As Acting Chair for Drafting and Design and the Dean of ITT Fort Lauderdale, I couldn't be more proud of our Sept associate drafting graduates. I just watched their Capstone presentations and they were brilliant. I cried like a baby for their success and that they will graduate. I cried like a baby for the thousands of ITT students across the country that might not be given the same opportunity.
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no more than 32
--why 32 is there something to that?
All of these venting are correct one way or another because individuals are expressing their feelings, which is proper. Now the question is what next?. Wait for the HQ Monday/Tuesday memo, tell all the parties involved the real situation, meaning which campuses of the 132 will remain open, (not that many), those campuses that leases are expiring are in the need to tell students, (those that can continue) where they will go, situation is current in the works at the SE district) and by when, (December 2016), for the number of campuses that will remain open, (no more than 32) if they do not go BK, HQ do not need DM's. Make the remaining College Directors reporting to Simich. As for the students, tell them once and for all the truth and consequences. Reach out to Mr. Champagne to restore sanity
"I couldn't be more proud of our Sept associate drafting graduates. I just watched their Capstone presentations and they were brilliant. I cried like a baby for their success "...well you should cry, since the vast, vast, majority that first set foot in an ITT classroom never do complete. One quarter we had about 250 starts and within 2 quarters already half were gone for all kinds of reasons. Maybe a dozen or two of them graduated.
"I have been reading these posts for weeks now and frankly, if you didn't like or believe in what you were doing on a daily basis to help our students have better lives, why didn't you move on? "
"We have numerous adjuncts who have PhD's and have taught at top notch colleges in the past. Why are they teaching at ITT???? They believed in helping students! "
All this talk of "believing" in helping students is fine. But saying that helping student is somehow tied into, or dependent on, "believing" in ITT-Tech is creeping me out. Sounds like a con. There are so many jokes on this board about employees drinking the kool-aid.
Everyone is coming from a different perspective here. I appreciate that some people see the student success stories and cry for joy. But, in my opinion, ITT-Tech has primarily become a marketing scheme, not a college. As a faculty, I felt I was enabling a diploma mill operation, and every day at work was becoming more and more like a waking nightmare.
I saw the majority of my students learning little, due to the many academic and administrative problems -- which have been detailed at length in postings on this forum over the past several months. Yet I believe in helping people get an education; I have a Ph.D.; I work hard as an adjunct; I am competent; I get great student evals and faculty obs, etc. It does not follow that I have to stay at ITT-Tech and be part of their fraud.
Friday was my last day -- I cannot not stomach the ITT-Tech fraud any longer. The director, registrar, etc really wanted me to stay. I could hardly look them in the face -- they still pretend that everything is fine-- and the students still do not have a clue. I told my students I will miss them, and that I enjoyed teaching them. I am a professional.
I have a new teaching job lined up already, at a small non-profit school. My pay will be low, less than ITT-Tech even, but it isn't about the money! I have been attending training sessions at my new job, and it is such a relief to be back in a world where academic "best practices" are taken seriously! Academics at ITT-Tech was disgraceful.
I cried for joy when DOE when into action last Thursday, so that no new students will get ripped off, and current students will finally get some real information -- since DOE is forcing ITT-Tech to tell them something. But I don't need to defend myself. And the dean who started this thread doesn't have to defend himself either.
Furthermore, as for the comment on babysitting students.... I'm not sure what location you taught at but my adjuncts are professionals, dedicated and hardworking. They are committed to providing our students with a solid background. Many of my adjuncts have years of experience teaching as well as experience working in their field. Many of the IT instructors work for State Agencies during the day and they bring that experience and talent into the classroom. We have numerous adjuncts who have PhD's and have taught at top notch colleges in the past. Why are they teaching at ITT???? They believed in helping students! At our location, our Career Services Department has been placing 68-70% of all programs. We work hard to make sure our students have interview skills and a solid resume!
Today, I had students asking me what they could do to help keep our school OPEN! I had calls from students who were hoping to come back and finish their degrees but will not be able to. This is heart breaking! My students want to stay! My students are worried! They should be. The VA students will NOT get back any of their tuition or VA benefits! If they can not finish their program, they loose! I have been reading these posts for weeks now and frankly, if you didn't like or believe in what you were doing on a daily basis to help our students have better lives, why didn't you move on? I will work hard the next few weeks and I will continue to help every student that I can until the last one walks off the campus! I am praying we will at the very least be able to give my graduates their ceremony at the end of September!
Why couldn't ITT just stick with good students? They kept lowering the entrance reqs. I taught math, then 4 years later taught it again, what a noticeable drop in what the starters were able (prepared) to do.. 75% of my last class insisted 10-15=25.
I'm glad you are proud of the job you did. Please don't ignore all of the glaringly questionable activities going on all around you. ITT couldn't meet the alarmingly low standards of ACICS. Education has standards and isn't measured by a $1,500 adult babysitter/adjunct. The phone calls to the absent students you made on break wasn't to check on their welfare. It was so you could track them down and lure them back to sitting in class. Full classrooms bring in financial aid.
It would make me so mad when I would read something that came from HQ in regards to changes or doing something last minute. The thing with HQ they don't know the students,don't know the on campus side of things (or have been so far gone they forgot).
Seeing those students who were fully invested and complete was great! Seeing those come through who didn't have no business being there... That was hard to swallow.
I totally agree. Those of us that love what we do and love the students and worked with them over the years are proud of what we have done. Don't judge the ones in the field like those upstairs at HQ that sit with Kevin Modany and all that he has destroyed at ITT ... they are the ones that have made the decisions that have destroyed all the good that we did. I have cried as well. It is heartbreaking to see what Kevin and his greedy ways have done.
ITT may not be a big loss to some in the world, but those that work with our students and have a passion for the job will miss these experiences. Don't judge someone else's experience until you have been in their shoes. I cried Friday night for the same reason.
They will cry too when they see how much debt and how destructive it will be to every aspect of their lives.
Teach out should ensure that they graduate. Other students can go to other schools. ITT Tech isn't much of a loss.