I have been in higher ed a long time, on ground and online. I've taught for 5 other online schools. I think the Cci students are really the worst ever. So many in the classes who can barely read or write. They really shouldn't be in college. It's a huge waste of govt money and our time. I'd say about 10-15% of the Everest students are "normal" people with average intelligence, who just happened to pick a bad school. The rest are borderline retarded, substance abusers, chronically mentally ill people.....they really have no business enrolling in college courses with their level of functioning. If they really wanted to work hard at getting an education, they belong at a community college taking remedial reading and writing, just to start. I feel sorry for the students, and I feel sorry for the few "normal" students who have to be in classes with them. I do the best I can with my classes and students, try hard to help them, but it's like my grandma said, "You can't put in what God left out."
23 replies (most recent on top)
24717.....I know more than most, and certainly more than you. Go back to your excruciatingly narrow mindset, where you will find plenty of company wherever you land. I briefly wondered if your condition is painful but now I really do not care.
At some point I researched for profit PT adjunct pay. I can't remember which school (not ITT) but one of them reduces your pay by about half if your roster drops below 13 students. Who wants that crap?
24734, I've never been told I am a failure as an instructor. That would be hilarious. Are you Everest? I don't know which campus. I'm ECPO and management is very clear about why students fail. They are very clear about at what level students can even do the work. And they know that 60% of students across the board will fail, and all of them due to a lack of participation. They push a Outreach, but it's only everybody's way of showing they've bothered to try. But management at ECPO is at least smart enough to understand what we deal with.
I've never had a grade changed, that I am aware of. If that happened, I would quit. (Not that quitting is an issue now.) I worked full time to put myself through two degrees. I never missed class, never turned in a paper late. I worked hard and earned my degree. I draw the line at giving away grades. Especially since if you do the work (which, let's face it, is not much work at all) you will pass a class. I've given F's on assignments turned in only when it was clear it was not the assignment. I didn't give out tons of As, but Bs and Cs if students did the work. Most students just don't do the work.
I've never had a failing grade changed to pass either, not sure what people are talking about. I have had many, many fail. Totally unnecessary because if they actually turned in the assignment, they'd pass. Students fail, most of them, just because they stop participating and doing any work. Our standards are not really high, as long as the assignment is turned in, the student will pass.
I have never had anyone change a failing grade..and I have handed out plenty.
24730: And do you wonder why the students don't try at all? There are no consequences for doing nothing, as long as F.A. covers the tuition.
24730: "The CCI Success Code" (1) Recruit anybody with a pulse, from homeless shelters, street corners, wherever! (2) Push through their financial aid, even if they are so dense that they just leave all of the questions blank ("blank is the same thing as writing a zero"), (3) Do whatever it takes to get them to attend every 14 days so you don't have to drop them per the regs, (4) If they still don't attend, have them backdate and sign an "attendance appeal" (approve them all), (5) Tell instructors that if they give a student an F that is is THEM who FAILED as teachers. and (6) If an instructor gives an f anyway, just change it to a passing grade.
One issue that disturbs me is how when I fail a student that does not pass the course, their program director just changes the failing grade to a passing one.
I could understand this if there was a circumstance to warrant the change.
24663, you have no idea what you are talking about. Literally.
Disgruntled, I think the big issue is that these students paid $40,000 for an associates degree that's basically useless. That's why govt is 'picking on' them. I paid less than that for grad school!
Yes, "retarded" is a clinical term, it means having an IQ below 70 and deficits in daily functioning, so "borderline retarded" is not really a pejorative, it aptly describes many of our students. As I said, I feel sorry for them. Many of them are on par with students I've had in my community college courses. And, they behave the same, fail or drop before the end of the term. Now, the govt is picking on Cci, with valid reason, but what about all the traditional, non-profits, state schools, community colleges, that accept these students as well? I've taught there, I've had them in class......It's just that Cci had more of them. We actually tried to help them, tons of outreach and support services, but the sad fact is they just can't do college-level, or even high-school-level work. I fear for the future of our country as there are many, many people out there who function at this level. I'm not sure what the answer is.
I would really like to know who died and named you God. Yeah, I am talking about each one of you. You have given momentum to a pernicious attitudinal trend which denigrates those who don't look like you who and are engaged in an attempt to learn something. People learn to be thugs, they learn to be comfortable with poverty, and they learn that there are few chances to better themselves. They can also learn to reverse the cycle - unless you happen to be in a position of influence.
Congratulations on your lack of intelligence, judgmental superiority, and overall unsuitability for the education industry. Any education industry. Piss off!
@24644. It is the word the original poster selected to use. Why do you care about my credibility?
Anonymous24641: So in expressing your horror at his/her post, you choose to use the word "retarded"? You certainly lost credibility with me.
You're an instructor? Your borderline retarded comment is beyond unprofessional. Is this how you treat your students? You should never be allowed into a classroom.
It will be interesting to see how Durbin manages to integrate Everest students into non profit schools in IL, which he claims is his goal. 75% of these students can barely manage with all the hand holding they get. They won't make it in another school. They simply don't have the skills or drive. I did have a few great students per term. But mostly, I was glad to see the grade book reduced every eek. It was just less Outreach. (I was an adjunct with ECPO. I have empty classes, so not technically with them now.)
What kind of quality do you expect when the recruiting motto is 'asses in the classes.' That's not exactly putting Everest in a position to get competitive, or even mildly educated, students.
Um, this is why we are tanking.
Forget the students - what about the leadership? Early on during my time there I went to an all-day leadership training seminar. We broke into groups at one point and I ended up in one with another campus's DOE. She put herself in charge of making our group notes on an easel pad. Now, this was obviously a native English speaker, but literally every second or third word was misspelled. She wrote "a lot" as "allot" for chrissakes! And grammar? Seriously, it was 4th grade level at best. CCi has never been an education company.
I've cared and cared and cared, but I have to just come out and say it: 75% of my students were complete and total losers who don't deserve success. Disrespectful, lazy, crude thugs with no intention of ever working a decent job. CCi was just a financial aid generating mill. Some for the students, a lot for CCi. $$$ all around (except to pay instructors a living wage)! They suck!
Professor, I have to reluctantly agree with you. I used to feel that everyone could be taught and rise up into a solid middle-class life. It's just not true, and it almost seems as though the mission of CCi was to target the most unsuitable candidates for education to prove that not everyone can rise up. I also feel sorry for the 10-15% who could have gone to a functioning college. Of the rest, I probably feel bad for 5-10% who at least make some kind of effort. Not for the ones who just show up for their financial aid check and then mouth off if you mention an assignment or their attendance. They are thugs! If McDonald's can train them somehow they are welcome to them. Otherwise, I guess it's welfare for the rest of their lives.
"You can't put in what God left out." BUT! But you can smile and dial.