Today I heard one of the more interesting twists in the ongoing saga that is the University of Phoenix’s marketing campaign, the University of Phoenix is now the “official University of the Dallas Cowboys”. Excuse me but what the heck? The UofP is not a beer company, nor are they in the business of manufacturing light trucks or cooking hot wings, they are supposed to be a legitimate institution for the purpose of higher education. One has to pause to ask what could they possibly stand to gain by aligning themselves with a professional football team (even though they already have a stadium for a different team named after them)? I don’t understand why they choose to do business like this. I do not for a second believe that the University of Phoenix is weak academically or that they provide a second rate service for their students but I do believe that this constant and persistent barrage of information (advertising) weakens their creditability in the eyes of potential students and their alumni’s possible employers. This in your face 24/7 spammy type nonsense will eventually come to haunt them and indeed has already started to do so.
In a two part series on Market Place Radio the University of Phoenix is yet again being publicly raked over the coals because of their take no prisoners approach to recruitment of new students (and their money and taxpayer backed loans). The fact is these practices have begun to draw increasing attention (and not positive attention) to for profit schools by legislators, public administrators, employers and of course the media. The ramifications could be far reaching to include consequences for all for profit schools whether fairly or not. American Public University for example is one of the least controversial for profit schools I’ve ever seen, to think that they could be placed at a legislatively mandated competitive disadvantage one day because of the irresponsibility of the University of Phoenix is irritating to say the least and rest assured this will happen if the media attention continues to be negative and as persistent as say…oh, a University of Phoenix recruiter.
For more http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/11/04/pm-phoenix-two/
Anonymous comments are disabled
About Cajun
Cajun is 31-years-old and currently employed as a Project Analyst for an Information Technology department at a major financial firm. He has recently changed careers after spending 7 years in Federal Law enforcement of which he spent 5 years as a supervisor. His management experience combined with the MBA he finished in October, 2008 allowed for a career change even in the face of these uncertain economic times.
Cajun was introduced to the concept of distance education while working full-time as a law enforcement officer with a demanding and unpredictable schedule, obtaining an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice from
Ashworth College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Southwestern College of Winfield, KS graduating Magna Cum Laude and a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership from
Ashford University. To further his new career Cajun will be working towards a Master of Science in Management of Information Systems with an emphasis in Project Management from
Bellevue University.