If you are an instructor at Ai or any for-profit for that matter, I urge you to seek employment elsewhere. A lot of teachers like to think of themselves as separate from the shady business dealings that go on in the offices of admins and corporate stooges. You are not guiltless. By lending your name and reputation to institutions like these, you are giving them the last piece of the puzzle needed to swindle the unwary...the appearance of legitimacy. As instructors, we are the point of contact between students and the unethical sub-humans that are bleeding them dry. Remember that your paycheck (your "take" in this con-job) albeit small, is essentially gleaned from the pockets of the very students that naively look to you for guidance. I know the job market is rough, but there are limits to what a decent human being will do to earn a paycheck. Maybe you've skirted around the issue in your own mind, justified it, rationalized it to the point where it seemed palatable. However, we all come to a point where the incompetence, neglect, and flat out lies we encounter in the offices of our overlords make it clear that we never really ever worked for a school, but were in fact part of an elaborate scam. Every day I remained on the job after realizing that fact, I was accountable. Even if I wasn't directly responsible for misleading the students, my continued presence sent the message that the school was legitimate, at least legitimate enough for me to stick around and collect a paycheck. Every encounter with my students began to slowly chip away tiny pieces of my humanity. Eventually, I reached a breaking point and I quit. I hope the fates are kind to my students, because I know EDMC will show no mercy. When the men and women with even the slightest semblance of ability leave this organization, they won't be able to perpetrate this fraud any longer. The rats cannot run the ship without a capable crew.
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Run, run, run while you can. EDMC is sinking fast. The EDMC CEO, Mr. Ed West is stepping down, or being removed at the end of this month (August 2015). That's a disaster for the entire school system. These old people refuses to change to support the student outcomes and now, the entire system vhain of schools are heading to the grave yards SOON! I couldn't take it anymore, the lies to staff members, lies to students, false grades, poor student outcomes, rising cost, killing students financial aide as ND out of pocket cost, forced me to quit. These chains of school listed under EDMC, South University, Argosy University, Brown Mackie College and of course their baby, Ai, are all drastically declining in enrollments, student retention, and graduation rates. Cost are rising in an attempt to salvage the schools bottom line but it's not working. The talent levels on staffs has declined but the staff members attitudes have worsen and the poor, high debt students are feeling all of the problems.
DOE needs to immediately step in and salvage these poor students at EDMC schools before any additional damages are done. These poor students will suffer and suffer badly. EDMC chain of schools have a full leg in the grave while the other leg is broken. Give these schools 1 year and watch the massive fallout soon to occur. Closed doors are in sight for them all. There aren't any salvaging that can save this company other then closing all Brown Mackie schools and half if the remaining schools, then rebuild. However, the EDMC debt to its creditors is too massive. Close all of the doors and disappear is best!
I left years ago, have a great career now in a different field, but I feel your pain. At the time, I thought I was the crazy one for thinking this thing was a big money making scam. I started with the best intentions, gave my students the best but they will never know the BS behind the scenes. Since I was recruited by them as an outside expert, I didn't have a masters or PHD. They kept pushing me to get one through their own school because it would be paid for. My gut just kept saying this is not a school you will ever want on your resume. But the corporate overloads kept trying to brow beat me into submission by saying it was ridiculous not to take that opportunity and it will reflect poorly on your review as an instructor. Well look how things have changed, In the short term leaving was tough both mentally and financially. Long term, it was one of the wisest decision I ever made. And thank god that school is not on my resume.
Yes and if you need to learn more about professional integrity look us up on the world wide web at www.professionalintegrity@EDMC.com
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I left Ai to preserve my professional integrity. Too often I was commanded (never asked) to work miracles in the face of impossible obstacles. Reductions in support staff, diminished resources, network failures, recruiting students with obvious mental disorders... I owe my students my very best, absolutely. But I owe nothing to an institution like EDMC. Spare us your tropes and blind allegiance. It's talk like yours that has allowed this blemish on our education system to fester into a rotting wound.
As a matter of professional integrity, as long as you receive a paycheck you owe it to your students, your self, and your institution to put in your best instructional efforts each and every day to promote student learning outcomes.
What can I say. After reading these many eloquent, heartfelt and erudite posts I can only come to the conclusion that EDMC is without a doubt the Bernard Madoff of quasi education. The sooner this blight disappears the better. Now to find ways to address the human fallout. The stories are all very similiar and none very good.
Thanks everyone for this post. This view is also shared by many faculty at the Argosy U campuses nation wide. EDMC is clearly going down in many aspects: marketing, advertising, new admits, ect. What is true from the AU side is that the Executive Team are ones who are steering the ship toward the iceberg. They are being told what to do my the EDMC leadership. Keep your job prospects close by.
All (faculty, support services, STUDENTs) are treated like minions. The sooner you figure your standing the sooner you need to move on. Best Wishes to all willing to do so; otherwise, the remaining deserves all that will come to pass. ps ignorance IS NOT a viable defense
American Dread: you are 100% correct. I still work there and those thoughts have been running through my mind for a long time. I can't leave because I have bills to pay but have been actively looking for employment elsewhere. I've got quite a few leads this week so wish me luck. EDMC/AI has done nothing but lie, cheat and steal from the students. I feel so bad for the students because they thought AI was a legit school. At least I didn't have to pay to be there. And yes, I too am part of the swindle and can't continue this charade any longer. Peace out and good luck.
I truly am sorry 686, but morale is not low because of departing teachers. Morale is low because your school is dying. It's been circling the drain for years, but now it's in the final stages. It's appropriate to be sad right now. This absolutely sucks! But don't blame your burned out teachers. Blame Goldman Sachs. Blame the scumbags who robbed our kids blind. Blame the corporate culture that sees our kids as something to exploit rather than educate.
On our campus most of the teaching talent is gone. Morale is horrible.
I took the buyout and this topic has been on my mind for months. I was preparing to transition to another job so the timing was ok for me to leave. I have no desire to ever to be associated with an AI again and I regret not having the courage to leave earlier. (Admittedly, I'm happy that I got a severance package although I will believe it when the check is cashed!) I won't teach as an adjunct nor for the "Get Creative" program. Years ago I quit teaching online because it was such a pathetic joke - campus (the students) kept me longer than it should have.
Really good relevant discussion here from the faculty member's point of view! I agree with everything being said here. Having been laid off myself, I have found that the outside educational world is so much better than this for-profit industry. Even though it can be tough to make ends meet financially now without EDMC, the peace of mind from no longer being involved with this unethical place is priceless! I can sleep soundly at night knowing that I am free of this place now. Good luck to all great faculty at EDMC! Once you get out of there, you will see the 'rule by terror' tactics for what they are and realize that there are many other ethical educational institutions to place your efforts in.
That sucks 474, but you'll be better off. Don't forget the skills that you have. You were a relevant teacher for a reason. You'll be relevant somewhere else too...
I absolutely agree with you TheAmericanDread! I realized this about a year and a half ago. I didn't think I would ever find full time teaching work again but I tried. I simultaneously set a goal to build up my freelance work and be prepared to quit by this summer. I actually (surprisingly) made my savings goal by finding new clients, and I was gearing up to quit and move into the industry. Then out of the blue I got a tenure track job at a great city college! I found a unicorn, but I was prepared for other great options. Several of my colleagues are leaving for better options as well. Make it happen. Make a plan. You CAN do it!
I took the crappy buyout because the overlords said the department had to be reduced from a two faculty department down to a one faculty department. That's not going to be a quality education for those students. The remaining faculty member teaching in that department can only do so much. I was told they would send an email to the students telling them what happen and they didn't.
I get angry emails from students who have been lied to by the admin/department chairs about why unqualified adjunct (from outside of the department) are teaching classes they know nothing about.