Thread regarding Education Management Corporation layoffs

I was a teacher at the Art Institutes in Calif (MAA) for almost twelve years- I left in 2012- and I have a sense of what you say is very true, 39313. One may wonder why a teacher would stay for so long but I found the answer to that is fear, fear that you won't be able to find a life-situation that is as rewarding, pays as well and is as agreeable in terms of scheduling, prestige, flexibility, etc. But I have to say that the last two years for me, although very tough at first, turned out pretty well. I got enough teaching work at local public community colleges and non-profit art schools to keep going, financially and I was finally free from the moral dilemma I faced every day that I went into to class and tried to focus on the well-being of my students- there is life after EDMC, 39313! The other phenomena that I want to describe is something that has been growing for me, recently: a sense of pride in the students I worked with over the years who went on to wonderful lives/careers. The problem with EDMC isn't their mission- that's a noble one- it's that they cost too much and their mission changed from educating a difficult niche demographic to a mission of profitability. The choice to attend an EDMC school has ruined a lot of lives but it's difficult to only find blame with the corporation. Some of that responsibility has to be shared with students (gullible or not) and faculty. I can say this, however: once you admit to yourself that there are too many students in the program who won't benefit from it, it's probably time to get out and do something else with your life. Good luck.

I have been an instructor for EDMC for ten years and I can honestly say that they have hit a new low. I know they like to say it is for the non-traditional student, but I see everyday how they prey on people that don't know what they are getting in to or it is better then their current situation so they come to school without understanding the commitment and work it will take. I currently have three students who are homeless (which admissions was aware of when they admitted them into school) who are failing my class because they are more concerned with where they are going to sleep then doing homework. I have an army vet with such a severe brain injury that he can hardly write his name. Not to mention the several students who come to school because it gets them out on work release from jail. Seriously, do they expect these students to be successful? They need to get business out of education, they should be ashamed.

Artists dont fit the traditional academic models, working adults dont fit the traditional model, I think tying to say they meant convicted felons in a stretch.

Uh, actually, if you reviewed their mission statement your see exactly that. They aren't trying to compete with universities. They fill a niche, providing education to those who don't fit the normal academic models. They got lost, sure, but when the model works it provides a service. I know people with English as a second language, poor educational backgrounds that got excellent training and kick started their careers. Problem is, it just cost too much.

Uh, right, their new slogan: EDMC the school for marginal students. LOL

I think felons deserve a shot - I taught for a while at a prison. I was more disturbed at the fact he had five kids. Come on, why do people with no skills or viable prospects have so many kids? Irresponsible. And since it points to bad judgment I supposed easy prey for edmc. But look, there has to be a place for marginal students- just not at ivy league prices.

@Anonymous38838, did you notice how nervous the Brown-Mackie graduate was in the video? I wonder if he thought the advertisement might be a violation of his parole.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ztz03zVe4

@camdon kid -- Brown Mackie College used a Convicted Felon as one of their best and brightest to put in an ad? LMFO! Really? Really? So they actively go after students who are literally bottom of the barrel and EDMC management (a current Dean) has the nerve to call other schools "high falutin" because they have a screening process and ask for things like good grades, talent and a clean criminal record? No wonder they had a mandatory training seminar years ago about how to deal with kids who may have a gun.

@Anonymous38382, Goldman Sachs is an extremely predatory corporation that used the US government and EDMC to squeeze out as much money as they could from working-class Americans. Together with complicit EDMC management looking out only for themselves, Goldman took billions from the US taxpayers as well as the vulnerable people it targeted. Check out this Brown-Mackie video advertisement and tell me if it isn't like the soon-to-be defunct Everest (Corinthian Colleges).... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6ztz03zVe4

Sorry, meant somewhere around 2006, not mid 2000s :-)

Picked this up at the library http://www.amazon.com/Why-Left-Goldman-Sachs-Street/dp/1455527475

It's a good read

This is the guy worked there for 10 years, who wrote the famous NY Times op ed about why he was leaving.

Sounds like they had integrity but lost their way when the old guard left or got pushed out. But according to him it was mid 2000s?

@Camden Kid - I beg to differ. Goldman Sachs and their reputation has been around for decades. EDMC knew what they were doing when they entered into an agreement to get in bed with them. They had unlimited legal and financial advisers at their disposal. It was all about short term profits so some guys at the top could cash out, which they actually did. Goldman was just doing what they always do which is making money for their shareholders. The real villains are the ones who sold out the school literally and figuratively.

It's not about vilifying management, but they are supposed to be far more then just people doing their job. There is a difference between the Captain of a ship and the Room Steward. The average CEO in the US makes 133 times the pay scale of its employee. The justification is that they have great knoledge, skill and responsibility. That is the problem, no one at the top at EDMC takes responsibility, they all jump ship. The reason there are layers of bad management decisions is that there has been a revolving door of Captains and crew, all of which jump ship when the going gets tough. They dont want the responsibility, just the pay check.

@Anonymous38340, I agree in part. EDMC executives, especially some who have already left, may be more complicit in this crash than those who remain. Goldman Sachs, however, is the biggest villain in this story.

I don't think you're giving them enough credit. They probably expect this. My guess is that they are backed into a corner with something the SEC sent them and already have figured out what the next moves will be and are prepared for everything from a shutdown from the DOE to a drawn out pissing contest with the SEC and some kind of come back. We do not know what their complaint with the SEC is. Sounds serious. The brand might be built upon poor executive decisions and questionable ethics (dating back several years now) that have ruined the lives of many students, but the guys in charge now are just hired tugboat captains probably worth their money in the end navigating to some sort of berth. It's more like a poker game at this point. Look, I don't support the brand, but I also don't vilify upper management. They're just people doing a job for pay like everyone else.

They just keep digging themselves into a deeper and deeper hole. EDMC has huge law firms on retainer and hundreds of lawyers at their disposal. This could not have been a surprise. The ego behind the decision makers to move forward without a thought that they might actually lose is astonishing.