Student Cannot Find Job, Sues Monroe College Over Tuition
Do Schools Have More Duties Than Merely Providing an Education?
Student Sues Monroe College
Monroe College is an accredited college that offers associate -, bachelor - and master degrees. Full time undergraduate tuition in 2009 is $5,472 per semester while three classes of graduate tuition - which is considered full time - run about $6,088. One student has taken umbrage to paying these kinds of costs, and the Associated Press reports that the 27 year young student filed suit against the school for failure to find her work.
According to the suit, the student earned an undergraduate degree in information technology in April, but the career placement office failed to offer her good leads and also career advice to turn her degree into a marketable asset.
A Meritless Suit or an Appropriate Course of Action?
Monroe prides itself on its career assistance and advertises on its website that each student gets a career advisor for personal assistance in career advancement, resume drafting, and job search help. Students have mock interview opportunities each semester, and one such interview lasts about 30 minutes, which also includes time for critiquing.
The student suing Monroe earned a bachelor degree, and according to the Degree Directory, the job outlook for information technology managers should be excellent. That being said, the site is careful to point out that bachelor degrees are a starting point, but that a good many companies now prefer their information technologists to hold a master degree.
This raises the question if the student has merit in filing suit, since her field is more desirous of an advanced degree. Of course, there are most likely also plenty of employers willing to hire the right candidate with a bachelor degree. Would it be possible for the career advancement office to know this ahead of time? Is the entire degree a bust merely because the student is unable to find a job in a relatively short period of time?
Suing School over Contractual Disagreement
The Monroe College student with her undergraduate IT degree is not the only student who would sue an alma mater over disenchantment with the return on investment after graduation.
Last year, the Columbus Dispatch reported on an anesthesiologist educated in Ohio but practicing in Arizona. The failure to practice in Ohio for five years - as stipulated by the contract he signed at the age of 22 - cost him a substantial amount of money in fines. The doctor decided to sue the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine because -- he asserts -- this contract stipulation is directly opposed to interstate commerce.
Do schools have more duties than merely providing an education?
Sources
http://www.monroecollege.edu/; http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hOd5SMu_c48SwH6dYreQ4Cf7JNTQD99R312G0; http://degreedirectory.org/articles/Information_Technology_Manager_Career_Summary_Occupational_Outlook_and_Educational_Requirements.html; http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/12/27/dont_move.ART_ART_12-27-08_B1_1VCBPBO.html?
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20 Comments
Post a CommentThe lady is not a moron clive you are, maybe you are one of Monroe College favorite students. Monroe College is a rip-0ff they make sure you get a degree but care less if you have the education for the degree they gave you.
WOW. Well, it makes sense, since college IS supposed to bring MORE oppurtunities in carrers with the knowledge you gain. And sometimes, I have heard of students majoring in something and then finding out afterward that there is no call for the feild they majored in. Sometimes because that field is so small or new.
Goodness...you started a firestorm. Wonder why all these commenters are remaining anonymous.
to Doctor Truth .. Monroe College is an accredited school....and it is not a trade school it is a private school, fyi
Monroe "College" isn't even an accredited school: it's a 2-year trade school in a strip mall. Any community college has more merit than that dump. Does that give this 2.7 GPA twinkie the right to sue because the career center isn't handing her a job on a silver platter? Hell no. A college contracts to deliver you the instructor's time and guidance. They can't even "guarantee" that you'll be educated...some people (and this student certainly counts) can't be educated no matter how hard the instructor tries. They certainly don't owe her a job.
I don't agree with ctdad. What you are saying might have been true at one point in time. But in this day and age many colleges market themselves to young people, filling their heads with pie in the sky, encouraging them to take on debt, etc, and what they are "selling" doesn't come to fruition for the young student. For anyone going to college I would suggest the following" #1 - don't get into debt to go to college. It's not worth it anymore. #2 - Avoid the no-name or "Regional" colleges unless they have a proven track record bringing good companies on campus to interview. Go to their career placement office during the Spring semester and see who's interviewing. #3 - Whatever your degree is in, try to start backing that degree up RIGHT NOW with the required classes and certifications to teach. It helps to be on the Government gravy train during the hard economic times when the private sector is dying in this country. You can start out by substituting, and network from there
Colleges unfortunately do not have a degree program for hard work and sacrifice...that comes from the parents...IMO, this girl is only looking for a job to meet her own personal requirements...well, don't expect it little lady...there are a lot of professionals on the street with significantly more experience that this girl...You do what you need to do to pay the bills...Her case is nothing more than an excuse for her failure...so why not sue the school...what a copout...she is obviously a quitter in denial who is trying to deflect her failure by sueing the college...how pitiful...
continued...
Business. And while I don't necessarily agree with Trina and her lawsuit, I am shocked at the number of people on these forums about this story bragging about their super-high GPA's and dismissing this girl as a moron because of a 2.7. Never in my entire career have I seen anyone not get interviewed or not get hired for the sole reason that they have a 2.7 GPA in a business major. So all of you braniacs who think that your grades are going to get you in over everyone else better think again. The biggest determinant of success in life is social skills, NOT book smarts or grades.
Lastly, how do you know that this girl didn't work full-time or have kids while attending college? When one has actual REAL responsibilities and has to support a family in addition to going to college the dynamic changes a little...
Mummingbirds makes some great points.
Furthermore, since when is strictly GPA the sole determinant of whether a person is qualified for a job? When I was in college, the commonly accepted opinion, ESPECIALLY for business majors, was that it was much better to have a GPA in the low-3.0 range than in the 4.0 range. Why? Business people need to be able to get along with all different kinds of people and show skills that are not necessarily related to book smarts. Successful business people need to show leadership, confidence, the desire and gumption to take risks, the ability to think on their feet, the ability to fail then learn from their mistakes and persevere. A healthly dose of intuition and vision is also a big plus. One needs to expose themselves to the world outside of academia while still in college to get some real-world exposure to the "soft skills" that are necessary to get ahead today. I only bring this up because typically an IT degree is part of the College of Bus
This is terrible! This lady is a moron and I hope the court drops this case. The school gives you the tools to succeed. They don't guarantee success to morons that never try.