Northcentral University PhD Non-completion Prescott, Arizona

NCU was a great choice in its early years. I started right as it was accredited. As I progressed, maintaining a high academic average (and acceptance into the honor society), I has a series of five (5) dissertation chairs. Five! They quit, retired, moved to other roles...and the last one assigned had weak credentials in comparison with the ones I had previously selected. I made it to the end of the research courses. In the process (under the first chair) my dissertation topic was approved and I made it through qualifying exams. But strangely, NCU could not find the files after the change of chairs.... Then I missed filing deadlines for a research course (after having prepaid the research fees).

When I requested reinstatement, the admissions rep made many promises. But the Dean/Dina Samora) said I could only return by starting over, paying for and taking courses already completed! I had already invested YEARS and dollars, and wanted only to complete the process. Further, I would no longer be covered by the requirements set at the time of entry - new requirements would be in place, as would new and inflated costs, making the challenge even greater.

What happened to the approach of supporting students through the process that yields graduates - and satisfied customers? When there is consistent turn over (five chairs!) and an aggressive growth plan for the organization, the value of the customer seems to be downplayed. That was my experience.

They cannot take away from me all that I learned. But they could have an advocate rather than yet another statistic of incompletions.