Scary thought
So I just heard from a reliable source that Grand Canyon University is going in the same direction as University of Phoenix. This is disconcerting because I specifically chose a school that isn't UOP because I wanted to earn a degree, not just pay for one. To me, it is important to actually have the skillset that piece of paper you get after graduation says you have. Maybe that is just me. I know I am in the minority in my demographic because UOP is significantly larger.
I wouldn't mind GCU going in that direction administratively speaking. Right now, GCU has screwed up with my account to the point where for one fleeting second, I had considered switching to the aforementioned diploma mill by the airport. Some of you already know GCU almost didn't award me financial aid because that department can't read the national system that shows where a student was when they received their financial aid. Now, they seem to think I owe them $3700 in back pay from last semester. Um, my financial aid more than covered tuition last semester, so what's the problem? The problem is that they went ahead and paid this amount to my accumulated student loan account. Why did they do this? I plan to find out.
This is their business office that has caused much of the problem, and financial aid has been an innocent (and inadvertent) scapegoat.
The academic advising department did me a solid though. GCU was going to have me take a 100 level communications class. I have taken a 200 level course a few years back that, while not sharing the exact same curriculum, was close enough to allow a substitution. The next step is to get my psychology class I took in 2005 count for the general psych class GCU requires. If that happens, the only gen ed I need to take is music appreciation - a class for which I have taken nothing remotely related since up until recently, it was never a requirement.
So a combination of this and the grind I have chosen to involve myself academically has gotten me feeling a little obnoxious. So the anthem for now will be Sam Kinison's rendition of "Wild Thing". Not only is this song obnoxious because Sam Kinison is the frontman, but because there are about 20 other prominent rock stars of the era. Where else will you see Stephen Pearcy and Billy Idol in the same room?
I wouldn't mind GCU going in that direction administratively speaking. Right now, GCU has screwed up with my account to the point where for one fleeting second, I had considered switching to the aforementioned diploma mill by the airport. Some of you already know GCU almost didn't award me financial aid because that department can't read the national system that shows where a student was when they received their financial aid. Now, they seem to think I owe them $3700 in back pay from last semester. Um, my financial aid more than covered tuition last semester, so what's the problem? The problem is that they went ahead and paid this amount to my accumulated student loan account. Why did they do this? I plan to find out.
This is their business office that has caused much of the problem, and financial aid has been an innocent (and inadvertent) scapegoat.
The academic advising department did me a solid though. GCU was going to have me take a 100 level communications class. I have taken a 200 level course a few years back that, while not sharing the exact same curriculum, was close enough to allow a substitution. The next step is to get my psychology class I took in 2005 count for the general psych class GCU requires. If that happens, the only gen ed I need to take is music appreciation - a class for which I have taken nothing remotely related since up until recently, it was never a requirement.
So a combination of this and the grind I have chosen to involve myself academically has gotten me feeling a little obnoxious. So the anthem for now will be Sam Kinison's rendition of "Wild Thing". Not only is this song obnoxious because Sam Kinison is the frontman, but because there are about 20 other prominent rock stars of the era. Where else will you see Stephen Pearcy and Billy Idol in the same room?
posted by Aaron \m/ at 8:06 PM
5 Comments:
Thank you for trying to discredit all of the hard work and time away from my family that I have invested in my MBA. I'm happy to know that I am earning a diploma mill degree. I feel better know. I wasn't sure what I was earning. Know your facts before you try to discredit my degree.
I dunno, man, I appreciate your perspective, but a UOP degree is freaking worthless. I know because I have one. I used to work as a finance advisor at UOP and I did my degree on the employee program. When I applied to law school I was told that I would have a better chance of gaining admission if I got a degree from a better school. I transferred as many credits as I could to ASU, earned another undergrad degree there and went on to finish law school. The time I spent at UOP was entirely wasted, and you deserved to know that up front, just as I wish someone would have warned me.
Thank you, Mike.
Tom - I am not sure you plan to come back to this blog, so I may just be speaking to no one here, but your defensiveness shows a lot of school spirit. I respect that. However, my opinion is not unfounded and ill-researched. I used to work in the private sector of academia and it has always been the reputation of UOP that they have offered McDegrees. Sorry to say it. Then they charge more than any of their competition. They employ a genius marketing team, no doubt about it.
From your comment about spending time from the family, I am led to believe that you may be taking at least some classes at the ground campus. I was primarily referring to UOP online. I honestly do not know enough about the ground program to make any assessment. I know that GCU's ground program is so good, it adds value to the online reputation. In the end, it is always best to attend classes should your schedule afford it.
If I were a hiring manager, I wouldn't hire a person based on a degree at UOP if I had an ASU graduate applying for the same job. The UOP guy would have to have work experience to offset the academic handicap.
I am sorry you were so offended by my opinion. I am positive you take your education there seriously. That is awesome, but at UOP, not necessary. If you do poorly in a class, you can appeal (and usually win) with their academic advising department. That is what I mean by diploma mill.
Anyway, good luck to you in your endeavors. Your passion will do you credit.
hey i found your blog, check mine out LOL
I was just looking through my old undergraduate schoolwork in my Documents subfolders. Man, I cringe at the sight of some of the dross I turned in at the UOP for course credit. But I logged on every day and I walked out of there (virtually speaking) with a 4.0 GPA. I guess what you can take away from this story is: Go Academic Rigor! :)
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