with UOP is that some students exert a great amount of effort into learning and are therefore actually qualified. This is in no part due to the academic rigors at UOP. It is an individual choice and I can tell you that someone who exerts a great amount of effort and someone who skids by at UOP will both graduate with a relatively high GPA. The academic requirements are so lax at UOP that it under minds the efforts of not only the students who work hard, but the academic community as a whole. If you think that informed hiring managers at top companies do not weigh where a candidate is educated then you are wrong. All things being equal between two candidates, the college and the person dictate the offer.

With regards to your statement that your last teacher is a lawyer, that is just irrelevant. I am sure many of the facilitating staff at UOP are intelligent professionals. Being a qualified lawyer does not make the persona qualified teacher. I agree that anyone with experience can relate that experience to someone. But the art of teaching is much more than relating experiences. Since you issued the challenge of saying to your class facilitator, (this is a reason why UOP calls them facilitators and not professors or teachers by the way) that he/she was a joke. I would take that challenge. I know for a fact that the vast majority of facilitators at UOP have no formal teaching experience. If you want a challenge, go to any teacher that has been formally trained and tell them that their training and experience in the art of teaching is useless because you think anyone with experience in a field is qualified to teach in that area.

I really feel that you are missing the point here. It is the unethical business practices at UOP that have degraded the academic standards at UOP. It is about the money. At other institutions money is a factor but there are two equally powerful forces at work, administrative and academics. Therefore you see a balance. This balance is not in place at UOP.

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#116 Author of original report

Amris

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 27, 2006

Amris, you are entitled to your opinion, I can agree with some points but I take issue with others. It is true that a common adult learns better through theory and application as their brain structure changes through maturity. Adults require a context of application to process the information they have been given. If they cannot place the information into a useful real-world scenario, they sometimes have a hard time retaining that information.

Children and undergraduate students typically do not retain an associative reference point by which they can apply any real-world experience to. They do retain a higher capacity for memorization and therefore are taught differently. The best educators bridge the gap between the two. Let me give you an example of why UOP fails terribly with their one sided approach. I had the displeasure of taking Statistics 500 level for my masters at UOP and the pleasure of taking Statistics 500 at Walden for my other masters. UOP takes the real world approach and provided many discussions about how stats might be used in a real world scenario. Yes, the equations were included but students without a strong background in stats could not keep up with the rest of us because the online format is not conducive to teach anything that requires memorization and unfortunately, finance, accounting and statistics require memorization of equations. UOP's approach fails terribly at teaching this when compared to the rigorous approach Walden took with their courses which used both theory and application, as well as testing. On this point alone, a degree is not just a degree. Taking a single approach to all subject matter in a program is one of the differences that stratifies academic programs.

I will agree with you that the name of a college does not always mean a higher quality of candidate for employment. I have said this throughout the thread, in many programs just like in life, you only get out of it what you put into it. The problem with UOP is that some students exert a great amount of effort into learning and are therefore actually qualified. This is in no part due to the academic rigors at UOP. It is an individual choice and I can tell you that someone who exerts a great amount of effort and someone who skids by at UOP will both graduate with a relatively high GPA. The academic requirements are so lax at UOP that it under minds the efforts of not only the students who work hard, but the academic community as a whole. If you think that informed hiring managers at top companies do not weigh where a candidate is educated then you are wrong. All things being equal between two candidates, the college and the person dictate the offer.

With regards to your statement that your last teacher is a lawyer, that is just irrelevant. I am sure many of the facilitating staff at UOP are intelligent professionals. Being a qualified lawyer does not make the persona qualified teacher. I agree that anyone with experience can relate that experience to someone. But the art of teaching is much more than relating experiences. Since you issued the challenge of saying to your class facilitator, (this is a reason why UOP calls them facilitators and not professors or teachers by the way) that he/she was a joke. I would take that challenge. I know for a fact that the vast majority of facilitators at UOP have no formal teaching experience. If you want a challenge, go to any teacher that has been formally trained and tell them that their training and experience in the art of teaching is useless because you think anyone with experience in a field is qualified to teach in that area.

I really feel that you are missing the point here. It is the unethical business practices at UOP that have degraded the academic standards at UOP. It is about the money. At other institutions money is a factor but there are two equally powerful forces at work, administrative and academics. Therefore you see a balance. This balance is not in place at UOP.

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#115 Consumer Comment

Interesting Argument

AUTHOR: Sean - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 27, 2006

I have always felt (and perhaps I am wrong) that the UOP is a bogus university, even if it does have the same accredited status as others I would consider legit. I worked very hard to get into my MBA program, and when people compare their degree from the UOP to mine, I do feel a little frustrated. However, someone commented earlier stating that "you get out of something what you put into it", and I firmly agree. So to all of you currently enrolled, I suggest you finish the program and move on.

You can always try another program later, but don't give up on something you've already started. You will NOT be laughed out of any building for finishing something you started. To all of you considering the UOP, I will say that you should not be intimidated by other schools that require more credentials when considering admission. If it's the online program that makes it so attractive, don't forget that many other schools are offering this same program as well. That is all I have to say.

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#114 Consumer Suggestion

A degree is a degree

AUTHOR: Amris - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 26, 2006

Hi, I read many of your arguments why UOP is not credible such the academics are substandard and that the teachers are a joke. I also have read many peoples responses
stating that they went to normal community colleges and universities where you actually had to study for test and things of that nature. I also went to community college where I got my AA degree in addition to attending another college. I graduated with honors too, but when I go to the store that sells coffee, I still have to pay my quarter to get some if you get what I am trying to say. Furthermore, I have also attended UOP. For those of you that believe that there is no academic credibility at UOP let me ask you this. If you went to a community college (like I did) and constantly study for tests by memorizing the answers and then you forget them two weeks better, then how do you believe you are better educated then someone who had discussions with teachers and other students about their real life experiences about the subjects they are learning ? I can guarantee those of you that took many tests through your college days could not pass 75% of them if you were to take them again. Furthermore, most of the tests probably do not apply to your careers now. However, I can tell you I can remember most of the discussions I had pertaining to what we were learning about. They also pertain to my current job, which means I am using my education that I learned at UOP.


However, my main point is a degree is a degree. If you go on to the county websites, where they have the majority of the best paying job for the average person, they require you to take a test against whoever else wants to test for the job, and if a degree is the minimum requirement, then they do not care where you got your degree as long it is accredited. A good woman I work with got her degree from Stanford University, which is a prestigious university in my eyes. According to all the supervisors and co-workers that I work with, I do the job ten times better then her and my degree came from a community college. Obviously, in the job world, where you get your degree from does not matter once you are hired. However, it just goes to show you that you get your degree from Stanford but does not mean you are more qualified then the next person who might of got a degree from UOP. In addition, someone said the teachers are a joke at UOP. My last teacher was a judge, go ahead and tell him that to his face. We must remember that getting a degree shows an employer that you have the ability to learn. So if you got your degree or degrees from somewhere else besides UOP (like I did), do not try to discredit UOP. We all should know that good years of job experience coupled with education are the main things any manager is looking for. Any thoughts?

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#113 Consumer Comment

Thanxs, B!

AUTHOR: Douglas - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 23, 2006

B,

I interviewed with Strayer, and it went real well. Thanks. I was pretty pleased with the way the AC presented the school. He seemed real genuine and did not talk to me like he was trying to sell me a used car. Because of this, I have decided to work on my Master's there while I am working at my new job. This proves that there are reputable online schools out there that don't have 5,000 lawsuits against them and 8 million consumer complaints. Thanks for this thread!

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#112 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Douglas

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 20, 2006

Douglas,

I looks like Im a little late getting back to you here. I hope your interview went well. Anyway, they should have been able to explain everything to you. If I remember correctly their masters program in business in right around $19K which is a pretty good price considering the quality of the degree. If you have concerns I would look at Walden or Northcentral University depending on how you plan on paying. If you are planning on student loans, use Walden, if you have tuition assistance with your company, use NCU. Both are great programs that I can speak from experience with. If you decide to stick with Strayer you should be okay.

Good luck

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#111 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Douglas

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 20, 2006

Douglas,

I looks like Im a little late getting back to you here. I hope your interview went well. Anyway, they should have been able to explain everything to you. If I remember correctly their masters program in business in right around $19K which is a pretty good price considering the quality of the degree. If you have concerns I would look at Walden or Northcentral University depending on how you plan on paying. If you are planning on student loans, use Walden, if you have tuition assistance with your company, use NCU. Both are great programs that I can speak from experience with. If you decide to stick with Strayer you should be okay.

Good luck

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#110 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Douglas

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 20, 2006

Douglas,

I looks like Im a little late getting back to you here. I hope your interview went well. Anyway, they should have been able to explain everything to you. If I remember correctly their masters program in business in right around $19K which is a pretty good price considering the quality of the degree. If you have concerns I would look at Walden or Northcentral University depending on how you plan on paying. If you are planning on student loans, use Walden, if you have tuition assistance with your company, use NCU. Both are great programs that I can speak from experience with. If you decide to stick with Strayer you should be okay.

Good luck

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#109 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To Bruce

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 20, 2006

Bruce,

School of Business is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association. What it lacks is AACSB accreditation. Basically, reputable companies and institutions of higher learning value the AACSB because it creates a baseline for academics standards by students coming into the program because they must pass the GMAT. There are still other reputable colleges both online and ground that do not choose to comply with AACSB but they use other admissions standards to screen applicants. UOP has no such filter in place. This causes an inverse academic curve where the ?undesirable? applicants are allowed into the program. Time usually filters these people out as you will notice if you continue on through the degree. You will see the learning teams and the class environment improve as you approach your last few classes as most of the idiots drop out. The problem is that when you pay $1600 for a class, they should never be there in the first place and some of them still make it through and into the workforce. Thus, a hiring manager that interviews these idiots with UOP masters degrees, cannot help but have a bias against the quality of applicant with UOP on their resume. You should just decide based on what you want to do after you complete the degree.

My advise to you? Try to transfer to Walden. They have a tougher admissions process to enter the program, you have to write an admissions essay and your GPA from your undergraduate degree will need to be at least a 3.0 depending on your professional history.

Good Luck.

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#108 Consumer Comment

Clarification on Accreditation

AUTHOR: Bruce - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, May 19, 2006

B,

I'm a student in the UOP MBA/HRM program and have mixed feelings about the whole program. If I knew in the beginning what I know now and if I had I known about this web site, I would not have attended the universitythe facts are overwhelming against the organization. But I'll not cry over spilled milk. The points you make are well taken and you articulated them very well. About the accreditationone of the points I understand you make is that the University itself is accredited but the business programs (school) are not, I'm I correct?

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#107 UPDATE Employee

You will not be screwed by asking us for help

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Brian,

Since you elected to choose financial aid then you have an obligation to complete 24 credits in one year. Whether it be at UOP or another school, you are required to complete those 24 credits using the loan money that you have been certified for.

As far as your assumption about completing the second set of classes to be sure you can get your financial aid, this is somewhat true. You need to give the DOE enough time to certify and have the money sent to the school so that funds are on the account before you withdraw. If you leave before the money is on account then you risk not having your loan certified and in effect you will be responsible for the cost of the first two classes.

What I would recommend is that you complete this second class so that you give enough time for the money to be disbursed on your account. Request a break of 4 weeks and start researching where you want to transfer to. Go to the FAW website at faw.phoenix.edu and log in. Download the form for the Authorization to Apply funds. Select NO to all four questions and sign it. Send this form in to your Finance counselor. They will then be forced to issue a check for the full amount on your account for the money you were certified for. Use that money that you will be given (grant and loan money) to enroll at the school you plan to transfer to. Once you are enrolled at the other school, call your lender to have them transfer the next disbursement to the new school. Once all this is done make sure you fill out a withdrawal form with UOP.

If you decide to do this any other way you may risk in having to wait a great deal of time for UOP to send the money back to the lender and then transfer it to the other school. The Authorization to apply funds form gives you control of your money.

***Just an FYI for newly enrolled students, this form must have YES checked on all four questions or you will not recieve a deferment on the cost of the first few classes.***

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#106 Consumer Comment

Strayer Online

AUTHOR: Douglas - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

B,

I currently have my Bachelor's degree from an accredited ground university. I am currently trying to get my Master's but, because of time constraints, I am looking to receive my degree online from a credible institution. Anyway, I am typing this post because I noticed that you mentioned Strayer University as a valid place to receive an online diploma. I have an interview there in two days and I was wondering if you could give me any information about SU that might help me make the decision of whether or not I should go there. I couldn't find any rip-off reports that suggested there are any big problems with receiving your degree here; only a couple financial aid complaints with a few campuses that are nowhere near the campus that is closest to me. Anyway, any information you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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#105 Consumer Comment

Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

AUTHOR: Brian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Hello everyone,

I ran into this report quite by accident and I am very thankful for it. I just hope that people are still reading and responding to this thread.

I have just begun my second set of classes at UoP. I have been wary about the school as I noticed that the assignments were rather simple, so are most of the students for that matter. However, I figured that since these were the first classes, it might be typical to start out with an easier syllabus. After reading this thread, I have come to the realization that all the classes are simple and not designed to provoke any quality learning.

I am now wondering how easily I will be able to get out of this school. I intend to transfer,

I figure that I should finish the second set of classes so that financial aid will pay for them. If I were to leave after that, would I likely leave without owing UoP? I am hesitant to ask UoP about this issue, fearing that they will try to screw me.

Sorry in advance for any grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

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#104 Consumer Comment

Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

AUTHOR: Brian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Hello everyone,

I ran into this report quite by accident and I am very thankful for it. I just hope that people are still reading and responding to this thread.

I have just begun my second set of classes at UoP. I have been wary about the school as I noticed that the assignments were rather simple, so are most of the students for that matter. However, I figured that since these were the first classes, it might be typical to start out with an easier syllabus. After reading this thread, I have come to the realization that all the classes are simple and not designed to provoke any quality learning.

I am now wondering how easily I will be able to get out of this school. I intend to transfer,

I figure that I should finish the second set of classes so that financial aid will pay for them. If I were to leave after that, would I likely leave without owing UoP? I am hesitant to ask UoP about this issue, fearing that they will try to screw me.

Sorry in advance for any grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

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#103 Consumer Comment

Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

AUTHOR: Brian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Hello everyone,

I ran into this report quite by accident and I am very thankful for it. I just hope that people are still reading and responding to this thread.

I have just begun my second set of classes at UoP. I have been wary about the school as I noticed that the assignments were rather simple, so are most of the students for that matter. However, I figured that since these were the first classes, it might be typical to start out with an easier syllabus. After reading this thread, I have come to the realization that all the classes are simple and not designed to provoke any quality learning.

I am now wondering how easily I will be able to get out of this school. I intend to transfer,

I figure that I should finish the second set of classes so that financial aid will pay for them. If I were to leave after that, would I likely leave without owing UoP? I am hesitant to ask UoP about this issue, fearing that they will try to screw me.

Sorry in advance for any grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

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#102 Consumer Comment

Taken classes at UoP, how to get out?

AUTHOR: Brian - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Hello everyone,

I ran into this report quite by accident and I am very thankful for it. I just hope that people are still reading and responding to this thread.

I have just begun my second set of classes at UoP. I have been wary about the school as I noticed that the assignments were rather simple, so are most of the students for that matter. However, I figured that since these were the first classes, it might be typical to start out with an easier syllabus. After reading this thread, I have come to the realization that all the classes are simple and not designed to provoke any quality learning.

I am now wondering how easily I will be able to get out of this school. I intend to transfer,

I figure that I should finish the second set of classes so that financial aid will pay for them. If I were to leave after that, would I likely leave without owing UoP? I am hesitant to ask UoP about this issue, fearing that they will try to screw me.

Sorry in advance for any grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors.

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#101 UPDATE Employee

You only owe the application fee

AUTHOR: Donald - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, May 14, 2006

I used to work at the online campus in Phoenix as a Financial Advisor before moving to the ground Campus in Pasadena, California.

Unless you actually start classes and make attendance for the first week, we can't send the paperwork off to be processed. That's the reason it takes so long to get recieve the money in the first place. We have to show that you are actually in attendance during the first week or we have to cancel everything. So as long as you tell us that that you want to drop out then we have to cancel everything. The only thing you owe is the application fee of $45.

Ask your enrollment counselor for an Official Withdrawal form too by the way. Once you send it to us, I would ask your enrollment counselor to sign the bottom and date it acknowledging that you recieved it. Your paperwork should be filled out as Financial Aid - primary, Cash - secondary. If it is not then it could come back to bite you as most of the reconciliation on accounts is done automatically with oversight by us the Financial Advisors. We are human and can make mistakes though.

Check your account summary and payment/reciept history on your student website to ensure that all the amounts are correct. If they aren't, call up the Financial Advisor responsible for your account and get the issue clarified asap. Contrary to popular belief, logging on to your student website does not charge you any money or make you responsible for fees to attend the school. Your application fee covers the cost to create and maintain your account on the student website. You can get alot of information from there so I encourage anyone to logon there and get needed information to help substantiate their complaints.

Lastly, just because you are an online student does not mean that you can't go to a local ground campus to help get an issue resolved. Granted, we can't address complaints about enrollement misleading students for instance. However, we at the ground campuses can help clarify financial issues and most academic issues. Sometimes it's nicer to have a face to face conversation to get an issue resolved and I am always happy to oblige.

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#100 UPDATE Employee

You are not in too deep.

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 13, 2006

R,

You are not in too deep yet. You can call whatever lender you chose and cancel your loan. The student loan money will typically not be sent until you actually post into class. If you call, however, and let your lender know that you have changed your mind, they should be able to get the money back, if they have sent it to the school.

The university will charge you for the application fee. When you enrolled, you probably signed a memorandum of understanding, stating that the university would waive the application fee if you successfully completed your first class. Since you did not do this, your finance counselor will be calling you wanting to collect that from you. If you ask to speak to a manger, and say that you were misled by your enrollment counselor (you may have to argue a bit) you could get the school to write that off.

Good luck.

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#99 UPDATE Employee

You are not in too deep.

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 13, 2006

R,

You are not in too deep yet. You can call whatever lender you chose and cancel your loan. The student loan money will typically not be sent until you actually post into class. If you call, however, and let your lender know that you have changed your mind, they should be able to get the money back, if they have sent it to the school.

The university will charge you for the application fee. When you enrolled, you probably signed a memorandum of understanding, stating that the university would waive the application fee if you successfully completed your first class. Since you did not do this, your finance counselor will be calling you wanting to collect that from you. If you ask to speak to a manger, and say that you were misled by your enrollment counselor (you may have to argue a bit) you could get the school to write that off.

Good luck.

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#98 Consumer Comment

What do I do now?

AUTHOR: R - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, May 13, 2006

I just applied to the BSB/Management program at UOP. I also signed the promissory note with one of their preferred lenders and had the university receive my loan. I haven't started because I told them I would like to start not until two more months. After reading all of these I realized I don't want to attend there. What can I do now? I only emailed my advisor telling her that I don't want to attend anymore. But in regards with the bank loan what do I do? Since i electronically signed the promissory note, does that mean that I will get the loan and UOP will take it or what? I'm so confused!!!! Please help as soon as possible! Thanks.

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#97 UPDATE Employee

UOP is not ethical

AUTHOR: James - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, May 07, 2006

While I think that B may have some anger issues, and could be far more persuasive by not insulting everyone who defends the University, he does have valid points.

I have worked for the University of Phoenix, in their Axia College division for more than a year now, and I have seen first hand that the university is very hypocritical and acts unethically on a regular basis. I am an academic counselor.

Of the three primary customer service jobs (academic counselors, finance counselors, and enrollment counselors), academic counselors are the only employees required to have a bachelor's degree. If you call University of Phoenix and talk to an enrollment counselor, that person will tell you all about the value of a bachelor's degree. The school itself, in all of its media, almost guarantees that someone with a bachelor's degree will make more money. Yet, academic counselors, who are required to have a bachelor's degree, start out making $3000 less per year than enrollment counselors, and only $2000 more than finance counselors, neither of whom are required to have any degree, and often are not even required to have any college experience. This is so extremely hypocritical of this university. The reality is that the ability to sell education, and not having an education itself, it way more important to that organization. Your enrollment counselor may tell you anecdotes about being in college, but those anecdotes are often just lies from people who have never had a single college class.

If a person started a program with Axia and finished a bachelor's degree with University of Phoenix, that student would have an outstanding loan of about $42,000. (60 credits at Axia times $265 per credit hour tuition, plus 60 credits at UOP at $460 per credit hour.) With what the university pays me, for having my bachelor's degree, there is NO WAY I could pay that much money off in the 10 year period that students are given. They say that a degree has value, but in that organization it does not.

If you have gone to the University of Phoenix or Axia, and wonder why you are always getting a new academic counselor, you know now. They spent time and energy earning a degree, that the organization claims is valuable, and yet never get paid for having one. For most academic counselors, the job is temporary from the start. It is just something to pay the bills until they can get into an organization that does respect their education. Those who do stick around for any period of time, stop taking their jobs seriously. If you are getting bad service, that is why. They have no commitment to the school, and just want to sit in their chairs getting paid to do as little work as possible.

This attitude also stems from the measures of success. For enrollment counselors, it is all based on numbers. Their pay can increase or decrease dramatically based on how many people they enroll. Enrollment counselors will, and do, lie to get people into class. They do use high pressure tactics and will enroll ANYONE. If someone drops, it does not count against them, they just lose credit for the registration, so it is always worth it to throw the dice and see if the person will make it. I have heard numerous enrollment counselors say that they doubt their students will make it, but enroll them anyway.

One of my enrollment counselor's enrolled a student who had been in special education his whole life. I saw an essay that this student wrote before we enrolled him, and I told my enrollment counselor that the student would never succeed. The enrollment counselor agreed with me, but said, "I need the reg (registration)for March." He was puffing up his numbers, knowing this student would fail. This student did fail, and wound up owing like $1700. He was barely making ends meet as it was, and when all this hit, he was on the verge of committing suicide. His enrollment counselor had something of a conscience and wired the guy $20 because he had not eaten in days.

For that student, he or she is taking on a huge financial responsibility. The phrase that counselors use all the time is, "for no out-of-pocket costs". This means that if a student succeeds the student loan will cover the cost. They do not always talk about having to pay that loan back later. They also fail to mention what happens if a student fails. Suddenly there is an immediate out-of-pocket cost that my students simply cannot afford. These counselors are hurting their students financially, because they want to succeed financially. In my opinion, that is not how a university should operate.

Academic counselors, however, are held responsible for every student who drops. It affects our measures and our ability to get raises. We have no authority to deny a student admissions, and yet if the student fails, we are failures. Since enrollment counselors will enroll anyone with pulse, the system is set up so that we fail. It could very likely be a cost saving measure by the school, but I cannot say for sure.

There is also a "qualifying center". This is a relatively new part of the university. These people make the initial phone calls anytime someone clicks on a banner ad on the Internet. It is their job to determine who qualifies to go to school, and then transfer them to enrollment counselors. They, however, are measured on how many live bodies they get transferred to enrollment counselors. With that in mind, they will transfer anyone who they get on the phone. Jr. High students are transferred to enrollment counselors all the time, and since those new "leads" as they call them are potential students getting registered, the very measures of success for one department are setting up another department for failure. Being able to take these qualifying center calls is an enrollment counselor's bread and butter. Getting a Jr. High student or someone without a GED or High School Diploma is a huge failure for them. Yet, the company has endorsed this way of doing business. Each department's measure is designed so that other departments fail. I have had a major ethical dilemma with working for the university for a long time now.

Having worked with student's as long as I have, I can tell you that there are a lot of bad instructors at the university. For many of them, it is an easy way to earn an extra paycheck, and they do not take it seriously. One of my students taking a math class had her instructor post a message the first day about how she was a "facilitator" and not a "teacher". This was her way of telling students that she was not going to help them much. This student complained that her instructor would never answer any questions directly and doubted that the instructor even had a background to teach math.

Instructors are supposed to have office hours for 20 hours a week at Axia. They are supposed to be by a phone and be able to answer questions. I get students calling me all the time, however, saying that they call and call and call, and never get an answer. Often students call, nearly yelling, saying that for as much at they are paying, the instructors ought to be in there helping them.

This is where B does have great point. Instructors at Axia get around $2000 to teach a 9 week class. With them having to have 20 office hours a week, for 9 weeks, that works out to about 11 dollars an hour for someone with a Master's degree and at least two years experience in his/her field. With students paying $795 per class, it only takes 2.5 students to pay the instructors. The university usually has 15-20 students per class. There are, of course, other expenses, but I agree with B that probably there is a profit margin of 50% with Axia, probably higher for University of Phoenix, whose tuition is $1380 per class. It is no wonder that many instructors blow off their responsibilities. I will admit there are some very good instructors, but they are an exception to the rule.

Student's often do not understand the assignments, and the university does not provide detailed examples. When student's ask the instructors, often their response is, "read the syllabus." The students have often done that and still do not understand. Madeline Hunter was a leader in Educational Theory, who said that effective teachers do give examples, more complex examples, and non-examples. The school obviously does not subscribe to her theories of teaching. In addition, all of the syllabi at Axia are standard. Every course with the same title, and every assignment in those courses are exactly the same. There is really no independent thought to be had there. The instructors may be considered professionals, but they do not get the chance to apply their own knowledge. The curriculum is set for them. The assignments are, in my opinion, generated by people who cannot communicate clearly what they want, and when students misunderstand the assignments, they get penalized. Since the instructor did not create the assignments, they often have no way to explain what is being requested. From a purely educational perspective, it is complete pedagogical bologna. It is NOT worth the amount of money that students pay.

The primary goal of the University of Phoenix is to make money. That is the absolute truth. It comes first and foremost above everything else. Decisions are made first based on the financial well being of the company. Since I have been there, I have seen the quality of the company's benefits decline. The company's 401 K matching is only 15% of what the employee puts in. The stock purchase plan went from 85% of market value to 95% of market value. This is all in spite of record growth, or so the school claims.

The school's integrity, the quality of education, the quality of instructors, curriculum, and service, come only second to profitability. It is just not the way that a school should operate. University of Phoenix is unethical. It pushes on the edge of violating the law, but because of their crafty approach, they have been able to avoid any real penalties. But I encourage anyone to choose a different school. Most community colleges and state schools offer online programs whose primary focus is education, learning, and the pursuit of knowledge. The cost will always be less, and you will likely not be lied to.

And, yes, I am a disgruntled employee. I have to get up every morning knowing that I am working for an unethical organization, and I loath myself for doing it. Due to some personal reasons, I cannot quite say good-bye to the university right now. The flexibility I have, to come and go as I please, is a necessity that I cannot do without just now.

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#96 Consumer Comment

Don't think that Stanford is a for-profit school either...

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 29, 2006

..but UOP is. For better or worse, the schools are different.

As far as your comment about veterans making complaints against UOP, I ran a search on this site using the following keywords:

"Military" - 15+ pages which I wasn't about to go through

"University of Phoenix military" - no posts found

"veteran" - 19+ pages found mostly with reference to how the VA itself is ripping off veterans

"University of Phoenix veteran" - no posts found

"GI bill" - No posts found

"University of Phoenix GI Bill" - no posts found

A great deal of students who complain may be veterans and don't mention it. However, you have to admit the majority of complaints come from people who used financial aid and failed a class. Then they expect financial aid to cover them. That is the bottom line.

As a veteran myself I found the help I was given by their military division to be outstanding. I was able to transfer in 42 credits towards my degree. I knew right off the bat that my GI Bill would not kick in until I started class. For a great deal of veterans this is like a Catch-22 that can hinder us from starting school. That is why I used Financial aid to act as a cushion to get started. I then used my GI Bill to start paying off the loans early. Why you ask? Because I tend to be very responsible towards my debts.

Once I graduate I will be out of GI Bill but I still have Vocational Rehab available from my service related injury, (thank the PVA for that) so I can go on to pursue my Master's. I'm not sure if I will contnue with UOP for my Master's yet, I am still looking for a school that is online and I won't have to put up with teams.

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#95 Consumer Comment

No I'm not

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 29, 2006

I never identified myself as an employee so I don't know where you got that from. Like I said I just happen to thoroughly read anything I sign am required to sign. I keep copies of all my documentation and have all the websites that the counselors told me to go to when I first enrolled in my favorites. I've been burned in the past and now I am always skeptical about any new venture. I don't play the stock market because of this so I couldn't speak intelligently about UOP's stock.

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#94 Consumer Comment

Stanford is state funded?

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, April 29, 2006

...No ripoff reports against Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, Pepperdine, Loyola, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical (which is at every Naval/Air Force Facility)...lots of folks have paid for and flunked out of these schools...

There are many posts from vets against UOP--using their GI Bill.

It's not about accountability. It's about credibility.

Robert, you still haven't answered me here...are you a UOP employee? Yes or no?

Hare krishna!

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#93 Consumer Comment

Funny Guy

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 28, 2006

Frank,

I just love how you spout off that hare krishna stuff. That is so original. As to your question for why there are no ripoff reports for those other schools. I think you can attribute this to the fact that the schools you listed are state funded, not private institutions.

Now if you do a search for private for-profit institutions like Devry, ITT, Capella, Kaplan, AIU, Strayer... you will find that there are a great deal of complaints against all of these schools. Another factor is the number of students enrolled at these schools. The fewer the number of students, the fewer the complaints. AIU and UOP seem to have the largest number of complaints compared to any other schools, but they also have the largest student body.

What do all these schools have in common? They cater to working adults who have either failed or have been otherwise unsuccessful in the past towards pursuing their educational goals. They allow anyone to have a chance to go to school and are not limited by space. They don't use placement exams to weed people out that don't meet the expectations.

They also seem to attract a large amount of people that do not take responsibility for their actions. For the schools I listed above, education is a business. You can still learn and get an accredited degree, but you have to be willing to make sacrifices for it.

I personally do not like the learning team aspect, but I have learned to live with it. My brother is enrolled in the MSEM program at CSULB and he is required to work with learning teams in an online environment.

Another factor that I see is that the majority of complaints are about financial aid. I have yet to see anyone complain when their company is paying for school, military is paying for school or if they are using their Veteran's benefits to pay for school. A great deal of the complaints also seem to generate when the students fail a class while they are using financial aid. Who in their right mind would pay for a failed class? NO ONE other than the student who failed the class.

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#92 Consumer Comment

B, you da' man!!!

AUTHOR: Frank - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 28, 2006

...read your comments and couldn't agree more. UOP/Amway/Don DuPre/Dave Del Dotto/Jim Jones Peoples Temple are the precursors to a delusional cult, Apollo Group, which actually believes they are getting an education. And, like Amway, the guys at the top are making huge sums of money while the students puke the mantra: hare,hare...Amway,Amway,...Apollo, Apollo...soon, the UOP faithful will be hangin' out at the airport, wearing robes, and pimping the weak and poor chumps who buy off on Apollo BS.

Why are there no rip-off reports regarding Stanford, UCLA, Georgia, Texas, Cornell, Colorado, Berkeley? Why only Apollo?

...hare,hare...krishna,krishna

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#91 Author of original report

One for the records...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Not gud spellher, Beau rite, me stooped. Must be beccuz I wint to UOP.

I was unaware there would be a grammar test.

Take it easy there buddy! Oops there was another grammatical error with the use of there. But guess what? Why don't you read through the posts in here, no one is trying to submit and APA formatted paper. If you are a true professor at UOP then I doubt you would even take the time to be in here. Much like the Republican GOP you are trying to use smoke and mirrors here to detract from the real issue. Somehow you are hoping that attacking my ability or desire to edit my rebuttals will render the truths contained in those rebuttals void. That is just like trying to get the American public to focus on gay marriage and terrorism so they ignore the fact that they are getting screwed and lied to by political officials. I write these posts and do not proof them for spelling or grammatical errors, but that does not negate the fact that I am right about the conduct and actions of UOP. I could right in crayon and put like, ya know after every sentence and you still can't take away the lawsuits, dysfunctional turnover, low academic standard, and student drop rates at UOP. I get my point across rather well, enough to light a spark under you! If you are an instructor then I am flattered that you took the time to actually read through this. Thanks, get back to work!

You will not find a place in this thread that I tell you I majored in English Lit. If you are going to pick apart the grammatical structure of a thread like this then at least keep it consistent and do it to everyone professor spells-a-lot. And by the way, if you are going to lecture others on spelling and grammar, at least edit your own crap. I normally do not do this because everyone makes spelling mistakes and obviously you are not immune. Why don't you go back and read your post again and pull out Webster's. (Apparently) is spelled with an e not an a and you also spelled demonstrate's wrong. Since you came in here spouting off superior grammatical capacity, you should probably show that you actually retain that capacity. Does this mean that all the points you just made are invalid because you can't spell either?

I could take the same route as you here and pretend like your entire point is invalid because you screwed up a couple of words. Unlike you I will admit that your points about my spelling and grammar are valid, but what you try to prove by using those points is unrelated. As an instructor, you should recognize when someone is trying to validate a point with completely unrelated information. That is called speculation and conjecture and will not stand the litmus test. You make the correlation that lack of editing somehow equals invalid points on my part. I could tell by your writing that you obviously have an intellect. Because of that you should know better. So save the smoke and mirrors routine. I am sure you will submit a rebuttal and I am sure you will use spell check this time but I think we can safely say that it is a little too late now because you already look like a fool.

I really can't believe you tried to lecture someone about spelling and didn't even edit your own writing. Now you understand what I meant when I said people who point out other people's spelling errors are tards. You proved my point nicely.

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#90 UPDATE Employee

Errors in report prove it worthless

AUTHOR: Beau - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 25, 2006

As an instructor at UOP, I can tell you that there is a lot more to the program than this angry person who evidently did not perform to snuff and was let go. Simply read the report. This person claims to have a master's degree, but cannot write or spell properly. The author has subject/pronoun agreement problems, fails to punctuate, spells words incorrectly ("lively hood" for "livelihood" and "loose" for "lose," for example). The author fails to understand the accreditation process (see one of the earlier rebuttals for details) and misstates the course requirements as "shooting emails back and forth via Outlook Express and working in 'Learning Teams' . . ."

Clearly, the author's experience may be as s/he describes, as the author's work product clearly shows that the author did not obtain a master's education, but that appears to be the author's failing and ignorance rather than the program.

The author excuses his illiteracy by calling those who would point them out "tards," which is either a misspelling of "turds" or a misspelling of the slang for "retards" as "'tards;" either way, the egg appears to be on the author's face, who hides behind an initial (could it be because s/he broke the law in the alleged actions as a UOP employee?)

The bottom line is that one considering the UOP should give this author's report the credibility it demonstrates it possesses - little or none, as a rant by a disgruntled employee.

Please note that we faculty are independent contractors with UOP and not employees. I get no compensation for posting what I believe on this site, and UOP doesn't even know I have done this. I teach there because I believe in the program. I have options to teach elsewhere, but believe UOP works - except, it appears, when one puts little or no effort into it, as this author apparantly did. So, it is no surprise to me that when the author applies "to professional organizations, they laugh." I am sure that the author's presentation is as error-filled as is this report.

Finally, I note the blanket statement, "the people who defend this place have no clue what they are talking about." Ignoring the fact that it ends in a preposition, it demonstrates a total failure of critical thinking (all opposed to the author's views are stupid) and sounds dangerously close to paranoia, but I'll leave that for the DSM IV-R to diagnose.

I'll say this for the report. It demonstrate's the author's inadequacies much more than it does any on the part of the University, except for a lack of quality in who it hires as enrollment counselors.

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#89 Consumer Comment

UOP: Sweet and Sour; Consumer Beware!

AUTHOR: Marilyn - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 21, 2006

Permit me to tell of my experience with UOP. In my twenties, I went to a private Catholic Liberal Arts College in KY and obtained an AA in Accounting. That was a quarter of a century ago. Out of the 79 credits, 66 transferred to UOP. Since the degree was so old, I was impressed. My Enrollment Advisor, Demetrius, was exceptional. He stayed in touched with me throughout my entire time at UOP. He did show sincere concern with my success. The instructors, with an exception of a few, were very knowledgeable, and very strict with grading. The team concept also seemed to work well for me. At the beginning there were a few freeloaders, but after about the 4th course, they dropped out for one reason or another, and I really developed some valuable team-coping skills that I use in my job today.
My Degree transferred quite nicely to Dallas Baptist University in pursuit of my MBA, and all credits were honored (except the GEN classes, which I was told by Demetrius would not transfer from the beginning). My employer (USPS) recognized my degree and promoted me accordingly. Academically speaking, I am very pleased with UOP. If it had not been around, I probably would not have returned to school. At 50, I am currently pursuing my MBA at DBUthanks to my success at UOP.

Now for the sour! I said that Demetrius was exceptional because I found the administrative staff (with the exception of Demetrius) to be inept, immature, incompetent, and intolerable! It was obvious that they were herding people in for the first year tuition with no thought as to whether or not one was college material. That is the reason after a few courses you did not see the ones that should not have been there in the first place. To permit people who could not even compose a basic sentence into an intense, fast-paced program like UOP, well that is terrible and indefensible!

Next, the academic counselors were horrible. I am the type who reads the fine print of everything. If it had not been for that, my academic-counselor-of-the-month would have had me taking many classes that did not pertain to my degree. For the entire two years, I had to re-align my courses at least three different times to keep from taking unnecessary classes or missing too many days in-between classes. I found that to be very frustrating. The good thing is that I was forced to experience the Flex-net and the expensive On-line classes. I say that it was a good thing because it made me appreciate the On-ground classes, even more.

At Demetrius' advice, at the completion of every course, I checked my Student Program Summary that is found on the UOP Student Web. I knew from course-to-course were I was in my degree plan. So I did not fall victim to surprise courses toward the completion of my degree. But it sure would have been better if one of my many Academic Counselors had hipped me to this monitoring tool.

The ever-changing financial counselors were just as bad. I wanted to take a leave-of-absence. I was told by the FC to just take off for a month and upon return, I would be able to just pick up where I left off. I was told that they would hold my loan and grants on my account for at least 60 days. If I did not return in 60 days, then the excess over the classes that I had already took, would be returned to the financial institute and I would be in good standing financially with UOP. Again, it was Demetrius, that warned me about the financial trap that the rest of you had experienced. He also walked me through the complicated procedure of getting a leave-of-absence granted. My financial advisors were not worth spit!

That is why I am now going to DBU. The integrity of their staff is much more superior to UOP. None the less, I still take ownership of my education and stay as informed as I can be. Also, DBU have an on-line program, but I mix it up with the on-ground and mini-courses (for variety).

I would not discourage anyone from going to UOP. However, heed this caveat, that if you do go, be VERY aware of every little detail. Read the student handbook, thoroughly (which you will have to get off the student's web site since your academic advisor will not give you one). Count up the cost, financially and time-wise, before you start. It is sort of like swiming across a lakeyou can't get halfway across and then lose strengthyou'll drown. Chances are you may not be as blessed as I was to get a wonderful EA, like Demetrius, so vigilant.

By the way, I re-read this and it sounds like I am sweet on Demetrius. No, he is the age of my grandchildren and I am happily married to an older man that thinks that I am a young chick. Oh well, that's another story for another message board. :-)

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#88 Consumer Comment

NCU

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, April 21, 2006

Lloyd,

I checked out NCU and the credit rate is about $100 less per credit. They are accredited by the NCA. However the type of programs they have seem limited to Business, Psychology and Education (Graduate Level). I was hoping they would be a bit more diverse. I suppose with the limitation on the amount of programs to offer they can offer a more focused study environment on those subjects.

The B.B.A. program seems a bit limited in concentrations compared to what is offered at UOP. They even allow you to pick and choose classes if you don't want a concentration, ala Burger King (have it your way).

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#87 Consumer Suggestion

Northcentral University is in Prescott, Arizona. This school should not be confused with North Central University.

AUTHOR: Lloyd - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, April 20, 2006

Northcentral University has a much lower tuition rate and there are no team-based learning or postings. All work is individual effort working with a Mentor. Everyone having UOP problems should really take a second look. (ncu.edu)

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#86 Consumer Comment

Dream

AUTHOR: Anita - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

I was planning to sign up for an online course. I was very happy at the beginning. My dream was going to become a reality, since I am house wife and a mouther. So, now I feel like somebody just went crashing my dream with a wood stick. What I gonna do now? I am stuck, between reality, that is scary, and my dream, that is very nice. Honestly, I think that this school is very, very good, and the people that work there are strong, motivated and succesuful. I like that. I did talk to the people there, they seem to be very nice. I like to be a student there. There is no perfect world. But advice - dont try to crush my dream! Yhank you!

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#85 Consumer Suggestion

UOP Sucks

AUTHOR: Mike - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Ok I never went there, do not plan on going there, so why do I feel they suck only cause I had to by a dang firewall because they will constantly use netsend (or did at one time) to splash your screen with dang recruitment adds.

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#84 Consumer Comment

North Central University

AUTHOR: Robert - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Lloyd,

Is the NCU you are talking about in Minneapolis? Isn't this mainly a biblical school? Additionally the rate may be a bit lower ($402/per credit vs $475/per credit) but there are also student and technology fees that raise annual costs by about $800. Also these costs do not include books. So a 30 credit academic year for an undergraduate student runs about $12860 and this is if you are taking classes at the campus itself. Again, this cost does not include books. At UOP 30 credits would run about $14950 for a year with books.

I could not find any information on their online program at NCU. Is there an additional cost to take classes online?

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#83 Author of original report

Get out, get some persepctive before you say anything Matthias

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 18, 2006

I never said anything bad about tech support for a reason, I thought they did a great job for the EA's that had no clue how to help a student solve technical issues or better yet, set up Outlook. Give me a break, if an EA needed you guys to set up OE or help a person turn off security features, change AOL settings, or clear their cache, then they probably shouldn't have a job there. I will take issue with the points you make because well, you are just wrong.

Your statement Tech Support generate more money than any other department. This happens because we keep students enrolled. We give them the confidence to continue. The EAs dont do crap. The AAs are never available. They probably hang out most of the day talking to the cute girl in the next cube. Ive seen it before. For the most part only goes to prove my point about the interior operations issues that persist at that organization. But your statement about tech support generating more money than any other department is only your opinion and is not supported by the UOP business model. If the organization actually looked at Tech Support as part of the vital income function of the organization, the pay scale would be completely different for tech. The reason that EA's have the highest pay rate of any department including tech support and academics, is because they generate the most revenue for the organization. If that were not true, compensation plans would be different and you know it. I have a lot of friends still there and a few in tech support that were level 1 and 2. Do I think they are compensated fairly? No, but that is beside the point when you make statements like above.

All you have accomplished is segregating Tech Support from the rest of the organization as the only competent portion of business operations thus supporting some of my points in this thread. Yet you come here to argue against what you obviously agree with me on. So I wont say you are an idiot, just confused. You might not be an idiot because you realize that there is a problem with the place, but dumb enough to think that you can compartmentalize the issues and keep tech support segregated from the rest of the problems. Sorry, but the problem is systemic and the reason tech support deals with so much crap is because the organization does not care about their students or the academic prowess.

I will also take issue with the point you make here: (you should know that this is real world situation. If you ever get a job in the corporate world, you will have to talk to someone in China, or India maybe. As you know, there is a big time different and if you want to land that million dollar deal,) All I can say is that if you are a computer guy you most likely do not have a whole lot of sales experience. If you do, you would realize that technology and the net will never replace closing a deal person to person. All the intangible things that come with person to person or voice to voice contact are what is important. Regardless of what you think, something is lost in translation when you deal strictly with the virtual world. This is why so many other online colleges have invested the time and money into developing a more interactive and enthralling course system. Outlook is outdated and just a bad way to go to school. The only reason UOP keeps it is because it would be too hard and cost too much to change to something else. Do you remember when they tried to move all the master students to the new server system in 2004? Were you even there? It was a disaster. They had to move them all back on the old one.

So you can make assumptions about my technical prowess and try to insult me, but once again, you have only served to prove my point here. So for future reference, you need to understand your own argument before you engage someone who understands your argument better than you do. Plus, don't argue points or make statements contrary to what is obvious. All the points you made about tech support generating the most income and OE being a great way to go to college are discredited by the facts that UOP doesn't pay tech support the same way they pay sales, and other colleges have not adapted the learning system that the company which pioneered online learning has used for the last 20 years. Nice try though.

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#82 UPDATE Employee

B, get a life

AUTHOR: Matthias - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, April 17, 2006

B, I see that you used to work for the school. I work in Tech Support and I am defending the school. Does that mean I am ignorant, in your words? Tech Support does not enroll these students. We keep them here. In fact, Tech Support generate more money than any other department. This happens because we keep students enrolled. We give them the confidence to continue. The EAs dont do crap. The AAs are never available. They probably hang out most of the day talking to the cute girl in the next cube. Ive seen it before.

You wrote: "Yes, their classes are a joke. If you believe that college is about shooting emails back and forth via Outlook Express and working in "Learning Teams" then you are delusional." Being that your an MBA grad, you should know that this is real world situation. If you ever get a job in the corporate world, you will have to talk to someone in China, or India maybe. As you know, there is a big time different and if you want to land that million dollar deal, you will go by their time, not yours, so often times, you will have to close a deal at midnight. Is that fair? No.. but I bet you would not be complaining about it.

You also wrote: "At UOP, it you have a pulse and can get financial aid, you are in. This explains a lot about the people in this thread defending UOP." This is very true. But this is the enrollment dept. So, in your future bashings of the company, please narrow your hatred to certain depts. Tech Support keeps these students enrolled. You probably even had to call us, cuz you didnt know crap when you were a student.

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#81 Consumer Comment

Lucky Student

AUTHOR: Kemuel - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 12, 2006

After reading all of the negative comments about UOP, I must consider myself a lucky student. I am nearing the completion of my graduate degree and my experience at UOP has been very posititve. During the first half of the program there were those slackers in the learning teams that were annoying. However, during the second half of the program, we were allowed to form our own teams. Since that change was made, I have always been teamed with very hard working members who consistently challenged me to keep up. What a great experience.

I did notice a problem with plagerism in the first two or three classes, but those students have not been in any of my classes for several months. The vast majority of instructors have been very tough (almost to the extreme) on the citation of sources. I can only guess this has been in response to the critisism of some instructors being indifferent to the issue.

I do wish UOP would require a GMAT exam to ensure a minimum level of skill; online testing for most courses would help with understanding the course material. I will admit that I have retained more conceptual knowledge from writing all of the papers than from traditional memorization and regurgitation of trivial facts.

The graduate program is not for everyone. It greatly depends on each student's circumstances. For me, it was a perfect solution to my educational needs.

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#80 Author of original report

Yes, there is a difference

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 05, 2006

One way to determine the differences between UOP and any quality online university is to check the admissions requirements. At UOP, it you have a pulse and can get financial aid, you are in. This explains a lot about the people in this thread defending UOP. This lowers the academic standard as a whole. People, who question this, let me give you an example. Everyone knows what grading on a curve means. Better students drive expectations higher for the entire class. This can work both ways. Students that could not get into any other college saturate the UOP system driving down minimum expectations and forcing facilitators to lower their class expectations.

To compound this, the UOP business model works differently than many other for profit colleges because of the promises they make to share and stakeholders. These instructors know the university needs the people to stay in class to make money and if the student fails, they usually quit. While I was there, the drop rate for students that fail their first class was 90%. That results in high quantities of lost revenue and they do not like that. This trend is extremely relevant in the masters programs.

The only admissions requirements are bachelors and 3 years work experience. This means that people who would never come close to passing the GMAT (or the SAT for that matter) are in the masters program at UOP. After attending online and ground, many of the students are just normal people that really want to learn and do well in UOP. The problem is that there are really bad students in the classes that drive down the minimum expectations. This means that even the best students leaving UOP do not have the same skill set as other graduates in different programs. Employers know this. It is not the fault of the student many times, they just dont realize they are in a bad program because they have never been in a good one.

With regards to your question about other for profit colleges. Walden for example, operates on a different business model and is under much less pressure by shareholders to rapidly increase enrollment rates. Their admissions process is much tougher and best of all, they actually deny students admissions into the program if their GPA is too low or their admissions essay is poorly written. This keeps out the riffraff and forces the academic standard higher. Cappella or Strayer, one of them anyway, is just a company that broke off and expanded from Walden.

There are also non-profit online colleges like National University in California.

Anyway, you are better off looking at one of the other colleges trying to do it right.

Hope that helps.

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#79 Consumer Comment

Northcentral University, the wave of the future

AUTHOR: Lloyd - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 05, 2006

I am a product of UOP with a Bachelor Degree in Management. I had an interesting experience with their in-seat program, which was team based. It was a struggle every step of the way, but with determination and hard work I managed to graduate. However, I found that the UOP degree was not producing the results expected.

I then enrolled in Davenport University to obtain a Master Degree in Strategic Management. This also was not meeting my expectations, but the studies had a little of both individual work and classroom team assignments. The on-line courses still required daily postings, but had no team based studies. Not as intense as the UOP, so it was acceptable.

Now I face the challenge of the Doctorate Degree, which I have chosen Northcentral University (NCU) as the educational provider. I was impressed with their e-learning program, which does not involve team studies or postings to a virtual classroom. Students are assigned a Mentor that is to help maintain the course of study and guidance.

If I would have any suggestion, it would be to disband the UOP educational system and evaluate the Northcentral program. I find that to be more beneficial with fewer complications; plus, they are of a lower rate. Here is the new generation of distant learning that is catching on very quickly.

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#78 Consumer Comment

"B" I have questions, or does anyone else know the answers

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Mr. B, earlier on this trend you advised Terri to ?Go to Walden Univeristy, Strayer University, or Capella?.

My question to you is how much of a big difference does Walden, Strayer and Capella make if compared with University of Phoenix? As far as I know all of these colleges are for profit and non traditional. Students are their targets for all profit colleges.

While I was earning my associates degree and I was thinking to transfer to some university for my bachelors, two instructors told me that employer's don't like UOP degrees.

Are Walden, Strayer and Capella similar to UOP, if not then what is the HUGE Difference between all these profit colleges?

Thanks

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#77 UPDATE EX-employee responds

True but...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 04, 2006

This is true, but mine are always funny and witty. Besides, if I didn't this would be boring thread.

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#76 Consumer Comment

"B"...Please stick to your important topic!

AUTHOR: C - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, April 04, 2006

"Have you ever noticed that people with very low IQ's resort to insults because they are not creative or intelligent enough to defend their point."

This statement is followed by many insults directed against another poster. This damages your argument and credibility. Please stick to the topic "B." It is an important one.

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#75 Consumer Comment

UOP - DO NOT USE THE UOP

AUTHOR: Storm - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, April 02, 2006

Please see:

PHOENIXEDU.ORG

This ripoffreport is a great venue of educating consumers. Thank you!

Storm Gage
Andover, Massachusetts

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#74 Consumer Suggestion

Crazy

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, March 31, 2006

This thread is going the same way as the ITT TECH. Just search for ITT TECH and you'll see. Dumb and Crazy? You guys crack me up.

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#73 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I guess the short bus is now making rounds for UOP...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 30, 2006

Is this guy serious? What happened to guys like Ken who actually presented a challenge? Even Mari could put together a coherent sentence. What is LMAO? Is that an acronym? Do you know what acronym means? I have never heard that, maybe its an east coast thing. I love when people like you try to get involved because you keep re-enforcing one of my points in here that when you take someone out of their safe little world, especially ignorant folk, they tend to get upset.

Have you ever watched, or been on, Jerry Springer? Have you ever noticed that people with very low IQ's resort to insults because they are not creative or intelligent enough to defend their point or come up with something that has any type of wit?

If you are going to insult me at least do it with a little flare. Come on man, that was seriously pathetic. Let me recap this just to make sure everyone is on the same page here. Lets see, I am a fat, spare tire having, flat butt having, married but not satisfying my wife, can't hold a job, poor, little dirt, disgruntled, fired, ex-UOP employee, that is a LAMEY Cry baby LMAO. Is that about right? Did I get everything there?

Thank you. You have done more to support my point about the quality of student allowed into UOP than anything I could have written myself. The best part is that people are going to come in here and read what you wrote, and if they are thinking about taking a class at UOP, they are going to realize they let someone with your keen intellect into the program, and run far, far away. Do UOP a favor, and don't help them. If you really wanted to hurt me, you would have argued on my side and I probably would have never come in here again. I honestly had no idea the (dumb Bronx guy) stereotype could be translated through written word. Truly amazing.

I feel bad for even responding to you because I feel like I'm picking on a handicapped kid. Actually, comparing you to a handicapped kid is an insult to all the handicapped people in the world. I would make an analogy here, but my east coast friend, you are truly an original.

Please, I beg you, keep posting in here. Help me to keep proving my point.
I am just going to keep egging you on because you have officially become the poster boy for the academic product of University of Phoenix Online, and the example I needed to really dive my point home.

Fired up yet? Angry? Or maybe you'll take the (You don't bother me) route that is so popular with the intellectually challenged...

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#72 Consumer Comment

YOU GOT FIRED AND NOW YOU WANT REVENGE

AUTHOR: Alemane - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, March 30, 2006

When I come here I always see your a** talking about UOP this and UOP that, don't you have something else to do? Maybe like f#&%$*& your wife or something? So, you got fired din't you? And now you are mad because your little flat bu&& does not have cash, huh? Let me tell you something "LAMEY" I am taking a degree program with this OnLine university and to me it has been a great experience, so stop making UOP look bad, when the only little dirt here is you! Instead of being here 24/7 trying to get revenge because your stupid self got fired, go to the real world and find yourself a job and shut up already we are tired of your nonsense. You are hurt and we all can tell, because if you really quit you wouldn't be here crying like a baby about how unfair UOP is, so stop it already go get that good year tire off your stomach. LMAO!!!!!!!!

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#71 UPDATE EX-employee responds

How many UOP Grads does it take to screw in a light bulb?

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

...just one, but they get 3 credits for it...

Nice come back there Mari... ?The same people that are feed me are feeding you...? Come on that was LAME or if you prefer: bruised, crip, crippled, defective, deformed, game, gimp, gimpy, halt, hamstrung, handicapped, hobbling, hog-tied, limping, pained, raw, sidelined, sore, stiff... Thanks for thesaurus recommendation, but I will stick with lame because its just so suitable. You should have just tried ?I know you are but what I am?? I would say that your ego would not let you just walk away from this so I will respond even though in all your wisdom you warned me not to.

You said ?And the next time you quote me, quote me right. I never said other institutions were opportunistic just YOU!?

But earlier you said: ?What institution is not concerned about funding and growing its student body. Face the facts it happens in every school for profit or not...?

....hmmmm Put down the pipe for a sec. Are you old enough to use senility as an excuse?

I was wrong for assuming you had an MBA, obviously you do not. I am guessing MAED or MSN. Although you claim to own a business, I am guessing business is not your strong point.

You Said: Your hostility toward everyones comments who decide to stand up against your views make me wonder if you quit, or got fired. Only a person with an ax to grind would be so hot under the collar regarding their former place of employment. I was just wondering, did you list your UOP degree on your resume to get your new job?

My hostility is aimed at people who come in here defending UOP and spouting ignorance about something they know nothing about. You came at me remember?

?To the advisor guy who quit Phoenix as a top producer, why now are you bashing phoenix? You went on to get your degree there, obviously you thought enough of it to do you schooling there, why didn't you attend an outside institution, if you know what phoenix was doing was so terrible? You state, not in these exact words, that Phoenix is a business and its all about money and quota? What institution is not concerned about funding and growing its student body. Face the facts it happens in every school for profit or not,They just go about it differently, and unless we all attend every school in America, we may not know about all the dirty politics that goes on behind the scene.?

On that alone it makes me cringe that people like you are allowed to vote. The amount of crap in that paragraph alone is astounding. Amazingly, you somehow were able to ask already answered questions, ignore already provided information, and make blanket statements about other institutions while trying to defend UOP.

Did I quit or get fired? I quit. Did I put the MBA on my resume? I didnt have to, I was heavily recruited. Do I put my MBA on my resume now? Which MBA??? Isnt it obvious I run a business, how else would I find time to sit here and mess with people like you? Demented? Yes. Fun? Oh yeah.

Do I have an ax to grind? A big one. Companies like UOP erode the already fragile ethical fabric of corporate America. They misuse and mistreat employees and consumers and defraud us out of tax dollars by misuse of Title IV funding. So I really do not care that a small majority of UOP alumni support the institution because the small amount of good it might serve is no where enough to counter the bad it has done and will continue to do as long as people like you decide to ignore what it right in front of them. Again, I reminds me of the vast majority of sheep in the country who every day trade liberty for safety fail to see that they now have neither. Gotta go, my ax needs to be sharpened. By the way, you can kiss my ax...

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#70 Consumer Comment

What Ever B

AUTHOR: Mari - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

B you want to know who is feeding me after midnight? the same person who is feeding you after midnight. Anyway You keep stating that I did not read the other posts, yes I did, but I just wanted to address YOU directly, is anything wrong with that? I did not tell you I got an MBA from phoenix, so obviously you don't read too well either. I told you I got a Masters and I don't recall mentioning that it was an MBA. It seems like the only thing you learned at Phoenix was the word Lame, because it is the one you insert when you can't find a better word to use, maybe a thesaurus can help you. Look, I am just defending Phoenix because I believe in them. I was thought at an early age to stand up for what I believe in. Why should I allow you to go on ranting about phoenix without countering you. My experience was different and positive, and I just want others to know that there are two sides to every coin. Your hostility toward everyones comments who decide to stand up against your views make me wonder if you quit, or got fired. Only a person with an ax to grind would be so hot under the collar regarding their former place of employment. I was just wondering, did you list your UOP degree on your resume to get your new job? And the next time you quote me, quote me right. I never said other institutions were opportunistic just YOU!! Using the University to get a free degree, dissing it, then using that same degree to further your career. Now tell me who is (using your favorite word) LAME???

By the way don't bother to respond because I won't be reading. I have had enough of you and frankly I am not impressed.

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#69 Consumer Comment

What Ever B

AUTHOR: Mari - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

B you want to know who is feeding me after midnight? the same person who is feeding you after midnight. Anyway You keep stating that I did not read the other posts, yes I did, but I just wanted to address YOU directly, is anything wrong with that? I did not tell you I got an MBA from phoenix, so obviously you don't read too well either. I told you I got a Masters and I don't recall mentioning that it was an MBA. It seems like the only thing you learned at Phoenix was the word Lame, because it is the one you insert when you can't find a better word to use, maybe a thesaurus can help you. Look, I am just defending Phoenix because I believe in them. I was thought at an early age to stand up for what I believe in. Why should I allow you to go on ranting about phoenix without countering you. My experience was different and positive, and I just want others to know that there are two sides to every coin. Your hostility toward everyones comments who decide to stand up against your views make me wonder if you quit, or got fired. Only a person with an ax to grind would be so hot under the collar regarding their former place of employment. I was just wondering, did you list your UOP degree on your resume to get your new job? And the next time you quote me, quote me right. I never said other institutions were opportunistic just YOU!! Using the University to get a free degree, dissing it, then using that same degree to further your career. Now tell me who is (using your favorite word) LAME???

By the way don't bother to respond because I won't be reading. I have had enough of you and frankly I am not impressed.

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#68 Consumer Comment

What Ever B

AUTHOR: Mari - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

B you want to know who is feeding me after midnight? the same person who is feeding you after midnight. Anyway You keep stating that I did not read the other posts, yes I did, but I just wanted to address YOU directly, is anything wrong with that? I did not tell you I got an MBA from phoenix, so obviously you don't read too well either. I told you I got a Masters and I don't recall mentioning that it was an MBA. It seems like the only thing you learned at Phoenix was the word Lame, because it is the one you insert when you can't find a better word to use, maybe a thesaurus can help you. Look, I am just defending Phoenix because I believe in them. I was thought at an early age to stand up for what I believe in. Why should I allow you to go on ranting about phoenix without countering you. My experience was different and positive, and I just want others to know that there are two sides to every coin. Your hostility toward everyones comments who decide to stand up against your views make me wonder if you quit, or got fired. Only a person with an ax to grind would be so hot under the collar regarding their former place of employment. I was just wondering, did you list your UOP degree on your resume to get your new job? And the next time you quote me, quote me right. I never said other institutions were opportunistic just YOU!! Using the University to get a free degree, dissing it, then using that same degree to further your career. Now tell me who is (using your favorite word) LAME???

By the way don't bother to respond because I won't be reading. I have had enough of you and frankly I am not impressed.

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#67 Consumer Comment

What Ever B

AUTHOR: Mari - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

B you want to know who is feeding me after midnight? the same person who is feeding you after midnight. Anyway You keep stating that I did not read the other posts, yes I did, but I just wanted to address YOU directly, is anything wrong with that? I did not tell you I got an MBA from phoenix, so obviously you don't read too well either. I told you I got a Masters and I don't recall mentioning that it was an MBA. It seems like the only thing you learned at Phoenix was the word Lame, because it is the one you insert when you can't find a better word to use, maybe a thesaurus can help you. Look, I am just defending Phoenix because I believe in them. I was thought at an early age to stand up for what I believe in. Why should I allow you to go on ranting about phoenix without countering you. My experience was different and positive, and I just want others to know that there are two sides to every coin. Your hostility toward everyones comments who decide to stand up against your views make me wonder if you quit, or got fired. Only a person with an ax to grind would be so hot under the collar regarding their former place of employment. I was just wondering, did you list your UOP degree on your resume to get your new job? And the next time you quote me, quote me right. I never said other institutions were opportunistic just YOU!! Using the University to get a free degree, dissing it, then using that same degree to further your career. Now tell me who is (using your favorite word) LAME???

By the way don't bother to respond because I won't be reading. I have had enough of you and frankly I am not impressed.

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#66 UPDATE EX-employee responds

I swear you people multiply with water...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Who keeps feeding you guys after midnight? Mari, seriously, just maybe, in all your UOP wisdom you can answer this for me. Why is it the only the defenders of UOP that are incapable of reading something and extracting the information from it? I mean, did you read the thread or did you just come in here with guns blazing spouting nonsense? From the looks of your response I would say you did the second. If this was a court of law, I would object because your questions have been asked and answered, and your points are all from hearsay and conjecture. Hearsay and conjecture are very common when people do not know the facts and fill in the blanks themselves. Two common causes of this are laziness and ignorance. Which side of the fence are you on? Perhaps you straddle

Lets start with a quote from you: What does that say about you, you are an opportunist who takes things for free, even though you claim the degree would not go far in the real world. Yes, I am an opportunist. Funny thing is, in your last post you talk about how all businesses are opportunistic which is not a bad thing. Now you contradict yourself in a feeble attempt to seem witty. Lame. Second, anyone who sells what they have not used is full of crap. Tuition is free for UOP employees. My profession was to sell masters degree programs, as a sales person it behooves me to know my product, therefore I took classes. I would expect that you in all your might and wisdom would know that. However, once again, you resort to a lame attempt at insulting me. If you are going to do it, please do it right. Say something witty, originall, intelligent. Make it a challenge here PLEASE.

Second Quote: I am not surprised that you lasted as long as you did in your advisor position, obviously it's right up your alley cheating and scamming others. Have you actually read any of the other posts? Please do because it is not worth explaining AGAIN. Seriously, the post is only a few above this one, you can read about it there, or at the beginning when I explain that I left, because things got shady there. Perhaps the concept of cause and effect is too much for you. Are you sure you have a masters from UOP? Didn't you just win yours in a raffle at work? What was the first place prize, a Quisinart? Runner up got a free masters and a year supply of flank steak. Bet ya wish you had that Quisinart, you probably would have gotten more use out of it.

Third Quote: and I can say also that other institutions do, as well, and you can't vouch for all, because you don't have access to their books.
You are right, I do not have access to all the other businesses in the world to see if they are shady. Lets apply some basic MBA stuff taught even at UOP and use the amazing world of statistics. I have worked for or with about 12 online colleges in my past career. UOP is the only one that is shady. 1 out of 12. That would allow me to use some deductive logic to determine that 11 colleges are not shady. Hmmm. I cannot say what EVERY institution does, but then again, statistics would have taught you that no statistical research is conducted using every possible potential sample in a large group. Sample sizes are limited, tested, and conclusions are made. So no, I cannot speak for every institution, but due to my understanding of how to conduct research, and the fact that I am not a total idiot, I can infer that not every college is shady, just because UOP is. In fact, wouldn't that be considered an outlier and therefore omitted? UOP is not the norm and if it is, everyone is screwed.

Spare us your nonsense. Either retake stats, or see if you can trade in your MBA raffle prize for something useful like reading comprehension or perhaps some wit.

;-) Have a nice day

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#65 Consumer Comment

Back at you B

AUTHOR: Mari - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 29, 2006

B you stated that your degree was free so you took it. What does that say about you, you are an opportunist who takes things for free, even though you claim the degree would not go far in the real world. I am not suprised that you lasted as long as you did in your advisor position, obviously it's right up your alley cheating and scamming others. I don't need to make myself feel better about Phoenix, I never needed any reassurances. I have gotten positive feedback from employers who appreciate my University of Phoenix degree. No one has every questioned me about its validity. In fact this degree has catapulted me to the top of my career by allowing me to gain promotions that ultimately gave me the financial capital to branch off and open myvery successful company. I am not putting down traditional institutions. I just simply stated that I got my undergraduate degree from a traditonal institution and I know that there are problems in any institution one may attend. University of phoenix, as you state, use shady business practices, and I can say also that other institutions do, as well, and you can't vouch for all, because you don't have access to their books. I still stand by what I said in my earlier statement, and no amount of hostility or bullying by you.. will change my mind. I am a University of Phoenix graduate, and proud of it.

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#64 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Look before you leap? Try, read before you speak...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 28, 2006

....um... ...did you read the passages above? Okay, here we go.

Once again we have another person defending UOPO and asking questions that have been asked and answered. Why are you incapable of extracting the finer points of the topics? Lets address some questions that you asked.

Mari You went on to get your degree there, obviously you thought enough of it to do you schooling there, why didn't you attend an outside institution?

Answer: ...uh... BECAUSE THE DEGREE WAS FREE...

Mari, I really wish you would read more in depth before responding. My problem is not capitalism, or an organization existing to make profit. I have stated this repeatedly but you and others seem incapable of grasping that portion of the content. My problem with the organization stems from how they manipulate employees, lie to shareholders, and mislead customers to achieve those profits. Please look into how state funded or privately held colleges make money and compare that to a publicly traded organization with shareholders. It is not the same thing.

Traditional colleges do not have a large active sales force designed specifically to increase enrollments. Brian Muller, CEO Apollo Grp, is an egomaniacal, megalomaniac. His myopia and failure to concede to traditional business lifecycle models are the direct cause of the circumstance at UOP Online. This could not be done so he resorted to lying to shareholders, falsifying enrollment numbers, withholding employee pay, and avoiding compensation rules governing sales reps at a Title IV school, all to try and maintain share value. This is all documented either publicly through lawsuits, or privately in internal documents. The problem is that they are a billion dollar company that can buy their way out of anything.

On that alone you cannot compare the activities of UOP with that of other colleges. In addition, look through this website and see how many reports there are for traditional colleges. The majority deal with lies and manipulation of for profit colleges just like UOP. So making a comparison between UOP and other traditional campuses to justify your efforts at UOP and make yourself feel better is weak and lame. Do not bring down other higher learning institutions to make yourself feel better about the fact you wasted time and money on a lesser degree at UOP.

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#63 Consumer Comment

Look before you leap !!

AUTHOR: Mari - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 28, 2006

For all of you guys who are complaining that University of Phoenix is a for profit school, was it not in your best interest to research before you enrolled? I did, and I knew from the very beginning what I was getting myself into. I did not choose the traditonal route, because I had been there done that in undergraduate, and for the first year of graduate school. I for one liked the flexiblity that Phoenix offered me with being able to attend school at anytime of the day I wanted. I thought the professors did a good job and the classroom discussions were actually very good to me, once people stayed on the topic at hand.

University of Phoenix was the first institution I had attended that actually introduced real world work experiences into the curriculum and discussion. At the traditonal brick and mortar college, during my first year of grad school, I sat in classes with students who were brazenly cheating on tests, talking while the professor was lecturing, strolling into class late, and couldn't even carry on an intellectual conversation on real world work issues.

I loved my experience at Phoenix. I learned from professors who were actually performing the jobs they were teaching about. Mature students in my class that actually held a job, that was a more than entry level. They were actually giving examples of how some of the theories we learned in the text applied to their everyday workplace. In most brick and mortar colleges, professors just teach the subject for years and years without actually performing it on a daily basis.

I think that is the difference that I saw at phoenix, real world practical ability, versus just learning something from a book and not really knowing how it really works in the real world. Another topic brought up by some on this foum was the fact that many professors only have a Masters degree to teach there. In some of my previous colleges, I had adjuncts for many classes and in some cases, I never even saw a professor with an actual PHD. This is going on more and more in colleges these days so it is nothing new in the teaching world. There was an article out a few years ago which stated that nearly 45% of college instructors are adjuncts. Why should Phoenix be any different by employing adjuncts?

I don't know why people are holding University of Phoenix to such a high standard to the point where every mishap is taken and used as a weapon against the University, when in reality, many traditional universities are having some of the same problems and complaints faced by Phoenix. This is the real world, and things are not going to be perfect for everyone.

To the advisor guy who quit Phoenix as a top producer, why now are you bashing phoenix? You went on to get your degree there, obviously you thought enough of it to do you schooling there, why didn't you attend an outside institution, if you know what phoenix was doing was so terrible? You state, not in these exact words, that Phoenix is a business and its all about money and quota? What institution is not concerned about funding and growing its student body. Face the facts it happens in every school for profit or not,They just go about it differently, and unless we all attend every school in America, we may not know about all the dirty politics that goes on behind the scene.

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#62 Consumer Comment

Response to B

AUTHOR: Ken - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 20, 2006

Hello B from Phoenix.
Thanks for the information but it is all sugar and glory out there no matter what is being sold.
It translates to the end user, their investment and if they are happy with the products and service in focus.

As far as US tax dollars being used, well SSI does the same thing and there are people out there do not need SSI but they are getting it, wrongfully, my opinion.

Otherwise getting back to the issue of sugar coating and glory, I have a computer business, have had people call me to tell me they are buying a computer from a department store (can be any of them out there) they want that 299.00 special for a computer system, well they are all glory and giggle on getting that system for 299.00, they think they are getting a great deal, they will continue to ask me is it a great deal. I will tell them, it is a deal, a computer, no not of a great category.

They will not understand they will respond how your systems differ than a department store.
I will tell them that a department store is a reseller, to hold their 30% profit margin it is a no frill cheap computer because the boxed system is just another product in that store on the shelf, they want to push out the door keeping the profit margin strong, therefore they will sugar coat and hype a thrill, to glorify a product just to sell it.

I can guarantee you one thing you won't find Gigabyte, Northwood and Xeon on these off the shelf 299.00 specials.

The haunting fact of the matter is, everything works that way due to Q-public they want to see thrill in buying products and service, they want to be motivated to buy, why should I buy.
I have a video phone product that works on broadband only, now I have a hard time selling it, due to I am not hype oriented person.
If you for example were a potential customer, wanted some information on the video phone, I would give you the information you wanted with no frill, thrill just the truth on the product.
You probably would not buy because I was not thrilling, glorifying a sales pitch to sell a product.

I sold a few but VoIP is on the horizon, so it is picking up slow but I give people what they want to hear only the truth, yes the truth.
People always want to know how they can save money on their phone bill, I will tell them about the video phone and their phone bill can be $19.95 per month plus taxes and E911 that will add another 4.15 that brings the bill to 24.50 approx per month.

I attend marketing sales workshops and they are unbelievable, so far fetched, and unreal.
One particular workshop the guy jumps up to the front and so full of sh*t it was funny, a laugh, just ridiculous to say the least.

In the wind up after his intro he told the attendees that at the end of this event I will be able to sell everyone here anything I am selling, because I'm good at working with marketing and setting tone presentation to potential customers.
Well I guess I won't be rich because that is not my selling technique, I want you as a customer to be happy and satisfied with the products I have to sell.

I knew someone working at EIU several years ago, she worked in marketing she went on to tell me that enrollment that particular year was down and they were putting a marketing campaign into place to beef up enrollment for the following year. So I am sure they glorified an ad campaign so the initial statement will grab parents to send their kids to EIU for their educational experience and growth.

You stated you worked in enrollment, well your job was to sell education to working adults, and you were just doing your job.

It is out of your hands whatever upper management is doing underhanded. As far as the reorganizing and restructuring of the salary, well everyone is doing this.

It sounds like to me you're a person that wants more in life that UOP can offer so it was time to move on, everyone moves on.
Thanks Appreciation, Ken

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#61 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Ken, I understand your point and if you were comparing apples to apples I would say you were right.

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 19, 2006

However, the problem comes with a few unmentioned factors. First, UOP is a for-profit college that uses Title IV funding. The comparisons you made to the other colleges have a drastic difference from UOP in the enrollment and sales process. If a person decides to go on a diet then so be it. If a person chooses U of I or St Luis, then that is their choice. I have been through the enrollment process at a non-profit ground campus so I know that it is pretty much on the person to get through it. With UOP, the process is a selling process. Any time you place admissions into the hands of sales reps with incentive plans, you run the risk of shady business. There is a difference between choosing to go to a school, or being lied to about a school and then choosing to go to school. Having sales reps disguised as ?counselors? gives people a false impression. It is the same thing as a person claiming they are a dietician or doctor and giving someone diet tips and selling them on a diet program when they really have no expertise in that area. The buyer might be seeking self improvement, but this does not justify a sales person lying or misleading them.

My other problem is that UOP uses Title IV grants and loans which are based off of US tax dollars. I would have a problem with diet plans if people were using US tax dollars to pay for their pills. I would have even more of a problem if the people selling the pills were lying about the results just to get people to buy the pills.

I am all for self improvement, but when it comes to UOP, the means does not justify the end.

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#60 Consumer Comment

OK Lets look at this issue in today's society

AUTHOR: Ken - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Hello I have to partially disagree with the bad vibes against UOP
All Universities are expensive, whether you attend in a physical class room setting or their online curriculum.
A friend of mine finished up his Masters in Sociology at University of Illinois, cost factor was $53,000.
Another associate finished up a degree in law at University of St. Louis, at the tune of $57,000.
Lets face it folks self improvement is expensive no matter were one is attending. It is like a diet program which is a hot market, self improvement is a hot market, and online education is growing leaps and bound.
No one person from any university can actually guarantee you a job out there, due to the ever-changing industries.
Self improvement is tough especially in today's society but does leave a small window of opportunity for the baby boomers to grab a career change to take us into our retirement, considering the generation behind us is the drug and dropout generation.
There is and will be more of a gap for qualified people with any degree from anywhere.
It is plain as the nose on ones face that if the interviewer is partial toward Harvard University grads well that is who they will focus on, if the interviewer is partial toward grads from Southern Illinois University Carbondale that would be the focus.
For a long time heard bad vibes about SIU being nothing but a place to party and get in trouble.
Heard some whispers that grads from SIU have a degree in party and fun, so no matter what University you will hear feedback.
University of Chicago all they do is pass illiterate people with teaching degrees, another rumor.
It does not matter what degree you have, having a degree is one thing knowing the right people in key positions is another.
If you don't get out there and network the right people that degree from any school is worthless.
I have been doing business since 1983 and if I don't get out there and network at an after hour network event, a chamber meeting or even a Microsoft event etc, well simple no business, school is the same way.
I have had several career recruiters tell me, that the degree in some cases is not as important as an individual's stability, dependability, industry experience, and background and drug history (Is it clean)
I am sure that your academic advisors from any school will tell students this.
Feedback to me as well, this is what mandates the industry in technology, 10+ years industry experience, work history of solid 10+years in any area, clean background, if the person is teachable and a 2 / 4 year degree from any university in computer science as well as information technologies. I have to say one thing 2-3 year industry experience in ORACLE / COLDFUSION app dev is sweet, wow low!!!! Yes I have actually seen these qualifications, not to mention great pay, it is slow but at a creep technology is coming back S-W-E-E-T!!!!!
Timing and positioning is everything, if you have a degree from anywhere, timing and positioning is off, that degree is not being utilized you can say it is pretty much a piece of paper.
Had another recruiter tell me that school curriculum is one thing, a person's discipline level is another, he went on to tell me that we have hired young people that have degrees but they are not dependable surely not stable.
Rule of thumb if the interviewer likes you, chances are you will make it to second base in the interview process.
I have had interviewers tell me that 40% of applicants do not make it to the interview on time let alone through the process.
Whatever UOP is doing underhanded, it will come back on them one day because the law of averages, what goes around comes around.
Thanks Appreciation, Ken

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#59 Consumer Comment

OK Lets look at this issue in today's society

AUTHOR: Ken - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, March 19, 2006

Hello I have to partially disagree with the bad vibes against UOP
All Universities are expensive, whether you attend in a physical class room setting or their online curriculum.
A friend of mine finished up his Masters in Sociology at University of Illinois, cost factor was $53,000.
Another associate finished up a degree in law at University of St. Louis, at the tune of $57,000.
Lets face it folks self improvement is expensive no matter were one is attending. It is like a diet program which is a hot market, self improvement is a hot market, and online education is growing leaps and bound.
No one person from any university can actually guarantee you a job out there, due to the ever-changing industries.
Self improvement is tough especially in today's society but does leave a small window of opportunity for the baby boomers to grab a career change to take us into our retirement, considering the generation behind us is the drug and dropout generation.
There is and will be more of a gap for qualified people with any degree from anywhere.
It is plain as the nose on ones face that if the interviewer is partial toward Harvard University grads well that is who they will focus on, if the interviewer is partial toward grads from Southern Illinois University Carbondale that would be the focus.
For a long time heard bad vibes about SIU being nothing but a place to party and get in trouble.
Heard some whispers that grads from SIU have a degree in party and fun, so no matter what University you will hear feedback.
University of Chicago all they do is pass illiterate people with teaching degrees, another rumor.
It does not matter what degree you have, having a degree is one thing knowing the right people in key positions is another.
If you don't get out there and network the right people that degree from any school is worthless.
I have been doing business since 1983 and if I don't get out there and network at an after hour network event, a chamber meeting or even a Microsoft event etc, well simple no business, school is the same way.
I have had several career recruiters tell me, that the degree in some cases is not as important as an individual's stability, dependability, industry experience, and background and drug history (Is it clean)
I am sure that your academic advisors from any school will tell students this.
Feedback to me as well, this is what mandates the industry in technology, 10+ years industry experience, work history of solid 10+years in any area, clean background, if the person is teachable and a 2 / 4 year degree from any university in computer science as well as information technologies. I have to say one thing 2-3 year industry experience in ORACLE / COLDFUSION app dev is sweet, wow low!!!! Yes I have actually seen these qualifications, not to mention great pay, it is slow but at a creep technology is coming back S-W-E-E-T!!!!!
Timing and positioning is everything, if you have a degree from anywhere, timing and positioning is off, that degree is not being utilized you can say it is pretty much a piece of paper.
Had another recruiter tell me that school curriculum is one thing, a person's discipline level is another, he went on to tell me that we have hired young people that have degrees but they are not dependable surely not stable.
Rule of thumb if the interviewer likes you, chances are you will make it to second base in the interview process.
I have had interviewers tell me that 40% of applicants do not make it to the interview on time let alone through the process.
Whatever UOP is doing underhanded, it will come back on them one day because the law of averages, what goes around comes around.
Thanks Appreciation, Ken

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#58 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Come on M, I expected better

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Okay, I'm not even going to count that as a round becuase you didnt really try. I am going to give you another chance before I reply. This time try using your own material. You can't use what I did, we have already been over this with the whole internet spam thing.

Okay, lets try something original this time.

and go...

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#57 Consumer Suggestion

B: Yes you smear yourself all over the place

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 15, 2006

I am finding it very amusing that when your own tatics and points are used against you, you twist them again in an effort to prove you are right.

If you have to swim through a river of crap, it's of your own making. Be a man for once in your life and accept the responsibility that you keep running away from.

If the words I use are big and you need to look them up, that's your problem not mine. If you want to make homosexual comments, save them for your boyfriend or life partner (your choice of words on that).

Oh and I do enjoy making you show yourself as the mental pygmy you are!

Gotta go the wives and me are going to have an orgy.

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#56 Author of original report

M Round 3

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, March 15, 2006

See what happens when you try to polish a turd? You just smear it everywhere. This was such a clean posting room prior to your arrival. Oh well. Much like Andy Dufrane in the Shawshank Redemption, I will swim through a river of M crap to come out clean on the other side.

You totally got me on the computer art programs thing. I totally had to search the net for hours and hours just to find those two programs. Man was I beat after that. And could you stop using them big fancy words n such like diatribe and testicular fortitude? And man, that was a zinger with the whole reference about my brain melting because I live in Arizona. Wow, that was original, who would have been witty enough to use an Arizona is a hot place reference. Big Ups to you on that one. That's just as witty as me asking how many wives you have because you live in Utah. Are you going to be in that new HBO series Big Love? And I think you were lying to me about the picture, crayon would be fine but you really shouldn't make promises you cannot keep. I am extremely disappointed in you.

By the way, if you think that was attacking you about the spam stuff, then I would advise you to go get some Midol to fend off your cramps or some Estrovent to stop the hot flashes and nipple sensitivity you must experience. Testicular fortitude? Hey man, lets leave each others nuts out this, whatever you do up in Utah is fine by me, but that dog wont hunt down here. (its too hot remember?)

Arguing with your assumptions about what I did as an EA at UOP is futile because you are using speculation and assumption to try and prove your point. You know what they say about assuming things? If I was at all shady in my endeavors there, I would still be working there as a manager teaching others how to manipulate people. They changed their approach to sales, increase price to an unreasonable point, began manipulating numbers for shareholders, lied about overtime payments to the AZDOL, lied about financial aid dispersing to Title IV, lied about recruiting practices to the DOE, and created a scenario where employees could either lie and cheat, get fired, or leave. It even got to the point where they asked me to lie to the new training classes. Many of the people that work there do not even know they are being dishonest because that is how they were trained by the company. I tried to do it the right way, when I no longer could, I left.

We can keep beating a dead horse here if you would like but if you are going to keep this up, pick something that has a legitimate claim here.

Never rub another mans rhubarb! The Joker. This thread is my rhubarb. Did you want to keep rubbing it?

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#55 Consumer Suggestion

B The Polished Turd Self Relization

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

B first and foremost I am not threatened by you or your diatribe about something you believe in, in fact I am cool with that part.

However, you still took the money, that does make you a part of the bad guys. You are saying you did nothing wrong is like saying the gun acted alone in killing someone. It is the people that squeeze the trigger. I doubt you had anyone holding a gun to your head. You make it clear that you are so much smarter but yet you wallow in your pathetic excuses and lacked the testicular fortitude to get up and walk out until after the fact.

Let me show you where you attacked me first, your brain must be melthing from the heat down there. 'First rule of posting witty retorts on the net is to make sure they are your own. Nice line about the Special Olympics and arguing on the net. I must have seen that come through my email account with the handicapped kid crossing the finish line at least 100 times. Since you are familiar with UOPO then at least give credit to the original author or put the quote in APA formt. If you are quoting spam, I guess next you are going to tell me that you finally got your check from Bill Gates because you forwarded that email 5 years ago, and that your luck has been outstanding lately because your forwarded the "good luck" email to 10 people in the "next 5 minutes".'

As for the picture, I was going to draw it crayon to bring it down to your comprehension level but I realized that it would be a waste of time, oh and good job and knowing 2 computer photo/art programs. You get a star!

You obviously can't handle a differing opinion than your own, next time don't put in an open forum. You being uber-intelligent would have figured that out but apparently you're not as quick as you talk yourself up to be. If you would have understood my original post you would have seen that I agreed with some of what you had to say. You then went on your idiotic diatribe.

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#54 UPDATE EX-employee responds

M: Round Two

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Look at the Big Brain on M! Wow, can you please draw me a picture? Easy there Captain Computer, you have been around the computer business so long you might have forgotten how to use a pencil. Can you do it in Photoshop or Correl Draw for me? Either way, you seem to forget the part about reading the entire post before extracting points out of it. See, you tried to look all intelligent by taking a quote from my original post here in order to discredit me and make me look like the bad guy. However, perhaps due to ADD, you somehow forgot to read the rest of the post. Here, to make it easy for you I'll show you what I said: Paragraph 3 The company as a whole does contain good people, some of which do try and help and have good intentions. The problem stems directly from one man the CEO, Brain Muller. He has set in motion internal policies that create a hopeless scenario for all within the organization. They either comply, lose money, or are fired. When you start threatening a person's lively hood, they will usually fall in line. This is why so many good people have had to deceive or lie to potential students, and why you see so many reports in this forum.

See there M, a quasi-intelligent computer wiz like yourself should have caught that. But instead, you only succeeded in making yourself look like an wait, they'll omit this if I say it. See, I realized that an organization can be successful selling education the right way, the honest way. They can turn a profit and actually help people. When I began to see that Brian Muller had no intentions of handling growth and profit with the slightest bit of moral or ethical concern, I did leave. I was extremely successful, but I was always honest. So basically your whole point just now was simply an attempt to attack me because you did not like what I said to you. This only goes to validate my original point about the reaction of people when you threaten their safety zone.

Pet Rock? Show me a pet rock that costs $60,000 and that people can use US tax dollars to purchase. Then again, if we are comparing this to UOP they would only be claiming it was a pet rock when you are looking to buy it. Then when you get it, its just a box full of crap. Not a rock, not even a petrified turd which might resemble a rock with enough effort, just a heaping, steaming pile of crap. And we all know that no matter how hard you try, you just can't polish a turd

P.S. M, please do not forget the picture you promised to draw me

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#53 UPDATE EX-employee responds

M: Round Two

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Look at the Big Brain on M! Wow, can you please draw me a picture? Easy there Captain Computer, you have been around the computer business so long you might have forgotten how to use a pencil. Can you do it in Photoshop or Correl Draw for me? Either way, you seem to forget the part about reading the entire post before extracting points out of it. See, you tried to look all intelligent by taking a quote from my original post here in order to discredit me and make me look like the bad guy. However, perhaps due to ADD, you somehow forgot to read the rest of the post. Here, to make it easy for you I'll show you what I said: Paragraph 3 The company as a whole does contain good people, some of which do try and help and have good intentions. The problem stems directly from one man the CEO, Brain Muller. He has set in motion internal policies that create a hopeless scenario for all within the organization. They either comply, lose money, or are fired. When you start threatening a person's lively hood, they will usually fall in line. This is why so many good people have had to deceive or lie to potential students, and why you see so many reports in this forum.

See there M, a quasi-intelligent computer wiz like yourself should have caught that. But instead, you only succeeded in making yourself look like an wait, they'll omit this if I say it. See, I realized that an organization can be successful selling education the right way, the honest way. They can turn a profit and actually help people. When I began to see that Brian Muller had no intentions of handling growth and profit with the slightest bit of moral or ethical concern, I did leave. I was extremely successful, but I was always honest. So basically your whole point just now was simply an attempt to attack me because you did not like what I said to you. This only goes to validate my original point about the reaction of people when you threaten their safety zone.

Pet Rock? Show me a pet rock that costs $60,000 and that people can use US tax dollars to purchase. Then again, if we are comparing this to UOP they would only be claiming it was a pet rock when you are looking to buy it. Then when you get it, its just a box full of crap. Not a rock, not even a petrified turd which might resemble a rock with enough effort, just a heaping, steaming pile of crap. And we all know that no matter how hard you try, you just can't polish a turd

P.S. M, please do not forget the picture you promised to draw me

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#52 Consumer Suggestion

B You hit the nail on the head

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

I have been on the net long enough to know that slogan has been around for years and but yet it proves my point perfectly from your response. By the way that's the 2nd rule. I have been in the computer business longer than you been ripping people off, back when they used BNC's to form networks.

You are the morally corrupt, "Let my start by saying that I was an enrollment advisor for University of Phoenix Online, and AXIA/WIU Online under Apollo Group for 3 years. I recently quit from my position as one of their highest paid advisors. Paid on the amount of enrollments I did in 2003." It took you 3 years to realize this is wrong and you have the gall to call other people stupid? Wow that is funny, most people would have walked away from the start, so you made money off of those poor people you now want to save. You then come on here and try to take the moral high road to redeem yourself is laughable and ridiculous.

You are correct when you talk about the state of our nation, the president and big business. However it's all politicians so lets not split hairs, they are all corrupt puppets of some form. You failed to realize what I was saying about capitalism, if people are dumb enough to buy the "pet rock", who are you to tell them "No, don't it's not alive" after being one who sold them. Now that was all metaphoric, if you want I can draw you a picture.

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#51 Author of original report

"M" Dont know who you are but oh well...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

"M" must be for mystery, because I do not recall reading a thread from you in this area. But since you felt the need to chime in, here we go again.

First rule of posting witty retorts on the net is to make sure they are your own. Nice line about the Special Olympics and arguing on the net. I must have seen that come through my email account with the handicapped kid crossing the finish line at least 100 times. Since you are familiar with UOPO then at least give credit to the original author or put the quote in APA formt. If you are quoting spam, I guess next you are going to tell me that you finally got your check from Bill Gates because you forwarded that email 5 years ago, and that your luck has been outstanding lately because your forwarded the "good luck" email to 10 people in the "next 5 minutes".

If you read through the posts on this site, every person I attack comes in here trying to spout non-sense because they do not want to accept the truth. What I say about UOPO violates the safe little space they live in where every decision they make is perfect. When someone challenges that space, most people react with anger. If you go back through the posts, you will see the only people I go after are the people who come in here pissed off or spouting nonsense. They serve only to perpetuate ignorance. Instead of conceding that they may not know what they are talking about when it comes to how UOP operates, or that they really have no perspective on what a real college program entails, they simply argue nonsense.

These people are the same people who do not research anything, they look at what is on the surface of something and then form their entire comprehensive doctrine around a few superficial points. I call these people "Bush Voters".

As for your little lecture about capitalism, I am all for it. But maybe you should do a little research on the effect morally corrupt corporate entities are having on our country. When I hear someone try to argue capitalism and try to use it as an excuse or license for corporate entities to do whatever they want, it makes me cringe.

Wasn't it Teddy Roosevelt that said he did not want a single millionaire to be created from the devastation of the war? Now our country is in a war that is making corporate entities billions of dollars. This is all done under the guise of "hey, that's just capitalism". So for the future, just save your political rhetoric on this topic. UOPO and their exploiting and dishonest methods to make money represent everything that is wrong with our country. The only thing that is worse is people who are too blind to see it and support it through comments like you just made.

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#50 Consumer Suggestion

Perception is Reality

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

B I can respect some of your points but when you call people stupid your words lose their value. Save your breath about trying to rip into me cause my perception is a bit different than yours. Stop your internal dialogue about "How wrong you are."

UOP is a bit Mickey Mouse, however, some people are still putting in the time and effort. Putting them down for trying to obtain the best grade possible, is working backwards and only defeats your point. If you can get the degree as the stepping stone towards betterment of your life regardless of being a higher degree, a job, a promotion or just sense of accomplishment. Is that so bad? It's obvious that UOP is about the money and cranking you out. That's why it's called capitalism.

You want to speak of the Special Olympics, arguing on the internet is very similar cause even if you win, you are still retarded.

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#49 Consumer Suggestion

Perception is Reality

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

B I can respect some of your points but when you call people stupid your words lose their value. Save your breath about trying to rip into me cause my perception is a bit different than yours. Stop your internal dialogue about "How wrong you are."

UOP is a bit Mickey Mouse, however, some people are still putting in the time and effort. Putting them down for trying to obtain the best grade possible, is working backwards and only defeats your point. If you can get the degree as the stepping stone towards betterment of your life regardless of being a higher degree, a job, a promotion or just sense of accomplishment. Is that so bad? It's obvious that UOP is about the money and cranking you out. That's why it's called capitalism.

You want to speak of the Special Olympics, arguing on the internet is very similar cause even if you win, you are still retarded.

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#48 Consumer Suggestion

Perception is Reality

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

B I can respect some of your points but when you call people stupid your words lose their value. Save your breath about trying to rip into me cause my perception is a bit different than yours. Stop your internal dialogue about "How wrong you are."

UOP is a bit Mickey Mouse, however, some people are still putting in the time and effort. Putting them down for trying to obtain the best grade possible, is working backwards and only defeats your point. If you can get the degree as the stepping stone towards betterment of your life regardless of being a higher degree, a job, a promotion or just sense of accomplishment. Is that so bad? It's obvious that UOP is about the money and cranking you out. That's why it's called capitalism.

You want to speak of the Special Olympics, arguing on the internet is very similar cause even if you win, you are still retarded.

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#47 Consumer Suggestion

Perception is Reality

AUTHOR: M - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

B I can respect some of your points but when you call people stupid your words lose their value. Save your breath about trying to rip into me cause my perception is a bit different than yours. Stop your internal dialogue about "How wrong you are."

UOP is a bit Mickey Mouse, however, some people are still putting in the time and effort. Putting them down for trying to obtain the best grade possible, is working backwards and only defeats your point. If you can get the degree as the stepping stone towards betterment of your life regardless of being a higher degree, a job, a promotion or just sense of accomplishment. Is that so bad? It's obvious that UOP is about the money and cranking you out. That's why it's called capitalism.

You want to speak of the Special Olympics, arguing on the internet is very similar cause even if you win, you are still retarded.

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#46 Consumer Comment

University of Phoenix keeps adding classes to my schedule...

AUTHOR: Kenneth - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, March 13, 2006

According to some it is worthless but it was a goal of mine that I would like to finish.

I am schedule to graduate in June of 2006 but around January I received a letter from UoP showing my graduation requirements. It showed all the classes I took and what I still needed. Surprisingly it also showed that I need 3 elective classes and a math elective class. Some how the university added 4 classes to my schedule. After speaking with the counselors, I have had 8 since I started 2 years ago. It was told to me that it was all undergraduate stuff.

Fortunately I have been to many schools. I only submitted transcripts from the school I got my A.A. at. I was accepted. I told them I have plenty of under graduate electives so I will submit transcripts from my other schools. Hopefully they will honor those and I can graduate on time. I am not holding my breath.

As I started to think about my whole experience at UoP I started to realize that the school was a business and not a place for higher learning. When I was accepted in the program my EA, as they call them, said nothing of these classes. About 6 months after starting at UoP I was informed that I need to take a Math class, a Critical Thinking class, and an English class because I was deficient in these areas. Again, no previous mention was mad of these needed classes. After much debate I was informed that I could try to test out of them. I did pass and the classes were waived.

Another 6 months later on of my counselors mentioned I need an elective math class even though I just test out of one. This class again was not mentioned by my EA or on my initial graduation course schedule. It just popped up out of the blue. As I was still a year from graduation I paid no attention to it. Six months later, like clock work is when I got the letter from UoP that I was shy the math and 12 undergraduate elective credits. These credits seem to be the same ones that I tested out of the year before. I was informed that I could try to test out of them again but this time it would cost me $50.00 each try.

I then started to speak to former UoP students and it seems that this type of extra class adding is common place. Every former UoP graduate had the same experience. A meaningless math class showed up near graduation that must be taken or no diploma. But you can still go through graduation as long as you only have 15 credits or less to go.

I then started to speak to classmates and around 10 of them said the same thing happened to them with the 3 proficiency classes and the late add-on math class. I then realized the whole scam. I thought. After reading the post at this website I realized that I am but a small part of a huge government Title IV rip off program by the University of Phoenix disguised as a higher learning education.

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#45 Consumer Suggestion

To Tom

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Tom, I understand your defense of the instructors at UOP. I can say that one of the best courses I took was Economics in my masters program there. The instructor was highly educated and the academic standard in the class was high. However, the MBA program required 16 courses to complete it and 1 out of 16 does not cut it. I am sure your relative is actually quailfied to teach, but a few qualified individuals cannot make up for the majority that are not or simply do not care. There are some students that try extremely hard and receive high grades, but that does not make up for the majority of students that do very little and receive "B" grades. I have seen it first hand and I deminishes the high grades and the effort real students put forth.

Do not be fooled, making money is the most important thing to the new Apollo CEO Brian Muller. Before he was only the CEO of UOP Online. In 2003 I was in a meeting with Muller and he made a statement that really got me thinking. He said the he wanted to be at 1,000,000 students by 2010. 1,000,000 students is extremely ambitious but they have the money to make it a reality. However, that begs the ethical question of "should they". I think not and here is why. Lets assume that the number of students per course remains static, as well as the number of partime instructors and the pay scale for those instructors.

Typically you need 1 instructor for every 100 students as 1 instuctor could teach 6 classes per year that equals . This means that instructor to student ratio is 1:90. They would need to hire over 11,000 qualified instructors just to teach the classes. Considering that number alone, the current competition in the online arena, and the pay rate for instructors. I do not see that as possible. They can do it, but something will need to be sacrificed. As with many mass produced items, quality of product is usually first to suffer. I do not think education can be, or should be mass produced. Six Sigma principals cannot be applied to teaching quality so trying to mass produce educaiton will surely yield lower quality. With such a high relative price point, and increasing competition, UOP cannot afford to take that route.

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#44 Author of original report

Wow Kathy, thanx...

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Thank you for that insightful lecture about your intellectual prowess. I am sure everyone will be enthralled with the exciting tales of your GPA and with honors accomplishments. You seemed however, in your great pursuit of higher education, incapable of extracting the fundamental concepts of the reading material at hand. You mention you go to the ground campus. The majority of this thread is about UOP Online. Since you are the intellectual type I would assume you might have known that UOP Ground and UOP Online are actually separate entities. Only until recently, (a couple of months ago), was Brian Muller, CEO of Online, promoted to President of Apollo Group after Todd Nelson stepped down. Only now, will the corrupt corporate culture of UOP Online began to seep into the ground campus system. The only thing that affected the ground campuses standards before was trying to keep up with the low standards in place at the online.

Let me address your statement. If you are indeed an honors student then your academic knowledge should lead you to understand that biased research yields biased results. Because of that I must ask you, have you been in another colleges degree program for a pro-longed period of time, or are you making these statements regarding the validity of UOP Grounds program without any exposure to another degree program?

Here is the thing. I have taken both online and ground courses at UOP. So when I see people bragging about high grades in either program I must snicker at them. Perhaps you should investigate the business aspect of a for-profit organization and how the bottom line really affects grade policy. EVERYONE who does the basic work in class will receive at least a B. I have had team members who have sub-high school writing skills and who have received a B grade in the Masters program. Why? Because the business wants you to keep taking classes so they can get more money from you. I will admit that online has been a much worse violator of such methodology, but the ground campuses are very competitive with online and are also guilty of such methods. Because online and ground are separate entities, there is actual product cannibalization ongoing within the University of Phoenix Brand. Throughout the Phoenix area there are ground campus advertisement signs for UOP attacking the Online segment with advertisements stating Interact with more than your PC. Competitiveness means retention. Retention means setting an equal field of battle between the two segments. That means most people will take the path of least resistance. Why would ground drive students away by instituting strict academic standards when the majority of those people will then just flee to UOP Online?

You are fooling yourself. My suggestion is to get some perspective. Considering I have now worked for 3 companies in education, 1 of which represents 6 institutions of higher education both for-profit and non-profit provides me some insight into the differences between a real graduate/undergrad programs and those offered by UOP ground or online. Non-profit colleges have no obligation to shareholders so profits mean something completely different. This has a trickle down affect that dictates the academic standards the university operates under. The difference in night and day. I have taken classes at every university out firm represents in order to understand the product we market. By comparing that to my masters program at UOP online and ground, I have concluded that UOP's program is a joke.

Listening to someone pat themselves on the back for good grades at UOP like you did is amusing. It is like announcing to the world you are the world's greatest athlete because you just won gold at the Special Olympics. Being the smartest dumb person isn't a bad thing unless you brag about it. Someone needs to take your little horn away because you have tooted it way too much without cause.

Don't get me wrong, I believe some education is better than none at all, and things can be learned at UOP with enough time and effort. But do not patronize people who have a wider swath of experience in education by making statements like the one above. Here is one way of determining your prowess. After you completing your degree/degrees go take some classes at a local campus and see how you do while working full time. Better yet, try and transfer your courses into a college like ASU or University of Arizona. I can bet you that they will not accept the majority of your credits regardless of grades. What does that tell you about the validity of the program?

Since we are bragging, I just totally dominated my 6 year-old nephew at Scrabble. He made some good plays and everything. He played A-P-P-L-E and D-O-G-G-Y but I totally came back with O-V-E-R-S-T-A-T-E-D S-E-N-S-E O-F A-C-C-O-M-P-L-I-S-H-M-E-N-T. I mean, I should get an award or something for being so smart. Does Scrabble give out Greek Letters for achievement? Because I totally deserve one

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#43 Consumer Suggestion

From someone who does not hate UOP

AUTHOR: Kathy - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, February 21, 2006

For everyone who hates it so bad, take a deep breath and move on with your life. If you are going there and do not like it then transfer. If you have already transferred, give yourself a pat on the back for making your life better, and stop stressing yourself over your past mistake.

I like UOP. I have been going non-stop since June of 2003, only getting the week between Christmas and New Year's off. I go on campus, so that does include a night away from home. I work full time, and I am the Marketing/Fundraising/Public Relations Chair for my local chapter of Habitat for Humanity. My plate is full, but that is what happens when you go to college, work and volunteer at the same time. I have only missed one day of class since the day I started, and that was because I was in another state at my grandmother's funeral. I just spent Valentine's Day/my ninth wedding anniversary in class all night. I would have rather been home with my husband, but the class was my obligation. When I signed up to get my degree, I made a commitment with UOP and myself to follow the rules and do the best I could. The only change I would make at UOP would be to offer the chance to earn your Greek letters. I go to an on-ground campus and they are not available to us. It is a shame, because my GPA is good enough for it. That is fine though, my diploma will still say with honors.

Hooray for those of you who claim to do nothing and still pass. I for one have worked hard and had some very strict instructors. I have even had papers dropped to an A- for three mistakes (two commas and one commonly confused word). Would you like to know something? I am very thankful to have had teachers that were beastly strict. It has made me become a much better researcher and writer.

Do you think those things do not matter? If so you are clearly wrong. Some of the reports I have read on here from people that ended up getting a degree from another college amuse me. Do you write that poorly at work? Does your resume look that bad? Maybe that is why you cannot find a job. Ok, sorry for the insults, but I am just trying to make a point. You will get out of an education what you put in to it. More than 70 percent of what I have learned has been self-taught. I have learned most if it through my research for the dreadful (but sometimes fun) weekly papers.

I can run circles around many of the people I know that are attending state colleges for the same field of study I am taking. Why you might ask? It is because I do not take any assignment lightly. If I did, I would not learn anything from it. All of my papers go above and beyond the minimum requirements. True, I do not have to go so deeply into the topic, but I do it because I want to learn something. I want to be the best, future Marketing Manager I can be. If it means looking beyond a few things that I might disagree with in the school or classroom, then so be it. Are you satisfied with every single aspect of your life other than UOP? It is doubtful. No person, thing or institution is perfect and no one will ever be perfectly satisfied.

As for me, I will complete my degree by this September. If you recall, my first class (and I had no prior college credits) began June 2003. That is three years and three months. I will have a Bachelor of Science with dual majors in Business Management and Marketing. It has taken testing out of four classes and doubling up for three months to make it happen, but like I said, you get what you give. My lowest grade thus far has been an A-. I have a 3.9 GPA, and I plan on keeping it.

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#42 Consumer Comment

Quality of Classes are very poor

AUTHOR: John - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Monday, February 13, 2006

I'm so disappointed about this wannabe institution. I was supicious after the first 9 weeks. I picked up a pattern early and have watched it over and over through each class. I wrote a paper with references and the instructor gave me 10/30 points because he thought I copied the entire article. It's a tribute to my writing talent but all he had to do was look at my references. My paper was totally opposite of the article. The article boast on helping people, while my paper was a satire as to why they helped these villages...they were pulling 40,000 barrels of oil out of their villages a day. I had to call the instructor to tell him he was wrong. So later, I submitted papers 3 days late with no references and still received 85-100% on my grade and didn't even meet the word count requirement let alone the paper had no references and was 3 days late. It's a total joke! After this next 8 weeks and the Associates is acquired, I'm bailing faster than you can blink an eye. I am embarrassed to say I'm doing the UOP thing. The academic and financial counselors have no clue about their fields. All they can advise you on is when it's time to fill the financial aide form and when you missed attendance. They offer no alternative financial aide programs or alternatives. VERY VERY SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS when the government gives loans for this institution. Someone is sleeping with someone.

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#41 Consumer Comment

Ripped off in Utah by UOP

AUTHOR: K - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, February 03, 2006

I came across this discussion quite by accident, as I was searching for a course syllabus from a class in Software Engineering that I took from UOP in 1999. The whole reason I am searching for the syllabus, which I cannot find and apparently is not taught at UOP anymore according to their catalog, is that after becoming thoroughly disgusted with UOP and its campus in Utah in 1999, I have decided (7 years later) to complete my degree at Weber State University in Utah. The credits from UOP that transfer to another institution are limited at best. Of the 44 that I completed, only 3 courses transferred over to fulful non-elective core areas. I am in the process of trying to convince the Administration at Weber that a few of the classes may equate to fill their core general education requirements, hence the research on past classes taken at UOP.

I am compelled to comment on this thread because of length of time that has expired since my attendance in 1998-99 to the comments that I see posted recently. Apparently, not much has changed with this school as many of the problem reported today are ones that I experienced over 7 years ago! Unfortunately, I completed 44 credits with this school and I am still repaying student loans that at one time totalled over $12,000. The problems that I experienced were a) being lied to about credit transfers to other institutions (very obvious to me now!) b) misleading statements from UOP personnel about the length of time to complete the degree and the ease of CLEP tests, which I knew nothing about at the time c) being saddled with other students in a group setting in which they do little or none of their share of work but your grade depends on the outcome d) tuition kept rising every go-round e) the courses that I attended were substantially less caliber than courses I took at even my community college. The list goes on, but the bottom line was that I felt I was getting shafted and finally got out. I guess I feel that if I am going to do business with someone, that it better be honest business. I never felt like UOP was honest with me in many regards, but perhaps at the time I was willing to believe the recruiter's statements.

I am truly grateful that I got out when I did after finally having enough. I have been so bitter about the experience since then that I haven't attempted to finish my education until this Spring. Fortunately, I have a great job now, but finishing my education was always important to me. Of the 44 credits I completed, the majority transferred as electives only. Although unfortunate, I have only myself to blame for not researching the transfer issue further and taking someone's word for it at UOP. I am even more grateful that I did not complete my degree at UOP, as they are not highly regarded by anyone that I am aware of, particularly in this area of the country. As an employer, when we see two candidates side by side with similar qualifications and one has a degree from UOP and one from Utah State or another legitimately founded and accredited institution, we gravitate toward the latter when making a choice. When someone mentions in conversation that they have attended UOP, the comments are usually negative as to the experience. When someone mentions that they received their degree from UOP, many people's reaction is "Oh, I'm sorry".

I had a close friend graduate from UOP this year after about 6 years of struggling to complete her degree while having 2 children, etc. She even worked in the financial aid department for approximately a year and received reduced tuition. I feel sorry for her because she paid so much for a sub-standard education. I know that she was equally frustrated with UOP but was in too deep to go anywhere else to finish. I have licked my wounds and am moving on, but I would strongly encourage anyone that considers attending this "University" to fully research any questions you have before committing to anything. In addition, call up a few major employers in your area and just ask them what their perception of a degree from University of Phoenix is. Find out for yourself what it is worth and calculate the entire cost before you commit.

I did see a recent post that commented on the instructors at UOP. I can say that I had a few very positive experiences when it came to the instructors at the Utah campus and some of them were very knowledgeable. But the instructors are not the problem, it is the compressed sub-standard cirriculum and course content combined with the greed and dishonesty of the administration.

Overall, I wanted to share my experience as a warning, and perhaps to finally write off that part of my life as a bad experience and move on. I spent about a half hour reading the back and forth comments between B and Pap, and can only say that as a student, the experience was more in line with B's description thans Pap's if that makes any difference.

PLEASE BE CAREFUL AND INFORM YOURSELVES!

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#40 Author of original report

University of Phoenix is a good school.

AUTHOR: Tom - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, January 28, 2006

I think University of Phoenix is a good school, because I know some very well educated people who have tough there.

I have a retired uncle who is a former college mathematics professor at University of Phoenix, Denver University, University of Colorado, and Arapahoe Community College. He has a master of mathematics, and he has over 30 years of teaching experience in college algebra, integral calculus, probability, linear algebra, and differntial equation.

I also know a retired Douglas County Judge (who is also a lawyer) who teaches at University of Phoenix.

The bottom line is that when you are attacking UOP because you are upset at it, please do not attack and insult the teachers there -- that is very irrelevant and irrational. Attacking teachers and students at UOP by saying they are stupid would make your reasoning an ad hominem reasoning.

Thanks.

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#39 Consumer Comment

Unfortunate

AUTHOR: Shawn - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, January 28, 2006

This University of Phoenix scenerio is unfortunate. Proprietary school often get the better of students Many of these students at these school are hopeful for an education. No on can blame them.

Unfortunately, most employers look at degrees like this and scoff. Furthermore, these schools often get their students in financial trouble after the empty promises of high wages fall through. I strongly suggest a state university of even community college over these paper mills. It really comes down to the fact people want to see you actually GOT OUT OF YOUR HOUSE and attended class. College is about learning, yes. College is also about making connection, networking, meeting new and different people with new ideas. You are depriving yourself of these things (and a decent education, by the way) by attending these paper mills.

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#38 Consumer Comment

I just cannot get a better expert opinion

AUTHOR: Alfonso - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 26, 2006

Paul - I find it comical that someone who has never done online education can just discredit it without ever experiencing it. Beyond that, it looks as if the University of Florida didn't help you much with sentence structure or proper grammar. If you really did your research you would find out that UoP is nationally accredited by the same institution that accredits Harvard, Yale, etc.

Barbara - Don't patronize me and tell me I should consider transferring because of my comprehension level, because I think your comprehension level lacks. How about you quit trying to sound like your so smart and look at the obvious miss 4.0 GPA. Anyone who comes to a public forum and deliberately tries to discredit any business has in some form or another a problem with that business in question. Do you really think that someone who enjoys what they were doing will post something like 'B' posted? It doesn't sound disgruntled to you because you agree with it.

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#37 Consumer Suggestion

Okay everyone here but -B is a little dilusional

AUTHOR: Barbara - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Paul-you need to relax a little. You can't knock something you have never experienced. I happen to be very educated and still ended up at university of phoenix. I had a 4.0 in high school (a little higher because of honors and AP classes actually). I could have gone almost anywhere I wanted. I ended up at San Diego state. I had some unfortunate things happen in my life and had to work full time. With this, going to state full time didn't work so I went to community college part time. My employer offered tuition assistance for UoP and I saw that going there for what is considered full time while working would be possible and I was desperate to finish up...I checked to make sure they were accredited...they were. I knew it was going to be expensive but by this point I had the money and didn't care. Where the problems came was once I was enrolled I realized that there was not another person aside from me in any of my courses with more than half a brain. These people were having trouble with the very math I took in 6th grade. Considering I took 2nd year calculus my senior year in high school I didn't understand why I was in a course with these people. They couldn't spell, read, write...it was horrible. I found myself single handedly doing the group assignments. Upon getting out of there I realized that their credits don't transfer.

Alfonso-I would suggest you transfer to a real school because your comprehension skills lack. B in no way sounded disgruntled to me, he even admits he is not disgruntled. He was actually quite successful in his years working at UoP he just thought the story needed to be told. And don't think I am just defending him because he is talking bad about UoP (that would be an un-educated guess) because I do not agree at all with what Paul had to say. Oh yeah let them keep telling you at UoP that a degree only gets you an entry level position. You can get an entry level position without a degree. If you are intelligent now that you have been given this info (I didn't have that luxury) you will do your homework...check to see which schools or employers value a UoP degree. I will tell you what my old employer, an internationally recognized business will no longer pay tuition reimbursement to someone who attends UoP and neither will many other employers.

Please B keep doing your good work. Considering UoP prays on military families and single parents we need to stop them.

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#36 Consumer Suggestion

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX IS A RIPOFF AND ALFONSO DOESNT KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!

AUTHOR: Paul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, January 19, 2006

Where did u get your degrea from Alfonso? Why would you defend a non-acredited ripoff organization like university of phoenix. Why is University of Phoenix a rip-off? Because anyone can get in, anyone can pass, as long as you pay the money. How can you tell me an online university of phoenix degree is as good as my degree from the University of Florida? I moved hundred miles away, I studied every night, I didnt have time to work I went to school full time and it still took me 5 years to get my bachelors degree,I had to bust my but in high school to get in and then I had to spend money and time on SATs, and I finally got lucky and got accepted to a decent school and I spent 5 years busting my but to get my degree, and your telling me a degree from phoenix is a good degree, give me a break the only people dumb enough to enroll in the university of phoenix are dumb enough to graduate from it 20,000 dollars in the hole, which doesn't say much. If you don't have enough common sence to know a scam when you see one, you don't have enough common sence to be in college. I got an e-mail about a month ago from a counselor from UofP and I told them I graduated from UF, and that was the end of the e-mails. DONT GOTO THIS SCHOOL! If you cant get into a decent school apply to community college or University of Toledo in Ohio they have a 96 percent acceptance rate and they are acreddited and I would rather have one degrea from Toledo than 10 from phoenix.

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#35 Consumer Comment

UOP Voluntarily Withdraws NLNAC Accreditation

AUTHOR: Paddi - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, January 15, 2006

In December of 2005, University of Phoenix voluntarily withdrew NLNAC accreditation. That withdrawel is explained as "Voluntary Withdrawal: Month and Year
Program voluntarily withdraws from NLNAC accreditation
--Withdrawal: Month and Year
Action to withdraw recognition of accreditation due to refusal of accreditation or focused visit or failure to submit self-study, interim* or focused report as specified by the Commission

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#34 Consumer Comment

UOP Voluntarily Withdraws NLNAC Accreditation

AUTHOR: Paddi - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, January 15, 2006

In December of 2005, University of Phoenix voluntarily withdrew NLNAC accreditation. That withdrawel is explained as "Voluntary Withdrawal: Month and Year
Program voluntarily withdraws from NLNAC accreditation
--Withdrawal: Month and Year
Action to withdraw recognition of accreditation due to refusal of accreditation or focused visit or failure to submit self-study, interim* or focused report as specified by the Commission

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#33 Consumer Comment

UOP Voluntarily Withdraws NLNAC Accreditation

AUTHOR: Paddi - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, January 15, 2006

In December of 2005, University of Phoenix voluntarily withdrew NLNAC accreditation. That withdrawel is explained as "Voluntary Withdrawal: Month and Year
Program voluntarily withdraws from NLNAC accreditation
--Withdrawal: Month and Year
Action to withdraw recognition of accreditation due to refusal of accreditation or focused visit or failure to submit self-study, interim* or focused report as specified by the Commission

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#32 Consumer Comment

The problem is with people trying to bring down companies

AUTHOR: Alfonso - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

B,

I did in fact make my own assumptions about what may have gone down in your situation. That is just plain human intuition. Looking at what you wrote and how it was written to me it comes across as this: You had a bad experience with the UOP and now it's time to say something about it. Am I wrong with that assumption? I mean you had to have been mad at something.

The problem I have is with people coming into a public forum like this and try to ruin the credibility of an institution that is nationally accredited by the same accreditation company that accredits Harvard, Yale, etc.

The real kicker is the same people try to degrade the worthiness of a Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate, whatever degree that is earned by another simply because it comes from the UOP. The funny thing is that a lot of these people have never attended the UOP or are even remotely familiar with the curriculum or how the classes work. Is that not ignorance by definition? I got news for a lot of you, many companies don't really care where your degree comes from as long as you show you have the skills to do the job. Now I will in no way sit here and say a UOP degree is more valuable or compares to a degree from Harvard or Yale, but in all honesty those people are very unique individuals to begin with. And they won't be starting in entry level positions wherever they go. Agree or disagree?

The whole implication that a college education is the end-all path to a great career is vastly exagerrated. A bachelor's degree in my opinion nowadays gets you an interview to a decent entry level position, and it is experience that naturally gets a very well paying job. I'm sure we all have seen times when it isn't 'what you know' it is 'who you know'.

There are bad experiences, there is no doubt about that. The majority of the bad experiences I have read here are all about money issues because they found out they had to pay more than they thought and all that jazz. I believe this is a case of just not reading what your supposed to before signing up.

-All the best.

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#31 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To Alfonso: What is it with you people? ..chalk it up to being the act of a disgruntled employee

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Once again, we find another person who disagrees with something someone else is stating so they simply chalk it up to being the act of a disgruntled employee. Once again I find myself responding to an individual that thinks their own personal experience somehow negates all the other situations these people mentioned above have faced. All I did was legitify the NUMEROUS complaints and issues with UOP from an internal operations standpoint and a customer service standpoint.

I am glad that your experience has been positive thus far because it may mean that things are turning around there. However, it does not mean that the statements I made are any less true. I speak from an internal experience standpoint. So for you to chalk my statements up to me being disgruntled just because you do not agree is just plain ignorant. Look, Ill show you how ignorant it is to try and negate another persons first hand account by discrediting that individual. Lets take your scenario for example and I will do to you what you did to me.

Your experience has been positive with UOP. Well it sounds to me like you are just the type of person who is easily taken advantage of and just doesnt pay attention to what is really going on. The only possible explainations for your positive experience with UOP can be either that you have extremely low standards when it comes to level of service and quality, or you are either too lazy or too dumb to care.

See how lame that is? Just because I don't agree with you I simply place you in the realm of lying, being stupid or having an alterior motive for not agreeing with me.

So just keep ignoring the fact that what I say is actually true, and does come directly from personal experiences. Just stay in your little box of reality where only your experiences and opinions shape the fabric of everyone elses reality.

Or maybe, you could learn something, and use this information to protect yourself from falling into bad situations in the future. My purpose is simple. If someone reads the information and decides not to go, then no harm done. If they do go then they are at least aware of the risks and can protect themself from these situations. Best case scenario, the person has a great experience and no harm is done and if this happens often enough, the ratio of bad experience to good experience will shift, and pages like this will no longer need to exist.

So exactly what is it that you have a problem with?

Anyway, FYI, I was offered a management position in 2004 which I refused... Wait, there is no way that can be true because it does not fit into the reality where your opinion dictates truth and I was only a disgruntled employee...

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#30 Consumer Comment

Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

AUTHOR: Alfonso - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I agree with Pap. B, your just a disgruntled employee who probably didn't get promoted and blamed the administration for your own downfalls.

I have been enjoying the UOP a lot and I have attended other universities. You can say what you want about the education, the transfer credits, the this the that whatever. It is all just nonsense. You people need to realize that you get out of something what you put into it. I am willing to bet that a majority of the people who sign up with UOP expect it to be easy and just a breeze through.

It is anything but that. For example, you actually have to 'read' your material to understand it. For the people saying that "You will be laughed out of the building with your UOP degree". This is nonsense and utter rubbish and anecdotal evidence at best. So maybe you won't get a CEO position for your first job. Here's a word for you people - "EXPERIENCE", that is what it really takes to get a good job. Your degree will get you into the interview for a decent entry level position.

So unless you are going to be an Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Nuclear Engineer, Mathematician, or any scientist for that matter I think the UOP is a great school.

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#29 Consumer Comment

Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

AUTHOR: Alfonso - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I agree with Pap. B, your just a disgruntled employee who probably didn't get promoted and blamed the administration for your own downfalls.

I have been enjoying the UOP a lot and I have attended other universities. You can say what you want about the education, the transfer credits, the this the that whatever. It is all just nonsense. You people need to realize that you get out of something what you put into it. I am willing to bet that a majority of the people who sign up with UOP expect it to be easy and just a breeze through.

It is anything but that. For example, you actually have to 'read' your material to understand it. For the people saying that "You will be laughed out of the building with your UOP degree". This is nonsense and utter rubbish and anecdotal evidence at best. So maybe you won't get a CEO position for your first job. Here's a word for you people - "EXPERIENCE", that is what it really takes to get a good job. Your degree will get you into the interview for a decent entry level position.

So unless you are going to be an Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Nuclear Engineer, Mathematician, or any scientist for that matter I think the UOP is a great school.

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#28 Consumer Comment

Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

AUTHOR: Alfonso - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I agree with Pap. B, your just a disgruntled employee who probably didn't get promoted and blamed the administration for your own downfalls.

I have been enjoying the UOP a lot and I have attended other universities. You can say what you want about the education, the transfer credits, the this the that whatever. It is all just nonsense. You people need to realize that you get out of something what you put into it. I am willing to bet that a majority of the people who sign up with UOP expect it to be easy and just a breeze through.

It is anything but that. For example, you actually have to 'read' your material to understand it. For the people saying that "You will be laughed out of the building with your UOP degree". This is nonsense and utter rubbish and anecdotal evidence at best. So maybe you won't get a CEO position for your first job. Here's a word for you people - "EXPERIENCE", that is what it really takes to get a good job. Your degree will get you into the interview for a decent entry level position.

So unless you are going to be an Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Nuclear Engineer, Mathematician, or any scientist for that matter I think the UOP is a great school.

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#27 Consumer Comment

Sounds like disgruntled employee to me

AUTHOR: Alfonso - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, January 03, 2006

I agree with Pap. B, your just a disgruntled employee who probably didn't get promoted and blamed the administration for your own downfalls.

I have been enjoying the UOP a lot and I have attended other universities. You can say what you want about the education, the transfer credits, the this the that whatever. It is all just nonsense. You people need to realize that you get out of something what you put into it. I am willing to bet that a majority of the people who sign up with UOP expect it to be easy and just a breeze through.

It is anything but that. For example, you actually have to 'read' your material to understand it. For the people saying that "You will be laughed out of the building with your UOP degree". This is nonsense and utter rubbish and anecdotal evidence at best. So maybe you won't get a CEO position for your first job. Here's a word for you people - "EXPERIENCE", that is what it really takes to get a good job. Your degree will get you into the interview for a decent entry level position.

So unless you are going to be an Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Nuclear Engineer, Mathematician, or any scientist for that matter I think the UOP is a great school.

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#26 Consumer Comment

Why the NCA??

AUTHOR: Kay - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, December 29, 2005

Arizona is in the NCA region. Check the regional maps.

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#25 Consumer Comment

Transfer the Degree, not the Credits

AUTHOR: Lloyd - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, December 24, 2005

The philosophy of creating a degree program in one university will differ from that of another university. Some educational providers will develop a program specific to the region they operate in.

Education providers are in complete competition with one another and for this (and other) reasons do not cooperate to have their personal programs directly transfer. If students do not like the philosophy then select a different provider.

Many classes at a transferring university will not be equivalent to those others offer. The whole idea is to choose wisely the university to attend and stick with their program all the way through.

Once the desired degree is achieved, and you want to continue to a higher degree, then transfer the degree, not the credits. Jumping around from one provider to another will cause students to redo some classes, add on different classes, and some classes will not apply.

The key to a successful degree completion is to focus on a single provider and get-r-done.

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#24 Consumer Comment

Thank You ripoff report, continue to help others by telling the truth.

AUTHOR: Sandra - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, December 23, 2005

I went to an information sessions last year. I was close to signing up for UPO master degree but reports like this changed my mind. For every person defending UPO there are plenty who will see your report and save themselves the UPO exiperience. So, continue to help others by telling the truth.

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#23 Consumer Comment

Transfer credits. You already have you degree and because UoP is legally accredited they have to accept the degree to get you into the masters program.

AUTHOR: Barbara - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, December 22, 2005

You in a different situation you had recieved your bachelors and you were going to a different school to get your masters. You already have you degree and because UoP is legally accredited they have to accept the degree to get you into the masters program. What I am talking about was the fact that I was sick of being in courses with stupid classmates and teachers who only taught their opinion because they had no factual knowledge of what they were teaching so I went to transfer to another school and none of the individual courses transferred to any of the schools I had looked at. I pretty much wasted a year and a half but I realized that if I got my degree from there it would be a joke, because UoP is a joke...I would never have a sense of accomplishment. And about the financial aid not covering it...all I can get is loans because of my income it is very expensive to live in my neighborhood yet the financial aid people wont recognize cost of living differences accross the country (a whole seperate story), the maximum loans a student qualifies for goes up each year, so after 24 credits, then after 48, then 72. I think it even goes up for your masters program. I am guessing when you came to UoP you came in as a junior and that is why you had the extra money. For me to get by I would have needed 4 weeks between each course.

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#22 Consumer Comment

Transfer of Credits, Student Loans

AUTHOR: Lloyd - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, December 22, 2005

I think this thread does not have the facts straight. I graduated from Pierce College, Washington in 1987 with an AAS degree. Enrolled at UOP, Michigan in the BSM in-seat program 14 years later. All credits from Pierce College transferred.

Upon graduation with a UOP Bachelors Degree in Management, 2003, I immediately enrolled at Davenport University, Michigan for the masters degree; again all credits transferred.

The bachelors and masters degree programs were completely funded through student loans. The method is to not miss a single class, and do not take any breaks between classes. Each and every payment was made on time every time to both schools. I even received a few thousand in my pocket to help along the way.

The proper way to grasp the opportunity of student aid is to start when your schedule is developed, drive hard all the way to the end, and stay clear of online team-based schools.

My future plans are to challenge a PhD with a local RA school, and I have no doubt all credits will transfer and funding will be available.

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#21 Consumer Comment

I can tell you why...

AUTHOR: Barbara - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, December 22, 2005

It is because their academics are substandard to what is offered at other schools. Take for instance Math 208 and 209. They are part of the core that everyone takes and no other math is required. Look at what is taught and match it up to another schools course description and you will find that you just completed a math course that was not even at college level. And unfortunately when you say some schools...you should actually be saying most schools. I have yet to find a school willing to accept my credits from there. Then try taking your degree out into the working world...there is an off chance you might find someone who is also a graduate from there and be happy to hire you but most people will pass right over your resume. It is not the fact that online learning is new because there are plenty of online program. Even NYU has an online program. It is just the fact that UoP is known for substandard education. When I can be in a course not do any assignments except tests, only post my messages (and it was all subjective not fact) and still get a b or c something is wrong.I didn't even crack a book in most cases because it was all about what you feel or what you think and the tests were all common knowledge...except for the idiots they let in the class who thought it was sooooo hard. They probably had a hard time in kindergarten too though and are not the average person.

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#20 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Barbara, sorry to say you are not alone

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 21, 2005

I wish I could be more help but I am not aware of any class action lawsuits that you might currently join in on.

Your scenario is terrible, but not uncommon. Everything you explain in your memo is commonplace. Let me start with the tactic "Jason" used on you. First, the price he quoted you for the military discount was based off of the priced at AXIA Western International University and not UOPO.

In 2004 UOP Online launched WIU Online. With all the hoopla that came with this launch, it had only one motive. That motive was to capitalize on the millions of dollars they were loosing each year in Title IV funding. WIU was launched as an Associate Degree granting institution. When you look at how Title IV funding is set up, level 1 and level 2 students only qualify for 5K and 7K approx. For a freshman/sophmore at UOP, the tuition was around 11K leaving them with 5-6K out of pocket. Most people ended up in the same scenario you found yourself in, owing money out of pocket. Because UOP could not simply lower their tuition because of the effect it would have on the overall market (competition), they opened WIU and lowered tuition to fit exactly under the lowest amount a student can qualify for through federal stafford funds.

The tactic used on you by Jason was developed to counter concerns that potential students had about the out of pocket expense for first and second year students. Most people that attend UOP do so using Title IV funding but when they hear that they would owe 5K their first year, they would not enroll. Due to the overwhelming presure placed on sales managers and enrollment advisors, new tactics were required to enroll freshman and sophmore students. Jacob Nevzoroff, a manager who is notorious for manipulating the system and still works there, actually trained his team to tell students they could take the first few classes using Title IV funding, and then take a leave of absence until they are able to save enough money to pay for the other classes. What the students were not told is that they can only take a limited amount of time, and that if they drop from full time student status, they were disqualified from using financial aid. Whats more, is that they were not told that many times, the classes they have taken, and that they were told were to be covered by financial aid, are not covered until the financial aid clears. That can take a LONG time. So if the student stops attending before their funds have cleared, they end up owing UOP the money. Lies, Lies Lies. This is policy and as long as they keep people coming in the front, they do not care how many are falling out the back. They often hold funding to keep default rates down. They would rather have a student owe them money, than owe the loan company money.

My advice to you would be this, contact Jason, ask to speak with his manager. Explain the scenario and you will get nowhere because most of the managers who know how to manage have quit. However, explain to the manager the scenario and ask if the tactic used on you was a common tactic. Now after the manager does the "not my responsibility" dance, ask to speak with the senior manager (still usually a complete tool). Explain the situation again. Then ask to speak with the director of enrollment for the military division in the CA region. (dont know who that is anymore). They will all tell you it is a Finance and collections department issue. How to get around this is simple. (Tell them you have the money to pay off the debt, and you want to get enrolled again) they will listen to you if they think they can get money from you. If you can make it to the Director of Enrollment for Military, tell him/her you want to also speak with the director of Finance for the Military. Once you have them both on the line, find out who their military liasion is in your region. (Do this under the guise of wanting to re-enroll, but just wanting to make sure the same thing does not happen again) If you can find out who the military liason is, see if you can contact them. "Try to hit them where it hurts". If they lost their military contract they would lose millions. Next, ask to speak with a dean or chair of academics, tell your story again.

It is a little known fact that Academics and Finance HATE the Enrollment department. They are always cleaning up the mess enrollment leaves behind.

If all else fails, call 1-800-366-9699 and ask to speak with the secretary of Vince Grell, he is the VP of Enrollment. He is a d****e, but put a bug in his ear.

To be honest, no one ever does this because it is a lot of work, and most people have better sh*t to do.

If you are going to put your effort into anything, try getting your degree done at another college.

I am still heavily involved with education consulting. If you are still looking to get your lower division credits completed and cannot use financial aid, I would look at Rio Salado College Online in Phoenix. I know a few people that work there and they have a launch program for Walden U Online which is a great online program. The Rio Salado program is only about $150 per class.

If you are looking for something a little different after you experience online, try a ground campus offering online degrees.
Go to www.mind-streams.com and look at their programs. They are aligned with 5 of the top ground campuses in the US offering online degree programs. They have a solid name and treat people great.

Whatever happens.

Good Luck

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#19 Consumer Suggestion

I have some questions

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Can anyone tell me why UOP credits don't transfer to some colleges after all they are accredited by NCA?

Can you tell us why, Arizona schools are accredited by the NCA when they are not actually in that region?

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#18 Consumer Comment

"B" I have been looking for someone like you all week...

AUTHOR: Barbara - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, December 20, 2005

I do not why Mr. 3.98 is trying to defend University of Phoenix using info from their own website...I have several problems with UoP and so do the majority of people who go there.

Let's all go back to their recruiting tactics...I started there in July '04 was that before or after the lawsuit about paying the recruiters based on enrollment? It sure seems the guy that cornered me was paid per enrollment with no care for my needs. When I was conned into attending UoP I was told by Jason that every course would be $750 because of the military discount (yes they prey on the very people that fight for their freedom and their spouses, as well as single mothers), only to find out on my second course (what school would throw someone without a 100 or 200 level business course into a 300 level course but that is a whole seperate complaint)that I would have to pay $300 more for those. I was also told that if financial aid ran out as it often does in the first year I would be able to take a leave of absence because I could not afford the out of pocket expenses. Well when I went to request that leave of absense I was unenrolled and $1600+ of the loan was returned to the lender even though it had already been used to pay tuition leaving me in the collections department at the UoP. Another of the lies I was told is that my credits were transferrable to another university except for maybe a couple just because you can almost never transfer 100% of credits between schools...I made it clear that I wanted to transfer to University of San Diego, a prestigious Catholic university for the last 30 units of my degree. Well not only are they not transferable to USD (not a single one) they are not transferable to any university in Southern California not even to Capella which is also a non-traditional school. The school I just registered at told me that with the math I might be able to get out of the math placement exam so I don't have to take remedial math and I can go right into a 100 level course.

Once I was in school it was horrible...some of the student were so stupid...actually the majority. Horrible grammar...no common sense...they couldn't even appropriately use a computer.I only went there because I needed a flexible schedule...most of these people went there because they couldn't get accepted anywhere else. On several occasions I found myself completing team projects alone because the others were to stupid to do their part right...but they were all cool because they had a 3.8...3.9...or 4.0 GPA. There are no requirements for admission except for paying the ridiculously high tuition...that should have clued me in, but I try to look for the positive in things all the time.

My academic advisor has changed so much it is crazy...and they do not keep contact in the form of email as I have requested on several occasions. It is alway a phone call...and they never call you when you need them to actually help you with something. I have reason to believe that they actually posted for me in my last course so I would owe the money...mind you the course I was enrolled in after I requested a couple of weeks off in between courses because my husband had just come home from the middle east, but I am trying to figure out how to prove that.

I am sure there is more but I am tired. I am sending in the money they say I owe only because I don't want my credit ruined. My attorney suggested I do it with a check and on the check reference a letter that I would attach stating everything so I know they got it when they cash the check. He says there is a good chance of winning at least a settlement...as long a I can recoup the $8000 I wasted on UoP I will be content...not happy...just content. Some money for wasted time would be nice to but right now it is more about principle. Oh yeah why is getting anything in writing from them impossible? Anyway if you know of anyone doing a class action tell me...six one nine two five three eight seven two three.

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#17 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Rahul, thx for the link

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, December 04, 2005

The article link you included mentions the 9.8M that UOP had to pay because of their illegal enrollment practices. What it does not mention is the other 10M that UOP had to pay to the AZ Dep of Labor for failure to pay overtime wages to employees. These fines took place within the same year. The sad thing is that $20 million is in fines is a drop in the bucket for a billion dollar company (Apollo Grp).

When you examine their annual revenue over the last 10-15 years (multi millions), and the fact that a major portion of that money that has been generated stems directly from Title IV funding, it becomes apparent how UOP rose to power. If it was determined in 2004 that their enrollment practices were illegal and they were fined for it, that means that their enrollment practices have been illegal since they became elligible to use Title IV funding. So any revenue made, or any money/assets used as leverage for loans or venture capital was obtained through illegal means. To offer a relative example, a drug dealer who uses profits from illegal activities to invest in legal ventures, cannot keep those assets if it is found that those assets were obtained with illegal cashflow. With this in mind, it is obvious that UOP obtained profits through illegal methods, and was able to use that money to grow an empire. Simply put, over the last 15 years UOP robbed tax payers and students by illegal use of Title IV funding, and robbed its employees by refusing to pay overtime, built a billion dollar empire, and only received a slap on the wrist ($20 million in fines) for their actions. Welcome to all the worst aspect of corporate america.

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#16 Consumer Suggestion

CBS REPORT Web SITE For-Profit College: Costly Lesson

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, December 03, 2005

Visit this site, go to page two.
You'll get little bit more info on UOP.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/11/60minutes/main772913.shtml


I guess degree from a paper mill is real now days.

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#15 Consumer Suggestion

Paper Mill

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 30, 2005

All this information is leading me to buy a degree from a paper mill.

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#14 Consumer Suggestion

Paper Mill

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 30, 2005

All this information is leading me to buy a degree from a paper mill.

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#13 Consumer Suggestion

Paper Mill

AUTHOR: Rahul - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, November 30, 2005

All this information is leading me to buy a degree from a paper mill.

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#12 Author of original report

One more for Pap

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, November 27, 2005

By the way Pap, since you seem so devine in your wisdom. You may want to look at who Harvard is accredited by. It is not the North Central Association. It is actually the NEA. There are a few different accrediting bodies based around region all under the HLC. Can you tell us why,(since you know so much) Arizona schools are accredited by the NCA when they are not actually in that region? (I can)

Also, since you know so much, why dont you contact UOPO and ask them if they have the AACSB accreditation. Here's a hint. Because the majority of their grad students could not pass the GMAT exam nor are they willing to take it.

As for your very insightful glipse into work ethic and the employees of an organization you know nothing about. Let me explain what happened at UOP during my time there. Now with that big brain of yours I would like you to try and revert back to your MBA program, specifically the Human Resouce Management class. Okay, do you have it? Good, you will need it in a moment.

As for your claim that UOP does not pay enrollment advisors based upon the number of people they enroll, well, all I can say is that you never worked there or you only started working there within the last year.

Here is a little glipse into the scenario I was in during my time there (and how I know all the names of people that work there). I started there in 2001. The performance matrix was based around a few different criteria. (Lead to contact ratio, lead to conversion ration, referrals, talk time, out bound calls, in bounds calls, attitude, and enrollments.) The old matrix, although abitrary, did not specifically state that you would be paid per enrollment. However, it did outline performance expectations based around tenure. What was not written, but was absolutely known, was the numbers a rep needed to hit to get a worth while raise.

Bottom line, the magic number was 100 enrollments in 6 months. It used to be 9 months before they changed the timeline. If you could hit 100 retained enrollments in 6 months, your pay would go from $28,000 to $50,000. Anthing above 100 was worth roughly $300 to $600 on top of that per enrollment. Very few reps actually hit 100 enrollments in 6 months. Most hit between 40-70 or about 6-8 per month. When the time frame was 9 months, 100+ enrollments would get you roughly $60 to $80K.

I was on the 6 month plan, my minimum expectations for my first 6 months was 30 enrollments. I did 42 and maxed out every other matrix criteria and received a $5K raise. In the next 6 months, I hit my stride. My expectations were 45 enrollments. I did 132 in 6 months. I recieved a raise of roughly $30K. Here is the flaw in their old matrix. Here is how know for a fact people were paid on enrollments. All those other catagories I mentioned that reps were reviewed on in the old Matrix, were not even considered on my review. In fact, all those areas on my review were much higher on my first review where I only received a $5K raise. It was made perfectly clear, that the number of enrollments I did was the reason I was paid so much. Here is the problem.

They had a matrix that was based upon tenure, not pay scale. So even though I made way more than other people who worked there, my expectations were actually lower. So they ended up having quite a few people there, about 1% of the workforce, making 2 to 3 times as much as the the other 99%(AE's only) In my next review period, because I had been there a year, my minimum expectations were between 50 and 60 enrollments in 6 months. This was fine. The problem was that outside competition (other colleges) was up and coming and UOP's overall numbers, including stock value, was droping. What was noticed was about a 20 to 30% decrease in enrollments accross the board. What this meant to the company, was that because they could not pay on commission, they had to do something else. It is what they did to their best employees and how they did it that I have a problem with.

Here is what happened in 2004. In mid year of 2004 UOP was slumping bad (check the lawsuits roughly 20M and stock rollback into Apollo Group to hide the damage) They let all the employees know that two major items were upcoming because of the lawsuits. First, all EA's would be move to hourly wages and second, the Matrix was being changed.

They had each division director (Mine was Aaron Wettstein) and division manager speak to their teams or roughly 10 to 16 EA's. We were informed that our expectations were going to be LOWERED to reflect the decrease in leads and hours worked. In another meeting, as the top rep on my team and top in the division, myself and about 15 other top EA's were informed that our new expectations would be 45 enrollments in 6 months starting in June which was a week away. Further, we would have no review for the last 6 monts period because no one was hitting their goals. Basically, were all had a clean slate and were expected to hit 45 enrollments by November. They even went as far as to have us sign a new compensation and expectations agreement stating that our expectations would be reduced by 20% for this review. So we went about our business.

I, like most of the top advisors were well on our way to meeting our 45 enrollmet expectations eventhough leads had been reduced dramatically. 3 months into the 6 months period, VP of enrollment called a company meeting where they revealed the actual Matrix. It was nothing like what they had us sign. In fact, the new matrix was based off of pay range. What this meant is that the highest paid EA's had exceedingly high expectations while the lowest paid reps had basically no expectations. I understand business and I agree with this move in principal. However, they made there expectations retro-active to June. What that meant is that the top reps now only had 3 months to make up the ground for their 6 month review. For my scenario my expectations on the new matrix for minimum enrollments went from 45, to 98 in 6 months. 3 months into my review, I was at 26. That gave me 3 months to enroll 72 people. Something that had never been done in the history of the company. The topper was that this matrix had a new clause. If a rep did not hit their goal, they would have their salary reduced by 10% each time.

Now lets go back to where I wanted you to remember your HR course. As you felt liberated enough to lecture me on how I will never be successful as an employee (you're right, as I own my own business now), lets see what you remember about employee management.

When November rolled around, nearly 90% of EA's had failed to hit their goals based off the new matrix. Why? Because the new matrix was written based around the enrollment numbers from 2001-2003, during the most profitable time frame of UOP. With leads at a minimum, no rep was able to come close to hitting their goals. The only reps that actually hit their goals were either new reps, or reps that had other reps quit on their teams and had those reps enrollments given to them.
They ended up reducing the salary of the vast majority of employees.

So captain MBA, lets look at this from a business standpoint. If you want to keep your workforce motivated do you: Increase performance expectations dramatically while reducing resources at the same time? Do you, ignore the law of deminishing returns and keep hiring people to work the same amount of leads? Do you, mislead employees about their expectations and then not give them a full 6 months to make up the different? Do you, allow and increase in dysfunction turnover to the point where you must resort to using temp agencies to keep seats filled because you cannot hire fast enough to compensate for the people quitting?

So, you can go on thinking that you know what you are talking about or simply conceed the point here and admit that you were not there and you cannot speak from experience.

I have the paperwork from all my reviews sitting here, I guess I could waste more of my life explaining myself to people like you, but I have wasted enough of my life on your kind trying to explain things to people that are incapable of admitting someone else knows more then them. I know its hard when you have a 3.98 GPA, but in this case, you are just wrong. Good try.

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#11 UPDATE Employee

You really hit No Nerve with me, you hit the DisHonesty of your Statements

AUTHOR: Pap - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, November 27, 2005

Everyone Do your Own Research of this information to see which of us is correct.

This will Prove that "B" is nothing but a LIAR and obviously a bit disgruntled since he obviously was a Less than Standard employee. If he wasn't he would not have gone to this extent of Whining.

Accreditation Statements
FAQs (in general)
Affiliations
Accreditation Statements
University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602
(312) 263-0456
www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Master of Science in Nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission, Inc.

NLNAC
61 Broadway
New York, NY 10006
(212) 363-5555
www.nlnac.org

The Master of Counseling program in Community Counseling (in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona) and the Master of Counseling program in Mental Health Counseling (in Utah) are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

CACREP
5999 Stevenson Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
(703) 823-9800
www.counseling.org/cacrep

In British Columbia, the University of Phoenix was accredited by the Private Post-Secondary Education Commission (PPSEC) in 2002. That agency is now called the Private Career Training Institutions Agency (PCTIA).

PCTIA
1185 West Georgia Street, Suite 850
Vancouver, BC V6E 4E6
(604) 660-4400
www.pctia.bc.ca

FAQs
What is accreditation?
How is the University of Phoenix accredited?
What is regional accreditation?
What is national accreditation?
What is programmatic accreditation?
Why doesn't the University of Phoenix apply for more than one regional accreditation?
Other FAQs
AACSB
NLNAC
CACREP
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is a process of quality assurance and review that institutions participate in, generally on a voluntary basis. Accrediting "associations" are most often groups of like institutions whose purpose is to establish standards by which appropriate practice can be judged. Accreditation is a symbol of the quality of an institution's educational programs. Accreditation indicates both an institution's compliance with the standards held by accrediting bodies and the "reasonable grounds for believing it will continue to meet them.

How is the University of Phoenix accredited?
The University of Phoenix is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association. University of Phoenix was granted initial accreditation in 1978 and the accreditation was reaffirmed in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, and 2002. The next comprehensive evaluation visit by The Higher Learning Commission will be conducted in 2012.

What is regional accreditation?
Regional accreditation is an institutional-level accreditation status granted by one of six US regional accrediting bodies. According to the Higher Learning Commission, this type of accreditation evaluates the institution as a whole assessing "formal educational activity" as well as "governance and administration, financial stability, admissions and student personnel services, institutional resources, student academic achievement, institutional effectiveness and relationships with constituencies inside and outside the institution.

What is national accreditation?
National accreditation is granted to specialized institutionstechnical schools, health or computer related institutions, for examplethat offer at least an associate degree. The national accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are:

Accrediting Association of Bible Colleges
Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools
Accrediting Commission for Career Schools/Colleges of Technology
Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools
The Association of Theological Schools
Council on Occupational Education
Distance Education and Training Council
What is programmatic accreditation?
Often associated with professional organizations, programmatic or specialized accreditation applies to specific programs or coursework within an institution.

Why doesn't the University of Phoenix apply for more than one regional accreditation?
Accreditation by more than one regional accrediting body is not permitted by the US Department of Education. Regional accrediting bodies grant accreditation to an institution as a whole regardless of where it may operate, even locations that fall outside of a regional body's geographic scope. Additionally, the six regional accrediting bodies recognize each other's accreditations. Seeking additional regional accreditations is therefore unnecessary.

AACSB
What is AACSB International?
The Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International provides an additional level of "programmatic" accreditation for traditional business schools. Along with other activities, the organization promotes management education at traditional schools of business.

Is the University of Phoenix accredited by AACSB?
No. Since the missions of the University of Phoenix and AACSB differ, the University has never sought accreditation from AACSB. The University of Phoenix, however, is a member of AACSB and in that capacity shares in the exchange of ideas about creating quality business programs.

Does this mean the University of Phoenix is not accredited?
No. University of Phoenix, as an institution, is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), previously known as the "Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA)". HLC and the five other regional accrediting associations provide accreditation at the institutional level for colleges and universities across the US. However, the University of Phoenix has not sought the additional programmatic accreditation for its business programs since organizations like AACSB are designed to promote the characteristics of traditional business schools.

How does University of Phoenix differ from "traditional" business schools?
University of Phoenix is a teaching university with a highly focused mission: to serve the educational needs of working adults. The University's teaching/learning model is designed specifically to meet the needs of this population, whereas traditional business schools serve a traditional age group and place a greater focus on formal rather than action research. For this reason, AACSB's focus requires the large majority of faculty at institutions accredited by them be full-time professors with doctoral degrees. Conversely, our model requires a faculty member to be academically prepared at the doctoral or master's level, but additionally they must be practicing in their fields. This is a more appropriate model for a University whose primary focus is to serve working adult students who expect instructors to balance the teaching of theory with practical application.

Are there differences in the courses in the programs at AACSB-accredited business schools and non-traditional business schools like University of Phoenix?
Both groups offer similar courses, although there is variation among AACSB-accredited schools as well as non-traditional universities in the specific required courses. The University of Phoenix adheres to the suggested course content for AACSB accreditation, since it reflects generally accepted skills in the business profession.

Is there any disadvantage to a University of Phoenix graduate since the University is not accredited by AACSB?
No. Employers have not expressed a preference for business school accreditation. Regional accreditation, like that of the Higher Learning Commission, which accredits the University of Phoenix, is important for students seeking employer reimbursement and federal financial aid.

With respect to the academic issues, we believe our students greatly benefit from being taught by practitioner faculty who are experts in their field. This allows our students to integrate and apply the content knowledge to their chosen professions. By adhering to this model of instruction, the University of Phoenix is better served by not being accredited by AACSB.

NLNAC
What is NLNAC?
NLNAC is the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission, Inc. NLNAC is recognized as a specialized accrediting body, which grants specialized accreditation to "nursing education schools and programs." For more information on the specific standards required to obtain NLNAC accreditation please visit www.nlnac.org.

Is the University of Phoenix accredited by NLNAC?
Yes. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree received programmatic accreditation in 1989 and the Master of Science in Nursing degree received programmatic accreditation in 1997.

CACREP
What is CACREP?
CACREP is the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. CACREP is a specialized accrediting body formed as an affiliate of the American Counseling Association (ACA). CACREP grants specialized accreditation to "counselor education and related programs." For more information on the specific standards required to obtain CACREP accreditation please visit www.counseling.org.

Is the University of Phoenix accredited by CACREP?
Yes. The Master of Counseling program in Community Counseling offered at the Phoenix and Tucson campuses as well as the Master of Counseling program in Mental Health Counseling offered at the Utah Campus are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related educational Programs (CACREP, 5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22304: www.counseling.org/cacrep); 703-823-9800.

Affiliations
The University also maintains voluntary memberships with numerous educational organizations, including the American Council on Education, the Association of American Colleges, the American Association for Adult and Continuing Education, the American Association for Higher Education, the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, the College and University Personnel Association, the Arizona Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the Independent Colleges and Universities of Arizona, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the Western Institute of Nursing, the National Board for Certified Counselors, the National Association for Foreign Student Admissions: Association of International Educators, the National Association of Veterans Program Administrators, the Service Members Opportunity College, and Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Support. Additionally, the University maintains memberships in various professional, program-specific organizations.

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#10 Author of original report

To Pap from "B" ..while I may of touched a nerve with you, you are none the less wrong about the organization and your assumptions about me

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, November 27, 2005

If you would have read my item you would notice that I did not argue about their association with HLC or NCA for their accreditation.

However, if you actually research accreditation, (try the UOP campus database mr 3.98 GPA which I might point out is nothing spectacular at UOPO), you will learn that colleges that do not require a GMAT or GRE are missing a certain accrediting body and that DOES mean something! Ill let youi figure it out.

As for your assumptions about me and the organization. Again, you are on the outside looking in. Yes, they did pay EA's based off the number of enrollments they did but had to change that practice after catching heat from the DOE. You see, they had a bunch of people take advantage of the their old matrix for pay scale. I was one of them who was extremely successful.

The problem was that they cannot pay on commission so once you achieve a certain level of pay, their matrix did not allow for any increases. People settled in and did the normal amount of work because their was nothing to motivate. They changed their whole business concept after the investigations and lawsuits. Cheap labor became the goal.

So while I may of touched a nerve with you, you are none the less wrong about the organization and your assumptions about me. I have often noticed that people who do not know what they are talking about resort to insults. I would have assumed that have your special degree and HIGH GPA!!! would have afforded you a better approach to a discussion. I guess we were both worng for assuming.

And queue angry retort from Pap in 3,2,1, action...

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#9 Consumer Comment

You want to see their accreditation?

AUTHOR: Pap - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, November 27, 2005

SIMPLY go to the United States Dept. of Education website:

http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp

Type in University of Phoenix, Click "Search at the bottom of the page, Then click ANY one of the Campuses, and you WILL see that their Accreditation is NO LESS than Harvard, Yale, Princeton, NYU, UCLA, U of Texas, Purdue, or ANY of the Other Large Institutions in this or ANY OTHER Country.

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#8 Consumer Comment

If "B" had a Brain-cell he Might be dangerous

AUTHOR: Pap - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Sunday, November 27, 2005

While you got a Few of the names correct, this does not prove that he knows what he is talking about, since the Names CAN be found when doing a search of the internet.

Since UOP's Accredidation is with the North Central Association, which is the SAME Accredidation Body who Accredits Harvard, Yale, Purdue and University of Chicago, as well as Every other Accrediated College or University in the United States, as well as Many other countries in North, Central and South America, his BELIEF that UOP is not accrediated, or that their accredidation is some how Faulty, is B.O.G.U.S. and among the Greatest Fantasy's I have ever encountered.

If you do not believe this, then you can go to the USDept. of Educations Website, type in "University of Phoenix" in the Search Line, click "Search" and it will List Every one of UOP's Ground campuses PLUS the Online Campus, Click ANY of those Links and it will tell you who they are Accresited with. The North Central Association and the National League of Nursing Accredidting Comission. THOSE are 2 of the TOP Accrediting Bodies this Planet Has.

Here is the Link to the US Dept. of Education Search http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.asp

Also, your Supposition that they pay per enrollee is so far OUT OF WACK that it is not even Funny.

Anyone who has ANY Concept of the Reality of Business, KNOWS that you are REQUIRED to live up to a Certain set of Standards and to Work to a certain set of Goals. THAT is waht the Matrix is Based upon, that and NOTHING MORE. you get regular Reviews and if you don't live up to those goals, you do NOT get an Increase in pay, if you do you do get an increase in pay.

"B's" suppositions tell me that he/she DID NOT live up to those goals, and so they got Pissed off and left over it.

I am sure that those at UOP-Online are GLAD you are gone, so they can get their work done in Peace without your Moaning and Whining.

Do EVERYONE a favor, and Grow Up and realize that you are NOT going to get anywhere in life until you can take RESPONSIBILITY for your OWN Actions and Not Blame everyone else cause you cannot Live up to YOUR Responsibilities and cannot Live Up to your WORD.

Until you can do that, you will get NO WHERE in life.

You are the Definition of a Disgruntled Ex-Employee.

MY MBA is Recognized for what it is, AN MBA, with a 3.95 GPA.

You probably ended up with Less than a 2.0GPA, didn't you?

The ONLY Ignorant comment in those who defend UOP are that they have not Slammed you for the Sniviling Little Crybaby that you have proven yourself to be.

GROW UP and Take Responsibility for your own actions, or Lack thereof.

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#7 Author of original report

My Concerns about the University of Phoenix

AUTHOR: Leeland - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Friday, November 25, 2005

My report on the UOP is probably the one read the most.

Certainly one working for the University of Phoenix would be in denial. However, one must consider that a 3 hour course is 45 hours of instruction. The university of Phoenix at 20 hours of instruction is 20/15 or 1 and 1/3 credits.

Believe what you may, but Phoenix cannot be accredited, if you believe it is you shall see soon that the hours you have spent in this instution have been wasted.

Actually Phonenix being 100 hours short of an associates degree is proof positive that Phoenix is simply not accredited.

Phoenix at 800 hours of instruction, when it should be 1800 hours of instruction (40 units of 120 hours x 20 hours at Phoenix) is a rip off.

Say what you may being a worker for Phoenix, but indeed you may be held criminally liable for knowingly and willingly ripping off students in this degree mill scam.

I still have litigation against Phoenix, and I intend to Prevail. Your University of Phoenix took in 2.1 billion dollars in Title IV student aid dollars this year. Please! - this is more money appropriated than that appropriated in any state in the United States.

Form a different angle, Money not Appropriated to Congress is appropriated to the states. Do you really believe that Phoenix is constitutionally correct? Suppose you do? I'll pray for you! The rapture is near folks!

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#6 Consumer Comment

UOP and B---rad or was it Brian ..Buddy...I warned you not to go work there.

AUTHOR: Steve - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Tuesday, November 15, 2005

didn't you work for Debt Free before that? If this is you...why did you prank call that company after you quit? LOL Hope all is well and glad to see people fighting that evil empire/ "sweat house" shack house. What a joke. Everyone who goes over there high on life believing that is the job to work...ends up furious and drained after working there. Very sad. Oh, lets not forget Miss "O"ndrea Watkins.....the ultimate recruiter! Lady now does hiring there. She worked other jobs and actually recruited people on those jobs to go to UOP!! Wow..solicitation at its finest! And the woman got paid for the referrals!! Can you say the UOP Draft?? LOL

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#5 UPDATE EX-employee responds

To Jana "easy to lose accreditation", you are simply wrong

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Obviously you did not get my point when I said save your fingers on pointing out the corrections that my entry needed. I did not edit it before submission. If you are telling me you type everything out perfect the first time you are full of it.

With regards to your statement about "easy to lose accreditation", you are simply wrong. If it was easy, they would have already lost it. They have had multiple instances where the HLC has required them to make changes to their programs in order to keep their HCL affiliation. The problem with UOP is that they are a CASH COW! A billion dollar liquid surplus is a nice cushion to fall on when you are constantly lobbying and fighting legal battles to keep your business on top.

With regards to your statement about inflation, some estimates are 3% while others say 4%. Regardless, tuition increases at most universities reflect the expense involved with operating the courses themselves. When you look at the profit margins by which UOP opperates, you would know that $1475 for a bachelors course, with an annual or bi-annual increase of 6-7% is not needed and is driven by greed. The courses, including the cost of paying employees, setting up the course and paying the instructor, is 1/2 the cost of the class. This means they operate on a nearly 50% profit margin. You mention that operating costs increase annually, this is true at most businesses. However,lets look at something like cost of labor. Most organizations provide an annual 3% cost of living increase, thus resulting in a higher operating cost for the organization. UOP does not do this. UOP's starting salary for EA's has been static for 15 years. No increase. Infact, they are now in the process of reducing the pay of over 60% of the workforce (EA's) by 10% every 6 months and calling it performance based. If they are not having trouble hitting their budgets for shareholders, why are they increasing prices, and decreasing operating costs?

Yes I work in the education field and yes I am educated. Even if I was ignorant, my time with the organization and the level I had reached internally allows me to know things that you simply do not know. In that alone with regards to UOP, I know more than you do. And Yes, I think people who point out other peoples typos to feel superior are "tards".

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#4 UPDATE EX-employee responds

Get out now

AUTHOR: B - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 27, 2005

I understand that you and your husband are going through hell. I worked there so I know what youare dealing with. Yes, the degree is a "degree". However, it is not recognized as being legit by many people inside the industry. if you plan on using the degree to advance your career, you better hope the people you are interviewing with wen to UOP or they will not consider your degree valid. Look at it this way. UOP is the Ford Pinto of education. Yes, the Pinto was a car and yes you could drive it. However, do a cost benefit analysis. The BS degree at UOP is $1475 per course. At 40 courses to complete a degree you are spending upwards of $50,000. Would you pay $50K for a Pinto?

Transfer now. Go to Walden Univeristy, Strayer University, or Capella. They all have great online programs and do not try and bankrupt you.
Good luck

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#3 Consumer Comment

A Valued Degree

AUTHOR: Lloyd - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Wednesday, July 27, 2005

I hear that major corporations and fortune 500 companies do not recognize degrees from the UOP. I personally have not been able to make my UOP Bachelors in Management degree work for me. I ended up having to go for a masters from another school that had a lot more clout.

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#2 Consumer Comment

Are you telling me it will be worth nothing to employers?

AUTHOR: Terri - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Saturday, July 23, 2005

My husband and I are going through hell with these people. He is going for his Bachelor of Science in Business/Management. Are you telling me it will be worth nothing to employers? Thanks! Mrs Max

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#1 Consumer Comment

Some concerns about your rebuttal

AUTHOR: Jana - (U.S.A.)

POSTED: Thursday, July 21, 2005

Hi there. I can definitely sense your frustration. I'm currently pursuing a doctoral degree in higher education administration, and while some of your concerns are valid, some are true of any higher education institution.

In all institutions, accreditation is only reviewed every few years--not annually. Accreditation is easy to lose, especially in online or other nontraditional programs. And advance notice of accreditation visits is always the case at all institutions.

Tution increases are always the case, at all institutions. The average nationally is around 4% per year. Yes, costs of operation to increase yearly, so the inflation is not merely for increased revenue.

I'm also confused why someone who has worked in higher education (and thus is probably educated) would use a phrase like "you tards" and other grammatical errors.

Overall, valid concerns with several areas--advisors paid on commission, unpaid overtime wages, etc. But some of your points could be helped with additional research.

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