University of Phoenix to be a major presence on Campus Martius

[313WX]

If they can prove it, sounds like a discrimination suit to me.

Nope, discrimination based on education is not protected by the Civil Rights Act.

EDIT: Assuming you were serious.

[artds]

So, you're telling me that all the applicants that had a U of Phx degree were "pigeonholed" into lower ranked jobs because of where they acheived there degree? If they can prove it, sounds like a discrimination suit to me.

No. What I'm telling you is that the second company I mentioned would consider U. of Phoenix "graduates" for various positions, but the company viewed them as being equivalent to applicants without degrees, and therefore would only consider them for positions that don't require a degree.

[tompage]

Don't forget College of Creative Studies [[CCS), the University of Detroit [[Mercy) Law School on E. Jefferson, and the U of D Dental school on MLK.

[Roq]

I have to echo 313WX's comment about U. of Phoenix being viewed as a diploma mill by the business community.

The last two companies I worked for didn't take degrees from there seriously.

My company doesn't take those degrees seriously either. I wonder why would someone bother to spend big bucks to get a degree from U of P when you could select a school that at least gets some respect in the business community in this area. I've always viewed U of P as one step above "College in Pajamas.com"

I have always gotten a good reaction from employers & other persons in the business community in this area when I mention my school [[LTU).

[maxx]

http://www.ktvz.com/news/25430657/detail.html
Oregon Sues U. of Phoenix Firm for Fraud


Some of these for-profits don't give students the necessary hands-on experience in nursing, for instance.

[Red Devil]

Yeah, on merit Mr Sarcasm.

Discrimination based on merit is perfectly a-ok i.e. legal.

[artds]

Discrimination based on merit is perfectly a-ok i.e. legal.

What?!?! How can that be legal?!?!

Someone needs to file a lawsuit against traditional universities for discriminating against applicants based on their academic credentials!!!

[mikeg19]

I think an associate degree has more clout than a degree from U of P. If you have the choice to take classes at Macomb Community College or U of P, I think the logical person would assume that the training and teaching at MCC would be to a better standard and prepare you better for a transition to a 4 year university. Not to say every teacher is world class, but you would think they are held to a higher standard.

[Detroit500]

To the detractors saying why would Detroit want to be associated with this...

These for profit systems, as unwise as they may be, will still be existing and it is encouraging to see them setting up shop in the city of Detroit as opposed to the suburbs [[or in this case, in addition to the suburbs). Any additional taxes, revenue and people entering the area right now can really be viewed as a plus so long as their activities are legal. While schools like this may be of questionable merit, at least the company and the jobs it provides are above-board. Is University of Phoenix the key to detroit's revival, of course not, but right now any news is better than no news.

[Zacha341]

Yes, thankfully these are accredited private schools that have chosen to remain in Detroit.

Don't forget College of Creative Studies [[CCS), the University of Detroit [[Mercy) Law School on E. Jefferson, and the U of D Dental school on MLK.

[Zacha341]

Precisely. And sometimes employers in that industry 'pass' over those applicants for the ones with the requisite hands-on experience from established fully accredited institutions.

http://www.ktvz.com/news/25430657/detail.html
Oregon Sues U. of Phoenix Firm for Fraud


Some of these for-profits don't give students the necessary hands-on experience in nursing, for instance.

[Zacha341]

Yep. However. the U of P and similar schools 'sell' themselves as being the 'fast track' over slogging thru the traditional 15-16 Fall/ Winter semesters of a MCC or HFCC, CCS, WSU etc... Yet, some students in my experience need the longer traditional semester time frame.

You have to honestly evaluate [[beyond the pressure of a recruiter) if you can handle the shorter accelerated semester thing... if you cannot you've wasted more money as you will not pass the course to get whatever degree they are offering.

I think an associate degree has more clout than a degree from U of P. If you have the choice to take classes at Macomb Community College or U of P, I think the logical person would assume that the training and teaching at MCC would be to a better standard and prepare you better for a transition to a 4 year university. Not to say every teacher is world class, but you would think they are held to a higher standard.

[Meddle]

To the detractors saying why would Detroit want to be associated with this...

These for profit systems, as unwise as they may be, ....

Pyramid schemes are 'for profit' too. Do you want the city associated with them?

[English]

I won't add my opinion here, but the CHE has been discussing the role of for-profits for years now:

Articles about For-Profit Colleges Within the Past 12 Months, The Chronicle of Higher Education:

http://tinyurl.com/3vr4xd3

It seems as if there's an article about for-profits every other day.

[maxx]

To the detractors saying why would Detroit want to be associated with this...

These for profit systems, as unwise as they may be, will still be existing and it is encouraging to see them setting up shop in the city of Detroit as opposed to the suburbs [[or in this case, in addition to the suburbs). Any additional taxes, revenue and people entering the area right now can really be viewed as a plus so long as their activities are legal. While schools like this may be of questionable merit, at least the company and the jobs it provides are above-board. Is University of Phoenix the key to detroit's revival, of course not, but right now any news is better than no news.

Detroit might get some tax money from U. of Phoenix, but U. of Phoenix gets a lot of its money from gov. ed. grants like Pell grants.

[Det_ard]

So, you're telling me that all the applicants that had a U of Phx degree were "pigeonholed" into lower ranked jobs because of where they acheived there degree? If they can prove it, sounds like a discrimination suit to me.

Is that what they teach at U-Phoenix law school? :-P

If it makes you feel better, I look down on Davenport and Baker too.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Is that what they teach at U-Phoenix law school? :-P

If it makes you feel better, I look down on Davenport and Baker too.

Yeah, you're just a "hater"

[Jason]

Having U of P right on Campus Martius isn't too great but at least they'll be renting space and paying taxes. Them and the rest of their kind are all over the country so we shouldn't think about it too much.

And when people think of universities in Detroit they'll still think of WSU, CCS, or UDM, not the University of Phoenix.

[corktownyuppie]

Pyramid schemes are 'for profit' too. Do you want the city associated with them?

First, I'm not a University of Phoenix apologist. I'm not a fan of theirs or their operation at all.

That said, I think it's too simplistic to compare pyramid schemes to U-P. A pyramid scheme is, by definition, based on promises that are explicitly meant to defraud. The U-P may be incompetent at educating students at best....maybe fraudulent at worst. But those problems are for the marketplace and law enforcement to decide. Right now, U-P has huge campuses in Livonia and, I think, Ann Arbor. They are paying good rent and good taxes somewhere...it might as well be Detroit.

BTW, the company whose profit model most closely resemble an *actual* pyramid scheme is Amway, located in Grand Rapids, whose economy is healthier than ours by any measure and starting to rival SE Michigan in size.

If there's a profitable company looking to bring jobs, foot-traffic, and revenue to the City, I think we should be begging them to sign a lease.

[Det_ard]

Yeah, you're just a "hater"

Yes, of the mediocre, and those "Universities" that aspire one day to rise to the level of mediocrity.

[Autoracks]

it would be nice if some of the other michigan Public universities would put extension campuses downtown. Sort of like how WSU has the Oakland Campus at 12 and Farmington. So students who live in the tri county area and attend Western, Central, MSU, Eastern, and UM can take summer classes while they are home with their families in the off semesters. Like in the south Cass area. South Cass... I feel like this area has a lot of potential.

[j to the jeremy]

First, I'm not a University of Phoenix apologist. I'm not a fan of theirs or their operation at all.

That said, I think it's too simplistic to compare pyramid schemes to U-P. A pyramid scheme is, by definition, based on promises that are explicitly meant to defraud. The U-P may be incompetent at educating students at best....maybe fraudulent at worst. But those problems are for the marketplace and law enforcement to decide. Right now, U-P has huge campuses in Livonia and, I think, Ann Arbor. They are paying good rent and good taxes somewhere...it might as well be Detroit.

BTW, the company whose profit model most closely resemble an *actual* pyramid scheme is Amway, located in Grand Rapids, whose economy is healthier than ours by any measure and starting to rival SE Michigan in size.

If there's a profitable company looking to bring jobs, foot-traffic, and revenue to the City, I think we should be begging them to sign a lease.

Yeah, between Dow Chemical, Amway, and General Motors / the Military-Industrial complex...The state of Michigan can't really play holier than thou regarding any business.

[corktownyuppie]

it would be nice if some of the other michigan Public universities would put extension campuses downtown. Sort of like how WSU has the Oakland Campus at 12 and Farmington. So students who live in the tri county area and attend Western, Central, MSU, Eastern, and UM can take summer classes while they are home with their families in the off semesters. Like in the south Cass area. South Cass... I feel like this area has a lot of potential.

U-M and MSU do have extension campuses in the city. Near Woodward and Mack/MLK, I believe. Small, but I do know people who are taking some of their graduate degree programs there.

[9mile&seneca]

This topic is something that I have been pondering. Could it be that because it has become so vast a network of campuses that there is not enough quality control to what is basically the way of the future? [[ I think most would agree that the act of physically driving to a central location to be educated can be about 90% done away with.) Or was it a fly by night thing to start with? Could it be that any executive in a major corporate structure who got their degree at good old Uof wherever, were frat or sorority Ken and Barb, is not going to want to accept this change in culture? Colleges have traditionally not been entirely about learning, but also about making the huge growing middle class feel like the old British Upper crust. We've heard good and very bad about U of P. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. But there must be a way of making a body of information accesible without the hundred grand worth of traditional college "experience"

[bartock]

This topic is something that I have been pondering. Could it be that because it has become so vast a network of campuses that there is not enough quality control to what is basically the way of the future? [[ I think most would agree that the act of physically driving to a central location to be educated can be about 90% done away with.) Or was it a fly by night thing to start with? Could it be that any executive in a major corporate structure who got their degree at good old Uof wherever, were frat or sorority Ken and Barb, is not going to want to accept this change in culture? Colleges have traditionally not been entirely about learning, but also about making the huge growing middle class feel like the old British Upper crust. We've heard good and very bad about U of P. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle. But there must be a way of making a body of information accesible without the hundred grand worth of traditional college "experience"

A very good friend received his graduate degree from the University of Michigan. He went to Ann Arbor once a semester, to physically take the exams. Everything else was done from home. He had to apply just like everyone else, still had to pay through the nose per credit hour, and at the end of it, he had a graduate degree from the University of Michigan. No Ann Arbor "experience" at all, though he gets all of the junk mail from them now, and is an alumnus.

As for undergraduate school, I don't think "frat or sorority Ken and Barb" will want to accept any change in the future, because most of those schools are founded on tradition to begin with. I agree that Colleges [[or, more accurately, Universities) have not traditionally been JUST about learning, but it isn't just to make a growing middle class "feel like the old British Upper crust." The fact is, kids at these school are networking, and whether the body of information [[not sure what that means) is accesible has little to do with the value of spending a hundred grand on a "traditional college experience."