what happens if IT issue intervenes in online schooling?

TheDude77 · Nov 5, 2014

I go to the same school you are talking about

I just wanted to comment on a couple things.

1. I had trouble with the pharm final. The Examity proctor was having trouble accessing my computer. It took her a good 10 minutes to gain control of it. I truly want to say that your "technical" issues were Examity employee problems, not your internet or computer.

2. I don't think they are weeding you out because you are an outsider. You are money in their pockets.

3. Even though I haven't had any big issues like you have had, I still wish I went to my local university for their NP program. And I am in the same state at the school we attend. It is nice to be able to see a person in front of you if you have an issue.

4. My husband upgraded our internet to Uverse. We were lied to as well and quickly switched back to cable.

Just my two cents. Feel free to PM me!

Back2SchoolRN · Nov 8, 2014

Oh, Ella! Thank you for sharing this publicly; people need to know. You are now the 3rd student I actually know from this school who had the same experience (of difficulty connecting with the outside proctoring service, "Examity").

The 2nd one could not connect, gave up after almost 90 minutes, then had to go to her job, work a shift, get another laptop, and with the professor sending cold e-mails, take the exam late that night, exhausted. She missed the passing grade of 80 by 1.5 points and was failed. Would she have passed if she'd been able to take the exam a little less tired and stressed? Maybe! She was doing fine in school until then.

Examity TOLD HER directly that the problem was the interface with (the virtual classroom named) "BlackBoard" and Examity's requirements. Whether or not that is true, I was told by the head of IT--the director of IT--at the school that he was unaware the professor was using an outside proctoring service that way (meaning via BlackBoard, I suppose). He urged me to "Don't make any decisions about your future just yet; let me speak to her and get back to you!" and "What you are saying disturbs me."

He never wrote me again, and when I e-mailed him a week later to ask why, I got no answer. It seemed clear, since he was so kind and open when we first e-mailed, that he had been told to keep quiet for legal reasons, or been told I was someone entirely different than I am, so he no longer believed what I'd said (?).

That same week I got an e-mail from the school stating that I was requested to take part in an "anonymous survey" about school honesty and integrity practices, which asked (among other details) whether I felt there was any wrongdoing at the school, and if so, was I worried about reporting it for fear of retaliation? Geeeez, what a coincidence, eh?! Maybe.

It is hard to know how much of the problem with Examity was employee incompetence, though anyone who has used online technical help can attest it happens. But the school has chosen to protect itself rather than its students by refusing to admit there WAS any problem, nor matter how costly to some. Admitting the service they provided--even if 3rd party--makes the school liable for any damage it caused.

The obvious monetary incentive for taking on more students than you can handle, using 80% automated courses, then dumping some over minimal-to-zero cause, while of course keeping the lost tuition money, is a very bad situation for students. Charging the student about $800.00 for the privilege of leaving, as this school does, seems ripe for investigation.

It is called, "return of Title IV funds", which sounds as though the government requires it. If it was illegal, they wouldn't do it, obviously. And it is mentioned in the fine print that you may be charged a fee by that name if you leave, even if involuntarily. I admit, since I've never flunked out of school and had no intention of leaving before completion, I barely noticed. If I did, I would have assumed it simply meant returning unused tuition, and that you still have to repay loans even if you don't graduate!

Still, I have not heard of this before, and no other school I have spoken to recalls asking for such money when students leave. Maybe other readers can clarify their experiences. It seems to be a legal option schools have, as long as it's in the fine print. But is it okay, ethically speaking, if you can also dump the student rather too easily?

This money is labeled as being "repaid" to the school, though it was not given to the student by the school--I double-checked on that. Nor was I told that the school donated it to the feds or any other entity on my behalf. Yet it must also be repaid, with interest, to the actual lender--the federal government! If you don't pay it immediately to the school, your transcripts will not be available, and so you will not be transferring anywhere else, either.

If this is accepted practice, the laws need to change, I think. It is unethical, whether legal or not. And wayyyy too tempting!

I thought, after reading the heavy emphasis (in the "MSN Handbook") on the "Advanced Physical Assessment" performance exam at the end of the last course before clinical, "I wonder if that somewhat subjective exam is the last opportunity to make sure the number of surviving students is as small as it needs to be?"

If so, then those that make it that far can breathe much easier once they pass, as thereafter there is no incentive/pressure to let you go, other than deficiencies in your actual performance and ethical/professional behavior.

I'm not saying I think they literally flunk people who actually take an exam and pass; I'm saying that many already-overworked professors probably don't appreciate taking on non-traditional students that mean extra work without extra teaching staff. Some (especially late-career ones who attended traditional programs) may have doubts about the attitudes or quality of online students that make them quicker to leap to negative conclusions.

...Some (especially the junior, lower-paid ones, like this professor?) may resent students who may be making more than academics do (which truly is ridiculously low pay for their education and responsibility, but not our fault!). Some, I have heard, already state on discussion boards for many disciplines that they expect us to be more opinionated and demanding (and in need of humbling) than traditional students in their 20s who haven't been DONs, etc.

They may also be pressured to keep numbers to certain parameters at certain times. And if you've had basic psychology, you know what happens when "nice" people are made to do things that make them morally uneasy; they rationalize, even blaming the victim, mostly unconsciously. It's probably a lot easier to do so if you already resent their presence and never have to speak face-to-face with them about it.

Regardless, each is responsible for her choices, and I think the response to the technology issue that cost me (in lost tuition, time off work for study, etc.) in the range of 15k, was very cold, distant, unfair and unwarranted. The more I hear (and there were allegedly as many as 5 others who were similarly affected, though most may have squeaked by as you did), the more I am appalled.

I will say that this dynamic must certainly NOT be true of many of the teachers there, nor be the case at all schools, and I know all schools must make predictive guesses about enrollment, attrition, etc. and (I think) may have to meet retention/graduation ratios to stay accredited; this must be tough. This is not a blanket criticism of all online schools.

Actually, I found several of the professors and staff to be kind enough and supportive enough, and 2 educators in particular seemed exceptional--dedicated, concerned, and very knowledgeable!

I'm just saying that the extremely lucrative nature of these schools is a set-up for greed to override ethics, and professors who are coerced to participate may not look too closely at any unpleasant details like these, or just feel there is no choice. (Especially in a regional college--where else will they work, especially if they have, or are approaching, tenure status? Throw away a career for some probably-careless-and-now-whiny student who has to sit out a year, but will probably survive?)

Either way, the students and nurses lose, and ultimately, the professors do, too, in several ways.

I know that they can't be the only school besides for-profit vocational colleges that do this. I don't want to risk being sued for naming them, nor hurt those who work there--even that cold-hearted professor herself--and there seems to be no point. But by sharing where others can read, we are doing those who listen a service, and you are helping to show that it's not just one disgruntled person who has observed or experienced the behavior.

A class-action suit might be appropriate, too, if any others completely missed the exam for technology reasons, and were given a "zero" as I was. However, I have other things to work on right now--including just dealing with the financial aftermath, and deciding what to do next and how.

Thank you again for sharing what you experienced. I'm sorry to hear you are feeling let down, too; I hope the degree will make it all worthwhile in the end! I will be dumping U-Verse, too. And please keep me--us--posted on your progress.

TheDude77 · Nov 9, 2014

I find it odd that Examity/IT stated that blackboard was not compatible with Examity. If that were true, wouldn't everyone be having problems? I really do think that it was the Examity employee that was having issues. Nothing related to you.

TashaLPN2006RN2012, ASN, RN · Nov 14, 2014

Wow I'm really sorry you had all that difficulty with your program! I think I would have been devastated if that happened to me. I prefer DSL/Cable internet over ATT anyday. I also dropped ATT cell service years ago due to their business practices and poor customer service.

Back2SchoolRN · Dec 3, 2014

Good point, Ella; I don't know. Usually when there are problems, each party blames it on someone else. AT&T blamed Examity, Examity blamed Blackboard, the school blamed me, I don't know where the technical issues actually lies, but I blame AT&T for lying, but the school for not taking responsibility for their part (missing information). But apparently, no matter what the problem was, I paid the price.

Back2SchoolRN · Dec 3, 2014

Tasha, yes--devastated is the right word. I am working hard on moving on but it certainly makes me feel nurses are still "eating their young", especially as the school was not just firm in their "no", but actually unconcerned about the impact, and not at all encouraging even for me to keep going in spite of it.

TheDude77 · Dec 4, 2014

The instructor for my current course actually brought up how there were technical difficulties for several people in pharm when it came to examity and the final. She basically said make sure that you do a "speed test" to check your upload/download speed prior to testing, make sure you are "wired in" and not wireless, and make sure that no one else is on the internet. They basically tried to cover everything that could cause a slower connection or lag time. She also mentioned there were problems with pharm because the tests were not on blackboard but on another platform which was an issue.