3. Who was discriminated against?
Tanya J.
4. What institution discriminated?
Institution Name: Metropolitan college of NY
Address: 75 Varick Street
City: new york
State: NY
Zip Code: 10013
School or department involved: MBA Media Management
5. Have you tried to resolve the complaint through the institution's grievance process, due process hearing, or with another agency?
Yes
Agency Name: Metropolitan College of NY
Date Filed: 05/13/04 (mm/dd/yyyy)
Status: Waiting for grade appeal hearing from Edward Kurpis, Sharon Carrio and Jack Godler professor. Did not appeal Professor Louise Gilmore grade strongly feel she violated my American disability rights. Also strongly feel that Edward Kurpis is racially profilng grading. The school has no grievance process or due process you are just terminated.
6. Describe the discrimination
OCR enforces regulations that prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin; sex; disability; and/or age.
All that apply:
race or color
disability
retaliation
you filed a complaint or asserted your rights
Why you believe the discrimination was because of [race, gender, disability, or whatever basis you indicated above] or why you believe the action was retaliatory.
On August I was called by the graduate admission counselor. The counselor told me to come into her office to finish my registration for the MBA Media Management program. I told the counselor Gauri Sathe that I had not taken the GMAT and that I would not be taking the test until September. I was told I did not need to take the test because the school was waivering the process for me. I meet with Ms. Sathe completed my application and was taken directly to the financial aid office were I
completed my student loan paperwork and was given my Fall 2003 schedule. Ms. Sathe never advised me about the ends and outs of the program nor did she ever give me a Student Handbook.
My classes began in September. During my first semester all MBA students gets a Professor named Edward Kurpis who is a facility member of the College. Professor Kurpis is famous for giving African American students F's in his finance course. A grade that brings all students GPA below the required 3.0 GPA. Needless to say I got a F for that first semester which placed me on academic probation for my second semester. This came
as a surprise since Ms. Sathe never mentioned that in this 12 month MBA program that a student could be kicked out left holding 32 graduate credits with no were to tranfer them. Just left with a $20,000 student loan unable to finish the last semester.in addition, Professor Edward Kurpis continue to give African American Students F's in Finance. If OCR investigates the African American MBA Media Management students grades they will find that Edward Kurpis has given far more F's then anything else.
Because I attended my undergraduate studies at the same college it was a school policy that if a student maintain a 3.7 GPA or above that student would be entilted to a $1300.00 presidential scholarship. I did get the scholarship every semester of my undergraduate program. This scholarship was also awarded t graduate students that enter the program with a 3.7GPA or above. I graduated from my undergraduate program with a 3.8.9 GPA so financial put the $1300.00 scholoraship on my graduate bursar form.
When I went to register for my second semester of the MBA Media Management the $1300.00 scholarship had been removed from my financial records and I was told that I could not register for spring because I woned the
college money. I questioned this action and I was told by Gauri Sathe that she would check into the problem. After three weeks of contacting Ms. Sathe and the Dean of students Donna Sosa nothing was done to resolve the issue. I then wrote a e-mail to the President of the college Stephen Greenwald and also contacted the Provost Paul Lerman.
The president never got back to me but the Provost called and told me he would check into the matter. Eventually I was credited the $1300.00 but the Dean of students Donnna Sosa and Gauri Sathe The MBA admission
couselor were angry with me for going over their heads.
I finally received my schedule for my second semester of the MBA Media Management class. The second semester began in January. During my second semester I had Edward Kurpis again for Organization behavior.
In this class we were a sign a project that had to be completed by the end of the semester. The class decided to do a media conference and donate the proceed to an organization. Two white students wanted to be the
head of the event and several other students acted as the head of various committees. I acted as the chair for Marketing. After six weeks the white students had not come up with an Organization nor a way of generating monies or a location for the event. I did some brainstorming and came up with a Organization, Revenue stream and concept for the Media conference. I
involved the largest public access television station in NYC, filmed and edited the event but in the end got the lowest grade in the class. Professor Kurpis gave me a C.
When I asked Professor Kurpis why I got a C he told me that I failed his final. I asked him what grade he gave me for the conference? He told me I got a B. I also asked why I did not get credit for all of my contacts and hard labor he just completely ignored my question. Nor could he answer why all the white students received
A's or B's who had done nothing for the project.
Also during the second semester I had a professor named Louise Gilmore. Professor Gilmore taught contract negotiation law. I was out sick for Professor Gilmore first quiz and professor Gilmore refused to allow me
to take quiz one. For professor Gilmore second quiz I received a low grade of 51. Professor Gilmore told me and another student Shiela S. That we should take an incomplete. Shiela and I asked her why since
that was only my first and Shiela's second quiz. Shiela is also African American. I told Professor Gilmore that I had dislexia and that I need a take home test or more time for her test. Professor Gilmore told me that she would think about my situation and get back to me. She called me three days later and told me she could not help me if she did it for me she would have to
do it for others. She told me to cram and I would do fine. Professor Gilmore gave me a C for her course. One of the white students told me that she had also failed Professor Gilmore quiz but that student named Nicola Clayton received a A for her course.in fact that same white student received A's from all the professors. All of the professors were white.
The second semester has ended and the last semester begins on April 28.in the last semester the MBA Media Management class goes to Cannes for the film festival. All arrangments and ticketing are made and
paid for during the second semester. The trip is paid for by the students it is part of the tution. Before I received my grades for the second semester I got a letter on April 27 from Dean Robert Gilmore
stating that I was terminated from the MBA Media Management program and that I could not complete my last semeter and that I could never be readmitted to the program. The letter stated that I had fell below the 3.0 Gpa and that is why I am terminated from the program. I was very shocked and upset. I e-mail Dean Robert Gilmore, President Stephen Greenwald and Provost Paul
Lerman about the callious letter I received before I received my grades in the mail. They told me it was nothing they could do and that the first step would be to contact my Professors.
I contacted Eward Kurpis, Jack Godler, Sharon Carrio and Louise Gilmore.
I filed appeal papers with the Dean's office for Edward Kurpis, Sharon Carrio and Jack Godler. I also filed a paper stating that I will be taking Louise Gilmore directly to the OCR. The papers were submitted on May
12.
I also told the Dean that I would still be traveling to Cannes for the film festival. He told me that because of my situation I could no longer go with the school. I told him that I had purchased another airline ticket and he said he could not stop me from going to Cannes on my own.
On May 13 all the MBA Media Management students received a e-mail from the Dean stating that if they were caught with a student in their room that were not in goddstanding with the college action would be taken against them.initally when we were planning the trip the Dean told us if we wanted to bring along anyone just contact the travel agent the school was using and gave us the information to do so. On May 13 I also got a e-mail from the school Attorney Ms. Philips stating that if I went to Cannes I was not allowed to stay in anyone's room or contact them during the trip if I did so legal action would be taken against me and any other student involved with me. After that I cancelled my
flight and other arrangements.
I feel that I have been blackballed because I took action concerning the scholarship. I feel that Ewadr Kurpis is racially profiling grades and Louise Gilmore violated my American Disability right by dening me a
take home or timeless test. Professor Gilmore also has lied to the administration stating I never mentioned this to her. But Shiel Speller is my witness that I did.
I have all my e-mails from the school and one's that I sent.
The administration keeps saying refer to the student handbook. A book that is never given or mentioned to any student until a problem occurs.in addition when I register for my undergraduate in Fall 1999 the school had no official student handbook. This school is placing African Americans in debt with student loans and their catologs has a lot of false information especially concerning scholarships to encourage people to
register. Many students have serious complaints about this institution but have no idea who to tell them too. I am also investigating this schools accrediation. I cannot find any accrediation for the MBA Media
Management degree. Can this be investigated by your office? The school is basically African American and Latino. My MBA Media Management class has the most white
students that the school has ever had. If grades are checked you will see the difference between white students grades verses black students
grades.
Besides my compaint can the students get together and file a class action suit? Or get this school investigated? This school has me in $31,000 worth of government students loans, with one semester left for my
MBA.
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