We are all expecting the worst when it comes to Cogswell’s Cogs taking over DeVry. It’s only logical to expect layoffs and campus closures—it’s what any of us would do if we have even a shred of business sense. But here’s an even more terrifying idea: what about five more years of slow decline, bad management, and continual mediocrity? What if nothing much actually changes immediately and we just keep slogging on toward oblivion the same way we have for so long, with slow cuttings phase-outs? What then, huh?
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More people will get fired by people who want to save their jobs!
Townhall meeting is Feb. 8
Is the TownHall on February 6th?
Because that's also the date of the Adtalem's quarterly earnings call.
If memory serves, last month's announcement of the pending sale included a reference to a finalization of the deal in January...assuming all the conditions had been met...enrollment hadn't fallen and student complaints hadn't spiked. Home Office has gone dark on any updates...and today another Town Hall meeting was announced for early February....
I am a student at Keller in Jacksonville. Since enrolling in late 2015, I have seen onsite class sizes drop from 8-12 students to just two or three. That is, if there is a class onsite. Most terms there are only one or two classes onsite and they keep repeating the same courses. They may list four or five "600" courses, but in actuality, it is the same class, all disciplines in one room. Our campus dean-of-the-month, now six in the last two years, seems powerless in scheduling the courses that the few remaining Keller students need. Our skeletal staff, now down to three people, maybe, is a revolving door. There is now only one that has been there over two years. Our "campus" now consists of only two classrooms on the 2nd floor of a four-story building. Every term Chamberlain claims more territory. Now that Devry and Keller have been culled by AdTalem, Chamberlain will probably evict us soon. Our library has had all books and staff removed over a year ago, there hasn't been any onsite tutors for over a year, and the place is a ghost town at night. A lone security guard mans the front desk. Some students have to drive to Orlando to take onsite classes due to the paucity of offerings in Jacksonville. I am grateful for the onsite professors (all four of them) that I had who cared about us students and fortunate that I only need a few more classes to graduate. I feel sorry or any students who have started their education at Keller in the past year.
With the latest revision to the Keller Catalog, many courses have been eliminated, yet they are still scheduled to be taught online in March and May. Entire MBA programs have been deleted or had nearly all of the core courses changed. It also seems the Project Management Certificate is no longer accredited by PMI and Jacksonville is no longer holding onsite PM classes. I don't think Devry, as it is now, can survive another year. I don't see Cogswell doing anything positive since they haven't even commented on the acquisition (that I have seen). Like some have posted here, I expect Cogswell, aka Palm Ventures, to keep only the online assets and shutter all campuses. Online classes are nothing but chaos. 40 students trying to post six discussions a week, endless quizzes, case studies, and exams. No learning is happening here.
They will have to sweep out the old management if they want any improvement. Otherwise it will just be more of the same. Unfortunately, Cogswell doesn't seem to have a record of growth either if they've only managed to grow to 600 students or so in 100 years.
You'll still have a job.
What do the students think about this change? Will they even continue on?