Complaint Review: american public university - WV

       I felt it appropriate that I return to this, my original post, and provide an update. Since originally having had problems with my major in accounting at American Military University (AMU), things have changed for the better, much better. AMU has shown me that they do care. The school reached out to me in a most sincere and caring way for which I am grateful. I heard from DR. Powell (AMU/APU President) & DR. Smith (Provost), both were very sorry to hear that I encountered the problems I had encountered, at the school. In the latter, both assured me that the problems I noted, would not be tolerated and would be fully corrected.

      Since my original post here on Rip-off report, I have been enjoying the remainder of my course in the Bachelor Program (Accounting), at AMU. As I write this update, I am one class away from graduation, current GPA 3.9611. Should I decided to continue onwards for a Masters in Accounting, it will be at AMU. I am now certain that the problems I encountered along the way, were isolated and not widespread across the school's program on the whole. My final classes have been progressing smoothly and without any problems. I am sincerely glad the school reached out because it has restored my faith in AMU.

      I have taken numerous courses at reputable brick and mortar colleges over the years but found none of those courses to be as rigorous, well-rounded and beneficial as the program content offered in AMU's accounting program. The latter being why I felt such a letdown when I encountered the problems that I did, leading me to believe that the school did not care, I was wrong, they do. I found myself questioning how such problems could exist in what was in all respects, a stellar program. As it turns out, AMU/APU's leadership had no idea such problems existed and took prompt and immediate actions to remedy those problems as well as preventing them from reoccurring.

      In closing I must comment in that I have seen numerous online posts, condemning the workload relative to AMU/APU courses. The workload in the courses is tremendous but this is a good thing and one no school should ever be condemned nor faulted for. In education, if it seems too easy, walk away, it's not worth your time. The rewards that come with easy lack the pride and self-satisfaction of the rewards that come from hard work and dedication to a cause. I gave up five years of life and all of my time for the current 3.9611 GPA that I hold at present. The GPA I hold has come by courtesy of many all-nighters alone at my dining room table while my family slept. I cannot begin the count the number of events I took a pass on in favor of school work, but they would total well in the high hundreds. My journey to a Bachelor of Science has been extremely hard, which makes the degree I receive in the end, all the more priceless. As for AMU, I can think of no better name to have on my degree, and I'm so glad they cared enough to restore my faith in them. Happy learning everyone.

Randy  (AMU Bachelor Program - Accounting)

Williamsport, Maryland

PS. As for my feeling as if some of the schools course were thrown together haphazardly, turns out no so. I have since reserched other similar programs and they also appeared to be designe in a haphazard manner. The reality in this is the fact that 8 weeks is not a lot of time to fit an entire course into, any course. To design a course for an eight week time frame, requires plucking items of highest importance from the text after which they must be woven together in a manner from which the students can learn. This may seem a bit chaotic as it did to me but this is the only way it can be done. The only other option would be to take 16 week semesters, more time, slower pace, for those who want that, not me.

I wish to add additional information to my original rebuttal herein. I recently finished up AMU's BUSN312 course. In week five of the eight-week course, I audited the grade book and realized that it had serious design flaws. In the latter, these flaws entailed missing grade slots for assigned textbook chapters, five chapters to be exact. By the time I realized the latter and brought it to the school's attention, I had already completed three of the chapters that although assigned, had no place in the course grade book. The entire matter turned into a fiasco, and the director of the schools Business programs was brought into the classroom to edit students grade books to have them as near to proper as possible, at the end of week eight. I was at first told that no credit would be given for the three chapters in question due to their having been inserted into the course by way of a complex error involving the class labs, a product of the courses textbook publisher. The school also stated that the chapters had not been assigned but rather appeared in the courses labs. I had to laugh given there was a page in the lab's, titled "Assignments," which listed all of the chapters that required completion. Perhaps I misunderstand words, and "Assignments" has another meaning other than the one I applied? Either way,

   I stood my ground and sent the school, screenshots of lesson tabs from the actual classroom itself. The screenshots I forwarded, clearly showed that three of the chapters in questions were also assigned in the classroom meaning the issue was more than a labs problem. In the end, I was very vocal in stating the all students who completed the chapters should receive credit. The school finally agreed to insert and extra credit section into the grade book for students who had completed any of the chapters in question, I believe four students including myself. The school initially placed two of the five chapters into the extra credit slots created but maintained that the chapters were not assigned and as such would not warrant the 3.20% each, the individual weights of assigned chapters. The weights for what the school termed unassigned extra credit chapters, were reduced down to 2.50% each. I continued protesting to receive credit for chapter 12, a very difficult and time-consuming chapter and homework assignment. They eventually gave in and placed chapter 12 into my grade book extra credit along with the other two chapters. No credit was granted for chapters 18 and 19 because I had discovered the course flaws prior to anyone having completed those chapters.

  The story did not end with my finding the schools errors and attaining extra credit for my classmates. In the end, my grade book reflected three chapters that were assigned and that I completed with 100% accuracy. Each of the three extra chapters were weighted at 2.50% for a combined worth of 7.50%, sounds great doesn't it, and it was for everyone but myself. In the end, I and I alone barely benefited from the school error that I found and exposed. I led the school to each area of the classroom that they would need to edit and correct. The problem for me though seems to be my GPA, current cumulative of 3.9587, as for BUSN I was running barely below the 4.0 mark. The school has a policy that does not allow credit for anything over a 4.0 thus after all of my efforts my grade for the course was a 107.13% yet since I was only about 0.0016 under the 4.0 when the course finished up, I was only allowed 0.016 of the 7.50% extra credit awarded. They go by the course GPA and not the cumulative GPA, in such matters and in my opinion, is not acceptable. With my cumulative GPA being 3.9578 and my being two courses from graduation, I could have used the entire 7.50%. It's not as if the school would have been giving me some huge bonus. At this point in the game every final grade of 100% that I earn, only moves my cumulative GPA by 0.0018. The other students were able to benefit from the 7.50%, given that in the course, they were working far enough below the 4.0 mark to benefit.

   In conclusion, here I set having busted my a*s for this school and the 3.9587 GPA I hold, and the school itself could give a s**t less. When everyone cautioned me about for profit universities, I should have listened. APU/AMU could care less about the students, to them, it's all about making a profit at any cost. I have also complained about this schools Latin Honors requirements. If you have a goal of such honors, pick another school. One look in the honors section of the school's handbook indicates that the school had and has no idea where to set the mark for Latin Honors. They changed the mark five or six times all within the same one year period. At present the school has the bar for Latin Honors set higher than 80% to 90% of all other schools, including Harvard and UCLA. A source that I cannot name advised me that the school views Latin Honors as a liability should students receiving them fail to perform in the real world, once they've graduated. I can easily believe the later when it comes to APU/AMU. My other posts here on RippOff Report detail how in Intermediate Accounting at AMU, the professor became miffed for whatever reasons and went into my grade book and unethically reduced my grades and even though I had hardcopy proof (screenshots), the school never did a thing about it. I do hope that everyone will think long and hard about attending AMU/APU, it's not worth it, find a better school. The guy writing this report only tells it like it is, 100% accurate and truthful. I have hard copy evidence to back up and validate all that I say about APU/AMU. The only reason I'm still at the school is that I only have two classes left in my Bachelor of Science Program in Accounting. Once I'm finished, I will without a doubt find a far better school for my graduate studies, most likely a non-profit school.

Regards,

Randy (Member: Delta Mu Delta, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Golden Key)