a warning about Midwestern-Glendale

I am infuriated by what has come to my attention regarding recent actions by the Dean of my college of pharmacy. I know of one student personally, and of two others through the grapevine, who have matriculated into the program this year, and two weeks into classes, have been informed by the Dean that one or several pre-reqs that they took are not acceptable. Yet they have acceptance letters from the admissions office that did not include this/these class(es) on the list of prereqs that needed to be completed. One student even specifically went in person to speak to the head of admissions to be SURE that the class he/she took would be accepted. If you can't believe the head of admissions, who CAN you believe??? Proof has been shown to the Dean, and she pretty much said "it doesn't matter what admissions says, it's what I say that counts." Admissions is in agreement with the student, but not one admissions representative has been invited to participate in the appeal committee, and the Dean has said that if the committee meets and she doesn't agree with the decision, then she can override it as she pleases. If the students had been informed when they received their acceptance letters, they could have taken these classes in the summer, but now they're expected to either add on these courses to an already hectic course load, or leave the school and start next fall. All this AFTER people have moved from across the country, loans have been disbursed, health insurance has been paid for the quarter, non-refundable books have been bought, two tests have passed...etc Some people got their acceptance letters last december; that was PLENTY of time for the Dean to notify them. I am almost ashamed to admit that I go to a school that would do this to its students.

moral of the story: If you are applying to CPG this year, DO NOT ask admissions if courses are acceptable. Go DIRECTLY to the dean, and get it in writing!!!

jdpharmd? said:

Sorry to hear about the problems, but...

First, at least they are allowing them to take them concurrently this year. I know several people who fit in one or two classes last year.

Second, the new dean just started at CPG a few months ago. She wasn't around last winter or fall.

What type of classes are they? CPG seems to be the least forgiving about English pre-reqs.

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From what I know, they are science classes, and in one situation, the Dean is not accepting a graduate level course for a freshman level course.

There is no way I could add another class, at another campus, to these courses I'm already taking. I can't believe she expects them to do that. These people weren't being deceitful and trying to slide by knowing that they hadn't fulfilled their pre-reqs. They honestly thought, no, they were TOLD that everything was ok. Then this new dean gets here and starts going through all our files. I'm scared to check my mailbox at school everyday.

AmandaRxs said:

Sorry to hear about that Roxy. Have you tried speaking with Professor McAllister about the situation?

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It's really none of my business...actually I shouldn't even be talking about it...I just feel really bad for these people, and I don't want it to happen to anyone else. This new dean has lost her mind.

bananaface said:

Now, if equivalencies were granted in writing from admissions, the dean ought to accept it. It doesn't sound like this is the case.

Hopefully, your classmates are focusing on why the classes they took should be counted based on the course's merit, rather than "so and so told me over the phone (or in person)". I would recommend bringing a course syllabus, catalog description, and old exams to the appeal.

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Actually, this is exactly the case. They have written email communications from the admissions office, and their acceptance letters that do not state that there were any problems with the pre-reqs that are now being questioned. The head admission person WANTS to talk to the dean on behalf of the student, and the dean doesn't care; she want to overturn the admissions office's decisions.

ForgetMeNot said:

I may be the only one who finds it funny that she knows of one student personally and has heard of others through the grapevine. I love the way rumors spread at Midwestern! You would not believe the kind of things I've heard about faculty/students (current and former)/administration and I'm not even in the loop with most things like that. We had a "meeting" with the new Dean today. What a big waste of time. We're about to go on Advanced rotations and she was lecturing us on professionalism?? I wonder what was so great about her that she got to be the new dean anyway. Anybody at...Wilkes (I think she's from there!) know?

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Ironically, the bedtime story my daughter picked yesterday was called "Flutterby Fly," and it was all about gossip. On one end of a butterfly "cloud" someone said "Fly so high, butterfly. Fly so high and touch the sky"...and by the time it got to the other end of the butterfly cloud, it was "Ugly, ugly butterfly. Fly away or you shall die." Then all the butterflies freaked out in mass hysteria.

So, since this isn't happening to me personally, don't listen to anything I said, except the part about verifying your prereqs with the dean, in writing.

Forgetmenot, at least you missed the 4-hour "meeting" the PS-1s had about "what is your personality type?" FUN!!!!