WGU Layoffs

[collegechick]

I also was employed at the now defunct Jones International University.  That school was a mismanaged, unprofessional mess that conducted illegal behavior far worse than what I'm reading about WGU.  I had a supervisor who encouraged me not to process payment invoices for professors!  This was just one example.  They also hemorrhaged people before closing the doors.

Really?? Nostalgia!  I was taking a course at Jones International University when they closed, it was part of a grad cert in Business.  A good thing I didn't have to continue with them...  I thought they were pretty good from the "outside" looking in.  I mean they even had a learning platform that would rival Moodle and was selling that platform to other colleges/universities.  Heck, at one point in time, I thought they would really rival SNHU and WGU, but I guess what we see on the outside is just the tip of the iceberg.

So, how does that cert work?  Is some other entity verifying it for you?

JIU was one of the worst companies I'd worked for in my career.  Even though I worked with Ph.D's, they were some of the dumbest people devoid of any business sense whatsoever.  They hemorrhaged money on videographer fees for graduation ceremonies, yet data analytics showed no one watched the videos.  During department meetings, no one wanted to save the school or cut back on unnecessary expenses.  They'd hire temps, costing more money than just directly hiring employees.  All around it was a mismanaged, bad environment.  Hey, I think I smell a case study I can write about during my MSML! 

---

This person is using a unique IP address. The IP address does not appear to be a VPN/proxy. There are no other users using the same IP address.

Thanks for letting us know.  I don't think the new user is here to "argue or slander" they're just here to make a personal view, a point that some may and may not agree with.  I have read on many forums and through reddit, people are feeling the pinch with many other schools, such as SNHU, it's not just a WGU problem.

"What is the point of engaging"  - well, for starters, it's better to agree to disagree as it at least gets people talking, you know?

Yes, that's one of many ways to start a conversation I guess.  I know where you're coming from, basically when I first looked at the Big 3 - many years ago, they had the option to transfer all 120 credits into the degree.  I would have never chosen any of the Big 3 for that fact alone, I was one of a few that thought they were very close to being diploma mill'ish.  Basically, once they started instituting the capstone, I started looking at them again and decided on TESU when they became an Univ...  

Schools change due to regulations and a need to conform to accreditation standards, for schools that don't conform or can't conform, they lose that accreditation, I believe in the "accreditation system".  With the addition of ACE credits, I decided to jump in, as I don't test well due to a mild case of anxiety, indecisiveness, and stress that's associated when I am in an "exam" environment.  With ACE, and the ability to do the exam at home, I was able to accumulate many more credits than I've ever had the chance to.

I've applied to WGU since 2012 but never really went with them or enrolled with them, I also applied to SNHU as well.  I've read many things for SNHU, example, none of their courses have proctored exams, even if they did have exams, they're non-proctored.  Many courses provided are just assignments... So, how do they keep students from cheating? They use system in place similar to TurnItIn!  Again, I "trust" these schools to adjust to the educational climate of what is needed and required to help students learn, excel, perform well.

What I am trying to say is, WGU has many shortcomings, but they're not a diploma mill.  Just like SNHU, they go through accreditation reviews every several year intervals.  I put trust in the accreditation system and believe the ones operating are doing so to specific guidelines, and those who aren't are placed on probation.  WGU has gone through many years of improvement since they started, I actually recommend them and still do... they're not for me at the undergrad level, but my next Masters I have my eyes on their MSML!

Good points about the proctored exams.  Rachel83AZ mentioned that in this thread about the proctored exams at WGU, yet TESU/Study.com all required spyware on the computer for test-taking.  Unfortunately, it's just part of online schooling.