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University of Phoenix is Not a Good College

In this current economic recession, many laid off workers are going back to college to learn new job skills, as the twenty-five percent increase of enrollments from last year suggests (Keen). It makes good sense to desire to improve your skills and qualifications in an increasingly competitive job market, but “would be” college students need to understand that all colleges and the skills and qualification they provide, are not created equal. Choosing the right college could mean the difference between landing a secure job or maintaining your position in the unemployment line. A laid off worker has little income and requires an affordable college that gives them the biggest bang for their buck. In addition, a laid off worker needs a degree from a college that is respected by employers and helps them stand out from the crowd. Also Laid off works need  a college that is designed for on campus classes, that foster live one on one interactions and that build relationships that may prove beneficial in landing a future career. The University of Phoenix is not affordable, is not highly regarded, and does not foster personal interactions between students and is not a good choice for laid off workers because of it.



According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost of tuition and room and board for a public university from 2007 through 2008 was $11,578 and the average cost of tuition and room and board for a two year public college was $6,966 (United States Table 331). Traditionally, students who wish to save money will attend a two year college and then transfer over to a four year university in order to cut down on cost. Most  universities allow a student to transfer more than just two years worth of credits. This allows them to stay an attentional year at a two year college and save them even more money. The savings that attending a traditional two year college and then transferring to a four year university brings, makes attending traditional college a very safe and good investment for a laid off worker who doesn’t have a pot of gold hidden under their mattress.

In contrast, The University of Phoenix’s tuition was on average $12,000, which is higher than both a public university or a two year college ( Miley sec. 80.29). That number might not seem so bad when you look at the average price of public universities, but when you consider that the University of Phoenix’s average doesn’t include room and board, most public universities are actually far cheaper, especially if the student attends a two year college first. The University of Phoenix also has hidden cost according to a class action lawsuit that was filed against the University of Phoenix by three students in the U.S. District Court of Little Rock, Arkansas. According to the  lawsuit, “…the university ‘effectively pays off’ the loans of students who withdraw from the institution, then demands repayment from those students under terms more onerous than those of the original federally guaranteed loans.” (Blumenstyk sec. 55.20) If that is the case, then on top of costing more in tuition, there are some hidden cost associated with the University of Phoenix, making it not affordable and certainly not a good college for workers who were recently laid off.

What laid off workers are looking for is a college that is at least regarded as a good college by employers, which effectively gives them a step up in terms of job market competition. What college you choose is almost as important as what degree you choose, in terms of what an employer looks for. A peer reviewed study released in The American Journal of Distance Education found, of candidates that employers would hire with identical credentials,  85% of respondents, “…indicated they had reservations with doctoral degrees earned online, and only 4% indicated that the type of institution where the degree was earned was of no importance and that when “…considering an applicant with 50% of their coursework earned online, 15% indicated that the type of institution was of no importance, 53% had reservations, and 32% had ‘other considerations,’ which were provided as qualitative explanations” (Adams 78). Obviously not everyone goes to Harvard or Yale, but it is obvious that employers put more worth in a degree that was earned on campus, rather than one that was earn while wearing pajamas in front of a computer.

The university of Phoenix may even be less regarded than other primarily online institutions. Any college that has to advertise itself as much as Burger King cheapens itself to the point where fast food restaurants can become a metaphor for said college, fast, cheap, and unhealthy. According to an Advertising Age article “The University Phoenix spent $134 million on measured media…“ in 2008 (Miley sec. 80.29) . When was the last time you saw an ad on TV for a public university?  Seeing the University of Phoenix’s ads on websites, on build-boards, on buses, on TV, and  hearing them in telemarketing calls, doesn’t make us think we are getting an education. It makes them think that are ordering fries and a coke, which might just be what you end up selling if you get a degree from them. Even the US. News and World Report’s Best Colleges of 2010 has the University of Phoenix listed as an “Unranked School,” yet other primarily online colleges are ranked (“University of Phoenix.”). If you were an employer checking out a prospects credentials and you found that the applicant’s school was “Unranked” you might have second thoughts about hiring them. The lack of regard for the University of Phoenix’s graduates is one of the reasons why it is not a good college for people who were recently laid off, or maybe anyone for that matter.

Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Peter Drucker once said, “More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject.” That’s true, but traditional universities do foster student interactions.  When people attend a university in person they build relationships with other students, teachers, and club members. The student you are sitting next to, or your dorm roommate, or the guy you helped cheat on his math exam, you never know what they will turn out to be in the future. They can become doctors, business owners, lawyers, actors, senators, real estate kings, heads of non profit organizations, or even president of the united states. We never know what opportunities our current relationships might bring us in the future. I mean, if you are the guy that the President of the United States cheated off of in an economics class, you can probably use that information to get a job recommendation. Its the same with all professions. If a person knows that their college buddy is a reliable smart person that they can trust and count on, they are sure to trust working with or vouching for that person. That is why the relationships you develop at a college or university determines how good of a university it is for laid off workers looking to improve their job security.

The university of Phoenix is a primarily online university and the students interact through social media, email, forums, and live chats. It doesn’t matter how many times you chat with another student online, you will never develop the same personal relationships that you do with a traditional college or university. Face-book is great an all, but you can’t count on a face-book friend to be there in an hour of need, like you can with someone you actually know. This is why the University of Phoenix does not meet the required criteria to be considered a good college for laid off workers.

Some people might argue that a primarily online college, like the University of Phoenix, has something that the traditional universities don’t, and that is that the students can take classes around their work schedule. Also, the students who are lucky enough to live near a University of Phoenix campus could always take a class in person. Supporters would say, “colleges like the University of Phoenix are exactly the thing a person who was laid off and perhaps looking for another job needs, because it provides them a flexible schedule that won’t effect any job prospects.”

While it is true that an online format is very flexible, the social interactions between students is so important that the these types of workers or students would actually be better off if they just planned a good schedule at a traditional college. It isn’t as if public universities don’t  have online classes that students can fit around their schedules, but there are many courses that have lab work or classes that are in your specific field that would be better to attend at a college designed for real classes and not a campus that promotes online interactions.

In Conclusion, I believe that the University Of Phoenix is not a good college for people who were recently laid off. There are far cheaper alternative colleges to attend, and when times are rough, we need every dollar we can spend. In addition, Employers don’t consider the University of Phoenix a good college and when considering the whole point of laid off people going back to school is to better their chances of landing a job, attending the University of Phoenix could be a waist of money and time . Finally, the University of Phoenix’s online interactions do not foster relationship building with college peers that one day may be essential to landing a more secure job. In these trying economic times, a person looking for a job needs every slightest edge over other job competitors. In this current market, the University of Phoenix does not meet the criteria necessary to give you that edge and is therefor not a good college for our recently laid off workers to attend.

What do you think. Is University of Phoenix a good college? Let me know in the comments.

Works Cited

Adams, Jonathan, and Margaret H. DeFleur. “The Acceptability of a Doctoral Degree Earned Online as a Credential for Obtaining a Faculty Position.” THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DISTANCE EDUCATION 19.2 (2005): 71-85. Academic Search Premier. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.

Blumenstyk, Goldie. “Suit Accuses U. of Phoenix of Improper Loan Tactics.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 55.20 (2009). Academic OneFile. Web. 25 Feb. 2010

Keen, Judy. “After layoffs, many workers go back to school for a fresh start.” USA Today 08 Apr. 2009. USA Today. Web. 25 Feb. 2010.

Miley, Marissa. “A LOT OF BRANDING BUT NOT MUCH UNDERSTANDING; University of Phoenix spends $100 million annually on advertising, but misconceptions linger about the school.” Advertising Age 80.29 (2009): 3. Academic OneFile. Web. 25 Feb. 2010.

United States. U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, 2008 – Table 331. Web. 26 Feb. 2010.

“University of Phoenix.” Education – Best Graduate Schools. US News and World Report, 2010. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.

Pay for College by Electronic Panhandling

College students are always looking for more money for school. Most students finance their education through student loans and grants, others work as they go to school. One student has come up with a new idea, electronic panhandling.

At http://pay4college.info/ you will find a single webpage that starts out, “Please Help.” A student identifying himself as Sean is asking you to help him pay for his education.

“Hi, my name is Sean and I’m a poor college student. I currently work and go to school at the same time. I’m studying Anthropology in Arizona. I’m currently working on my Bachelors Degree at two schools, Mesa Community College and Arizona State University. I need your help.

According to a report done in 2008 by the non-profit organization College Board, the cost of paying for a four year degree is between $14,333 and $34,132. These prices go up every year. This doesn’t include other non-important things like food. It gets worse if you have to pay the interest on a student loan. There are grants and scholarships available but they are on average $2000. That kind of money helps but it is not enough to pay for College

This is where you come into it. You can give me your money. Let’s say that I’m going to the cheapest 4 year school and every person who visits this page donates a dollar. This means I would only need 14,000 people to give me one dollar. There is currently 1,668,870,408 people using the internet. I’m sure there is at least 14,000 to 35,000 kind hearted people out there. Imagine if a couple of them gave more than a dollar. I could graduate college without owing a dime. My future would look pretty bright, if only people would be willing to help. Please, help me go to college. Give whatever you can. The goal is $35,000. I will keep a monthly tally of the money given to me. Please help now.”
Sean

His approach might be crude and humorous, but at least his is honest. I guess it beats annoying people for a handout as they come out of the corner store.

As of today, one person has donated to Sean. My question to you is, are you “kind hearted” enough to donate to him? Please leave your comments.