My daughter Kristy has been pursuing a Master’s degree in Human Services with Argosy University, and until the past week everything has fallen together like clockwork. She is currently engaged in her last class and final semester. (Or perhaps the correct verb and tense is not ‘is’ but ‘was’).
A well-known church in
California purchased Argosy and its sister universities late last year in hopes
that a significant amount of revenue could be raised from this operation, and
dove-tailed into the ministry.
However, after having
been in the possession of three universities for only a few months, the church
finds itself millions of dollars in debt. Not only has their investment “gone
to the dogs,” but Argosy University, its premier acquisition, has had its
accreditation revoked by the Department of Education due to some unethical
monetary transfers, and will be closing in the next few days.
Someone involved in
administering federal moneys redirected funds to cover the existing debts of
Argosy University. Not the brightest matches in the box, nor the smartest
decision in the history of the world, since within days multiplied hundreds of
students reported not having received their quarterly stipends, and, as a
result, they experienced an inability to cover their mortgages, car payments,
and a myriad of other bills.
Pt. 2
As it fell together,
it was left to the individual campuses to sort things out, and each location
scheduled a series of student meetings. (It goes without saying that not only
were the students being left “high and dry,” but the resident staff, professors
and online adjuncts are, as of this writing, looking for jobs).
During an initial
meeting which my daughter attended in Tampa the campus representative made the
students aware that the closure of Argosy University, and its affiliated
campuses was imminent, and that the administration would assist them in their
attempt to transfer some of their credits to another university; the
implication being that there was little or no reason to believe any school would
accept more than a few semester hours in transfer.
You would have to know
my daughter. There’s a passage in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 18 which
describes her well. As a matter of fact, you could just about glue her picture
next to the following parable.
"In a certain country there was a justice who not
only disrespected the people with whom he was associated, but God, Himself. And
there was a widow in that place who petitioned him on a recurring basis,
saying,
'Please protect me from this individual who has been
attempting to harm my reputation and my finances.’
“And for an extended time, the magistrate refused to
help her. Later, however, he mused,
'This woman has not ceased to fill up my days with her
everlasting harangue. And though I have absolutely no respect for God or men, I
will grant her request, (or she will continue to show up at my door).’”
(McDonald Paraphrase of the New Testament)
Pt. 3
Kristy just wasn’t
going to take ‘No’ for an answer; (as you shall soon see).
At the end of the
initial meeting, she walked up to an Argosy representative, and chatted with
her for a moment. “Ms. Jamison” soon excused herself, and told Kristy she had a
meeting with the campus president. I think the majority of students would have
acquiesced, and gone their merry way. (But as I have inferred, Kristy marches
to a slightly different drummer).
Rather than turn on
her heel, and head out the door, she asked,
“Uhmmm, do you mind if
I go with you?”
I can just about see
the quizzical look on the lady's face, and the half smile which must have
followed. (It may help you to understand that Kristen is a social worker, and
deals with a variety of professionals and clients on a daily basis).
The university
representative responded.
“I suppose you can. At
this juncture it can’t hurt. Follow me.”
Arriving in “President
Keller’s” office, the administrative member introduced Kristy, and she
explained that she was an online student, that she was halfway through her
final class, and was there anything he could do to help her transfer ALL of her
credits to another university.
President Keller
listened patiently, and when Kristy finished her tale of woe, and subsequent
request, he expressed significant empathy, and told her that if worst came to
worst he would speak to the registrar at South University, one of the
afore-mentioned church's previous holdings, about assuming all of her academic
credits.
Pt. 4
A couple of days went
by, and my daughter attended a second meeting at the Tampa campus. President
Keller made the participants aware that the majority of students faced the
prospect of only transferring a semester’s worth of credits to another
university, but those who were in their final semester would be granted their
degrees as soon as the diplomas could be printed.
Of course, Kristy was
nothing short of overjoyed, and called her mother, and me prior to leaving the
campus.
“I feel like a large
weight has dropped off my back. I’m going to sleep for three days!”
However, by the next
day the story had changed again. The registrar informed anyone who cared to ask
that,
“Well, no. You haven’t
finished the final semester, the remainder of the current course has been
canceled, and you WILL NOT be granted your degree.”
As a result, my
daughter contacted another administrative representative, and presented the
latest version of her dilemma to him. It so happened that he had once been
employed as a professor at National Louis University in Chicago, and he agreed
to contact the president of this school. Having done so, he was pleased to
inform Kristy that this not for profit, fully-accredited university would
accept all her credits, and that she would be eligible to retake the final
course of her final semester beginning next month.
With this, my daughter
contacted “President Johnson,” of NLU, and asked for particulars. He already
had her name, and student information in front of him which helped alleviate
her natural skepticism.
Pt. 5
Not only had Kristy
interacted with a host of university representatives and presidents along
the way, but early on she called a local aide for U.S. Congressman Soto, made
him aware of the closure of Argosy University, and enlisted his assistance.
(Oddly enough, the congressman’s office had been unaware of the situation, and
she was the first to contact him).
By now, I was nothing
short of amazed with my daughter’s “in your face” interaction with such a
prestigious group of scholars, and governmental officials.
But she was not done
yet.
Most of the fifteen
members of Kristen’s online class were registered with other campuses of Argosy
University, and were not part and parcel of the deal which President Keller of
the Tampa campus had made with President Johnson of National Louis University.
My daughter realized that unless someone pressed the issue, ten or twelve of
her classmates would lose the majority of their credits in their pursuit of a
degree.
Do you recall the
parable of the unjust judge? (Yeah, I figured you would).
In our day and time,
we have an adage, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” Kristy decided to be the
squeaky wheel.
“President Johnson,
I’m a member of a class of fifteen, most of whom do not live in Florida, and
are not registered with the Tampa campus. Would you accept them as students,
and allow us to finish as a class?”
There was a pause on
the other end of the line, but after a moment, the university president
replied.
“I think we can do
that. Yes, I will have to contact the Department of Education, but I believe we
can make it happen.”
Pt. 6
I am admittedly
biased, but when “push comes to shove” I think not one in a hundred would have
behaved, and would have “behaved upon” others in the foregoing manner.
There’s an old movie
in which the main character throws open the window of his apartment, and
screams at the top of his lungs,
“I’m mad as h_ _ _,
and I’m not gonna take it anymore!”
Anger can express
itself in any number of ways. When anger is used as a catalyst for courage, and
the potential change which arises from it, then that intense, sometimes
vilified emotion can bear rich fruit. And it should be recalled that the best
and brightest among us not only manage to salvage their own uncertain fates,
but count others better than themselves, and invite others to walk with them.
I think this is what
happened here.
Who can know whether
the heroine of this story managed to protect not only her own God-given
destiny, but the destinies of her peers, (and those whom she, and these others
would in turn impact), and did so with a few well-directed words and actions.
The unjust judge. The
squeaky wheel. Marching to a different drummer. Turning lemons into lemonade.
Sometimes we have to
petition the just and unjust judges among us. Sometimes we have to squeak as we
roll down the proverbial road which stretches out before us. Sometimes we have
to strut our stuff, and catch the unique rhythm of our own personal drummer.
Sometimes we have to squeeze those lemons ‘til they beg for mercy. Sometimes we
have to break down doors!
Post-script –
Yesterday we attended Kristy's graduation
ceremony. Several of her classmates were there. And there were eight or ten
others who will graduate after they finish the next semester.
I can only imagine the
inestimable impact these graduates will have on the those whom God has set in
their pathway. I can only imagine the subsequent impact of that generation on
the next; not unlike ripples on a pond.
I think my daughter
deserves much of the credit for knocking down a few doors.
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