The school should be responsible for some sort of professional networking--not a silver platter job.

People here tend to think that a student is only a student, a university only provides an education and a company only makes money--no ties to the community or schools.

My point is your humble bastion of academia is more than happy to sell your contact information (address or telephone #) to "selected companies." No opt out is provided. Sleazy credit card companies form "strong ties" at the Student Rec Center. Last, Pepsi or Coke enjoy campus exclusives.

Look at it this way...the U.S. has the most educated unemployed workforce in the World! That beats an ignorant, employed worker!

I'm not seeing that here, just another desperate American looking for their payday so they can probably blow it on the pseudo-"American Dream".

@treimel: A college graduate no matter what the major should theoretically be more ' well rounded ' than a non college grad . I thought that was the point of requiring a certain number of non major courses .

Part of that well roundedness includes writing skills or habits like make a rough draft , check your work , get used to using spell check or a dictionary because you will be your own grammar & spell checker for what you put on paper including job apps and resumes . Or a civil complaint .

@supercereal:

ummm...take the symbolic meta-logic course I took as part of a philosophy degree and get back to me; no undergrad engineering course was that difficult, I assure you. Calculus of variations, org. chem., law school--all way easier.
(By the way--English has always, is now, and will continue to change. Frst time I've heard engineering described as a "well-rounded," degree, too!

Two things: One, the "Job Placement Assistance" means someone at the college gets paid to scan Craigslist and send you (and everyone else who signed up for the service) listings. I know this because a friend of mine has a cushy job doing this.

Two, even if you have a good GPA and solid attendance, it don't mean nuttin' if you only speak one language. My sister took a Medical Assistant course at one of these "Graduate in 18 months!" colleges and she ended up taking an in-home care job because she only speaks English.

Life's unfair and it sucks that good people cannot get jobs, but I do find it comforting that useless wastes of life, like the woman in this story, cannot find work.

Take some goddamn responsibility, accept any job you can find, and be happy you're employed.

I'm thinking she bought her diploma from the back of a comic book...

@Carlee:

"I'm surprised when reading cover letters and resumes - I've seen students (applying for student jobs) include skills such as "instant-messaging"."

To be fair, I've picked up applications that were written by evidently old-timing people who listed "browsing the Internet" and "Google search" as skills. Even at age 22, I grew up with those things so I always found it hilarious and even frightening that I needed to sell myself based on those "qualifications." Instant messaging is not that far of a stretch, depending on their perception of the organization and their potential boss.

@bigdandfw:

On the other hand, I went to a school where no one made such promises but a good proportion of the students felt that they were entitled to jobs anyway and that the university failed them when the jobs didn't just fall in their laps. These were the students who had been groomed for the Ivy Tower since birth practically and had never had to deal with real competition or real stakes before.

The rest of us took it as partly a personal reflection if we didn't immediately land jobs. We understood that just getting a degree wasn't enough, and that you had to be at the top of your class, be well-rounded, and exhibit evidence of leadership to get glanced at my a potential employer.

Honestly, I was not aware until this article that there are apparently loads of people who aren't even at amazing schools who expect that completing the bare minimum requirements for their degree program = instant job. She has a point: IF Monroe allows this mentality to pervade its campus, it's failing them for sure.

I wish someone would sue some of these unaccredited vocational schools for their truly misleaidng promises of future employment. This didn't happen to me, but I know that many people get saddled with thousands of dollars worth of loans and then end up with a "diploma" instead of a degree from some program that markets itself as an accredited college but can't provide the paper that will get ANYONE a job, even a 4.0.

That is an ACTUAL problem. Many Americans go to high schools that don't bother to explain to their students the difference between credited and unaccredited instutions. Many schools have counselors who basically just go to work and breathe every day. This crazy cow from Monroe is such a distraction but I hope it prompts inquiry into how colleges, especially unaccredited ones are allowed to advertise their degree programs.

@Miraluka:

It depends your field. Nonprofits don't typically start accepting applications and interviewing until February-March. I was stressed out this year because all my engineering and accounting friends had jobs lined up in September and I didn't even have anything to apply to until the second semester.

I also just had a baby and was sort of relying on my grants/loans but will bot recurve them for the next year (as my school will not be accepting returning/transfer students for this semester and the next). The OP has nothing to bitch about and if anyone deserves help it's people like me who are in a similar situations.

Not being given a job is just them being stupid and lazy, but being denied schooling and denied a job while actively searching is an actual problem.

I have a four year university degree going to waste. Welcome to the club.

There's also the big "credentialism" problem with the employers themselves. Many of them would rather see you spent four years of your life at State University than five or six years actually working and getting real experience in the field.

@squinko - Coming Soon: When DDoS Attack!: That's true. I don't blame people for going to college just to better their chances at getting a job because that's what everyone tells us to do.

"Please tell me this adult, college educated woman does not honestly expect her college to get companies to call her to set up an interview."

Nope, read her complaint again... to set up a interview.

Dammit, even $70k in tutision can't fix adult, college-educated stupid.

I am also consistently surprised around the office by the emails I receive. The spelling is usually fine (although words over 3 syllables spelling gets creative). I guess people forget that they can use google to make sure they aren't using an idiom or other figure of speech incorrectly. And there are horrendous syntactical errors. It's really shocking, coming from college graduates, mostly

@pecan 3.14159265: The difference is that all the universities you named are reputable institutions to begin with, whereas Monroe is commonly referred to as a diploma mill, which is a fitting title considering the fine graduate in question cannot even spell. NYU also advertises on the subway, but it's actually a semi-competitive school. Monroe is the kind of place that will take pretty much anyone, regardless of the skill set they bring to the table, just to get the tuition money. It's hard to take an unestablished school seriously when it's advertised next to ads for impotence...

I really wish I were joking about that.

I do think there should be some type of standard rating of universities and colleges as it relates to job placement and later success in life. Also, schools should have to be more transparent. There are thousands of kids who do not have the high school grades to get into any recognized school. So a lot of these smaller private and for-profit schools grab these students knowing they will be able to get loans through either the government or, worse, a private lender that knows the government will guarantee these loans. End result is a student goes into debt $70,000 and comes out completely unprepared to pay it off.

@changed my name: I'm graduated with an Fine Arts Degree, 2.0 GPA and I'm currently responsible for supporting the 2nd largest private network infrastructure in the country. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Oh... and err... McDonald's wouldn't hire me.... ever.

That said, I made a date-related typo on my resume when I applied for this job; I realized it right after I hit "send." Thankfully they never said anything about it.. :)

Can you imagine the precedent this would set if she were awarded anything? Unbelievable.

To paraphrase one of my favorite quotes, "Oh you think life is hard..Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar."

@Miraluka: Journalism is one in which you can't really just apply for jobs and they'll wait patiently for you to graduate. I found that most people will call you back if they receive your resume around January, but if they get it in November for a current opening that you can't fulfill until May, that's a problem and an interruption in their workflow, and they won't even bother waiting.

Of course, they are also losing out at the prospect of hiring you, then promoting internally to a position more appropriate for your qualifications, but that's neither here nor there, as HR simply doesn't work that way.

If you're applying for relatively entry-level positions, then you might try highlighting your work experience, and indicate that you have a degree with scholastic work geared towards business administration, but without saying you have a B.S. in Business, or leave the degree of entirely.

Below the belt! I didn't have a very impressive GPA either, but Im know dummbie!

People mostly go to school to be employable. You can try to say America is full of scholars that seek knowledge no matter what the cost that simply isn't the case. I really wish that was the case.

Colleges sell themselves as the way to a good job. In general you can look at the college education rate and the quality of political discourse and make strong arguments that colleges also fail to turn out well rounded educated people.

For all the man hours and dollars that go into higher education are most people highly educated?

I'm sure any company would be happy to have her, knowing that if they make any mistakes, she will calmly point them out to the company in a mature, adult fashion...

... by suing them.

It makes me want to hire her right away!

from [kromelizard.livejournal.com]

From what I've noticed, the schools that are worth a damn don't advertise on the radio or on TV. They get recognition from being good educational institutions, not from traditional advertising. They gain interest from potential students not by pushing ideas that they will provide jobs, but by providing quality of education and opportunities for the future.

In any case, it's quite obvious she didn't work hard enough in school if she had a 2.7 GPA, and also quite obvious she didn't put in the time out of school with internships or other experiences which would help boost her value to potential employers.

Growing up in the US, everyone seems to have a feeling of entitlement - that they deserve everything and anything they want, and that they don't have to work hard to get it.

It's time to grow up, and work for what you want.

In any case, this girl suing her school needs to grow up...or go back to middle school and learn how to spell...or click "Spell Check".

The job of your college career services office is not to FIND you a job, but to help prepare you for the inevitable search, and perhaps facilitate your search. It's on YOU as the upcoming college graduate to secure your interviews.

What she doesn't seem to realize, though, is a lawsuit won't help her out beyond helping her pay off her loans and the three months of accrued interest.

I guess she flunked her math classes, too?

Many universities have placement programs that connect their prospective graduates with potential employers. When I was in school, I wound up with a number of interviews based purely on the fact I was a CS major (ie, I hadn't contacted the companies, and I didn't have a great GPA, yet I had an interview).

If it can be shown that Monroe college promised to offer such a program but has indeed not, there might be some merit to this case. But I think that would take a little more evidence than "no recruiters called me, so Monroe college isn't holding up its end."

But the $2000 in punitive damages? Pffft. She ought to just save a step and sue the recruiters to place her.

To be fair, it's not like there isn't a reason for that belief. From the moment you hit high school, you're told to get into a good college because you'll get more money and have a better life. There are numerous studies showing that people who have Associates make more than people with just a high school diploma, and so on up the line.

There's also the big "credentialism" problem with the employers themselves. Many of them would rather see you spent four years of your life at State University than five or six years actually working and getting real experience in the field.

If he goal was to bury any bad photos or blog postings about her she has succeeded. This girl has more "Google Juice" than anyone that I have seen. at least 5 pages of search results, all about her...granted, it is all about how she is suing her college because she can not get a job with a 2.7 GPA, speaks terrible English, and can't spell "tuition", "reimbursement" or "counselors", and believes that the college should do all of the legwork. At least she was smart enough to not hire a lawyer, and she filed a "poor person order," which exempts her from filing fees associated with the lawsuit.

Too bad she can't add...she is suing for 70000 tuition and 2000 for stress, and comes uo with a total of $75,000 in her court filing. On the positive side, her penmanship is beautiful.

Even better, though, was my final project for my degree, where we had to write a 20 page (single spaced, none of this double spaced, including appendices crap) paper in a group of three people. We split up the work and when one of the guys in our group handed me his portion, imagine my surprise when I discovered he didn't seem to know what the topic was! Instead of writing about the state of Mercedes-Benz in the early nineties, he wrote half a page on the first steam powered automobile in the 1800s. This was a student one semester away from having a degree.

The fact that people can learn skills that help them get jobs is incidental. What you get form college are people who are capable of discipline, goal-setting and completion, and who are more thoughtful and mature than those who did not go to college.

If anyone goes to college for a high-paying job, then they're gone for the wrong reason. They'd be better off training to become electricians or plumbers. Those are jobs where you learn direct skills and are paid well.

My major was cultural studies, I'm in finance. My sister was liberal studies, she does accounting. My coworker majored in linguistics (hoping to teach English) and now does HR. My college education did not prepare me for the stuff I do (I got a C in the only accounting class I took) - but while I was in college, I worked part-time, and eventually when I graduated, I was hired full-time there.

I don't know if it's mentioned - did she apply for or qualify for financial aid? Surely, given that she had no other income, she could have applied for financial aid?

I'm surprised when reading cover letters and resumes - I've seen students (applying for student jobs) include skills such as "instant-messaging". Really? That's a skill? Another included her 2.0 gpa.

I wonder what this lady's mom thinks about her lawsuit?

@the_wiggle: So true . Sometimes I think they let kids become too specialized in high school and college . I think that's one reason why this grad had trouble spelling . The only serious writing she had to do was with her major which has a lingo all it's own . Outside her major she's lost . It's one thing to be specialized but it is another not to be well rounded .

There should be a common knowledge base one should have by the time of graduationg high school or college .

I also agree with the wiggle about planning ahead . NEVER EVER LET AN EMPLOYER lead you to believe that things will be the same for ever ie you'll have job security and pay . Never get comfortable without school and certifications . You will need them someday if not immediately . No boss can guarantee a job even if they own the company . That's what this grad has to realize- it might take time for the degree to pay off .

I've had too many bosses that gave the employees hard times for going to school period . They got upset that the job was not THE object of their affections . Your career is about windows of oppurtunity wether it be applying for a promotion or school . But you must plan ahead so you do have that choice . Or you will be in entry level jobs FOREVER .

What this really does is highlight the fact that academia is just as exploitative as any other market sector. As college enrollment increased over the last forty years, diploma mills began to pop up, and they're as eager to part fools from their money as any major corporation. Even traditional universities have jumped into the game over the last two decades as college tuition has gotten out of control.

Educational access should be available to everyone for personal enrichment, but a college degree should never be a prerequisite for low- or unskilled labor. As other commenters have stated above, that completely dilutes the meaning of degrees earned by competent, motivated students who needed them for actual skill training and certification.

@EinhornIsAMan!: Absolutely get CERTIFIED in something . CERTIFIED means not necessarily degreed . A skill set with a certification shows you not only have completed training/got A skill but it shows you are serious about your career or work .

Alot of people snicker and ridicule community college grads or they raz people for taking A course and not a course twards a degree but an incomplete degree can look just as bad . Non credit adult continuing education courses or tech courses can be just as valuable .

And education should be a continuing process . I know people with associate degrees who never took so much as 1 course on their own over a 20 year ' career '. And yet this person considers themselves a professional manager-they can do the job but can't ' proove it ' in the way of related courses and/or certifications . Needless to say in this economy they're SOL . Alot of HRs want people who worked on their ' career ' as much they did on the job .

This is what ticks me about this college grad . They're are people out there with schooling,degrees and years of real life experience that can't find squat .

instead, got married & worked retail/call center thinking nothing would change & i could always go back & for whatever i wanted (genetic engineering focusing on making sure all babies get a properly functional mind & body - even if a 'software' patch needs installing as it were). why hurry?

wrong.

life. does. not. work. that. way. there are only so many years, so much energy & so much money. especially once one has kid(s), a car, a mortgage, a divorce, etc.

it's not a game where you can read a FAQ on which skill sets to front load your points into.

i don't have to like it. i do have to live with it. it's just a damned shame my family must as well.

THAT'S the part that truly sucks.

at least i can be an example of why one MUST plan ahead, not behind!, for my kid.

@pecan 3.14159265:

Actually, I recall seeing quite a few NYU ads in the subway as well.

The woman does need to get a grip on reality, though, that's for sure. Nowadays even Ivy League grads are having trouble finding their first job.

college degree has become the high school degree & that's strangling the prospects of employees, students & employers.

One example: I overheard one side of a phone conversation while walking across campus which went something like, "C'mon, just send me more money...ewww, no, I'm not getting a job at CVS or anything like that, just send me more money!"

Another example: Girl fails a class. Her father is a large donor to the university and contacts the Provost. Provost orders professor to pass the girl. He refuses and is fired. She unsuccessfully sues the professor for (bogus) sexual harassment. Professor sues the girl and the university for ruining his reputation. Six-figure settlement from the university results.

Simply put, these brats are spoiled. And in many cases, it's their parents that have made them this way by catering to their every friggin' whim. I've heard so many tales from faculty of parents calling professors to complain about their kids' grades, when legally, these professors cannot discuss such matters over the phone (verification of identity, privacy issues, etc.) and kids that refuse to take responsibility for their own actions on campus, be it in classes or otherwise. What really irks me is that these same spoiled brats are probably going to continue getting handouts from mommy and daddy's companies while I'm stuck on the ground floor still working my ass off.

I just graduated from the same university at which I work and you know what? I don't expect them to find me a job. If I want to find a post-graduation gig, I need to do it on my own. Sure, we have a career development office, but I'm a bit old for that (I'm almost 30) and frankly, it's not very useful for liberal arts majors anyway. I know that I'm not one of those lucky ones in a position for a handout, so I do what I can on my own and take responsibility for what I do and don't do.

Huh. Imagine that. Personal responsibility.

just for arguement's sake.

mistaken, yes. common tho given the way some school's market themselves = YES DEVRY I'M LOOKING AT YOU.

always gotta read that fine print.

and keep your grades up - duh.

Please God!

NO ONE CARES!

Oh well. Keep trying. It took a while but I found something, at least for now. I wish you luck! :)

Drinking, partying and sex skills are optional. :)

:D

I knew I should have majored in Ancient Runes...at least I could be working as a translator.

You really shouldn't put words in my mouth. I am not attacking the fields of study, nor the quest for intellectual satisfaction. University's are overcharging for degrees.

Is saddling what could have been a productive and inquisitive member of society with a nearly unimaginable amount of debt before they are 22 doing the student or country a service.

A liberal arts degree could be held to a very high standard. I think it's much easier to understand why a circuit works or doesn't compared to why a book 'works' or doesn't.

The colleges have really bamboozled the government and to some part the loan industry. The college gets it's tuition upfront and forces the loan companies and government to pay up when the degrees the graduate has are financially unenviable. The cost for college in the last 15 years has absolutly skyrocketed not due to an increase in costs but to an increase in available credit.

FAIL.

That's just it though. So many people have degrees now it's not the same as it used to be. I think undergrad tuition should be lowered in general... I mean, universities are in a business gray area right now. The people don't realize that it's not worth what it used to be worth to have a college degree. The colleges are taking advantage of this.... instead of lowering prices like they should..... they keep going up!!! Despite what anyone says, I believe college has become more of a business institution than an education institution.

I think the whole system needs some regulation and revamping.

@balls187: Exactly !

Let's face it with the abundance of advertising and access to money from loans etc I doubt very much these schools would be as big or profitable with students paying out of pocket . I've also read of several conflict of interest cases where schools have been caugth directing students to certain loan companies .

But you also have the debate of exactly how valuable or usefull is college now a days . It can't be that usefull if this graduate didn't learn anything from a macro economics course or even learned how to spell or the importance of checking your work/spelling .

Yeah this grad is niave but these schools aren't exactly out of the business of business either .

@HammerMan: I sure hope that was sarcasm... thanks for the laugh anyway!

Her sense of entitlement is astounding, considering the economy/jobless rate at the moment.

Does it seem reasonable to expect to have a better time in the job market after completing a 4-year degree program? I'd say yes. I'm certainly better off for having a 4 year degree.

Does it seem reasonable to expect hot babes after downing a coors? Probably not.

I do think, while this chick is a dingbat, this raises some pretty good questions.

Why are Schools allowed to advertise "Exciting better paying jobs" on the radio and TV?

The government is now looking into all the Mortgage companies that are claiming bullshit mortgage rates to refi your house.

Just to play the devil's advocate for a minute here . Most of these schools know that the students are there with getting a higher paying job in mind . These schools don't seem to have trouble making sure you see the financial aide office and placed in a loan , scholarship or grant . Was the same priority put on this person seeing the career/job people .

Nor do schools/colleges seem to have any trouble charging based on the fact that someone else is paying for it (another issue/debate) . But the minute they throw in words and phrases like ' career counseling ' or ' job placement services ' they open themselves up to lawsuits like this AND high expectations by thestudents/graduates . Especially with the prices they charge .

Personally I think this is just another niave college graduate with an unwiley sense of entitlement . What's really scarey is that the spelling mistakeS were not caught . If nothing else she could sue the career people for not advising to watch her spelling . If they missed spelling like that on the resume then THAT'S a lawsuit but not for 70K .

With her poor work ethic, lack of common sense, and propensity for extremely bad decisions I see a future career as an AIG executive in her future. Or Member of Congress.

I imagine she likely drafted the suit over a nice, hot cup of McD's coffee....

Are you serious? I went through 5 years of college to get my BSBA (worked full time so was never a full time student) and there were plenty of people in my class that struggled to find a job after graduation, and that was back in 2004.

Then I recently got through my MBA and there were people in a few of my classes that I questioned if they would ever graduate and if they did would THEY actually be able to find a job? Probably not except at Payless or Mc Donalds.

I don't think the University is at fault because a graduate skated by and received a degree and probably hasn't put forth the effort to really try and find a job. It's a recession, everyone is hurting, and there are millions of people that are probably way more experienced and qualified then this women who aren't able to find jobs either.

I can't recall that when I went to college they guaranteed me a job after graduation. I have a feeling she hasn't found a job because she just isn't qualified for what she wants or she is just plain stupid.

In today's society we always want to sugar coat everything but the reality is she may just be stupid. It may also e because she has no real world work experience because she was on student loans all 4 years she was in school. That isn't the college's fault and they shouldn't be held liable for her inability to find a job.

Quit your crying, suck it, and be a little more humble when looking for your first job!

1) what exactly did the ollege recruiter promise to her for her to sign the admission papers?

2) Exactly how much "help" did her college's 'Office for Carreer Development' provide her on finding a job?

3) To how many companies she applied to on her own during the three months after her graduation?

And I may be biased as an engineer, but I don't see a way to physically make a liberal arts degree program as difficult as an engineering curriculum. English will never change, but engineers have to be well rounded and prepared for an ever-changing career field. I'd say the content is inherently more difficult to understand, too.

In short, I don't think that the salary statistics should ever be taken into account for the cost of a degree program. Any given degree is as useful as you make it, taking into account your unique skills and knowledge. If you make yourself stand out by being better than others, then you'll find a job (eventually -- to give up after 3 months is lazy and pathetic) with any degree.

If anything, this case just shows you what I've noticed for awhile -- college kids have an overwhelming sense of entitlement. Now that so many people have them, a four year degree isn't a guaranteed ticket to anything these days. Just like any purchase, one has to weigh the benefits before undertaking a degree, and unfortunately, most kids out of high school don't have that kind of foresight.

I don't think this lawsuit has merit, but if she has a case, it'll be this part: "Not providing her with the leads and career advice it promised." What was the promise? Was it in writing? Can it be measured? Can she prove that she would not have gone to the school had it not been for that promise? If so, she could in theory claim damages, and the school would have to stop making the promise.

That's all I've got, feel free to flame away.

@strandist:
Personal responsibility??? Who in the world teaches that anymore?

@HammerMan:
Most schools offer a promise of a better life after you've graduated; that's why most of us went to college in the first place. However, an intelligent, educated person knows the economy is in the shitter, and good jobs are hard to come by.

I was fortunate because I started my career before I got my degree. Since I already had the job I wanted, I didn't have to find another one after I graduated a few years ago. I'm really glad I did it the way I did, but I feel badly for people who are just starting their careers in this market. I can empathize with them, but I certainly don't think this should be a lawsuit.

it's the colleges fault that the economy is upside down and that no one is hiring.

no money = layoffs.

still no money = no hiring to fill in those positions.

this woman just thinks that she can walk up with her stupid college degree printed on paper towel and all of a suddern people are going to start hiring her? is she what the economy has been waiting for? hire her, and the money will start circulating once more?!?!

get a life lady or is it little whiny b!tchy little girl. everyone is in the same boat, either unemployed, working where they dont belong to make some ends meet, have their hours cut or wondering if today is their last day; knowing that tomorrow they have a slim chance of landing the same job or even the same pay rate.

welcome to america.... where fraudulent lawsuits is the only way to get ahead!

stupid college kids.

@sprocket79:
It's so bad that my company actually hired me to teach basic grammar classes. I was amazed at how bad some of my colleagues' grammar is. I think at the very least, if you know you have issues with spelling and grammar you should ask someone for help. You can't file a formal complaint about not being able to find a job after college if your complaint is rife with grammatical errors.

@HammerMan: Pfft.

Even assuming that she was made oral promises by the recruiter for job assistance, that's probably not binding on the university.

This is a meritless suit.

@EinhornIsAMan!: She's not getting into a good law school with that GPA.

@Techguy1138: Sorry, there's no contractual obligation.

Further, university isn't supposed to be a vocational school.

Finally, nobody forced her to go to college and pay tuition. She willingly entered into this transaction. There's no guarantee for anyone that a job will be waiting upon graduation.

Then why do colleges charge the same for soft degrees that aren't worth the cost? My comment is off topic but it comes down to colleges over charge for education and possibly set their standards to low for a general degree to be of any value. A liberal arts degree should be just as difficult as an engineering degree at the same college to give it value. That is often not the case.

University's offer soft degrees of little value and sell them as high value items. I hope her case brings this to the forefront of peoples minds. 70k of education for a 45k a year job is a really bad deal.

ATTENTION ALL OF THE INTERNETS!

MONROE COLLEGE IS THE REASON FOR THE RECESSION!

on a side note if there's anyone in NH who provides supervision to mental health counselors so they can be licensed....you know where this is going

@Techguy1138:

So people know, Monroe College isn't exactly a place with leafy quadrangles and students debating the merits of Sartre. It's a very career/employment focused place that advertises heavily on the subway. It's a vocational school. That's not to say that this woman has a claim, though.

There's someone over at the forums for customerssuck.com with the user name vacation_rentals_suck. This woman reminds me of the customer he always ends up writing about. VRS has had several people tell him that he has ruined their vacation because he couldn't tell them whether or not a specific restaurant was good.

@Rectilinear Propagation: Don't tell that to Mr. Weasley.

I went to the other site first and was all, "Oh G-d, if she's special needs I'm going to feel like shit!"

I think maybe the right site for the college is here: [www.monroecollege.edu]

But it doesn't seem like it's one of those "we promise to get you employed" schools.

I can't recall how many times I was told by various professors or staff people that, once I got my BA, I'd have no trouble landing a job in that field. I should have my pick of jobs, etc. The phrase "write your own ticket" came up frequently.

And then I graduated and, despite concerted efforts on my part, no job in my studied field has materialized (and it's now been five years since I graduated). the best I could do was my pre-college job (at no increase in pay) which was only marginally related to what I studied in college.

Not a single person from my graduating class has, so far, landed a job in our studied field. Certainly when we were going through the program, nobody employed by the University ever even hinted that very few or none of us would ever put the things we were learning to actual use in the business world.

It's not the University's fault that the job market is the way it is, but the over-selling of our career prospects before and throughout our tenure at the University just makes being unable to find a job in our field all the more disappointing.

I myself have several Ph.D.'s, J.D.'s issued by GDU. Hasn't gotten me a new job yet though. Her puny bachelor's from Monroe hasn't got a prayer :-)

@Smashville: Actually, according to the CNN article, she filed under an exemption (a "poor person order") that allows filing fees to be waived. So, sadly, they can't toss the suit for that reason. Not to say that the suit shouldn't be tossed in the nearest circular file, but they just have to find a different reason.

@dantsea: There doesn't seem to be a dad, and mom seems supportive as she's in debt and presumably didn't do much to encourage her daughter to get a job during college.

@sevenwhitehorses: She technically didn't go to four years of college. She got an associates degree and spent one year on her bachelors, and then graduated. A typical associates is about two years, and I'm not sure why she was able to finish her bachelor's in one year, even if all the credits from her associates transferred properly.

@EinhornIsAMan!: Potions is so tricky though. All that mixing, and you have to have a kind of finesse. I think Defense of the Dark Arts is still extremely viable from an academic point of view, especially since it's required at Hogwarts anyway.

@sevenwhitehorses: She only filed it a week ago and hasn't even paid the filing fees yet. It probably will be thrown out.

But I agree that there are degrees where you really need to be able to sell yourself and how your degree relates to the job you're applying for. It's possible but you have to be creative.

I love how she misspells "counselor", "tuition", and "reimbursement" in her complaint. You should see her resume...


Trina Thompson
OBJECTIVE
-9 years after gradyooating from hi-school, 27 year old college grad expects employment from Fortyun 500 company.

EDUMICATION
Monroe College, Bachelor of Seance
-2.7 GPA!
-Nearly perfect attendance!
-Earned degree before i turned 30!

WORK XPERIANCE
Awgust 2006- Septumber 2008
Offis Essistunt
-Compuder werk such as Microsoff Ecksel, Wurd, and Powherpont.
-Answer fones and talk to peeple all the day, everyday i werked they're, siriusly.

I love how she misspells "counselor", "tuition", and "reimbursement" in her complaint. You should see her resume...


Trina Thompson
OBJECTIVE
-9 years after gradyooating from hi-school, 27 year old college grad expects employment from Fortyun 500 company.

EDUMICATION
Monroe College, Bachelor of Seance
-2.7 GPA!
-Nearly perfect attendance!
-Earned degree before i turned 30!

WORK XPERIANCE
Awgust 2006- Septumber 2008
Offis Essistunt
-Compuder werk such as Microsoff Ecksel, Wurd, and Powherpont.
-Answer fones and talk to peeple all the day, everyday i werked they're, siriusly.

@EinhornIsAMan!: I think the problem is that this girl thinks she's entitled to an easy road, and when reality slapped her in the face, she decided to get a payout rather than accept reality and work harder. She didn't pick a bad degree, but it's clear from her horrible spelling and seemingly poor work ethic (she needed money, but didn't work during school, or after leaving school with an associates degree) that she didn't actually learn anything.

Monroe College is either graduating students who lack basic spelling skills (and work ethic) or it seems to be okay with letting students show up and do nothing else.

More disappointing yet is the fact that our judicial system does not toss this and other frivolous lawsuits out before they can waste the time of the court.

To often people want to blame and charge others for their shortcomings. And way to often courts allow and award such behaviour. This is why insurance and medical bills become so expensive.

That said, how can this college possibly push someone like this to be hired without damaging the placement offices image and reputation unless it is for a lower skill level job? The individual is either lazy (as exhibited by the lack of checking such an important letter for spelling and grammar) or incompetent.

I have a degree and half of an MBA...and I'm a receptionist...can I sue for double for my tuistion?

Also...Monroe's admission standards are obviously pretty low.

@Birki: From reading the college's website, I don't think it promises anything. From a PR and liability standpoint, you never want to guarantee anything, and it would be ridiculous for Monroe College to guarantee job placement. What it does say is that it will help with job searches, resume writing, give tips on better interviews, etc. but it doesn't promise success in any measure, only an offer of help.

@Liam Kinkaid: Should've gone with Defense of the Dark Arts. That's where all the money's at right now.

Actually, she has a point. With a 4 year degree serving as the modern equivalent of a high school diploma, the fact that she was ever issued a degree from that university without the ability to proofread her own correspondence (or allow the word processor to do it for her) is clear proof that her education is not worth her expense.

And stop going to the shit private schools advertised on the radio! Just go to your local CC! Chances are it's 100 times better and cheaper!

How in the heck she managed to get a diploma is beyond me. Perhaps colleges should start making sure that their students are actually learning something not to "guarantee them a job" but to make sure that their institution doesn't become a laughingstock when their alumni go and pull acts like this.

I'm sure Monroe College loves all the free press they are getting, right?

I've been job hunting for months after a layoff - I have plenty of experience in my fields and two bachelors degrees. It's the economy right now - so many qualified, experienced people are competing for the same jobs that resumes are often going unseen in anonymous databases and tall piles on some desk somewhere. I actualy just got an interview after several months of canned responses to cover letterss and resumes and following up with employers.

I'd be interested to know if Monroe College promises graduates specific career-placement services. That's the issue here.
I've looked into returning to school for a career change into a field with a good career outlook but in spite of what the school promises as far as landing a job upon graduation, you need to take it with a grain of salt. Tap the career services but be prepared to take a entry-level job in the field to start.

The correct link for Monroe College is:

[www.monroecollege.edu]

Admitedly, there are glaring errors in her spelling and math. This still does not mean that she does not have a legitmate case:
1) what exactly did the ollege recruiter promise to her for her to sign the admission papers?
2) Exactly how much "help" did her college's 'Office for Carreer Development' provide her on finding a job?
3) To how many companies she applied to on her own during the three months after her graduation?

Not only can she not spell, she can't add.

In the filing she asks for $70,000 for "tutision" and $2,000 for stress (of looking for a job 'on her own'), but she adds the two numbers together and comes up with 75,000 for the total.

@JamieSueAustin: There are a lot of colleges like that, I agree. They make it seem so easy, but it's a shame that people don't use common sense.

I was looking at the Monroe College website, and never once get the idea that this school inferred that college = good job. And nowhere in the career center section did it ever say that they guarantee jobs, or that they find jobs for you - it says, "The Office of Career Advancement helps with career assessment, resume writing, job search and strategy, employer recruitment and placement, interviewing skills, and other job search guidance."

To me, this girl unrealistically expected the college to find her a job, when it was her responsibility all along.

Give me a break - only three months?

I graduated from a four-year private college with a 3.94 GPA almost two years ago and I still can't get a full-time job. I got a BS in Business and no one will even contact me back about a Secretary position...I have to go through a temp agency to get any work at all. Life is hard!

Idiot.

B. Recompensed for the "stress I have been going through looking for a Full Time job on my own."?!? That is also called life, so if you want compensation, you'd better hope there is an afterlife... and that they don't check your gpa.

Please. I have two college degrees and I'm answering phones. She's a greedy bitch. I hope the judge laughs her out of court.

@Techguy1138: I wrote a longer comment on this before noticing yours - and then the comment got eaten. I agree - I think colleges try to advertise that degree = better job. I don't think that's true. (But I still think this is quite ridiculous).

But if you go and get a degree in some soft field, you're mostly stuck. A Philosophy degree might be great, but what are you going to do with it? Get your PhD and teach?

The lawsuit IS frivolous, however, there is a valid point to be made. Many colleges in my area advertise themselves to potential students as the fast and easy way to a "new, exciting, great paying career" (heard that on the radio this morning.) They even make sure to emphasise the fact that in "as little as 1 class a month you too can be ready for the career you've always dreamed of" and that "job placement services will help YOU find the right career!" If a GOOD student goes to college with the expectation that the degree they obtain will almost garuntee them a job and finds that to be untrue in the marketplace they should have some sort of recourse. Miss C level student is not the right person to champion this of course.

I don't want to nitpick about her spelling, but since this is education-related, I think it's fair game. If she were to submit a resume to my company with the types of spelling errors in her complaint, she wouldn't even get an interview. Maybe that's part of the problem. Higher education is so watered down that a mere bachelor's degree is not indicative of anything other than the ability to show up for class and pay tuition.

@Techguy1138: Colleges aren't supposed to teach you to get a job, or how to get a job. That's part of the instruction, but not the goal. Colleges are supposed to supply a well-rounded education, and it's up to the learner to make use of the skills he/she learns and apply them. It's not Monroe College's fault that she couldn't find a job. She didn't work during college, even though she needed money, she didn't work while she took a semester off, and she apparently isn't working now (she lists her monthly income as $100, which according to a letter submitted along with the filing, is given to her by her mother). Most people juggle looking for a full-time position in their chosen field with actually working a full-time job at a restaurant, or in a store. It's no one's fault but her own that she's too dim to understand that college isn't a golden ticket.

She's not taking some kind of moral high road here - she just wants money. It's not about proving that college costs too much, it's about her wanting to get money because she's not willing to earn it honestly, like most other people do.

They sell them selves as the only way forward. 70k is pretty standard for 4 years of college but is an unreasonable burden to repay.

The lawsuit may be frivolous but hopefully it brings to light the fact tuition is far to high for most situations. College is frequently not worth the cost.

2. second, put aside for the moment that it would be difficult to link the university to her failure to obtain employment. The more basic issue is that her failure to get a job completely depends on the kind of job she's willing to take. Lower your standards, and you're employed. So how is the university responsible for your choice not to take gainful employment? I would like to sue my university, since I'm having trouble getting that Supreme Court justice job I've been hoping for.

3. aside from all that, good luck to this loser trying to find a job in the future. No intelligent employer is going to hire someone who will be forever memorialized for suing their university for their personal failure/stupidity in finding a job.

I hope the college countersues for their diploma back.

Who will want to take on someone that has this propensity for frivolous lawsuits?

She also consistently misspells "reimbursement" and "counselors". I'm not sure why she's having so much trouble finding a job. I'm having a vision of the judge asking her to introduce her resume into evidence, then correcting all the errors in it, too, and suggesting perhaps the responsibility for her joblessness lies solely with her.

This is what's wrong with people who look at college as nothing but a ticket to better employment. A college degree is worth absolutely nothing to an employer if he or she sees that you've got a poor work ethic and a lack of desire to improve. Who the heck starts looking for a job after graduating college? I started looking in November, before my graduation in May!

Please, PLEASE tell me this woman isn't serious. Please tell me this adult, college educated woman does not honestly expect her college to get companies to call her to set up an interview. Please tell me that she does not seriously expect that she ought not be put through the stress of looking for her own job.

All I want is for this to be a fool looking for a pay day. As stupid as it is to think that suing a college for unemployment would work it is better than her thinking that she has a legitimate complaint. You pay tuition for the chance to earn a degree not to guarantee employment.

If she does think she has a real complaint then how did she even make it through college with this mindset? How come she's not suing the school for the stress of having to attend class and buy her own books?