Penn Foster’s version of Tough Love

I’m still enrolled in Penn Foster, although I’ve done little coursework over the summer months (the joy of “work at your own pace").  I did, however, take three or four Continuing Education classes via VSPN, including “Triage and CPR” and “Pain Management for the Canine and Feline”.  I was trying to enroll in a new CE class, “Nutrition for the Canine Geriatric”, but if I wanted the registration student discount, I’d need to get a new confirmation of my enrollment at Penn Foster from the program head.  I’ve never seen a photo of the program head, but in my mind she looks like Cruella de Vil, so that should give you an idea of how she comes across in email.

She’s just always so terse, and it comes across as rude.  She never offers up any extra information which could be construed as helpful, but sticks to the shortest, most simple response, forcing me to write again if I need details.  When I’ve written to suggest a technical problem with some Penn Foster software, I was told I was the only person having the problem, thus proving I was either stupid, or a liar.  When I offered up very ingenious ways to prove the problem I was having, all my suggestions were somehow faulty or unacceptable.  She’s never come out and called me a “liar”, but it’s certainly implied.  For example, today I said that I’d logged into the message forums on August 30th (which I had, and I could prove it because I could recall a post I’d read which the program head had written on August 29th).  The program head wrote back a line which said, “You last logged into the forums on July 31st”.  I don’t know how you’d take that, but I feel that it’s condescending to not even discuss the log discrepancy, and to just keep repeating a date which I think is incorrect.  In fact, I think it’s somewhat bully-ish, like the person who sticks their fingers in their ears rather than hear your side of the argument.  Adding to today’s problem was that I was asking the program head to please confirm for VSPN that I’m a current Penn Foster student, and she just kept telling me that I wasn’t a current student because I hadn’t been to the forums since July.  I asked if that meant I had to withdraw from the program, and she didn’t answer.

Finally, I wrote a last email to the Penn Foster program head, and I included this line:  “I’m really bothered by how condescending you are whenever I have to go over an issue with you in email. “ In response, she wrote this to me, ”I do not appreciate your nasty attitude. I have no control over how you misinterpret my emails...Future rude and hostile emails of this nature will be forwarded to academic review”.  Ain’t that sweet?  Isn’t that just how you want a program head to respond when you write and ask for assistance with a problem?  To top it all off, in this final email, she said that she HAD verified my academic status with VSPN immediately when she received my first email about it.  She apparently just forgot to mention that to me, and kept telling me that I wasn’t an active student because I couldn’t prove I’d logged into the forums in August.  Sadistic, much?  She led me on for three or four emails, making me think I was on the verge of being kicked out over a missing forum login, when she didn’t need to do any of that.  I’m really sensitive to issues of emotional abuse and manipulation, and I think the way this was handled was completely unprofessional.  The program head deliberately mislead me about my student status to jerk me around a bit, then acted like I was over-reacting.  A professional would have replied to my initial request and said, “I’ve verified you, but I can’t find a forum login for you for last month, so don’t forget to login this month.” Or something like that.  Instead, she dragged me around for four emails, didn’t tell me she’d verified me, implied that I was lying, and then threatened to report me to the school for being “nasty”. 

Even I barely believe what I just wrote up there, but it’s all true… I’ve got the emails.  And I’m keeping them.  I’ve never called anyone on being condescending before, but you know, one can choose to be polite as easily as one can choose to be mean.  Even mere “students” deserve to be treated with respect, and I have always been respectful first.  I always say “please”, “thank you”, “I appreciate your time”, etc.  I don’t think I’m asking too much to be spoken to that way in return.

Ah, it’s looking grim for me sticking around in this program, especially because Cruella de Vil would be one of my instructors in the third and fourth semesters!  Ack!  Why do I think I’d probably fail a few of those classes for not meeting the participation requirements?!

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 09/10 at 07:00 AM

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

  1. This sounds like a difficult situation to be in.  Is there any way that you could correspond to someone higher up and perhaps discuss with them the way that you have been treated.  If she is treating you this way.. chances are that she is dealing with others in a similar manner.  I’ll bet yours would not be the first complaint.

    Posted by Coll  on  09/12  at  09:26 PM
    2. Page 1 of 1 pages

Name:

Email (required, but will not be made public):

Location:

URL:

Smileys

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

What is the sum of 9 and 9?

Next entry: Merrick dry dog food

Previous entry: Canidae? I don't believe it.

<< Back to main