Complaint Review: Harrison College - Fort Wayne Indiana

When I first started it was an exhalent school. This opinion was evident when looking at the parking lot. It was so full there was no room to park.  I would have been happy to, not only finish my first associates degree in applied science but to. Go on and finish my second associates and my Bachelors. 

            During the classes for my second associates’ degree the school took a drastic dive. This was brought about by the addition of the dean Marian Welling. To see a tangible example of the drop off of Harrison just look around. Once bustling hallways and full parking lot is now a ghost town.

            One of the people in my program was an alcoholic who, if she showed up, came in reeking of alcohol and clearly inebriated. She was Amy Casey’s drinking buddy and later went on to be “valedictorian”. I wonder how that happened.

            During the search for an extern sight for my class I was placed at Bryan Hospital where they made it very clear they didn’t want a Harrison student but through personal connections, they were forced to take me. During this time I did what I was told, including coming in early to wipe down the surgical room and review the supply’s for the day’s surgeries. Even though I was instructed to do so it was used against me to get rid of me. The male nurse and surgical technologist were always having inappropriate discussions at work. For example one of them told a story about how he placed a gun to the head of a road worker for urinating on his lawn. This was clearly a fallacy but as I was I guest there and, as many of their conversations being inappropriate, I stayed out of it.

            I was surprised to learn that these conversations, of which I had no part of, were being blamed on me; And the instructions I was given as to come in early and cone in on the fourth of July was also being used against me.

            The work day before my last day at Bryan Amy Casey came to me and told me to go home, everything was fine, and it’s nothing I did. I did just that and returned the next scheduled work day. The charge nurse told me that she was told I would not be returning. I informed her that I was not informed of this.

            During my meeting, with Amy Casey and the dean, regarding my externship Amy Casey denied using personal connections to force me on them; this denial was later repealed during a later meeting between Marian Welling, Amy Casey, the President of the Fort Wayne campus and myself. I was also told that it was too late to assign me a new extern sight but I will be assigned a new sight the following semester.

            When the schedule for the new semester came out I noticed that I was not scheduled for extern. I came in to discuss this “oversight” to the dean. She denied everything she said during the meeting. I told her I would get a lawyer, contact the VA, and talk to the president of the campus about this matter. I did just that.

            During the second meeting, of which I have recorded, I was given an altered version of the accurate accounts of events I sent in an E-mail to the president. This version was full of comments taken out of contents, half-truths, and outright lies. These alterations were provided, clearly a collaboration, between Amy Casey and Marian Welling.

            During this meeting the decision to drop me from the program was over turned. I was to begin extern the next semester and I was not to be charged a second time. Marian was to have nothing to do with my academic career, and the surgeries I have already preformed were to roll over. The results were recorded by me, typed up, and signed by the president and myself. Since I didn’t trust those involved I told Charlene (the campus president) that I will be keeping a log book. Charlene agreed this was a good idea.

            I later received several e-mails stating that due to the accrediting authority my surgeries would not roll over. I did not buy this story so I, personally contacted the accrediting authority and ended up speaking to the executive officer. I found out that the surgeries will transfer over. All that had to be done was to record them just as usual and submit. I sent an e-mail to Charlene. She said she would look into it. To recap this, I have these recorded, a signed document, and the contact information for the executive officer of the accrediting agency for the A.S.T. (association of surgical technologists) refuting the claim made by Harrison.

            My extern didn’t start until three weeks after the semester started. I told Jennifer Nelson that I know Marian is going to “screw me over”. I was keeping a log book. I wrote down what time I and the others I got there; including the time the instructor arrived. Ms. Nelson said kept trying to stifle this activity but I explained that I am protecting myself. I logged this in my book speculating that Marian was still pulling strings. In addition there are several times when I showed up only to weight hours before any other student nor the instructor would show up. I logged these incidences. Every time this happened I logged what time I arrived, that time I called the school to find out where everybody was, and who I talked to. I also recorded who I talked to while I was there and what was said, regarding the fact I was the only one there. I was also told that I was no longer allowed to take notes.  

            During my extern Ms. Nelson told me that one of the instructors there told her that I said I didn’t know the instruments. Nelson quizzed me on the instruments and I quickly disproved that statement. I said, in the interest of diplomacy, that it was a “misunderstanding”; but I knew it was an out and out lie. At one point I was expected to identify the type of doctor I have never heard of or worked with just by his name. The operation involved the cervix witch could involve “lady parts” as I put it; or the neck.

            Three weeks into my starting of the extern Jen Nelson confronted me with a list of complaints against me. These complaints consisted on the complaint that I didn’t know what the Doctor was based on his name, that I didn’t know the instruments, that I was argumentative, and that I call everybody sir and mam. These complaints were clearly solicited and were designed to accomplish what Marian failed to do on her first attempt. The fact that they put my referring to the people as sir and mam, which are terms of respect, clearly shows that I am not argumentative. It’s hard to argue when you are saying “yes sir and yes mam”.

While there, I did everything I was told, I made sure I was extremely polite, the most agreeable person in the world. And followed the rules to the letter. Despite this four weeks into the “working” extern I got an e-mail from Ms. Nelson that extern was canceled for the day. This was extremely suspicions because I was told, just the day before by one of the Harrison staff that Marion was herd saying that I wasn’t to be allowed to finish the program under any circumstances.

I soldiered on hoping to, just, get through. I got an e-male stating that extern was canceled for the day. This seemed fishy to me so I e-mailed back asking the question “Is it canceled for everyone or just me?”  I got no reply. The following “scheduled” extern day I reported early as usual. Amy Casey’s husband was the onsite instructor. He received a phone call from Jen Nelson and told me that she wanted to see me at Harrison. I knew something sinister was afoot. I called her back and asked her if she was pulling my extern; she said yes.  I told her that I knew it was Marian that was behind this and reminded her that I told her this was going to happen; I also informed her that a member of staff there over herd her decreeing that I wasn’t to be allowed to finish the program under any circumstances and she tried to get the information out of me of who told me.

Ms. Nelson told me to come back to the school and I would be told what was to happen next and for my next set of classes. I informed her that I would not be taking any more classes at Harrison and asked her why I would put myself in the passion of being victimized, again, by the same people? I did not go back but started my classes at a reputable University. I also sent a letter of complaint to Vicki Thomas at Harrison that was responded to by Bob Boudrot. He said in his e-mail “We have investigated this allegation and cannot substantiate it.” In reading his e-mail I realized that Harrison will not admit fault or do the right thing and return the money they received for services NOT rendered.

I realized I wasn’t going to get any help from Harrison and started gathering evidence and witnesses myself. As I do not recognize Bob Boudrot’s authority to close this matter (short of returning my money) I, personally went to the Veteran’s administration education offices In Cleveland. I pleaded my case accusing them of grade tampering and interfering with my education, and was told that “Harrison College is a Brown Mackey situation; they have had many complaints of this nature not just about the Fort Wayne campus and they have herd Marian Welling’s name before.

I had been attending regular classes at my new school when I received a phone call from Harrison asking me why I hadn’t signed in to any of my “on line” classes I was registered in. I let the person know that I hadn’t registered for any on-line classes and if I had registered for classes they wouldn’t be on-line. Apparently the register at Harrison, either on her own or at the direction of Marian Welling, went ahead and register me for classes without my consent.

I was told I had to come in and drop the classes I didn’t sign up for in the first place. I also asked for a copy of my official transcripts. One copy is supposed to be free to those who graduate from Harrison of which I am. I graduated with highest honors with an associate’s degree in applied science for medical assisting from Harrison. I was told I hadn’t graduated from there with anything and was forced to pay for the transcripts.

 Since then I am actively informing people of the unethical behavior of the Fort Wayne Harrison College. The only way I will stop actively persuading people from attending Harrison is if I receive the money that they have stolen from me, but my conscience will not allow me from informing those wanting to go to school to improve themselves and their standing from throwing their money away. I have kept all the e-mails. I just want a refund for extern and for the certification exam that was part of my tuition.

Again, I do not recognize your authority to close this matter. I take my education very seriously. I have amassed evidence but it has gone to the VA. I have also made a complaint to the Better Business Burro and to the rip off list. I have also been offered a “nuclear option” to get the word out about Harrison’s unethical practices.