Find and evaluate Bad Online Distance Learning Schools - Warnings - Experiences
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 14:56:57 GMT
From: "Bonaventura Hadikusumo"
PROBLEM:
A distance learning school from california
(CALIFORNIA COAST UNIVERSITY, http://calcoast.edu ). After we paid
some of the tuition, they dont do their job professionally, i.e.
answering our simple question for more than one month, we tried to
call ... nobody answered the phone, we sent a letter via email and
faximile ... nobody reply our letter. Therefore, we decided to stop
paying although we have to lose 1000 USD. We better lose 1000 than
5000 USD.
Do you know to whom we should complain? at least by using this
mailing list, we can help people for not being cheated by them.
Thanks Kusumo
REPLIES:
From: "Sam Zahran"
Reply-To: distancelearning@egroups.com
Try the following resources:
http://www.newpromise.com
http://www.gnacademy.org
Always find out whether or not a college or university is accredited
by one of the regional accrediting agencies in the US (for example,
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Contact the
California Attorney General about your loss of money.
Regards,
Sam Zahran
Virtual Campus Director Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC
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Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2000 13:33:24 -0700
From: John Hibbs
Reply-To: distancelearning@egroups.com
Kusmua, I am sorry for your problems here; John Bear and others have
warned about them. However, and many on this list will disagree with
me, I am not at all sure that you should automatically either accept
those with accreditation credentials, or reject those who don't have
them. So, how can you check out a course provider?
1. You can belong to lists like this one, and many others and simply
post a message: Does anyone know anything about ABC University in
San Diego, California? You'd be surprised not just how much others
may know about ABC, you will also find institutions who are seeking
to find YOU..they too can be checked out this way..easily, cheaply
and with great confidence in the collective wisdom.
2. Ask for names of graduating students. They may be reluctant to
give these, but at least you can try. I for one would be awfully
careful of an unknown institution that replied: It is our policy to
not divulge such information...that response may be fine for
Harvard...but for a small respectable course provider, it is the
opposite of what you can expect.
3. Ask for names of the instructors and their phone numbers. Or have
them call you. Again, if it is a small and relatively unknown
institution, such phone numbers or phone calls will help you decide.
4. Exercise the "smell test"...if it smells like a fish, and looks
like a fish, and feels like a fish, it probably is a fish. And if it
smells like a rotten fish, for gosh sake' don't buy it.
My point is that accreditation is part of the smell test. But not
all of it, that is for sure.
and
It seems to me that one should take most of the cautionary steps I have described, for any course provider...maybe even Harvard, who might be world class in 98.5% of the courses offered, but horrible in the single one you wish to take. My point is: *Before* money crosses hands, DO take the time to carefully check out the provider.
John Hibbs
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Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2000 15:18:30 -0600
From: Steve Eskow
Reply-To: distancelearning@egroups.com
It needs to be pointed out that accreditation, in the US, provides
money back protection: accredited institutions will refund tuition
within a reasonable period after instruction starts, and on
percentage basis if the student waits before withdrawing. So: it is
the unaccredited institutions that have the power to collect fees,
provide little or nothing by way of instruction, and keep the
student tuition.
Steve Eskow