Kaplan University

My name is Camille Person. I began my nursing program at Kaplan University in Cedar Rapids around a year ago. I have given this program my blood, sweat, and tears and was over halfway done when this semester I was dismissed from the Kaplan’s nursing program.

Throughout my schooling at Kaplan I have seen more than a handful of students being dropped from the Kaplan program. This semester was the worst experience I have ever had at this school. The class I was in only had 6 remaining students, including myself, and at the end of the semester only two passed into the next term. All of our students in my class have gone to the teachers, faculty and staff, and head director at our school with complaints of not receiving the education and help we needed. I like many students asked for help, as this semester was extremely difficult and our cries for help fell on deaf ears. I know that almost all of us did everything we could, including buying additional study guide online, study groups, flash cards, and tutoring sessions with the teachers. I felt we had a lack of guidance and care for our success. The only time we had this addressed was when Tonya Holian, the Director of Nursing in the Cedar Rapids Kaplan program, came into our class and announced that every person was failing, with one person passing in each class and it was not even the same person.

I spent morning till night at the school library and using every available resource I could to help me, as I am dedicated to becoming a nurse and it is discouraging it made no difference. Our instructor spent less than one hour each week with seminars and always became confused and would then later reach out saying she was incorrect in the information she had supplied us with. The online seminars were not updated- they were old recordings and the power points did not even coincide with the seminars. When I went to the teachers for help and asked what I should focus on for the final since it was large amounts of material covered in the course the response was “Study Unit One through Ten”. Well that was the entire class course starting at day one and did not help me at all when trying to narrow content.

There were only six of us beginning this course and only two passed both classes. I feel that this should not be the student’s fault when we were not supplied education promised in our contract with Kaplan. We met our end and showed up and did tutoring and everything they told us to do. In the end if you are not given proper guidance, and you do everything you can try to succeed and you fail, it is beyond discouraging.

The amount of money paid to Kaplan in exchange for the education I have received is astounding. I have spent hours of sweat and tears and put aside my family and life for my future, and really felt Kaplan wanted me to succeed and that if I spent hours studying, tutoring, and gave it my all, then I would have something to show for it. I have many other classmates, particularly the four (4) of us who were just failed in one or both classes, who are incredibly sad, frustrated, and discouraged. To go from six to two students’ passing, when I know we all worked our tails off, and nothing to show for it, and no answers from anyone, is heart wrenching.

I hope that you will take into consideration the number of drop outs per semester, especially in our recent class, I just don’t see how that high dismissal rate is solely due to students. It is unfair that we were all asking for help and did not receive it. While we were legally bound with Kaplan on our end, they should be held accountable as well.

I encourage that the administration look at changes to be made, that the remaining students get a fair shake, and that my peers and I who were so recently dismissed be re-examined for readdmittance to a program we have worked so hard at in the last year.

Sincerely,

Camille Person