SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 expect it to be on-line right? Ya know unless they call it a hybrid class or mention in the description SOMEWHERE that it requires in person attendance? Well no apparently, on-line doesn't REALLY mean on-line. Yep, that is what happened. DS got approved for a program at a CC that is too far for us, but he was told he could sign up for on-line classes. So today the instructor informed him that he requires periodic in person meetings (mostly to hand in work). No exceptions. This place is about 4.5 hours away one way. Nope, that's not happening. If it were for a final exam or something...ok, I could make arrangements to go there once. But not more than that. So I only paid $165 for this class, but they are telling me I can't get the money back. I let them know how I feel about that of course. Not the end of the world. Guess I made a donation, but this is unreal. The lady on the phone said to me...oh yeah....I don't get that either that sometimes with the on-line stuff the instructors require you to go there. WHAT?! That's not what on-line is!!!! *sigh* 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I could see that they require on site proctored exams and would not consider this unreasonable for an online class. But to turn in papers? never heard of email? 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Sympathy for you: "ug", and, "what the...??" :cursing: How frustrating! Can you take this further up the line into the administration, partly to get your $$ back, but also to alert to raise enough of a stink that they change their policy so others don't get suckered? And most of all: can you switch DS to another section of the class that IS all online? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I think this is a case where you do go up the line. You may never get your money back, but I think this one is worth a letter or a few phone calls to someone with more authority. That's really ridiculous. It would be simple for them to write, "online class, with 4 mandatory in-person meetings." Done. How hard is that? 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 I could see that they require on site proctored exams and would not consider this unreasonable for an online class. But to turn in papers? never heard of email? Yeah not even papers. It's a programming class. He wants them to go there to hand in usb drives. Either way, that should be something they tell you up front. Plenty of people take on-line classes from distant locations. And the guy said the class is part of some sort of special program they have that is a mix of on-line and in person. Again, this was never mentioned. But, let's say that's true, when he signed up for this stuff it required a ton of extra hoops. You don't just register in the usual way. There are more forms and more people looking at these forms. They should know this stuff. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 I think this is a case where you do go up the line. You may never get your money back, but I think this one is worth a letter or a few phone calls to someone with more authority. That's really ridiculous. It would be simple for them to write, "online class, with 4 mandatory in-person meetings." Done. How hard is that? Yep. I am going to put up a stink. Like you said, the money..whatever, but this is bologna. The crazy thing too is this class had 11 slots. Eleven! So wouldn't you want to be clear on what this all about? Having even one person drop is a lot with a class size like that. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikslo Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 He wants them to go there to hand in usb drives. So why can't he mail them? Overnight even, and get a signature? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I'd raise a stink! Every online class we've seen has been very specific on when you need to be on campus, most down to the specific days. If he wants to see the students in person once a week when they turn in their work, I guess that is his choice, but the students need to be informed before they register and pay. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Can you PM me which CC youre talking about? We're in the same state & I think only 2 CCs offer that cheap rate for high schoolers. Im planning on ds taking one through one of them next semester. Thanks Ds is taking one this semester listed as "hybrid" , so we had to pay a distance learning fee. He logged in yesterday when it opened & turns out, it can be online or in class, whichever the student prefers. Ds will be on campus already (back to back classes & our new house is walking distance away) so will do it in person. Thats not hybrid. Annoyed by the extra $68 charge. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) Oh, we had the problem with last semesters programming class that their files were too big for the college submission system to upload, so he had to turn in his final project on usb. We dropped it off, but couldve mailed it ahead of time. Edited January 18, 2017 by Hilltopmom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 I'd go up the chain and I'd also go back to the instructor. Explain that you can't get the money back and that you signed up because it said "online" and not "hybrid." See if he'll let the USB be overnighted as mentioned up thread. Ridiculous! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kassia Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Wow, that is ridiculous. I'm sorry about the class and that the CC won't work with you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 So why can't he mail them? Overnight even, and get a signature? He said nope to that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 Can you PM me which CC youre talking about? We're in the same state & I think only 2 CCs offer that cheap rate for high schoolers. Im planning on ds taking one through one of them next semester. Thanks Ds is taking one this semester listed as "hybrid" , so we had to pay a distance learning fee. He logged in yesterday when it opened & turns out, it can be online or in class, whichever the student prefers. Ds will be on campus already (back to back classes & our new house is walking distance away) so will do it in person. Thats not hybrid. Annoyed by the extra $68 charge. GCC If I can warn others to double check this, I have no qualms about putting the info out there. It never occurred to me to check this. Otherwise, of course I would have. He took an on-line class last semester from a school down the street. He never once had to go there. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Sparkly, have you emailed the instructor directly stating your specific circumstances? Sorry I didn't read every single reply and hope this is not a repetitive question. If the instructor himself/ herself said no, then I would definitely report this in some capacity so that others can be notified ahead of time too. This is not right and you should get your money back. Sometimes, the catalog will not mention things like this because they might use standard boilerplate text and this particular anomaly could be instructor specific. I used to work in publications and trust me, the people who write the catalogs don't always have control over such changes. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Ok thanks, I thought so once you said how far away it was from you. Trying not to seem like a stalker. We'll stick with HVCC & our local one, good to know. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 Sparkly, have you emailed the instructor directly stating your specific circumstances? Sorry I didn't read every single reply and hope this is not a repetitive question. If the instructor himself/ herself said no, then I would definitely report this in some capacity so that others can be notified ahead of time too. This is not right and you should get your money back. Sometimes, the catalog will not mention things like this because they might use standard boilerplate text and this particular anomaly could be instructor specific. I used to work in publications and trust me, the people who write the catalogs don't always have control over such changes. Well, looking at what the instructor said in more detail, all the exams will be there also. Emphasis on examS. I'm not driving 9 hours for exams. If it were one final, ok we could get a hotel or something. This should have been mentioned somewhere, but was not. So while he might be ok with some other means of delivering assignments, there is probably nothing we could do about the exams. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 Ok thanks, I thought so once you said how far away it was from you. Trying not to seem like a stalker. We'll stick with HVCC & our local one, good to know. Nah. I guess this was all too good to be true. There weren't many on-line classes overall that would have worked out. They have a fairly weird random smattering of stuff. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 That should absolutely be stated up front. You're right to be angry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 This is very unreasonable, although online can mean different things to different colleges. I taught face-to-face, hybrid, and online with one college. I thought that it was unreasonable enough that students had to take their online exams at the college testing center. Two of campuses had no weekend hours and were only open to 7pm twice a week. Yup. In a major metropolitan area with long commutes. I had several students who were deployed overseas and/or transferred out of the area, and I had to jump through major hoops to help them get approved proctors and take exams. As if that never, ever happened to anyone? Then I switched to another college in the same system, and online is indeed online. I've taught students living all over. They use online proctoring for a small fee if you have a webcam. And their testing centers are open 8am-10pm during the week and 8am-5pm on Saturday. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 18, 2017 Author Share Posted January 18, 2017 I have no problem with any configuration, but that needs to be stated up front. That's a perfectly reasonable expectation. I thought on-line meant on-line. Now if they said ok, but the final has to be done there. I could have worked that out. It's one trip out there. Although still I would have been fuming about not being told this up front. Damn these past 2 weeks have been one stressful arse thing after another. I need a nap. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Not nice of them, if that wasn't explained in an upfront manner, in the information available to you, before you signed up and paid. My wife was a Distance Learning student in the Public University here. Hybrid. I think she went to the campus every few Saturdays, to take examinations, for a class, etc. But there was no surprise and it was 20 minutes from where we lived at the time. If you have the information about the course, possibly you can copy that and send it to their Business Office and ask for a Refund. Also, the BBB if there's on where that school is located. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkT Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Sparkly, have you emailed the instructor directly stating your specific circumstances? Sorry I didn't read every single reply and hope this is not a repetitive question. If the instructor himself/ herself said no, then I would definitely report this in some capacity so that others can be notified ahead of time too. This is not right and you should get your money back. Sometimes, the catalog will not mention things like this because they might use standard boilerplate text and this particular anomaly could be instructor specific. I used to work in publications and trust me, the people who write the catalogs don't always have control over such changes. rate my professor could be used 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopmom Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Nah. I guess this was all too good to be true. There weren't many on-line classes overall that would have worked out. They have a fairly weird random smattering of stuff. It IS a weird list of classes, isn't it. And why can't all the CCs offer the high school rate?! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 It IS a weird list of classes, isn't it. And why can't all the CCs offer the high school rate?! That would be magical. He is taking a class elsewhere. If I had the money, I'd replace the class, but I just don't. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 @SparklyUnicorn I told my wife and DD about this thread. Deceptive Advertising. I think I know which state you live in. If it is like TX, in the State Capitol, there is an Agency or Department for CONSUMER PROTECTION. I would be writing them a polite, short, letter (or send them a FAX, you can send the FAX, free, with FaxZero.com https://faxzero.com/). I would raise hell for USD$165 under those circumstances. In TX, I think that office is in the Office of the Attorney General in Austin. You have been ripped off, and I suspect that you have been ripped off by a government funded school. The key words are DECEPTION, DECEPTIVE ADVERTISING and CONSUMER FRAUD. NOTE: If you paid for the course with a Credit Card, and, if you paid for it very recently, I suggest that you call the bank that issued the credit card and explain to them and ask them to refund the $165 to your account. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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