As a graduate of the UOP MBA program, I am concerned with the value of my degree, due to some this negative publicity. When I began the program, I knew that the value of the UOP degree was not equal to that of an Ivy League degree. While there were flaws with the program at the UOP, I would say that my overall experience was positive. There were also flaws with my undergraduate program from a more �traditional� institution. Moreover, I gained practical knowledge during the MBA program that has helped me provide the leadership required to turn a small company around financially and operationally.

I do not understand the need of some to besmirch the reputation of the UOP and the Alumni. There were some differences in the quality of both instructors and students. I would argue that this would be true at any institution.

The unfortunate reality is that this type of journalism may prove to be harmful to the future of those individuals who have diligently studied at the UOP and graduated. The New York Times is widely read and these misconceptions may become part of the landscape in the future.

I am a former employee. I quit working at UOP a few months ago. I worked as an Enrollment Counselor. Most of the Enrollment Advisors I worked with got into the job because they love helping people and believe in higher education.
They had no idea it is a cut-throat sales job. I truly believe the idea of UOP is a good idea and it started out strong. However, I agree that it has gone downhill. It has changed drastically for the worst even in the last 5 months I was there.

I was employed there for over 3 years. I think that they set their sights on growing at a rapid pace and dominating the educational market, especially with other for-profits and traditional universities offering online options. It was a quantity over quality matter. The pressure from the very top, who yes, are dealing more with shareholders and Wall Street, trickles down to upper management and then to each campus and each staff member.

The pressure to get enrollments is incredibly high. Most EC's are incredibly stressed out, feel very undervalued and are told to enroll students no matter what. Do I think that there are people that got a decent education? Yes I do. I even was an MBA student for 1/2 the courses. I do feel like I learned a lot and writing the papers were grueling at times. However, I would also agree that in several of those classes I got little feedback and got an A no matter the quality of my work. I even didn't turn in an assignment once and on my feedback for that week I was told I did an excellent job on that assignment and got an A. A paper I never turned in! I corrected the instructor and turned in my paper late. I wish I would have never said anything, but I have ethics and morals.

I feel like I had to detox from that place. I think there are some great people working there and some wonderful instructors. But the instructors and staff are treating so horribly, that is why there is high turnover and poor customer service. They don't even higher enough staff support to cover the amount of students which leads to holes all over the place. I think if they would have slowed down a bit, focused on retention of students and the quality of their curricula they would have increased their reputation, stayed steady.

Instead they were greedy to grow and increase profits and now they will have to do major Public Relations CPR. I never understood how they could get away with not being found out that they completely pay based on enrollments. They do. They have a matrix that has a number of people you must enroll within a certain number of months. They also judge on customer service and how well you work in the team etc. As an employee if your number isn't where they want it, they score you low on those others because "how high your enrollments are reflected in the other areas you are scored on." For example, if you were to get 45 people "sits" in for your 6 month review and you only got 25, that would be considered poor teamwork because you are putting pressure on your teammates (other Enrollment Adivsors) to make up for the loss of your numbers. So in the end, the matrix is crap... it is just a decoy so they can pay based on enrollments and squeek by the Federal Government's laws on Title IV funding.

Hi, Dave! I have never taken a course or taught at UOP; however as a 33 year vet of Entrepreneurship I can tell you that my Masters program in Public Relations & Advertising at the University of Illinois was valuable for one reason - on-hands experience with real companies like Pillsbury, Goodyear, etc.

Today's education needs to be more hands-on! One of my partners in business currently teaches Entrepreneurial Studies at Western Carolina University because of his background of having been involved in over 20 startups! Who would you rather have teaching you - someone who has been teaching for years or someone on the front lines?

I think with my past seven years of Internet Marketing experience we should consider starting an online University that teaches Internet Marketing, blogging, copy writing, advertising, public relations, etc. I also have over 25 years experience in video production and 10 in TV production. This university could be totally Internet based. I just noted that all incoming University of Georgia students will be getting Ipods! Don't most of the universities today have the entire campus Wified? Do you think students are going to be sitting in boring lecture classes much longer? I don't think so!

By the way you are REALLY good! I saw you this past week at the videos online of the Affiliate Summit! This is what students like myself want to hear!

Hey Dave!

Thanks for blogging about the article. I have posted my experiences with UofP before and I have to say that while the NY Times article may be biased, my experience with UofP has not been that different than the author of the article reported. While at the UofP:

I have never felt like more than a number.
I have never felt like a valued student or customer.
I have never been treated like a valued student or customer.
I have never had an experience that made me feel as though the university walked its own talk of catering to working adults. I have been spoken to and treated as a child. Example - everytime I call to speak to an academic counselor or financial aid counselor, said counselor has a note to speak to me, just had a meeting about my exact issue, or was just thinking about me. This ESP is amazing.

My learning experience has been positive for the most part, and I have been lucky to have great facilitators more often than not. I have worked hard and again, the facilitators I have had have, for the most part, been tough.

The sticking point for me is always with the administrative side of things. I cannot get a return phone call until I am to the point of writing strongly worded letters, emails, or on the phone asking for a superior. It is ridiculous.

Before I am accused of being high maintenance, I have stayed on top of my academic and financial responsibilities and do not expect a hand holding in order to get through this process. What I expect is an answer to financial questions such as when do you need me to complete my next loan application so that you can get paid? What paperwork do you need so that I can enroll for an additional degree (and give you more money)?

These are simple questions, which benefit the bottom line of UofP, and questions that should not require my chasing someone down during my working hours (which is the only time to reach anyone at UofP, how's that for catering to the working adult?) so that I can graduate.

I apologize for the rant, but the thing that frosts my cookies most about the UofP's rebuttal is that not once does the rebuttal address the issue of student dissatisfaction! What I have learned from the UofP is that I am a stakeholder in their business, perhaps the second most important since I generate revenue for their shareholders, UofP's most important stakeholders. If I am dissatisfied, will not return for another degree, and will not refer other revenue generators, how does the UofP expect to grow profits for shareholders?

I am disgusted by the whole thing. I feel like a fool who should have seen this coming - I've been living it for two years and have another eight months before I'm free of this albatross.

If you ask me, Bill Pepicello should be ashamed. I will not pursue my graduate degree with UofP. I would rather light my money on fire or dive into the shallow end of an empty swimming pool.

Sorry for the rant. Clearly, I am fed up.
Ann

Sorry Dave,

To answer the second part of your question, traditional universities do fail to meet the needs of professionals seeking education because it is not their focus nor the demographic they wish to draw. The focus of traditional universities, in my view, is the younger student who needs and wants the social and cultural benefit of a traditional four year institution - it is no doubt a huge benefit for the young adult who has not entered the professional world and needs the exposure such a model provides. Working professionals, i.e. working adults, do not have the same needs and do not benefit from the traditional construct.

I'll be quiet now.
Ann

This school is awful!! They only care about profits and could really care less about it's students and education!! It is over priced and offers a very poor education. Check out www.myuopmistake.com
to learn more

A NIGHTMARE OF DISREGARD
The text following is from a message I have sent to various legislators, Federal Trade Commission Office of Consumer Affairs, and the US Department of Education, among others. FTC-CA posted it. DOE is investigating further. I also recommend anyone with problems contact Common Cause. Apollo Group has a PAC. Common Cause monitors campaign contributions. What follows is identical, typos included. (If the moderator chooses to "edit" I ask some indication included of where and how much. The DOA considers this a formal document now):
----

My name is Peter John Stone. I am a news editor of a small publication called �The High Country Trader� in central Colorado. I am writing this because of my recent experience with University of Phoenix Online, where I signed up for a Master�s Degree program under the umbrella of a student loan for which I partly qualified because of my status as a veteran (US Army, Field Medic 1985-1988, ROK & Ft. Lewis, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster/Expert Field Medical Badge/Good Conduct Medal/
E-4 at end of service).
I had hoped to offer my readers a nice story about the usefulness of this program. Instead I found a nightmare of disregard that took advantage of my status as a working adult and veteran, and literally mocked me as a consumer. As this complaint involves matters of my being a veteran, a consumer, and a dedicated student, I am sending this to numerous entities I think may have an interest.
This company does not deliver what it advertises, sets up policies that make it more difficult for working adults to resolve disputes, and seems only concerned with exploiting students to access the tax dollars for which they qualify as veterans. In my book the latter borders on treason. Particularly, it takes no responsibility for its own technical difficulties, and does not allow students to resolve issues on this in a reasonable time frame for them to choose whether or not to continue studies before this resolution.
I greatly resent that their misrepresentation of what they offer, their unwillingness to admit error, and their policies and procedures excluding dealing with issues when they arise, may leave me owing for one class and affect my qualification for this same loan in the future. I got taken in by their false claim that they care about helping working adults.
The details follow:

I began taking a class, as part of a course of study, in early January, 2007. I immediately had problems, as I had started access right on the day the class started, and had little time to prepare. Though I had been told that the week ran Tuesday through Monday, yet I soon found that most students seemed to treat it as a Monday � Friday week, which left me actually starting late relative to other students.
When I downloaded the syllabus it somehow did not save completely. While it did not have everything I expected, it had nothing indicating its incompleteness (page 1 of XX for example). While I did realize other students knew things I did not, and I occasionally posted �What am I missing?� questions, I did not know that I missed anything until I missed an assignment.
In addition, a couple of times I could not log on when I needed to. This was not a problem on my end. I could not even contact tech support, as I only had the info online and could not access it. It was a problem on the University of Phoenix�s end. I am a working adult with limited times to work on the assignments. I had been assured that the process was designed to help working adults, not hinder them. This was like going to school and finding the door closed, yet the school would not accept any responsibility for this. I did call tech support after the fact to get a ticket.
This happened twice in the second week, seriously interrupting my schedule, and limiting what I could post and write. Ixpressed an interest in dropping the class and staff talked me out of it. I redoubled my efforts, trying to make up for what I had lost, realizing that with all my effort I might still get the �B� I needed to keep up my student loan. I posted a lot. The fifth week I again could not get access on two occasions when I needed to. On one of these occasions, as a working adult, I did not have time to call tech support at all. On the other occasion I called, was told there was a forty minute wait, and figured that if there is a forty minute wait, they know there is a problem. As a working adult, I did not have time to wait forty-minutes. My need to
When again my complaints met disregard, I just stopped trying to go to class, as all it was at this point was an unnecessary stress, since I could not and would not get an acceptable grade anyway.
Throughout all this the effort seemed to be to put off doing anything to support my request. Eventually a man named Chris Fisher (sp?) said he would try to help me. He complimented me on how much I�d posted. I said, yes, I�m an exceptional student, and I greatly objected to being denied the opportunity for my grades to reflect it. Then he said he did not believe I�d had any technical problems because I posted so much.
First, getting on all the time to post responses to discussion questions is different from getting on when I need to for research in the library to finish my report. Second, I greatly resent being called a liar when one occasion there was a forty-minute wait, so there was clearly a system problem on their end (unless they routinely state there is a forty-minute wait to keep calls down.)
The only apparent dispute resolution available was after the grades came through, a process taking two weeks or so. It means that people disputing a result might have to begin their next class before knowing the outcome of the resolution to ensure continued financial aid.
This all made sense when I opened the SallieMae documents and saw that the funds transferred to the school were for much of the course of study, not just this class. This means that as long as someone is enrolled with the school processing the loan, Apollo Group, Inc. gets to invest the float on about $10,000.00. It therefore behooves them to stall dispute resolutions as long as possible, even if it means the student has to �take a hot crumpet� as some Brits might say.
Nobody would refer me to anyone to resolve this until after the class was over. After the problems the second week I stated that I would be appealing any grade I got, and requested them to contact me. They did this after the class was over. By then I had done this, but I had to go through Apollo Group and play my press card to do it, which means however this resolves, I will be writing a story about it. It also means that students without that sort of leverage don�t stand a chance.
My situation is currently awaiting resolution, but I find this completely unacceptable use of government funds, especially associated with veteran status.
If I am having this kind of trouble, what kind of problems must undergraduate students have? They don�t know shoeshine from wood stain when they�re freshmen.
------
FOLLOW-UP: It has been three weeks since I was last told to expect to hear something in two weeks. They have held onto my funds as long as legally possible without resolving a simple complaint: I went to school, the doors were closed, and they penalized me for it.

Peter John Stone
Dillon, CO

Hello, I am currently an undergrad student at UOP due to graduate in a year. I have to say, after reading numerous of articles about UOP, I am beginning to worry. I had hope to continue my studies at UOP in their MBA program, but I may opt to finding another school. I guess there is always Webster U. Aloha

As a student of UOP for 2.5 years, I have never felt that the UOP was going to bring me great wealth or change my life forever; a degree from UOP was merely a stepping stone to the next level. I worked 10 years and obtained IT certifications prior to enrolling at UOP. Prior to enrolling, I made a plan. UOP was going to help me obtain a BS quickly, and I would enroll in a state school that was less expensive and more respected in my area (also a Division 1 school). I have friends who have a BS or BA from a "traditional" school, and struggled to find good paying jobs out of college. Just because you have a degree, doesn't mean you will find a great job. In today's day age, having a degree is not enough. In addition to a degree, job experience and certifications will likely set you apart from your competition.

The best advice I can give is research the institution you choose and have a plan during and after graduation. Don't just accept the first answer from a counselor, verify what they say and challenge them. After all, that is their job.

The most valuable lesson I learned from my BSIT degree at UOP was not how to write a SQL query, but to be proactive about issues in business, education, and in life.

Cast University of Phoenix as the "traditional" university, and the traditional universities would never get accredited.

by Justin Halter, University of Phoenix faculty member and administrator.
February 15, 2007

Scene: accrediting board room, where a traditional-school representative is making his presentation:

"Ok, we are a new school and we want to be accredited. Here is what we are going to do:
First of all, we will TURN AWAY at least 60% of the people who apply.
We will offer NO HELP getting the students registered. If they can't acquire the forms, get the signatures, and wait in long lines on their own, too bad for them.
We will make each class FOUR MONTHS LONG. Actual assignments will only be due every month or so. But it sure looks impressive, doesn't it!
We will offer no help keeping them in class. If they can't keep their lives together with no interruptions for months at a time, screw 'em! If they drop, we will NOT CALL THEM BACK to see what was wrong or to help them in any way get back into school.
We will offer TWO OR THREE START DATES. In the whole year.
We will offer classes only during NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS during the work week.
We will hire teachers only among people who have NEVER ACTUALLY WORKED IN THE FIELD.
We will NOT MEASURE the teachers on teaching effectiveness.
We will NEVER MONITOR or visit the classrooms
And, we will let teachers teach whatever they want, with NO OVERSIGHT by the University.
After a few years, we will give teachers a permanent job-security guarantee for life, as long as they write a book or two, or at least a couple articles.
We will put students in MASSIVE LECTURE HALLS in groups of hundreds.
Most of the "teachers" in those lecture halls will actually be fellow students. We'll call them "teaching assistants", mwha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Ahem, sorry, back to the our accrediting presentation...
We will keep the actual teachers as highly shielded from the undergraduates as possible, so they have more time to write their books and order their assistant-book-writers around, whom we will call graduate students.
We will make it so that getting a graduate degree is mainly a political exercise in servility, and if a graduate student fails to please his faculty OverLord, his work will be rejected. Actually, we may change that OverLord title to something more user-friendly, maybe Committee Chair or something innocuous....
We will get 80% of our operating funds from GOVERNMENT HAND-OUTS. We definitely don't want to be subject to consumer choice, as you can probably tell by now, hehe...
We will give free educations to certain entertainers, but only as long as they allow us to keep all the proceeds from their performances, such as football or basketball games. If those entertainers dare accept a cent out of the millions of dollars they are making for us, we will throw them out!!! Ha ha! This is brilliant, isn't it!
Speaking of money, we will constantly hit up our graduates for donations. We will collect their donations into massive investment pools that grow into multiple BILLIONS of DOLLARS! This will help remove us from consumer pressures, and we can raise all of our salaries to astronomical levels. I am telling you, man, this will be a cash cow for all of us! Yet, we will be considered “non-profit” so no one can accuse us of being evil capitalists! Pure genius!
And get this, we can use some of our billions of endowment dollars to help some students pay for their outrageously high tuition, and people will actually thank us!
Hahahahah, I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but we have done some focus groups, and we are confident this will actually work. So anyway, how does that sound? Can we get accredited?"

"Ahem, well, that is an interesting proposal. It certainly would set up a highly profitable scam, by which citizens are given a substandard education and bilked out of a lot of money. However, thanks to what schools like the University of Phoenix have traditionally done, we know what a good education looks like:
Small class sizes taught by highly educated and trained faculty who are also practitioners in their fields.
Focused classes, with intense efforts over short time periods, involving teamwork and lots of student interaction and participation.
Class starts offered weekly, during accessible times, at accessible locations, including online.
Lots of student support, with multiple counselors assigned to each student, to help with registration, financing, scheduling, and any other difficulties that arise.
Standardized and quality-checked curriculum, with active monitoring of learning outcomes by the University.
Programs and degrees that are highly responsive to consumer needs and the needs of a rapidly changing economy, not dependent on or demanding political hand-outs.

What you traditional-school-proponents offer is a mockery of education, and to support it would set higher education back by centuries. Your accreditation application is denied."

As I read the comments about the University of Phoenix, I was surprised to read that many other people have the same complaints that I do about this school. I have completed a year through the school and for the most part I have been happy with the instructors and the education I received. The problems I have encountered are from the administration end of things. I was first lied to by the recruiting counselor. I was told that the classes I needed to attend would all be held at the campus near my home. This was a big issue to me because both my husband and I work as well as take care of our five boys. After attending my second class, I found out that I would have to be traveling over 30 miles to do my core classes. When I addressed the administration about the misleading information given to me by my admission counselor, an apology was provided but that was all. This same counselor made the same empty promises to many other classmates too.
The financial counselors also seem to have trouble telling the truth too. My husband is now in collections through the school because no one could help us when some personal problems arose. We were always told to talk to someone else who would then tell us to talk to someone else until we had done a full circle and ended back to the original person. Very few employees seem to know what they are doing and even fewer take ownership of their job responsibilities. This leaves the student alone. The ironic thing is that the students are the only reason that this University stays afloat. Without my thousands of dollars and the money from other students, this “for-profit” business will cease to exist; yet the student is the least valued person at the University of Phoenix.
If it was possible to move all my credits to another university, I would. The cost of my education is higher than other universities and the support I receive from administration is almost nonexistent. The problem is I found out all of this information too late and my only hope is to get through this as soon as possible so that I can repay all the student loans. Will I finish my Masters at this school? I only need to be burned once to know to stay away from the fire.
The school sends a computer survey after each course asking the student to comment on any problems. Each time I was honest and told of my satisfaction with the instructors. I also told of my complete dissatisfaction with the administration. I was never contacted even though I marked that I would like to be. The survey is just a pretense that the university uses to mislead the student into thinking that they are valued. Just give the same student a few problems that require administration to be involved in their education and this same student will soon see how unvalued they are.

I forgot to mention most of my professors have Master's degrees from traditional universities, and some even have PhD's. Also, there is a professor that has an MBA from Harvard.

I'm sure there are some horrible professor's, and I've had my share at UOP, but I have also had very intelligent and good professors.

I do agree the school does a satisfactory job at taking in people who are not mentally prepared for the workload. However, UOP cannot be completely blamed this, if an adult is not truly ready to take on the demands of college, perhaps he/she should not be in college.

Dave,

I just had to weigh in here, too. I always wondered if my experience at UOP was unique - I guess not!

As for the classes - my instructors were always TOP NOTCH and I took away valuable lessons - and from nearly EVERY class, I use data that I learned on a regular basis (and I attended 5 years ago)

HOWEVER - when it came to the administration - it just SUCKED! They were very helpful when I was signing loan papers to get started -- but at the end of the first year -- they were just Nasty, unresponsive, unhelpful and downright RUDE. I'll spare all minute details - but after weeks of trying to resolve the issue, and being verbally "beaten" by a financial advisor there - I dropped out. (So I am a member of the majority - for the first time in my life :p)

Thanks for posting the information and giving me a little real estate to vent.

Be Well!

Michelle

I have to agree with Brew, I am in the MBA program and have noticed class mates who are not ready to put in the hard work and effort required and are quick to blame the instructors and the school. UOP is REAL WORLD the more effort you put in, the more you get out. The tools are there, they just have to be used.

I would have to agree with almost everyone here. The classes are pretty demanding. I know that because I am in the Masters in special education. I am currently in student teaching now. In my opinion, administration is always terrible. It seems to be nothing but politics. But, that is everywhere. There are some classmates that do not seem to participate. However, they are more or less weeded out by the workload. Towards the end, most of the people in my classes have been in my classes before. That is a major advantage.

There are other advantages:
1. You do not have to take classes that are not going to be used in your career like you do at traditional schools.
2. You can work at your own time. If you are finished with assignments, you can post them early.
3. Communication is constant among classmates

Disadvantages:
1. Classes are crammed.
2. You have papers to write during student teaching, which should not be the focus of that field experience.
3. It is expensive.
4. You do not get to see your classmates.

My point is that there are pros and cons to online and traditional education. My suggestion is that if you assess better by writing, you will benefit from the program. However, if you are not a good writer, the UOP program may not be a good idea. It also depends on what you are trying to study. If you are going for fields such as computers or medicine, the program may not be for you. If you are going for business or education, it may be. It seems like most of the problems lie with administration and not the education.

I have been with Axia of University of Phoenix for a little over a year now. I will have my associates degree in September. I plan to continue until I have my masters.
My experience there has been very positive. I had one issue that was resolved quickly. Ever since, I have been treated very well. My councelor calls me every block to check up, that never happened at the traditional college I went to.
I feel challenged by my education and feel that anyone else should be too.

Maybe these skeptics should try completing a math class online..

I have read the NYTimes article, and have studied the UoP PR memo that I found here. I think that Terri Bishop should have provided a brief overview of the lawsuits and violations. One has only to find and study them in order to see that they do not pertain to the quality of the schools' programs. Most people will not take the time to do this.
The Apollo Group/UoP has no monopoly on the traditional corporate practices of circumventing laws and regulations, buck-passing, and CYA. This does not justify such acts: but, again, the courses are not affected.
The customer service complaints do not surprise me. In a corporate environment such as the one that must exist in this company at this time, solutions are not always the order of the day. It is an employee relations problem. Unfortunately, the mood of the workplace can lead to poor job performance.
Inattention and unresponsiveness are found in all types of teachers. The causes can be anything: negligence, circumstances, personalities, and simple oversights. I have had no problems of this type to date. As far as awarding undeserved passing grades and As goes, Dave Taylor has taught for the University of Phoenix. Perhaps he could let us know: Does the school require or encourage such actions?
I am a relatively new Axia student. The course materials and resources are more than sufficient. My classmates and instructors are not substandard. My advisors return my calls and e-mails. I have no complaints about my experience with the school as yet, except that I am reluctant to tell people where I take classes. When I do let someone know, I have a standard reply to the reaction: "I am learning, so I will stick with it."

Rather than answering your second question, I will refer you to the Commission on the Future of Higher Education's A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U. S. Higher Education. The AAUP responses to the report are also interesting.

I go to UOP, well the online classes anyway. When I talked to a college near my home about tranfering my classes to this college, they were a bit leary of doing this. Some colleges only accept certain trnasfers classes in place of others. I'm just working on my AA since my husband is post-liver tranplant and I can not go to a traditional class at the moment but eventually I will. I am terrified of what I have been reading and feel a bit lost at this point. I'm going to finish my AA but there is a chance that nobody will allow me to work for them after they see where mydiploma came from.

I had the same awful feeling that was expressed by Carolyn, above, during my first set of classes. The only thing that got me through was the advice of a friend who has experience in education. She told me that if I was not learning anything, I should get out; but if I was learning something, I should stick with it. For nine weeks, her words were my lifeline as I sat at the computer and tried to block out all the criticisms of what I was working so hard to accomplish.

I received a message from a first-block classmate soon after starting the second set of classes. He wrote the he was "not going to be taking any more...classes." That was the final straw. Two days later, I submitted the following as my research essay topic to the instructor: The value of a degree from the University of Phoenix. Eight weeks and over ninety-five articles later, I am no longer hanging by a thread. Frankly, I am annoyed.

There is a tendency to use information about the corporate end of the school to malign the educational end. I am not an on-campus student, but the most common complaints I see about that program are the expectation of independent study and the lack of participation from members of the study groups. I am no expert, but it would seem that learning to overcome those obstacles would be useful training for the workplace. The same principle could be applied to the complaints about the lack of handholding in the online classes.

The corporate end of the school is not much different from most other large American companies. This is unfortunate. Mr. Sperling had a good idea for adult education in the 1970s. Perhaps, if he is up to it, he could come up with something similar for the corporate model.

Credit transfer is a recognized problem in the higher education system. The rules and requirements vary by school. There are no national standards. Credits from UoP are not the only ones being refused.

I could go on, but I have to finish the final stage of writing my paper. Since I am already in this program, I am throwing myself into the process of learning everything that I can. I will deal with the effects of the publicity later. I suggest that my fellow students do the same. Do not let these problem-oriented people get to you. Focus on solutions.

I am a student at the University of Phoenix and have been for the last three years. I must say that I have been very happy with the level of education and professionalism of the school instructors and students. I am a working adult, husband, and father and full time student. The concept of school Universities online will become the future lets not fool ourselves about this reality. The idea that working adults can get an online degree without going to a traditional school scares those social snobs around the country and world. Online programs offer better hands on and team oriented programs than those of traditional on campus students in my opinion. Traditional schools are incredible and good for some and online are the way to go for others. The argument that traditional schools offer online classes too is not giving enough information. Although they do you are unable in most cases to get your degree just through online like at UOP.

Ex-employees and disgruntle ex-students love to rant and rave because they hope someone will listen to their sad little story because they did not feel as special as they thought others should treat them. Wow, grow up and welcome to reality, and life is tough and quit complaining and suck it up. I just can not believe that grown people would act like children. University of phoenix has class sizes that focus more on the student to teacher ratio more than any other college I have attended, and yes I have been to traditional schools with large groups. Just because one sits in class for five to six hour a week in a large group does not make them a better student. In fact it seems more of an issue of not knowing your options in the world of education and real life time management. Yeah that’s right in the real world time matters and the management of that time is money. Try to use that type of mentality in the next big board meeting. One could start the meeting like this: Instead of getting a detailed brief four times a week that consists of small team interaction, and only take an hour four times in seven days lets take everyone in the department and sit them down and give them a three hour lecture four times a week out of the seven days. Sounds like a good idea, NOT. Who is running the company during all of this time of training that is packed full of employees with probably more than half not paying attention due to the size and distraction of others.

Grow up cry babies not everyone is going to hold your hand and make you feel complete and whole in your future especially in the real world of business. Learn to deal with issues like many do in traditional courses and online courses. I believe the real issue is the cry babies and not so much traditional Vs online schools. Yes if this hurts your feelings I am talking to you. Truth hurts.

The online environment has helped me develope as a leader and as a person. Education is just that education. Any attempt to do so should be hold merit and respect.

Ryan Marberry

LOOK - -if our lives were so perfect we would be in school fulltime, with mommies and daddies paying our fees and packing our lunch every day as we head off to class. However we are WORKING ADULTS and our lives are very different - we have demanding jobs, children, and perhaps are even responsible for sending our aging parents off their senior day camp every morning. We attend UOP along with many other working adults who desire an opportunity to expand their academic credentials and learn as a group along side similarly challenged adults. I have studied both in the US and Europe at multiple levels and am currently enrolled in the UOP Doctoral Program. I have acquired more knowledge in the past 9 months than I believed possible for this program. This knowledge has a direct application to my professional life – therefore I deem this program to be both useful and successful. I suppose we can say it is a matter of “...we get out of it what we put into it...” I see myself as a lifetime learner and assume full responsibility for my academic achievements and failures. The most positive aspect of the UOP learning environment is the concept of the learning cohort - just like in my professional environment - -no man is an island - and we either choose to succeed together or fail as individuals. WE are learning about leadership - either as leaders in front of the pack or behind, shouting encouragement to those among us who are having a hard time balancing the load of a particular class. This ‘balancing act’ is not dissimilar to the real life experiences of our work place, as we support our colleagues through the trials and tribulations of sick spouses, wayward teenagers, aging parents and even failed marriages. In turn we receive the same support with the common understanding that we are all on the journey towards the greater good of our class room, work place, organization and the greater community.

On a side note I have found the faculty to be OUTSTANDING - Doctors themselves, they bring to the class real life experiences, including their own professional failures which they are willing to share with us as a means to learn from their mistakes. Academic chauvinism will always be with us – what matters to me is the value of my education to me – do I walk away from the educational experience feeling confident and competent that I can positively influence my work environment, support and encourage further learning for my colleagues within my professional community, and ultimately leave the world a better place. Then the answer is YES – and UOP is valued added. BTW - -everyone hates the administration – it was something we learned in high school – blaming others for our own inability to understand the rules. No one said any of us were perfect….just perfectly normal!

I am a current Academic Counselor at the University of Phoenix and have worked there over a year. Everyone needs to know that the University of Phoenix does not care about breaking laws or acting immorally, they only care about not getting caught.

I am an employee of UOP and believe in the program and the concept. However, like many, the administration is largely absent and homegrown non-professionals. The homegrown-nature of how things works behind the scenes is difficult to convey and even more difficult to work with.

Agreeing with Jane Doe, the majority of conversation are about being under the radar.

Agreeing with comments about adjusting performance reviews down for not getting the enrollments. It happens to everyone, this is a practice that is unethical and unfair.

A degree is what you make of it, working in HR for several years before this, it is the minority that look at the school and make a judgment like tossing the resume. With as many schools as there are in the US, it is unlikely someone would make a blanket statement against one school without cause. If they do, you don't want to work there anyway; most likely they aren't good to their people and will burn them out first. The person is the value, the person does the work, the person creates their own success.

Do I stop believing in the program and the concept? No, I try each day to make it better for the students and hope that so-called leadership will make the needed changes to bring right the ship. It used to be right, not too long ago.

For any of you that think that it is okay to reject someone based solely on where they achieved their education, I have to say that it is NOT okay. I agree that it is the person and not the school. If you believe you earned the respect demand it. The same problems that exist at UoP also exist at any other school.

The Reasons I Chose UOP MBA
- classes are taught by the professionals who work in the field, not by academic scholars who write and talk but seldom interact in a real business environment
- I can learn while I am traveling around the world
- I can brain storm with teammates in real time online

If you want to be an employee, then go after the school which has the name.

If you want to be your own boss, I really don't think matters which school you go, as long as you gain the knowledge you set out to learn.

Oh, by the way, our current Secretary of Transportation is a UOP alumni. I think we should ask her who she chose UOP.

Oh well, for those of you who are worried about the value of degree, you really should not attend UOP, because UOP will give you the best real life experience in classroom, but not the name to impress anyone. However, I do believe that for those who seek the common identity of the mass, like a politian, actor or anyone who wants to be recognized one day, I truly believe that attending UOP will help your popularity, because millions will be graduating from UOP and that is the power of ID marketing!

I met an Indian man on an airplane who also studied in UOP. We chatted and we are now partners. Oh well, the fact that UOP is the most profitable school on the Wall Street should make you want to study MBA with them. Obviously, they have the best business model for their success. Does that make any sense to you? It does to me.

The choice is yours:
- worry about what others think
or
- follow your own heart

One day, UOP will be honored because of many celebrities alumni. Let's see...

Sorry for many typos, it is late.

I know that some critical guys will quickly jump on my typos...

Okay, I graduated from UOP with a MBA, now I am the owner of my company. You can be a MBA from Yale or whatever, but you are applying job with me? Do you ever ask yourself why?

Let me answer it for you: Mind set

You have the mindset of an employee who makes sure that you get into a good school so that you will have the best odds to get a good job. Because you think it is low risk and it is safe.

I have a mindset of a leader. I want to lead and I want to take responsibilities. I am not afraid of risk and I will go after my goals.

I will welcome you with open arms. However, for my fellow UOP buddies, please don't be caught up the name game. You are WHO YOU ARE. The school doesn't make you, YOU will make the school pride one day!

Good luck to all!

Sorry for my typos, my secretary is off duty. Haaaaaaa

As a current student of UOP, I have to say that I am pleased the university. I think that most of the negative feedbacks are posted from people that have experienced unfortunate events, but then again, who doesnt experience them at traditional universities as well. I can remember going to junior college and having horrible professors, ridiculous financial expectations, and lack of social groups in some classes. Here at UOP, I have to work hard for a decent grade, and sometimes i have to work even harder to finish a class, knowing that I can log on from the convenience of my home. Overall, I think that it is unfair to judge this college unless you have been to traditional school, and online school, and I can say I have done a bit of both because I am a transfer student. I think that it is a shame to put down any educational institution that is meeting all the criteria of all the traditional schools, and at the same time gives the oppurtunity for some people to finish their degree, who otherwise wouldnt be able to, because of a full time job.

I am a current UoP student. At first I was worried because there are so many webpages devoted bashing the university. However, my experience has been wonderful. All of my counselors are excellent, and talk to me like a person. Whether I need help with something related to school or just need to vent, I can stay on the phone with them for hours, and I have. As far as the education goes, the class difficulty level and quality of instruction vary from class to class. I can tell you that I have not had any class that I could just get an 'easy A' in, and that I have had to work to get good grades. Some professors grade harder than others, but every professor has taken the time to thoroughly answer all of my questions and help me to understand the class material. 2/3 of my teachers have held a masters degree related to the material they were teaching while the other 1/3 have held doctorates related to the material they were teaching. I only have a year left in my program at this point, and you would think that somewhere along the way I would have encountered at least one of the more popular problems you hear about... my finaid refunds have always been on time, I have always had to meet attendance, curriculum and classroom requirements, my counselors are never rude, my classes are not filled with mentally-challenged people, my instructors always grade my work, my participation and my effort. I am transferring to UC for my masters when I'm done here, and as it stands now 90% of my credits are transferable. So, from my viewpoint this university has done an excellent job in improving my life.

UOP online is a joke! You can't even compare this so called school to any regular University or College. If you can write a paper then you can pass with flying colors. These "teachers" are ridiculous. They don't teach the material but instead they facilitate the class. This is a drive up and pay for your degree "university".

I have heard that UOP online was easier than the oncampus or flexnet programs. Nevertheless, one has to take the time to write a paper. I have witnessed students receieve poor and failing marks on papers, so your generalization of "passing with flying colors" is untrue.

I have attended a Vocational School, a Community College, and now the University of Phoenix. I am not unsatisified with my education. They have had to pass the rigors of accreditation and have been around for 26+ years. With close to 300,000 enrolled students and an administration that I am sure is quite large it is inevitable that someone is going to be dissatisfied. I feel; however, that these few are quite immature to attempt to attack those who have been satisfied and have gained a valuable education and credential. If it didn't work for them, fine, they are more than welcome to go somewhere else. If they feel they were mislead they should have performed more research prior to making a decision. This is a $30,000+ endeavor, you not go straight to a realtor to buy a house (hopefully) you would perform the proper research to be "equipped" to negotiate with the realtor. For those that would not hire an individual soley on their status as a UoP graduate, your colors truly shine. There are many Universities and local Colleges that are offering enhanced, online, and weekend only class schedules. Look up okccc.edu if you dare to debate that. The school name is not what matters it is the effort of the student and the quality of education that does. UoP offers that quality and of course the you part is up to you. If you've had a bad experience, I am sorry to hear that. If you don't think this institution is for you go elsewhere, but do not try to ruin it for those who can benefit and have benefitted.

Thank You,

Michael Davidson
BS Information Technology August '07
AA Political Science
Vocational Degree in Computer Repair/Internetworking

P.S.
I am proud of my education and myself. I can perform and compete in the workforce. That ladies and gentlemen is what counts. Not name brand.
A+ Certification

I have just completed the BSIT program at UOP. The volume of people who find time to write negative comments about their experience is amazing. Perhaps there would be as many positive comments posted, but the people who are benefiting from the UOP experience do not have the time, because they are busy learning.

My working career began after completing 40 units toward an AS degree, and 400 hours in a specialized occupational program in aerospace mechanical technology. After 20 years, I realized an undergraduate degree was necessary to meet my retirement goals. My experience with UOP was very positive. The online programs offer working professionals a modern curriculum in an environment and format that works very well for busy, motivated individuals. In most cases, I was able to apply what I was learning in class directly to activities in my workplace. Because of this synergy, my learning experience at UOP was much more productive than my traditional learning experiences in the past.

Unsuspecting individuals may choose UOP for the wrong reasons, and be disappointed. If you are in a position to understand the administrative pitfalls in advance, take the appropriate amount of time, and expend the effort, UOP degree programs can be an excellent resource for obtaining a quality education.

I have been searching UOP's intranet and www, there is no contact information where to direct complaints or appeals to the Dean or to Student Appeals Committee. This is ridiculous. The administrative portions of UOP are very poor standards, how can the college improve if they don't know about the issues. Does anyone have a contact name, phone number and e-mail for the Student Appeals Committee?

Luke

I just started a BSIT degree at UOP. I have a friend who has already completed the same degree at UOP, and his experience was very good, that is
he studied hard and learnt a lot, and feels the effort was well worth it. His company also recognized the degree. Personally with just a few
weeks completed, I find that there is much for me to learn. I am studying with some great people, most of whom are employed in engineering positions.
Concerning support, I would say that I had too much. They wanted to explain everything, but I wanted to work through it myself.

Dave, I am a current student with UOP. I have read most of the blogs regarding UOP and must say that I have not seen anything substantive to support the New York Times article. Administration problems are magnified because of the distance factor; however, this has nothing to do with quality education. Quality education is a self discipline. The quality of the reading and tasks are very comparable. If students and faculty cut corners, it is no different from any other educational institution. I have had a great experience with UOP and the best part is that it accomodates me as a full time employee, parent, and student.

GM

UOP sucks said: "UOP online is a joke! You can't even compare this so called school to any regular University or College. If you can write a paper then you can pass with flying colors. These "teachers" are ridiculous. They don't teach the material but instead they facilitate the class. This is a drive up and pay for your degree "university". "

Did you even bother to think that writing papers is more difficult than taking tests? By the way, I just completed their Masters in special education two weeks ago and already have been called for 5 interviews. I also have received countless calls from around the country from people who I have not even applied to. BY THE WAY, I HAVE NOT EVEN RECEIVED MY DIPLOMA YET!!!Yes, it may be "easier" to write a paper as you say. However, I have written more papers for UOP then I ever had at any traditional university.

As an Enrollment Counselor with University of Phoenix in the Online sector, I have a few interesting insights. Do we have acceptance criteria? Not exactly. I spend a couple of HOURS speaking with a particular individual, reviewing their speech to see if they are linguistically at an acceptable level. I review WHY they need to go to an exclusively online campus. Today alone I recommended excellent traditional colleges to 4 different candidates because they did not have the mindset or dedication to fulfill this program. I assist them in filling out their application to the school; not to push them into anything, but to analyze their computer navigation skills, to see if they will pass...you get the idea...
For those of you who say it's a critical high pressure sales floor, you are half right. But the other half of the coin is, I dont get a raise or a promotion without an extremely high retention rate. Retention is valued equally as much as enrollments.
To move on to the crybabies, who have to send multiple emails and a couple phone calls to get in touch with somebody, HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO A TRADITIONAL COLLEGE?????? They dont even publish the phone numbers, let alone a specific contact. When my fiance tried to go to advisement to select courses a year ago, they gave her an appointment three weeks away!
For the comment that this is a "pay today, paper tomorrow" type of program, we are recognized as the #1 school in the nation for Online Learning, followed by #3 ranked in the world! Stanford University enrolls their faculty and staff into our programs for their degrees. So does Intel...So does Honeywell...are you recognizing a pattern here? OH YEAH! Major corporations are PAYING for the education of their employees at our institution. They recognize that we have the curriculum and skillsets that they want their employees to develop...if that doesnt say something, I dont know what will?
Oh, and for those discussing the "legality of commision among sales, NOPE!" I am payed on a salary, and I will receive an increase based on my job performance and quality of service, NOT HOW MANY STUDENTS I CAN SUCKER!!!!!

I was just accepted to a graduate program at Central Michigan University. My UOP degree was never questioned.

I am currently a UOP student and I am miserable.

My first complaint would be that certain aspects of my online education were misrepresented to me. I was led to believe that I could do this with the hours I was currently working and still have time to do the frivolous things like eat and sleep. Not true. I spend nearly every free minute off work at the computer working on my classes. I even eat at my computer. I am not a stupid woman, nor am I unqualified for college; I am a busy, working adult with a lot of obligations and this doesn't seem to fit any better into my life than a traditional college did. Except that I don't expend any gasoline to get to class.

I am in classes with people who are clearly not academically or educationally ready to be in college. Read through some of the posts on this page that are by past or present students and look at the errors in spelling, grammar, usage, and construction; I had expected to be in classes with people who were at least capable of writing coherent, cohesive sentences and paragraphs, but what you see here is the kind of writing that is accepted by the "instructors" at UOP. In the discussion sections of the site, we are supposed to be learning by posting back and forth with one another, but that's very difficult to do when you are trying to decipher what seems to be an essay written by a fifth grader. I'm not a snob, but I don't have time trying to figure out what others are trying to say so that I can comment on it since my grade depends on just that. No entrance exams and no standards for student abilities (that I've been able to discern) are not what one would expect from a reputable university, and I'm very disappointed about it. I am not learning much of anything from these discussions, but every time I read another substandard post from someone I am reminded that all this school cares about is the money, not the education.

I have had two sets of 9-week courses and am soon to start my third; that is a total of six classes and four of them have had "writing" in their titles. I feel like I am taking nothing but English classes. There is no teaching going on, just handing out assignments and then grading them. I've yet to have an instructor teach me anything.

Students are treated like high school freshmen for the most part. A written paper consists of "checkpoints" and a bunch of repetitious "avoiding plagiarism" crap (I've had three different segments on this, in three different classes) and then an outline, a draft and peer review, and a final version. It's my own personal opinion that an intelligent adult capable of college level work shouldn't need these checkpoints to keep on task. Outlines and rough drafts are simply excuses for the instructors to have something to grade since they don't need to teach you anything and since all you are expected to do is turn this junk in for grades.

Of the four instructors I've had, only one has offered any meaningful feedback. One I have currently seems to give canned responses that have nothing to do with the specific work I've turned in.

The administrative end of this school is a joke. That's all there is to say. Once they get the enrollment and the student loans and grants, you could keel over dead at the computer and no one would give a rat's ass.

There is no accommodation here for emergencies, either. I was in a position where for several weeks I was working 10 or more hours of mandatory overtime, and my regular schedule was completely destroyed. I was exhausted and had almost no time to do anything but work and sleep. I was even working on my days off, yet I couldn't even get a couple of days' extension on my assignments. I was told that "others are busy too, but they don't get special treatment." I don't consider asking for help so I can get 7 hours' sleep instead of 5 to be "special", but the college does I guess.

The funny thing is, the "sales" technique should have been a warning to me. I called in with interest in a 6-class certificate program and was high-pressured and cajoled into a degree program instead. The certificate course would be over in another couple of months, but now I have a few years of this garbage to complete the program. And frankly, I don't think my degree will be worth the paper it's printed on when I get it. I'm just sticking it out because I can't afford to start paying my student loans yet. If the time ever comes that I can, I'll quit.

And to the guy above who called people "cry babies," let me just point out that I am an adult with a full-time job, a family and a home to care for, and an above-average IQ. I'm not looking for a hand holder, but I am looking for individualization of my program, respect for my previous education, and some leeway and consideration for personal issues that may intervene in my schooling; I could get these things at a traditional college (and, in fact, have) but not at UOP. Just one more bit of proof that profit is more important than people to this school.

Right on Nancy. You have pretty accurately summed up my UoP experience. The final straw for me was my last instructor - right before I quit and ate the $500 fee I had to pay to drop. This facilitator was the most arrogant, self-impressed person I'd come across in awhile. It was a college writing course, and all he could think of to 'teach' us about was all of the wonderful writing he had done and who had published it. I actually challenged him online for beating up on another student, and he played the 'you can't do that' card on me. That was it for me. Left that farce of a university the same day.

What REALLY annoys me though is knowing that my tax dollars are contributing towards UoP profits to fund many people from the military to attend UoP, since UoP is clearly taking advantage of the government in accepting these students. I have ultimate respect for their serving our country, but the fact still remains that quite a few of them (as evidenced by many from the classes I was in) have no right to be attending college. How they even got out of high school is seriously questionable. I doubt there was concern on the part of the counselors and UoP about the student's ability to succeed, and quite frankly it wouldn't surprise me if they were pulling A's!

Hi I am a current student and education wise things are great. I have nice people supporting me and I am happy. I spend all my time home with my son who is sick from rickets and lead poisoning. I was questioning the credibilty of the school because of sites like these and it scared me to know that I may be just a pawn in a pyramid scheme. But I never thoroughly read the page before today. Talking about leaping before you learn to fly. And actually some of the pros outway the cons. But my question is honestly how many of you regret going and did you ever recieve your financial aid refund, because when I inquired about my financial aid status with my local higher education commission, I had none and I completed my fafsa. So I AM FIFTY FIFTY and I need all of you guys opinions and they all will be taken seriously. Help me to decide to leave before it's too later OR stay for the ride.
PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE HELPPPPPPPPPP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been a student at UOP since November of 2006. I am in the bachelors degree program of Accounting. I have never seen the issues that some of you have so it is hard for me to say "I agree, UOP sucks". However it is hard for me lately to say "I want to stay at UOP". Why? I do see the teachers only being facilitators. But then, I have to say to myself "This is an online class, how much more can the instructor do?" Yes, I do believe that the university encourages enrollment counselors to get as many students in as possible. However, many of us have found ourselves at other colleges (myself having been previously graduated from Columbus State Community College in Ohio) where at that time we also were in the presence of complete idiots who did not know how to write a paragraph or who did not know a certain formula for accounting (myself being one of those idiots in community college because it was my first time around and nobody in my family was in accounting). Those of you who stated that education is what you make of it and what you learn out of it are correct. I only learned what I have through my previous education (which I have to say was not as good as UOP and their administration was terrible) and my current position in accounting.
For those of you who have been upset with your experience, let me tell you about my experience(s) at community college. My first algebra class was a nightmare. The teacher did not care at all and he did not teach the class anything that made us want to learn. A lot of the class members failed, including me. That was the only class I failed at CSCC. I took the class again - and voila!- I received an A. This was because of the teacher and how it was taught- not the administration. HOWEVER, in order to receive my degree it became a nightmare. I was unable to attend the ceremony of graduation because of nerve issues, and I had to wait 2 months to get my degree (the actual piece of paper). I had to go into the office, and I had to make tons of calls to find out who to get it from. For all of you so eager to blame UOP, I would never put my money into that community college again. Like I said it is what you put into your education....

I read the NYT's article and was not aware of all the negativity surrounding UOP. I have been a student for over a year in the Bachelors program for Education. I have attended brick and mortar colleges and I can say that I find UOP more challenging then sitting and listening to a lecture, doing homework, and taking tests. I have had great teachers and some that have needed help.

My thoughts on that is whatever school you attend you are going to get teachers that you work well with and teachers you don't.

After my first class at UOP I said to myself this is a lot of work and my first impressions of what people had said about UOP had vanished. I find most teachers give feedback on the papers every now and then a teacher does not but at the end of the class survey I express my honest thoughts on the teacher. As long as I am learning I am moving forward.

Learning teams are productive but can be frustrating, I do learn from them as well because in the business world working in teams is what you do. UOP is built on the concept of working adults and so you find a way to make it work. I find it best to step up and lead to make sure the job is done after all my grade is important to me.

I don't know about the rumor that everyone has good grades. I don't make it my business to ask my classmates what their grades are. I know that I work hard and spend beyond the hours required and I go beyond the required postings in the classroom so I expect good grades.

I will not let an article like that sway my personal choice in a school since I am learning and developing the skills required for the education that I choose. UOP is doing the job that I asked of it. As an online student a lot of work is required of the student.

What I would like to see is virtual lectures available at UOP which I know is a reality since I homeschool and my children have virtual classrooms with their teachers. I would also like for the learning teams to meet that way as well. UOP is good but they do have some areas they can develop. Overall I am happy and I don't let the negativity get in my way.

I received my bachelor’s degree (BS/BM) from UOP and find that much of what I have read regarding the negative aspect of the college is, unfortunately, true. The grading leaves much to be desired and many students can get by with very little effort. I, however, was there to learn. As a returning professional, I had spent much of my early 20’s in traditional college classes and mostly out of lethargy, dropped out prior to finishing my degree. Although I’ve been a professional for 17+ years and earn a six figure income, UOP gave me an opportunity to return to correct my mistake. I learned a great deal in my business classes because they were relevant to my work experience and because I was mature enough to take responsibly for my own learning. I can tell you that as a student, the knowledge that you walk away with is solely up to you; regardless of the university you attend or the venue of the class. I have no objection about the quality of the education from UOP and have put it to real-world use. What angers me now is that the leaders of UOP are allowing the worth of their diplomas to be damaged because of their unwillingness or inability to address their persistent administrative problems. The issues I read about in this blog are the same issues I’ve seen for years and yet UOP prefers to defend their school with memos rather then change their approach. In business, ‘perception is reality’. If the perception is that UOP is substandard then that will be the reality that potential applicant face in the business world. The article in NYT doesn’t have to be true to do damage; it just has to be read. Like it our not; I’m vested with UOP since I have their name on my resume. Their reputation is part of my own. My advise; don’t go to UOP until they decide to aggressively address their image problems and make the necessary policy changes that are so unmistakably needed. You can absolutely get a good education at UOP, the learning material is universal, but if their reputation continues to take these types of hits; the degree will be worthless in the market place. Something I wish wasn't true.

Dave,Peter Stone makes a valid point. I enrolled last year with the University of Phoenix in hopes of comleting my BSHS degree in Human Services/Mgt.I enrolled believing that this was my best option in obtaining a degree, although I had my doubts about the effectivness of the Universities ability to meet my needs. The problem I encountered was when I was presented with the Math 208-209 courses. I not only had to pay for the book, which I could only obtain from the UOPH book store, I was totally unprepared for the coursework. When I asked my academic counselor if I could skip these classes until I completed my other work, I was told that I could not. Now I have read that some people who may have had better experiences with the university considersers themselves not cry babies, the time will come when you will reconsider those words. I regret enrolling with UOPH. If a student fails math, he or she must retake those classes, pay out-of-pocket, repay student aid for the failed class, before classes can resume.

If you figure they graduate about 70K+ a year. The world will be full of UoP grads by 2020. Sooner or later UofP will be dominant. Why wouldn't you want to be in the MBA program here at UoP. I mean, they are the number one private school on Wall Street. Hello wake up and smell the coffee. That has to count for something "smart n bright".

I worked as a facilitator with UOP-Online for a few courses. As so many others have pointed out, the student body has uneven skills. Just like there were truly excellent people who did great work, there were had several who couldn't even write a couple of coherent paragraphs.

The level of plagiarism is also significant. I didn't get any indication Academic Advisors were interested in addressing this problem, or take action to discipline clear cases of repeated plagiarism.

Unfortunately, UOP is slow at realizing that even if you get what you put in, the reputation of the institution also afects the way its graduates are perceived. The more the quality of the programs is put into question, the more employers will wonder about the preparation of the graduates. A good example is Intel's decision last year to stop tuition reimbursement for UOP (and some other schools') courses, allegedly in part because the degrees don't really help employees get promotions or advance within the company.

"...Intel is raising the standards in its tuition reimbursement program in a bid to create what Fisher calls a world-class program. Intel noticed higher-than-normal attrition among employees who had taken classes on the company's dime and set out to find out why.

A big finding: Some workers left or were planning to leave because their new degree didn't help them advance at Intel, Fisher said.

Competition is stiff for promotions and new jobs at Intel, with a top-notch education often a deciding point for those who score interviews, Fisher said. Plus, the company only recruits recent college graduates from first-rate, traditional universities. The new standards are designed to level the playing field, he said.

"We would be wasting their time and wasting our money if we didn't make sure that the education that they are getting can be used at Intel," he said..."

I've friends and collegues who are great professionals and attended UOP-Online. However, the quality of their degrees is into questioning not because of them but because of the clouds that surround UOP's education system. I know they worked hard for their degrees and are competent, but I also know that a significant percentage of other UOP students don't even have the minimal skills required to succeed in the programs they've selected, and those students will also graduate with the same degrees as my friends.

I took my undergrad degree from UoPhoenix. I'm just completing my Masters of Business Administration from Santa Clara University.

Some institutions work for some students, others do not. UoPhoenix worked for me.

Like any other student at any other school, I was frequently very frustrated with my school. I had administrative problems, billing challenges, good teachers and bad teachers.

UoPhoenix is neither better nor worse than traditional, on ground schools. It's different. For the thirty six year old guy that I was, it gave me something a traditional college could not. It gave me access to an accredited degree.

UoPhoenix isn't for everyone, but I'm happy to have had the opportunity to study with them. If they hadn't said "You can do it!" I might not have believed that I could. Hat's off to UoPhoenix, warts and all.

I graduated from UoP in July 2007 with a B.S. in Business Management. I chose UoP because we lived in Italy at the time (active duty military spouse) & I really wanted to finish my degree...I'd dropped out of traditional college because I hated going to class. I hate the snobby professors, the stupid requirements, & I hated going to class. A friend referred me to UoP; she had enrolled in the M.B.A. program. So I did a bit of research & signed up.

The truth of my experience with UoP is that I had good professors, bad professors, and even a professor that I filed a formal complaint about. I had a bad Academic Advising team, then raised enough stink to get a team that was actually helpful. I did notice that the team structure was trouble at first; not as many students were as serious about it as I was. This problem dropped off the more advanced the classes became. By the end, I was loving my teammates (I had the same group of committed individuals for my last 5 classes & we hung together), the classes were super-interesting & challenging, & my Academic Advising team was calling me once a week to make sure I was on track for graduation. I actually flew out to graduation in July, just to celebrate my achievement; it was fantastic.

In fact, when I decided to start an M.B.A. program, I got in touch with my academic advisor & she helped me enroll to ensure my Academic Advising team would remain the same; I'm now linked up with the same team I finished my B.S. with.

I can easily see how UoP can be critized; there are some things I'm not too crazy about. I can tell you from experience that my "traditional college" didn't give a damn about me. No one cared when I struggled & no one cared when I dropped out. But I'm 100 times the student I was before because I care more than I did originally. I learn a lot because this is an individualistic learning model. Yes, it requires discipline & interest, but sitting in a traditional classroom does not create that, you have to create it for yourself. Simply put, you have to want it bad enough to do it, just like anything else in life. I'm incredibly proud of what I, the college dropout & do-nothing, was able to accomplish & will continue to accomplish.

And FYI - the grading isn't always easy. I failed two courses during my time in the undergraduate program. Both math classes, because those are hard to learn online. And yes, I had to pay out of pocket to retake them...just like I did when I failed a class in "traditional college." There's NO SUCH THING as free money; you're going to pay for it somehow. So that's not even worth complaining about. It's standard to have to pay for a failed class out of pocket. at least in both of my collegiate experiences.

With my UoP degree, I got a much better job than I could have without it; I doubled my salary 2 months after I graduated. My friend with the UoP M.B.A.? She upgraded too, to the tune of a $10K increase in salary. In both cases, the interviewer highlighted our education. So I guess it matters that you have it, not necessarily where it comes from.

I like UoP because I make it work for me. It fits my lifestyle & what I want to get out of my education. And yes, I put a lot of work into it because I want to learn as much as I can since I am paying for it. I admit it's not for everyone. But I hate going to class. Checking into class in my pajamas is a great thing. ;^)

Dave,

I am a former graduate of UOP's business management and administration program. I was fortunate to complete my hard earned degree in June 1995 given my current work schedule. Prior to UOP, I had the opportunity to also attend the traditional schools and have found my experiences at UOP a little more enriching because the facilitors were more knowledgable and experienced with real up to date and current event information in the real business world in which we live. However, I do agree with most of the complaints in regards to their administrative practices. Unfortunately, if UOP don't get a handle on their administrative practices it will continue to be the demise of their earned successes of being the number one leader in ON-LIne education.

In reality, since UOP has found a nitch in the educational world and has done quite well, it has also forced a lot of our traditional schools to look into changing their some of their academic approaches to teaching in the real world . We know the saying, "adapt or distinct" and anytime we are forced to change there is going to be tension and fall outs. After all this is what revolutionary wars are all about.

In comparison to traditional schools I found that UOP business program was just as academically competitive as most schools. Interestly enough, while i was completing my undergrad business project with UOP, I had a friend who was concurrently completing their MBA thesis in the same discipline as mines, but at a different school. We began talking about all the grueling requirements that were expected of us and come to find out our school project and thesis assignment had the same criteria requirements and expections. The only difference was I was an undergrad he was a grad, I was a student at UOP and he was a student at USF which was a much more traditional school with an excellent reputable background. My point here is UOP's level of educational excellence and expectations is just as great as any other traditional school.

Just to prove my point once again, I am currently attending Chapman University(Walnut Creek, CA) for continued education. Chapman University is another traditional school with a good reputation of academic excellence. I have found my learning experience at Chapman University to be just as demanding and no different than when I was at UOP, moreover I had no problems with transfering my credits from UOP to Chapman University. Despite the bad reputation that UOP has amassed, my educational and learning journey has been well worthwhile. It is my sincere hope that UOP will begin to work on their administrative issues and practices so that their academic credability do not continue to suffer and marr the diplomas of those who have worked in earning a degree from their institution.

As a recent graduate from UOP's MBA program I have no regrets. As far as I am concerned a degree from UOP is as good as one from any other accredited college. I go by the school's credentials in terms of accreditation including program accreditation, and currently Univ. of Phoenix is in an elite group now that it has CHEA recognized business program accreditation. Aside from any personal objections that one may have against UOP, they cannot ignore the fact that Univ. of Phoenix has risen to a higher level of importance, despite attempts by unscrupulous individuals to cause it harm.

It's interesting you mention how when you got your degree in 1995 the education you received was good and the courses demanding.

For what I have read and seen, critics today indicate that quality has been sacrificed in the last few years to grow the university.

Maybe that's then correct. It was fairly decent before and for some reason the quality is now lower.

If Intel decided to stop reimbursement for courses taken at UOP (and other similar schools) there has to be a reason. A company of that size doesn't make such decision without careful analysis.

I think getting a degree through phoenix is ever harder. It much harder for most people to keep them selves on track and do what need to be done with out help. In a regular school everything is planned out for you and discussions happen regularly to help you understand the topic. Kudos to the self learners.

You bring up a good point. If to get a good education, UOP's students have to learn on their own, then what's the point in attending UOP?

There are many online programs that so call traditional universities are offering nowadays. Several of those programs actually place the videostreams of the campus lectures on the internet, so the online students can watch the lectures at their leisure. Pretty neat! Same education (instructors, materials, homeworks, etc) as if you were on campus, but asynchronous.

I was a University of Phoenix instructor for two years and taught 15 courses. I quit last month due to the terrible administration and unqualified students and faculty. Approximately half the students have no business being enrolled. Many students are incapable of writing an ineligible paragraph. Students expect to get an "A" and when they don't many complain to the administration. The administration then drops not too subtle suggestions that the instructor needs to grade "less harsh". About half of the instructors are unqualified to teach on the college level. Many don't even bother to read student's weekly papers, and just give the usual "A". The administration is a complete joke. Most avoid instructors, problems, or issues like the plague. I had to continue to re-introduce myself to the top two administrators because they had no memory of who I was. After about a year I just gave up and nodded when passing one of them. My advice: Don't waste your money. Go to a real college/university.

I have to weigh in on this very controversial and interesting topic. I am a student at UoP (Axia), I have been enrolled for a little more than a year and I am loving it!! In fact, I encourage others to join also! Where else are you going to get an accredited degree while you work odd hours? I am hearing many people say it is all about money with "for-profit" schools and particularly with the UoP, this my friend is an extreme overstatement, because that is the goal of all schools whether public or private, for-profit or non-profit. I don't hear anyone complaining when their "Ivy League" schools enjoy corporate sponsorships and millions of dollars in revenue due to merchandise sales. I have enjoyed my current studies and I hope I continue to. My sister attends a "good" local community college and she has more problems than I do with the adminstrative side of things. But, this is always a problem, no matter what. Everyone needs to get real and understand that all major universities and other schools are going online. Just because they had to "sit" though boring lectures does not mean that we as working adults who are taking advantage of our resources need to do the same!

My UOP experience was extremely positive and only have good things to say about the administration. Going to a fairly new campus in Oklahoma it seemed that they were really on top of things. Administration seemed to have had a pretty long lag time in relation to the time it took to get an acutal answer to your questions, but at my traditional four year university not only was the lag time long and sometimes non-exsitent, but one could never actually get an appointment to meet the person who was supposed to give you the answer to the question that you asked. At UOP it seemed that I just had to be persistent in my queries and I don't remember ever having to ask more than twice via e-mail or phone call before I recieved an answer. As far as the education goes I feel that my professors, for the most part, were extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their jobs. I was in the MBA program so all of my professors had thier PhD's and were either teaching at other local universities, including three division one four year programs, or they were major players in the private sector and brought extremely valuable and pertinent experience and advice for those in thier classes. This program may seem disappointing to those who attend this university, hope to show up for awhile, and get handed a diploma. There is an incredible amount of work involved and the time restraints are demanding, I turned in a paper via a cruise ship on my honeymoon!!!, but what I have found is that in the real world the ability to manage stressful situations, get to the root cause of a problem, communicate the solution to the problem to your peers, and actually implementing your plan and following it through will allow you to ultimately succeed and get noticed by your supervisors. The above mentioned qualities that it takes to effectively problem solve is what was promised by UOP when I enrolled and it is exactly what I took away from it 18 months later.

I attend UoP currently and must admit that I was also mis-informed about the "grants" and student loans. I was told that I was approved for a pell grant and that the student loan would only be used for small amounts that was not paid for by the grant, well needless to say I am now in debt to Sallie May, because they applied everything to the student loan and nothing to my pell grant, instead they sent me a check for the pell grant amount. I don't want to attend this school anymore, but feel trapped because I can't afford to repay the student loan right now. I think UoP lies and mis-informs students to make a profit. The enrollment counslers talk like car salesmen!
I didn't even want to take the course they enrolled me in, I initally called for info regarding a certificate course for medical billing/coding and ended up enrolled in a 2 yr plan, because of the bullshit they had stated about loans/grants. I haven't learned anything new, infact my 8th grader even states how elementary these courses have been.

I have multiple BS degrees from traditional universities and an MBA from the University of Phoenix (UP). Currently I own or partly own two separate businesses both of which are quite valuable. My experience with UP is positive. The work was tough and the instructors were helpful especially since most were business professionals such as me working at major corporations.

Some team members were problematic but that is the case with most any team effort. As with life, the greatest lessons are born from adversity not smooth sailing. One of my companies has an intern program with a traditional university and I can say that most of its graduate students are more lost than my peers at UP. I did feel some students shouldn’t have been in some of the classes but I’ve also asked how in the world some of the interns made it into grad school.

Ultimately I believe there four reasons for a college degree and I list them here: 1) experiences than can be applied in real world situations (UP has an advantage here with many traditional educators lacking any true business knowledge while UP educators are usually full-time professionals, 2) increased marketability as having a degree allows one to pursue more opportunities and generally increased compensation (this is a wash as the piece of paper is generally used for elimination purposes during recruitment and the value of an Ivy league degree is largely related to contacts), 3) improved job security since a degree allows you to keep a position while a non-degree holder might become expendable quicker or at the very least be used (this is a wash as well), and 4) initial employment (UP has an advantage in that self motivated individuals are more desirable than those that spent the last four to six years in Fraternities and/or Sororities; social club experience is nice but at the end of the day I’m looking for highly motivated self starters).

Anyway, if you subscribe to any of my reasons than simply choose which option best suits your objectives. You are kidding yourself if you think an Ivy league degree will help you get ahead on its own.

I am currently a student at UOP (online). I will have my Associate's in August. I have found the negative reviews of the school to be disappointing. During this past year I have learned a great deal from my instructors and classmates. I did have one instructor whom I questioned her ability to lead the class. However most of my instructors have been great. Yes, I did not attach a 100 point assignment and was notified after the time to turn something in late expired. I did check to make sure the assignment was posted and it appeared it was; however, I was in a hurry and accidentaly deleted it. I did talk to the instructor and she still gave me a zero. Was I upset with her or the school? No. After all it was my fault. I was more disappointed in myself. However, I think in some instances these experiences cause people to feel disgruntled and get upset when they don't get their way.

While I do have A's, I have had a few assignments where I have not gotten an A. In otherwords, I feel that my assignments are accurately graded. In addition, everyone is human and I would expect an instructor to make a mistake in a classroom environment of 20 people.

I feel that UOP has been doing a great job. Of course, there is always room for improvement, and the enrollment advisors are pushy but it is part of the business world. On-line learning is the wave of the future. Traditional colleges are becoming expensive. On-line courses are designed to help motivated and disciplined adults who are striving to better themselves. The classes are not for everyone.