I paid nearly $2,000 tuition for a course in Finance at the University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business. This was a Graduate level course and I am Doctor and professional educator. I was expecting to be educated and stimulated at this venerable institution of higher learning. The instructor for the course was selected on short notice after the listed professor became unavailable. Our last minute replacement arrived for classes totally unprepared, disorganized, and unable to solve the problems that he assigned for homework. After several classes of disappointment (and embarrassment for the instructor) I contacted the administration to complain. The chairman of the Finance department was totally dismissive and condescending to me, and only began to investigate my complaints after several weeks of insistence.By that time I had dropped the course and began making arrangement to transfer to Loyola University of Maryland. Discussions with the Assistant Dean, requests relayed to the Dean, and appeals from Senator Ed Kasemeyer, chairman of the finance committee that funds the school, were all ineffectual in eliciting any acceptance of responsibility for the poor (non-existent) quality of instruction, or any statement that my experience was in any way out of the ordinary at UB. After 6 patient week of waiting for things to improve, I was left no option but to leave. The University was unwilling to refund any of my tuition.
If a good restaurant gave you a meal you found unacceptable, they would be anxious to try and make it right. If a retailer sold you defective merchandise, they would offer to replace it or give you a refund. Somehow The University of Baltimore is not similarly accountable for the quality of instruction they offer. My course could have just as well been self taught. There was not a scintilla of enrichment to be had by virtue of the classroom experience. I received nothing for my $2,000, and lost a semester of time in my schooling. My experience at The Merrick School of Business qualifies as a Ripoff.
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