Milwaukee Area Technical College

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]
 
 As
stated in the initial complaint; MATC's policy in order to petition for the
nursing program is that student's must complete all of their pre-requisite
courses or must be in the process of completing their last semester of
pre-requisite courses. I received a letter dated April 10, 2015 from MATC,
which notified me that my program requirements had been evaluated and that it
was anticipated that I would graduate in Spring 2015. I have attached that
document. The letter informed me to look over my program plan to view the
requirements. I looked over my program plan in April and all of my classes
except for the ones I was currently enrolled in had the words in green
"Complete" next to them. There was never any question as to whether I
met the graduation requirements because the class they accused me of missing
was a course that was mandatory before I could even get into the nursing
program. It was also a class that I did in fact, complete.  I have
attached a copy of my transcripts as proof with the missing course highlighted.
As stated in the initial complaint; Chemistry for Health Sciences 209 was
offered in place of Biochem 187 because the 200 courses are transferable to a
university. This was a mistake made by the school. It had nothing to do with me
not understanding graduation requirements.
 
I understand that staff members get sick. However, it doesn't justify being
told that I would receive a call back on Thursday, June 17th and never did.
There is no excuse for that.  Not knowing what to do; I contacted [redacted]. She was the only one who returned calls and emails promptly. She was
the only one to care and to take action. That is terrible.  I worked really hard for my nursing degree and paid out of pocket to attend school there. I'm disappointed by how I was treated.

Milwaukee Area Technical College has received this complaint. We will need the student's written permission to disclose information about his personal record and will begin preparing a response after receipt of written permission. Please note MATC will be closed Dec. 24-Jan. 1.

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
[To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, we would like to know your view on the matter.]
Regards,
[redacted]

Ms. [redacted] was notified in April that her program requirements had been evaluated and that itwas anticipated that she would complete the program in summer 2015. In the samecommunication she was provided with the link to view the requirements for graduation.When Ms. [redacted] called on June 15,...

staff that normally answers and returns phone calls wasout sick. That staff member also was out on June 16. A response was sent to her on June 17 at1 :36 p.m. that informed her of the class she needed to meet graduation. Her statement ofgraduation was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services on June19,2015 at 2:29 p.m.We do apologize that our communication that Ms. [redacted] did not meet the requirements forspring semester graduation was not clear to her..

I graduated from a Diploma program in December of 2013. Today's date is 4/3/2014. Despite repeated requests for my Diploma, I have not re4ceived it. It is rare to get a live person to answer the phone except for the information line, rarer yet for anyone to answer an email and voicemail boxes are usually full.

I think this is a terribly irresponsible way to run a school. I have paid my money, passed my classes, been on the graduation list and no diploma. F- for them!

Review: On April 11th I received a bill in the mail from MATC stating I had a balance due of $1.959.00, and this amount was due on April 7th. There was no itemization or reason for the charge. I sent an email on April 14th to MATC student accounts asking for an explanation of the bill, and wondering why it was due before I received it in the mail. After no response, I sent another email on April 30th to MATC student accounts as well as the county supervisor [redacted]. I included him in the email in hopes of a response and resolution from MATC.

I was emailed on May 5th by [redacted]. Her email stated that my financial aid application was selected for verification and I needed to provide documents to complete the application process.

On May 20th I mailed out the appropriate information that was asked of me to fill out.

On May 16th and June 11th I missed a call from [redacted] at MATC. In the two voicemails, she called me by a different name, both were incorrect, and said it was very important that I call her back right away regarding my financial aid.

On May 16th, June 11th, and June 12th I had called back [redacted] and left a voicemail of what time was the best to reach me.

June 13th I finally was able to speak to [redacted]. [redacted] stated to me that they had been trying to get a hold of me since January and there was no acknowledgment of my numerous emails or voicemails trying to get ahold of them. The first time I had ever gotten anything from MATC was on April 11th. Also during the conversation, she called me by the wrong name again. I asked her why she was not able to remember my FIRST name, and her answer was that in my file there were two different LAST names. Apparently getting married and changing your last name means your first name changes as well???

After being put on hold 3 times, [redacted] stated that my paperwork I sent in was not in my file, and she didn’t know where it was. She would call me back by the end of the work day to let me know if they had it.

Today is June 16th and I still have not received a call. I’ve had enough with this school and their lack of caring, customer service, and organization. I chose not to go back to school for other reasons, and it’s a good thing because I would not have been able to register for classes because of this mess. Also, my tax information, social security number, and personal information is “missing”. I tried my hardest to get this situation resolved, and two months later it still is not. Not getting back to numerous emails, voicemails, calling students by wrong names, and losing important and personal information does not sound like a school that cares.Desired Settlement: Firstly, I would like to be called by my correct name.

I would like to be apologized to about the lack of care and organization.

I would like an explanation of why I was told MATC was trying to get a hold of me since January, but the only thing I received from them was in April.

I would like my tax information and FAFSA worksheet with my social security number and other personal information to be located.

I would like MATC to do their part in resolving this, because I have done everything that was asked of me.

Business

Response:

I have received the information in Complaint [redacted]. We will need Ms. [redacted]'s written permission to discuss information in her MATC record.

Review: I attended MATC at the downtown campus for the Spring 2013 semester. I was taking a class ELCTEC-130: Digital Electronics. I asked in the middle of the semester to switch to ELCTEC-117: Interactive Digital Electronics, after being assured by Mr. [redacted], the teacher of ELCTEC-117, that I would be able to continue where I left off at ELCTEC-130. When I went to speak to Mr.[redacted] after the switch, he informed me that he wanted me to complete an engineering notebook for experiments done in the second unit of the class. I agreed. When I was almost finished with it, I asked for the information for Unit 3. At that time, he informed me that I was supposed to go back and completely redo Unit 2. When I told him that that was not what we agreed upon he went back and said he would check with my former teacher, Mr. [redacted], of where I left off. I wrote to the Associate Dean, Ms. [redacted], asking if there was anything I could do as I would not be able to complete the course and as I was already on probation I did not want to go back to being on suspension. She spoke to Mr. [redacted] who said it would be possible for me to get a incomplete should I show that I am trying to finish the course. I agreed. As I finished the engineering notebook for the second unit, I ask Mr. [redacted] if he had spoken to Mr. [redacted]. He stated he had not but still required me to do Unit 2. As I tried to complete the second unit, I received an email from Ms. [redacted] stating that Mr. [redacted] informed her that I had not been completing the work. I emailed her back stating that I was working on the homework. Later, I was dropped from the class which resulted in me going back to suspension status and the loss of my financial aid. Thus, I would have to pay out of pocket for all of my classes until I can get back into good standing. Had Mr. [redacted] adhered to our previous agreement, I would still have my financial aid.Desired Settlement: I want the record of the class to be removed from my educational records. I want my financial aid status to be returned including the accepted financial aid for the summer semester. I also want a refund for the class as it is not my fault that I was not able to complete it.

Business

Response:

Instructor [redacted] consulted with

Instructor [redacted] to determine what work Ms. [redacted] had submitted in

ELCTEC-130. This was to ensure that she was not required to complete work she

had previously completed. Ms. [redacted] was required to complete Unit 2 in its

totality, which included updating her engineering notebook and taking the unit

test. Ms. [redacted] was required to update her engineering notebook so that she

had all of the work done in preparation for the unit test. She did not complete

the unit test, which prohibited her from moving on in the class. Attendance

conditions were placed on Ms. [redacted] receiving an incomplete. The week following

this discussion she was absent from class. As a result, Instructor [redacted]

determined that Ms. [redacted] would not receive an incomplete and would be

withdrawn from the class.

Ms. [redacted] first contacted

Associate Dean [redacted] in early May and the Spring semester ended May

24. Associate Dean [redacted] was not part of a discussion or email correspondence

regarding Ms. [redacted]’s academic status and financial aid.

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I don't see how Mr. [redacted] supposedly spoke to Mr. [redacted] about where I left off as when I spoke to him in late April, he told me he had not spoken to him yet, but would. Thus, his decision to have me redo Unit 2 had no input from my previous class as he made the decision before speaking to Mr. [redacted]. He also would not allow me to take the test until the engineering logbook and the homework was done, where our original agreement when we met was that I would just have to do the engineering notebook. This change was not told to me until I was almost done with the engineering log book. I emailed my counselor Mr. [redacted] on April 21. I proceeded to see Ms. [redacted] in person on April 26th, therefore I had spoken with her before May. She emailed me May 4th because Mr. [redacted] said I had not been completing the work as I had not been in class. I had not been in class as I was doing the homework which didn't require me physically being there as it was an interactive class where I came when I needed to work on the lab and was otherwise on my own. I was dropped from the class early May. I emailed her about redo a program schedule on May 11th. We met on May 21st.

Also, I have never said Ms. [redacted] was part of a discussion or email correspondence regarding my academic status or financial aid. Though since you want to address that. I asked her about my grade completion and she didn't know. When I met with her on May 21st to discuss a new plan. She told me I should appeal the suspension I would have. She also said that for the appeal, if I needed her to speak for me, she would.

Regards,

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 9644841, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

I had completed Unit 2 in Mr. [redacted]'s class though Mr. [redacted] wouldn't have known that as he had not asked Mr. [redacted]. He told me that he had not talked to Mr. [redacted] about where I left off in the class. So unless he had sat in Mr. [redacted] class with me the whole time, he could not possibly know. The syllabus does not detail attendance and all that is said about when the assignments or labs are due are set in a four weeks for a unit.

Mr. [redacted] did not give me any dates I had to attend as he knew I was working on the homework. Also, he spoke through Ms. [redacted]. Since I spoke to Mr. [redacted] in April about his breaching our original agreement by altering it to include the entirety of Unit 2, we had not personally spoke.

Ms. [redacted] and I did not discuss a reduced academic load as I was already only taking two classes. We discussed a plan that would allow me to finish my program. She agreed to speak for me should I appeal, as when you appeal the academic status, the financial aid is also evaluated. Thus, we never spoke separating the two and I have never implied as such so I would like you to stop fabricating information.

Regards,

Business

Response:

Attached is the syllabus from ELCTC-117. There are clear expectations for student attendance outlined in two sections of the syllabus.

Review: In order for students to schedule our NCLEX date, MATC has to send out our graduation authorization to the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS). Those were to be mailed out on June 3rd, 2015. I started to notice all of my classmates were receiving their activation to test letter the week of June 8th, 2015. I noticed I had not received my letter on June 15th and extended an email to the DSPS. They confirmed that MATC had not sent out my graduation authorization. To figure out what was going on, I called MATC's Graduation Office at 11:13 A.M. I left a message in hopes of them returning my call to resolve whatever the issue was. I did not hear back from them the remainder of the day. Therefore, I sent them an email on June 15th at 7:12 p.m. in hopes of hearing something back the following day. No such luck. I called the graduation office again on Tuesday, June 16th at 8:00 A.M. in which I got their messaging service again. Not knowing what to do, I emailed the Associate Dean of Nursing, [redacted] on Tuesday. However, I received an email stating she would be out of the office until Wednesday June 17th. Wednesday morning, I still had not received an email or call back from the graduation office. So, I emailed [redacted] at 10:39 A.M. She promptly returned my email stating she would have the graduation office process my graduation as soon as possible. Finally, on June 18th, Thursday morning at 9:45 A.M. I received an email from the graduation office stating that my graduation couldn't be processed because I was missing a pre-req Biochemistry course. I downloaded a copy of my transcripts and seen that I completed the Chemistry of Health Sciences 209 course. This was offered in place of Biochem because it would transfer to a university towards my Bachelor's. Other colleagues of mine were having the same problem. I called the graduation office at 10:04 A.M. to dispute this issue because students cannot be accepted into the nursing program without completing their pre-reqs in the first place. My account was looked into by Podia and I was supposed to receive a call back by a student representative at some time in the day. However, after 2 hours went by, I emailed [redacted] again and shared my issue with her. She took care of it immediately. I would just like to point out that MATC was the last school to send their graduation authorizations out. At first, we had been told they'd be sent by the end of of May and then we found out they wouldn't be sent until June 3rd. Then, I find out that some student's were mailed as late as June 10th. Now, I have to wait even longer because of an unorganized school system. Other people have had this same issue. If the school notices this is occurring, why aren't they fixing it? If this were a hospital in which there was a spike in hospital acquired infections, the hospital would try to figure out the source and reduce those numbers! This is my career, so imagine my frustration. I have had job opportunities pass me up because I cannot obtain a temporary license with out my graduation authorization. Employers want to know specific time frames or dates that we are taking our NCLEX. It's disappointing because MATC has one of the best nursing programs out there, with the best passing rate in the country. However, employers are not going to take MATC seriously if they are unorganized and unreliable. It is also unprofessional to not return phone calls or emails within a timely manner. The only person who cared enough was the Associate Dean of Nursing [redacted].Desired Settlement: I would like a verification that my graduation authorization was sent out. I would also like an apology from MATC graduation office and registrar for their lack of communication and lack of regard for their student alumni.

Also, they need to devise a plan on how to fix the graduation issues for students in the future and how to become more organized.

Business

Response:

Ms. [redacted] was notified in April that her program requirements had been evaluated and that itwas anticipated that she would complete the program in summer 2015. In the samecommunication she was provided with the link to view the requirements for graduation.When Ms. [redacted] called on June 15, staff that normally answers and returns phone calls wasout sick. That staff member also was out on June 16. A response was sent to her on June 17 at1 :36 p.m. that informed her of the class she needed to meet graduation. Her statement ofgraduation was sent to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services on June19,2015 at 2:29 p.m.We do apologize that our communication that Ms. [redacted] did not meet the requirements forspring semester graduation was not clear to her..

Consumer

Response:

Review: I enrolled in class Spring 2013, I was on a payment plan during this time. I had some issues with the teacher at MATC, so the liberal arts department thought it was best for me to take a class lower than the one I was already registered in. I asked for a refund at the time, because MATC wanted me to switch to a different class although I was already paying for another one. I thought I was given a refund, because I got a statement in the mail later on stating that I had a 0 balance from MATC. Last year I filled bankruptcy and put MATC on my list of creditors. There is no way that I should still be charged for that, when MATC had an opportunity to show up in court and dispute this discharge. I would like this matter cleared up as soon as possible. Thanks.Desired Settlement: Removal of discharged debt

Business

Response:

Hope you are doing well. I wanted to let you know that I have received the information related to Complaint [redacted] and am working with a colleague to gather information. We will need Ms. [redacted]'s written permission to discuss information contained in her student record.