http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=ED-2014-OPE-0039-0079
27 replies (most recent on top)
@Camden, I'm not going to message you or anyone else on this board. You have a personal agenda and want to drag other (naive) people into it.
@Anonymous9925, correspond with me and I will share (redacted) information with you. I will contact the people who have been harassed and see if they will post on thelayoff.com.
@Camden, people can modify emails so they suit their agendas. You say facilitators were harassed into changing grades. That claim doesn't pass the smell test. Facilitators aren't asked to modify students' grades. Not only so... if a facilitator tries to modify a grade, he/she has to submit a justification to Academic Affairs. The justification has to be approved before it goes into effect.
@Anonymous9925, that's not some University of Phoenix teachers told me. They told me that they were harassed by management for failing students. In one case, it was at least 4 or 5 teachers who were being harassed about this.
Maybe these are isolated cases, but they are well documented (They showed me emails).
@Camden... You're mistaken about instructors and grades. In fact, instructors whose classes have unusually high average grades are sent to a workshop on evaluation and rigor.
@Anonymous9923, as you probably know, I'm not a stock manipulator. I do not believe in speculation, and have nothing to do with "short-selling" or "pumping and dumping." I'm researching Apollo Group's business practices and asking workers about their experiences. Some workers have already come forward about being harassed about numbers (teachers w/grading, EAs w/making sales), and they have shared documentation that confirms their claims. However, because these have been front-line workers, I cannot confirm this as a systemic pattern. If this is a pattern that can be found to be guided by leadership, there is a big story to tell. Just as there was a story about Enron.
Camden, seriously, go find a job besides stock manipulation. This place will be around forever. The most that will ever happen is that they cough up some money here and there to keep the politicians off their backs.
Anonymous9904, from what you are telling me, Apollo Group and University of Phoenix are not violating the letter of Higher Education Act (HEA)by using the "metrics" system. But is this in violation of the spirit of the law? If it's not against the spirit of the law, why are workers thinking that it is?
@Dahn- Stick around long enough, and one day you may actually understand the industry!
What Anonymous9855 suggests is prohibited, since it is based on enrolling students and/or continuing in a program. If you comb though the Federal Register you will find that the following is perfectly legal: Grading on referrals without respect to enrollments, grading on dials without respect to enrollments, grading based on customer service without respect to enrollments. And wherever you see "without respect to enrollments" this includes obtaining financial aid, continuing in a program, and so on and so forth. Or simply look at 14 CFR 668 (22), which seems to be the big topic of discussion. "Without respect to enrollments" includes much more than just enrollments, but if you say "without respect to enrollments" it's a pretty good summary, and everyone who knows the law understands what's going on. Here is a copy of part of the paragraph: "(iii) As used in paragraph (b)(22) of this section,
(A) Commission, bonus, or other incentive payment means a sum of money or something of value, other than a fixed salary or wages, paid to or given to a person or an entity for services rendered.
(B) Securing enrollments or the award of financial aid means activities that a person or entity engages in at any point in time through completion of an educational program for the purpose of the admission or matriculation of students for any period of time or the award of financial aid to students.
(1) These activities include contact in any form with a prospective student, such as, but not limited to—contact through preadmission or advising activities, scheduling an appointment to visit the enrollment office or any other office of the institution, attendance at such an appointment, or involvement in a prospective student's signing of an enrollment agreement or financial aid application.
(2) These activities do not include making a payment to a third party for the provision of student contact information for prospective students provided that such payment is not based on—
(i) Any additional conduct or action by the third party or the prospective students, such as participation in preadmission or advising activities, scheduling an appointment to visit the enrollment office or any other office of the institution or attendance at such an appointment, or the signing, or being involved in the signing, of a prospective student's enrollment agreement or financial aid application; or
(ii) The number of students (calculated at any point in time of an educational program) who apply for enrollment, are awarded financial aid, or are enrolled for any period of time, including through completion of an educational program.
(C) Entity or person engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions about the award of financial aid means—
(1) With respect to an entity engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions about the award of financial aid, any institution or organization that undertakes the recruiting or the admitting of students or that makes decisions about and awards title IV, HEA program funds; and
(2) With respect to a person engaged in any student recruitment or admission activity or in making decisions about the award of financial aid, any employee who undertakes recruiting or admitting of students or who makes decisions about and awards title IV, HEA program funds, and any higher level employee with responsibility for recruitment or admission of students, or making decisions about awarding title IV, HEA program funds.
(D) Enrollment means the admission or matriculation of a student into an eligible institution."
@Anonymous9855 (academics). So in your opinion, is the "metric" system violating the HEA in either the letter or the spirit of the law? Also, have lawyers talked to you or anyone else about this "metric" system?
Camden and all the rest..the matrix is now call the metrics and we are measured by our referrals that become students, we are measured by percentage of how many people we talk to become students in a 30 day period and over a 90 day period. We get measured on our talk time (customer service time) and we get measured on how many students post into class. Every job at UOPX is measured by a metrics based on the amount of students we retain class. NOT by how many graduate. That is not a measured percentage.
The original post suggests that an illegal "matrix" is still being used. I have let my contacts know about this possibility.
Who knows if that matrix is still being used, since the complains here extend back before the change in regulation.
@Anonymous9827, I suppose you believe Apollo Group/University of Phoenix can continue to skirt the law (or possibly break the law). That's understandable, given its track record. Laugh now, cry later, clownie. But more politicians and celebrities, but if the sh** hits the fan, UoP won't have as many friends.
I've seen the tide turn in other places where white-collar criminals thought they were Teflon. Just waiting on the Grandma Millie tapes and the paper trail for the new (and still illegal)matrix.
I think the Matrix was an all right movie. Now I am not so sure Keanu was the best for the part. Does anyone else agree.
I suppose speeding is up to a court to decide too, but in both cases, the intent of the executive branch is quite clear. If you want to challenge based on constitutionality or some other interesting challenge, that's fine, but the intent and plain language is quite clear.
Anonymous9813, I think it´s up to a court to decide--if this ever comes to light. And courts may back up University of Phoenix because they are too big to fail. I know Apollo Group-University of Phoenix has been in trouble before over previous allegations--and in double trouble when they tried to cover it up. I read the Federal Register you posted, but am not sure I understand everything that´s in that section of the HEA. I do know that lawyers are good at twisting the words like pretzels.....http://www.newamerica.net/blog/higher-ed-watch/2008/incentive-compensation-7613......http://www.newamerica.net/blog/higher-ed-watch/2009/more-scrutiny-needed-university-phoenix-10193.............................FYI, people have been posting about an illegal matrix at layoff.com for at least 3 1-2 years....................http://www.thelayoff.com/university-phoenix/post/502001
How effective is this? http://www.regulations.gov/contentStreamer?objectId=09000064816efd4f&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf
And just to be clear: No part of the promotion may be based on enrollments, no matter how small of a factor. It's all in the Federal Register.
You do agree, however, that if admissions promotions are based on enrollments or continuing in any program, that's prohibited, as least for the past couple years.
"Anonymous9809, I´m giving Apollo Group-University of Phoenix the benefit of the doubt as to the validity of this serious claim. However, I´ve also left a message with Ryan Rauzon about this claim that a matrix is still be used. If this matrix is being used, people who know about it better speak up.
See also: 34 CFR 668.12 (22) http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/668.14
Link 2: http://www.thelayoff.com/corinthian-colleges/post/5101354150264832
Link 1: www.thelayoff.com/corinthian-colleges/post/5664304103686144
Dahn- I already posted the link to the Federal Register on the CCi board. Any promotion based on enrollments or progress is prohibited. I doubt very much that you actually read the rules.
I'm going to ask attorneys David Halperin and Danny Weil about the "matrix" information and whether federal law could be violated if this is being used. If there is any worker who knows about this, you may want to consider hiring an attorney.