Complaint Summary
There are a number of issues with this university that I detail in this narrative, but the most disturbing was the following. I observed that the University of the Rockies took advantage of a minority student who appeared to have learning disabilities and was incoherent throughout the Residency experience in Colorado in June as well as in online discussions. I observed that the university had admitted this student into a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program for which she was observably not qualified and which will likely not benefit her after graduation. Given the expense of attending this for-profit college, I believe I was witness to the University of the Rockies taking advantage of a minority student with a cognitive disability in order to receive money from her. Other issues such as A grades for papers not yet received and a professors wife grading doctoral papers are relayed below. I have filed a complaint with the university, the Colorado Commission of Higher Education and the Colorado BBB. So far there has been no successful resolution.
Complaint Narrative
There are a number of issues with this university, but I wish only to detail the most disturbing in the following complaint. I attended one year at the University of the Rockies. My first academic advisor told me over the phone that I could become a clinical psychologist for the U.S. Military after going through the organizational psychology doctoral program (PsyD). She misled me and other studentssome of whom disclosed their misgivings and doubts to me in private during the student Residency in Colorado Springs, CO in June. (I have all the names of these students if needed.) Jessica either quit or was released and new person took over as my advisor.
When I started feeling uneasy about this school I looked into psychologist licensure and details further, at which time I finally asked my new advisor directly whether I could in fact become a clinical psychologist with this degree and she informed me that I could not become a clinical psychologist with this degree without going through a lot more hoops and courses, all of which is far more than just taking a few courses and sitting for a state licensure examination, as Jessica had suggested. Right about that time I saw an expose on Public Broadcasting System (PBS) about Bridgepoints ambiguous college degrees (Bridgepoint owns the University of the Rockies), deceptive program marketing and program misrepresentation. I quit the program at the University of the Rockies as a result. I am currently $23,000.00 in debt for just one year at the University of the Rockies for a degree that I was told by outside psychology professionals and military personnel is worthless. The U.S. Navy will not even look at my first year 4.00 GPA transcript from this university. The university sent me copies of my e-mails in which I clearly stated to my second advisor two things at this time (which the university "selectively" cherry-picked): (a) I do not want to be a civilian clinical psychologist, but a military clinical psychologist, and (b) I love the school thus far, but I need it to work for me.
I was misled and did not realize it until the time of the Residency. The PBS television expose is what made me investigate further and leave the school. I was shocked that they had so misled me and other students about the value of this degree for a clinical careeror any career for that matter. I challenged the university to prove otherwise. I requested from the university actual alumni testimony and contact information, so that I could call them and talk to them myself. My second advisor put me in touch with a Bridgepoint representative via e-mail. When I directly asked him about alumni contact information and their progress, I got the run-around. He could not give me the name of a single alumna from the organizational program that went on to pursue a career with an Organizational Psychology degree from the University of the Rockies, let alone as a clinical psychologist. This raised my previous suspicions further. I started to panic. I asked my second advisor to put me in touch with this gentleman, so she is witness to the fact that I did contact him. I did not save any of my e-mails in this regard, regrettably, but the university should have all of my correspondence with my two advisors on file. As well, they can speak with my second advisor or the newest advisor K.W. They went through three academic advisors in just over a year.
In addition to these issues, I spoke with one student who I was told received an A on a paper she had not yet turned in (she was turning it in late), a professor who told us in person that his wife corrected our papers, and witnessed a student who was incoherent in the online environment and at the Residency in our class sessions. She was clearly being taken advantage of and would not have qualified for a legitimate doctoral program. She was an unemployed immigrant who had come from Barbados, which she had told me and others at the resort where we stayed during our free time. The university had taken advantage of at least one ethnic minority in this case, a person who will likely not benefit from this program since she failed to participate at the level of all the other students in the program. The school appears to want a certain number of warm bodies in order to take their money. I was not the only student who voiced serious concerns about the integrity of the education provided by this school. For instance, my practicum subject was approved within just hours of submission, which I do not understand. It seems that it should have been taken more seriously than that.
Finally, the program enrollment statement I signed was ambiguous. It read: I understand that this program is not intended to prepare students for professional licensure or certification in any field, regardless of concentration. This is not what my initial enrollment advisor told me. She said it would prepare me for a career as a military psychologist with just a few additional courses and a licensure examination given that my masters degree was in military history.in fact, I wrote many reflective papers on this career choice, so obviously my advisor had led me to believe I could become a clinical psychologist for the U.S. Military with this degree. The Navy told me in October that online degrees that are not APA accredited are not acceptablenot even for research. This is outrageous for the cost of just a single year at this university that is accredited by as prestigious a body as the Higher Learning Commission. I would like the Higher Learning Commission to take a second look at this institutions integrity, credibility and value, as it is clearly lacking in these three areas.
0 comments