After 16 years facilitating classes, my account was de-activated at University of Phoenix and I was terminated without notice. I called tech services and was told I could 're-apply". When I sent an email to the EdTeam, I was told that my account was inactive for 6 months. However, I was offered and accepted a class in November. The class was cancelled, but I still received the cancellation pay. I was given no notice or option to continue my employment. Policy states that we have to facilitate a class once per year to remain active, which I have successfully completed for 16 years! Are there any actions I can take against The University of Phoenix?
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Doesn't UOP faculty have to be employed in the industry in which they teach? Some of the point here is the crappy, disrespectful way UOP terminates and treats their long-term employees.
Loyalty is not something that UOP considers or honors. Long-term employees worked and invested years at this company, trying to get to a pay level that is barely in line with or associated with cost of living. Enrollment got paid so much more than any other advisers. The buck stopped in finance and they were some of the lowest paid in the company. So equal pay for each member of the 'grad team' was not true. They changed compensation packages about every 2 years, as soon as you figured out how to excel in their MATRIX or compensation system, they changed it. And they HAD to give some raises when they were forced by outside sources who figured out how poorly their salaries compared in the market and , that you get what you pay for and they were hiring people without background checks at entry level pay (telling them they could get a degree for free as employee)...these people were handling highly confidential documents and information. I saw an adviser walked out for fraud in reporting salary to DES (forgery) that was handling peoples' credit cards and confidential documents. UOP treating faculty with integrity and loyalty that would be a surprise!!! I did my degree at UOP required to keep job & up enrollment numbers (now worthless) and can truly say some of my teachers were clearly not qualified, but others were exceptional. They are not going to attract anyone with integrity, treating people like trash and not honoring quality employees. I am sure they are looking to hire new people and are not concerned with paying more to get quality. They will start replacing these people with entry level folks that they don't have to pay as much. Wipe out the higher salaries and long-term, older employees. So obvious.
Bunch of meanies on here, sorry "16 years", not even a little professional.
So says the person who was 'fired' though never 'hired' - LOL. The fact that UOP hired such a loser illustrates why they are sinking faster than the Titanic and with more people on board:-)
Your jumbled response reveals your inadequate intelligence level, so I will not continue this conversation. Perhaps you should evaluate your attitude! Wow....
Did it occur to '16 years' that other faculty also excelled over the years and performed better? This person still doesn't get that a person can only be 'terminated' if actually employed. That lack of understanding alone, coupled with failure to read a simple contract that guarantees nothing beyond the current contract, indicates a person who is easily surpassed in intelligence by more qualified faculty.
Thank you for your response that was not volatile! With the change in opportunities to access online courses, I can see why enrollment has dropped. It just would have been nice to weed out facilitators based upon the quality of instruction for the students. I believe I have a lot to offer and have kept up with, embraced and met the changing requirements throughout the years. I like helping potential educators work through how they will make an impact on our children. I think the University could have taken into consideration the time and effort some of us have put into the school through the years.
The institution once had 476,000 students and about 34,000 faculty, mostly contract by contract folks. The institution called faculty "employees" but there were really only a couple of hundred faculty on employment lists with access to the benefits package.
The college is down to about 140,000 students with quarterly enrollment ranging from 18,000 to 24,000 meaning that total enrollment eventually will be in the 70,000 to 80,000 range, perhaps less. Management knew this was happening and no amount of pressure on a dwindling enrollment workforce nor attempts to resign former students will change the dynamics of the industry. Most faculty members knew what the deal was when taking a course and simply adjusted their time allocations accordingly.
The number of faculty members simply must follow the student population down to meet less demand for classrooms. It is a shame, but look at what is happening to Sears Holdings for a similar story.
What is clearly not necessary is your continued work as an adjunct. You knew this when you accepted your first contract, which clearly states that signing the contract is no guarantee of receiving any future contracts. If the university needs you, then you teach. If they don't need you, then you don't teach. It's that simple. You did not 'work for' the university for 16 years. You simply kept signing new contracts. Accept it for what it was, and change with the times.
Oh, I think you are all confused! I am and always have been a public school district administrator. I actually have attended many classes and have facilitated 100's in the 16 years I have worked for Phoenix. I am disappointed because I have gone above and beyond and even helped develop the curriculum for the State of Texas that aligns with our teaching certification standards. I have always maintained at least two jobs, so I would gather facts before you write such closed minded statements. I also have kept up my part of the bargain with continuing University Education and the classes through Phoenix. I accepted a class, but it was cancelled due to low enrollment. Your comments are hateful and not necessary. I feel I have a lot of experience to offer and have received very good feedback through the years.
I'm glad you brought up that point. Associate faculty are supposed to be working in their field or at least be retired from their field. However, too many were teaching classes as their sole or primary source of income, which completely cheats the student out of that 'real-world' application faculty practitioners bring to the classroom. When UOP needed more faculty, these unemployed adjuncts got away with not being employed in their fields, but now that UOP no longer needs them, they do need to find work in their field other than part-time teaching. This is a 'win-win' situation because it will bring UOP into compliance with their claim to have faculty practitioners and it will force the adjunct teaching bums to actually get work in their field and contribute to their field. I agree - get off your butt and find a job and quit pretending you are a full-time teacher just because you accepted a lot of teaching contracts over the years. That was your choice, and clearly a bad choice.
You taught 1 lousy course and now your looking to take action about being laid off- you've got to be joking! Teaching 1 lousy course all those years isn't a job- it's a hobby! Go get a real job in the real world!
Welcome to being an adult! If you would have attended meetings and trainings offered you would have known about the 6month rule. It sounds like you are the one being unethical by doing the bare minimum and expecting to get a hand out. It's called at will employment look it up and you are considered part time, not full time!
Grow up and get a job- that's the action you can take and quit belly aching. Waawaawaa...
No, because your employment is only as long as your current contract.
Unethical practices? By university of Phoenix? No.... that would never happen! You just be spreading fake news.
So is there any recourse we can take? I have been with the University for 16 years and it seems like unethical practices.
Actually, that was changed without telling anyone (like the faculty pay cutoff date in January was changed without telling anyone) from one year to six months. And the new rule is not being scheduled for a class, it is that you have to actually teach a complete class every six months.