Corinthian Colleges preaches "integrity" but practices quite the opposite. There are many bright employees working there who have a lot to contribute but are treated as robots who are meant to follow orders. This often means having to follow orders that are illegal in order to keep your job. I was one of the people let go on Wednesday. I've wanted to leave for a while and recently began seriously looking for another job. I often felt that staying with Corinthian was going against what was morally right for years. I stayed for reasons many have - the economy has left few options available. I’m already struggling to get by on a meager paycheck. I have student loans and a small savings and it’s difficult to find anything out there that will pay the bills. Executives at Corinthian know this, and use it to treat their staff terribly.
I worked with a lot of wonderful people at Everest, which I am grateful for, but Corinthian is ultimately a corrupt corporation. They and all of their for-profit competitors are taking advantage of low-income students hoping for a better life. They also allow people who are mentally challenged to enroll – people who will never graduate, in order to get their money. I’ve seen this happen so many times! Many end up with loans they can't pay for and a degree that will not gain them employment. While being out of work is in an intimidating prospect I feel a newfound freedom and weight off of my shoulders. If you were laid off this week or not - GET OUT OF THIS BUSINESS. We’re better than this. We have integrity. Start your own business and/or find a company that inspires you and is open to listening to your ideas, not shutting you down when you have something to contribute. Tell everyone you know that for-profit education is a scam. If you have any evidence of illegal practices going on at your campus, contact the SEC and let them know about it. Let your voice be heard! And most importantly, stay positive! We all win by standing up for ourselves and finding success we can feel proud of.