Hello, it is very unfotunate that I have to be writing this, but due to certain events I have been pushed into a corner. Currently, it seems that I have 30 days to find a few more students for AIU or I will be "let go".
Readers: my background with AIU has been clean, no HR issues, been to work on time, managed to get students on a monthly basis if not the expected amount, been able to keep a few students in class, and have followed AIU guidelines.
The overall agenda here is simple, students and job seekers: Be very careful
My reasoning for this "student/job seeker beware warning" is:
- I am a recruiter for AIU, not a admissions advisor but a prospect hunter
- My task is simple and that is to enroll volume over quality
- Future interested students please heed this warning or at least mixed it into your decision making process: AIU only wants you because you have a social security number/be a perm. Resident of the US, a physical address, and you can exhale.
- This so called "university" is a complex circus act/or a slight of hand event, which baits the potential student or job seeker to stay afloat.
- AIU has been on probation since the start of '06, and has this year to redeem itself from being pushed further down the rabbit hole.
The "environment of fraud" which I titled this response is accurate, because AIU is under heavy compliance watch. So to temporarily please compliance officals wandering around, AIU will do and say anything to avoid loosing its accreditation.
One example of this happened this year when compliance officals were roaming our call centers. They asked certain "advisors" why they were getting various rewards, the advisors responded because they were the ones with the highest "enrollment/production" numbers. This response did not please the complaince officals because it tip toed on a very dangerous line of mixing education and telemarketing schemes. Therefore, remaining advisors were told by management to temporarily take down "high production" awards, and over time, when things settle down, they can again showcase their enrollment awards. So, we no longer use the term enrollments but "number of changed lives".
My final warning is this to students and job seekers:
-students, please put a little more effort into your educational future
-students, take that extra time to apply to a sound, respectable, and responsible college or university, or you will loose big educationaly and financially to a "bootlegged educational environment" like AIU
-students, your education is your most prized assest, please don't be a fool and squander it to educational street vendors like AIU. Do your research, and study to get into decent colleges/universities or you will be left with "schools" like AIU who prostitute education for money.
-students, do not associate with a school who is walking a very thin line between staying afloat and sinking academicly.
-students, if you are thinking of joining because an advisor captured your raw emotions for higher education, please when you start filling out the application and you want to cancel later on - make sure your personal information is not entirely filled out. Because I have been witness to canceled apllications laying around with SSN#, addresses, and other personal info. For anyones taking.
Job seekers:
-Do not let this be your bread winning job
- If you do join, remember, it is because you have a certain ability to persuade people, be it for right or wrong.
-No matter how hard you try - the bottom line for AIU is, "where are my enrollments for today"
My future at AIU is clear: find another job before the 30 days are over, and warn my enrolled students that the school they are attending is not what it seems to be... Because as their advisor, I owe it to them.
Final Note: The "AIU fraud environment" is what happens when people mix greed (money, higher stock prices, and telemarketing schemes), disguised as "education for the people" with education.
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