University Of Phoenix, Axia College, Phoenix On-Line an instructor's point of view about the University of Phoenix Phoenix Arizona

The number of complaints from students about Axia college is understandable, but the lack of a substantial number of complaints by instructors is somewhat surprising?.

Axia College, Phoenix on line, what ever, is basically a diploma mill. Here is a so called university that has no verification what-so-ever as to who is actually doing the meager work requirement for their degree. Instructors have no idea who they are really communicating with behind that student computer they are connected to over miles of cyber space. There is not one proctored exam in any of the curricula. Would any employer hire such a graduate? But the instructors get conned as well and sometimes they are even more gullible than the students.

Take me for example. I worked for Axia College for almost three years. Why, so long, one might ask Well, when you are over 50 and have nothing else competing for your skills you do things like that. They impose an incredible work-load on their facilitators and micro-manage every aspect of the course you are facilitating. The school does not even give you the title of professor orinstructor they call you a facilitator ... some respect! And really, that typifies that whole Phoenix University experience.

You go through hell for a year before you get any real stability in course load, thinking it will get better. They usually let you teach a couple of courses at $1266 per 9 week course. You have to be available during so called office hours which amounts to about 20 hours per week and even that is not enough time to finish all of the work requirement. So. do the math: $1266 divided by 180 hours per course is about 7.00 per hour. Actually, if you teach math, it is more like 6.00 an hour when you figure all of the feedback that is necessary for their math courses. Doesnt really help much either, most fail the math courses anyway if they dont have a math tutor doing the tests for them. But, the Phoenix bunchs dirtiest trick to instructors is the raise carrot.

Supposedly, after 3 years of service, working for peanuts, you become a level two facilitator which amounts to a small salary increase. But wait! When it came within about 4 months of my three year anniversary date, the Axia "class monitors" began finding insignificant problems in my facilitation. I then became constantly harassed and threatened to be, in effect, fired. They gave me punishment courses to remediate my inefficiencies. Bear in mind, all along, they are ignoring all of the praise and thank yous from my students for my help and guidance. Some students called me to find out what course I would be teaching so they could get me as their facilitator. No matter to Axia! Now they had the perfect reason not to give me a salary increase as promised, plus, if I didnt like it, they have all kinds of replacements. I guess Masters degrees are a dime a dozen . I couldnt believe how many applicants they had when I first applied. There is a sucker born every minute. P.T. Barnum (1810 1891)

Gordon
Houston, Texas
U.S.A.