Anyone visit High Point University?

<p>High Point, Guilford, Queens have midrange SAT scores that are fairly similar. When you move onto Elon and Campbell there is a jump in the midrange SAT scores, and a further jump up for midrange SAT scores at Davidson. Wingate has SAT scores are a bit lower than HPU/Guilford/Queens and their graduation rate is listed at 55%.</p>

<p>littleblackduck, you sound like a pretty bright person, and hopefully you have a very high GPA at HPU. That should help for graduate school admission. Best to you!</p>

<p>placido, your link does not work for me.</p>

<p>HPU makes no claim that could be considered a scam. Please provide examples of how HPU has scammed prospective and/or current students.</p>

<p>I think it’s also important to note that when a school, such as as High Point, is going through such a time of change, the statistics that you refer to correspond to a class that was admitted before the transformation began to take place. With an increase in freshman retention and improvement in academic standards each year, the graduation rate will rise, as well.</p>

<p>First of all, one must assume that the following is true. I’m a skeptic myself and at face value it would not be difficult for one to imagine how a student whose unpaid $30 parking tickets have racked up to the point he or she can’t register for classes next semester or they’re unable to receive a copy of their official transcript or even a student who flunked out of school all together and feels it isn’t their fault might take it upon his or herself to fabricate a scenario, essentially, for the purposes of bashing High Point University or attempting to tarnish their good name. For the record, though, this is a posting I provided on another site evaluating my academic experience at High Point University. </p>

<p>I have had a wonderful academic experience with High Point University (HPU) until approximately one year ago. A fellow student was accused of plagiarism after submitting a project to her instructor in 2009. She was devastated after having been formally accused by her instructor of committing such an immoral act. After consulting with several of the university’s faculty members, as well as with professionals in surrounding areas whose careers directly relate to her field of study, she concluded that she, in fact, had not committed an act of plagiarism, but had simply completed the assignment wrong. </p>

<p>After having received this information, she arranged a meeting with both the instructor of the course and the dean of (reluctant to disclose), and presented them both with an official copy of the student handbook in an attempt to discuss their erroneous accusation. During their meeting, she clearly explained how incorrectly completing and submitting the assignment in question could not in any way be construed as plagiarism, and produced a copy of the student handbook section addressing plagiarism in order to corroborate her claim. The student then requested for this formal accusation to be removed from her student file and that she be allowed to resubmit a corrected version of the assignment. The meeting was dismissed immediately following a denial for her request that the accusation be removed from her file, but not before the dean insisted they had done her a favor by not dismissing her from the program all together.</p>

<p>Following this unpleasant experience, the student composed and sent an email to the president of the university, the provost and vice president of academic affairs, the vice president of student affairs (who deals with sanctions such as plagiarism), and the two individuals mentioned in the foregoing paragraph; which summarized the series of events that had occurred up to that point in time and addressed her concerns relating to the unusual situation.</p>

<p>As you could imagine, the student was contacted by the dean of (once again, reluctant to disclose) and was requested to attend a follow-up meeting. As requested, my colleague attended the meeting where she was verbally assaulted and berated for “sending letters all over campus” for what should have been a “confidential situation” and “making a mountain out of a molehill.” The dean insisted that the student had “received a slap on the wrist” and that the student should have “taken her punishment, learned from it and moved on.” The student again questioned the definition of plagiarism, as defined in the university’s honor code found in the student handbook, as compared to the accusation of her instructor, but the dean insisted she supported the instructor’s decision completely. The dean then informed the student that as a favor she would be allowed to redo the assignment, but would receive a zero regardless. The student was then asked how she would like to resolve the situation, and, once again, requested that the plagiarism accusation be removed. The dean’s response was that it could not be removed and referred to it as a “confidential matter.”</p>

<p>The following week, my fellow student met with the vice president of student affairs (who deals with university sanctions) to discuss her formal accusation, however, the vice president explained she did not have any knowledge of the accusation, and that her not knowing was indication that the situation was being handled internally. This was not indicated in the letter which the student received from HPU accusing her of being a plagiarist. Her sincere belief was that she had been charged and would be given the opportunity to be heard by an impartial audience of the Honor Court at HPU. Given the circumstances, she would have been found not guilty. The student contacted the president’s secretary and requested a meeting him.</p>

<p>Following these bizarre situations, my colleague withdrew from the course and registered for the upcoming semester’s classes. Soon after, she met with her advisor to discuss graduation and the completion of the Product of Learning and the Capstone Experience. Her advisor, who traditionally supervised this aspect of the Capstone Experience, then stated that the dean of (reluctant to disclose) required the student meet with her prior to approval. In reference to the plagiarism accusation, her advisor suggested she write a letter requesting that the charge be removed from her file. The student contacted the president’s secretary again to request a meeting with him.</p>

<p>The following week my colleague met with the dean of (reluctant to disclose) to discuss her Capstone Experience, but was denied the request for her advisor to supervise the student, and instead stated that she would be supervising the student, and that she has appointed herself as the student’s new academic advisor.</p>

<p>One day, the student received a call from the president’s secretary and scheduled a meeting with him…She went to the meeting to discuss the false accusation and requested the charge be removed from her file. She described her conversation as very motivating.</p>

<p>During the following scheduled meeting with her new advisor and dean of (reluctant to disclose), my colleague and the dean discussed the requirements for her Product of Learning. My colleague brought with her the handbook she had received upon acceptance to the program and asked the dean about the possibility of completion of National Board Standards for ******* ********* instead of the Product of Learning. The dean insisted that National Board Certification was not an option to fulfill the requirements for graduation. However, it is included as an option in the handbook. The dean reiterated it was not an option and reminded the student again how lucky she was to have not been dismissed and that she was “doing her a favor by allowing her to remain in the program.” The student reminded the dean that she was never given the opportunity to defend the plagiarism accusation by appearing in honor court nor was she a plagiarist. My colleague further asserted, having not been provided with the required directions for the assignment in question resulted in it being completed in error which does not denote plagiarism. All references were correctly sited as recognized by copyright law. The dean of (reluctant to disclose) then told her that doing an assignment “wrong” as a graduate student was plagiarism and that she could assure her that the honor court would have agreed with her. The two arranged to meet the following week and my fellow student left the campus in tears.</p>

<p>The following week, the student met with the dean of (reluctant to disclose) to share information about her interpretation of the Product of Learning assignment and was told it was incorrect. A well-respected, knowledgable and very well-known faculty member helped my colleague research her final project, but also had difficulty understanding the assignment, and what information was needed. The student arranged another meeting for the following week with her new advisor so that she could present potential topics.</p>

<p>The next week, the student met with her new advisor to discuss potential topics. According to her advisor, my colleague’s interpretation as to the expectations of the assignment was, once again, incorrect. She then explained to her new advisor that none of the classes she had taken at HPU had prepared her for the Product of Learning and this assignment. Her new advisor then became angry and told her she was not graduate school material and “how dare she come into the office of the dean of” (reluctant to disclose) “and question her!” Her new advisor then explained how she was not endearing herself to her and that my colleague was burning bridges. The dean of (reluctant to disclose) then suggested that if my colleague did not like how things were, she could go downstairs and withdraw from the program. She also informed her that she could go talk with the provost and vice president of academic affairs, and go talk to the president of the university if she’d like, but it wouldn’t change anything…My colleague left the campus crying, once again.</p>

<p>She described this verbal assault to me and how she felt intimidated and how she felt threatened. She explained how she had never been treated so unprofessionally by anyone at HPU or any other university she had attended. </p>

<p>My fellow student met with another student who had recently graduated from HPU; more importantly, though, is the fact the other student had graduated from the same program and earned the same degree which my colleague has been diligently pursuing. The two discussed the Product of Learning and the other student explained her interpretation of the assignment; however, when my colleague met with the dean of (reluctant to disclose) at their next meeting, once again, her new advisor told her that the former HPU graduate’s interpretation was incorrect</p>

<p>So my colleague met with the superintendent of a neighboring county’s school district to ask him to address how 21st Century skills impact the resource classroom, as the assignment requires, and he explained “we are pretty far behind.” She then explained the requirements of the the course to him and he suggested that she ask her advisor to set up an observation of a 21st Century classroom. The superintendent gladly offered to accompany her to this observation.</p>

<p>When she met with the dean of (reluctant to disclose), my colleague told her about the conversation she had with the superintendent of the neighboring county’s school district and her advisor said, “What are you people doing in ******** County?” She then suggested that the superintendent take some classes at HPU. My colleague explained how she is a visual learner and needed to see examples of what is expected in the 21st Century resource room. Her new advisor responded, “Why do you need to see someone else’s work?”</p>

<p>After several more meetings with her new advisor and with very little guidance offered; my colleague met with HPU faculty members to gain a better understanding, and also met teachers at two separate nearby schools whose positions and duties coincide with a number of components required to be evaluated in her Product of Learning. Having made progress with her assignment, my colleague submitted her paper to her new advisor who then accepted her work and stated she would provide my colleague feedback and mail these items to her over the summer.</p>

<p>That was May 2010. In September 2010, my colleague met with the dean of (reluctant to disclose) per her request, to be questioned whether she’d had a chance to complete the assignment. My fellow student explained numerous time how she had already submitted the assignment, only to be ridiculed by her advisor who began to explain how out of all of the students who have come through the education program at HPU she has never seen anyone other than her who could not comprehend the expectations of a simple assignment. </p>

<p>After berating my fellow student, her advisor asked if she would like to arrange to meet again the following week…My colleague describes her condition after leaving her advisor’s office as her having been emotionally and physically sick.</p>

<p>The following day, my colleague received an email from her advisor stating, "As indicated yesterday the paper and flash drive have been located.” Implying that the two had spoken at another time which my colleague explains is not true.</p>

<p>It was at this point that she made the decision to share these horrific experiences with the president, the provost and vice president of academic affairs and the vice president of student affairs. For self preservation, my colleague stated she will not meet with the dean of (reluctant to disclose) again. </p>

<p><em>READER’S NOTE</em></p>

<p>My colleague has a cumulative GPA of 3.667, yet, her newly self appointed advisor and dean of (reluctant to disclose) has suggested that she is not graduate material AND that my colleague could tell the president, and the provost and vice president of academic affairs but that nothing would change…</p>

<p>My colleague’s advisor speaks the truth ladies and gents…Nothing has changed, and she sent a letter, certified mail, to high ranking HPU officials (whose positions are mentioned in the foregoing text) which explains, in sequence and in far greater detail than I have provided you with here, the ongoing abusive and unorthodox treatment she has been subjected to at this institution.</p>

<p>You know what they did say?</p>

<p>My colleague received a one page, typed response explaining how she has put too much effort and spent too much money to let something like this stand in the way of earning her degree. Not a single one of her concerns was addressed. The provost and vice president of academic affairs, who signed the letter, went so far as to suggest that she meet with her advisor as soon as possible to resume working on her project. </p>

<p>I believe that some form of corruption exists on every level of virtually any one of society’s institutions. As a current student of High Point University, let me send you an email from my @highpoint.edu; at the bottom you will find the school’s vision, the university purports “At High Point University every student receives an extraordinary education in an inspiring environment with caring people.”</p>

<p>I have experienced the care of this university first hand, with a situation I won’t disclose here. The damage I suffered was considerably less detrimental than that of my colleague’s, but nonetheless, I too have gained exposure to just how genuine and caring their sterling faculty truly is. And extraordinary is in stark contrast with any one of the flowery adjectives I would choose to describe this institution.</p>

<p>I hope I have not discouraged any of you prospective students, or your parents for that matter, from joining HPU to try and help bring up their 56% graduation rate. . .(sarcasm)</p>

<p>I doubt this type of situation occurs very often, perhaps this is even the only situation like this that has occurred. But I would like to impart with you this: If this multi-million dollar business sells by advertising their inspiration and their care for the students, then why should my fellow student be any exception? Why, after crying in the office of the president of such an EXTRAORDINARY institution has she been treated so dismissively? Why has she not received the the care purported in their vision that seems to be stamped or embroidered on any piece of HPU paraphernalia that one would likely make the mistake of purchasing?</p>

<p>Because it sells…Period…The fountains, the ice cream truck, the Starbucks, the NASDAQ bell ringing…It all may very well seem so aesthetically pleasing but at the end of the day, it’s unfathomable how HPU’s little demigod continues to draw students in from all over our nation when he fails to deliver on the first and, seemingly, most simple promise to his students, caring.</p>

<p><em>The factual assertions made in the foregoing text are all backed by empirical evidence</em></p>

<p>If you wish to inquire further, feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:litleblackduck@gmail.com">litleblackduck@gmail.com</a> I will happily provide you with specific details to substantiate these claims, and to expose the truth about High Point University.</p>

<p>I’m still failing to see how the misfortune of your friend makes HPU a scam to the thousands of people who inquire/apply/attend the school… </p>

<p>To me, it sounds like there is MUCH more to your friends situation than the story you provided. There is always a second side to every story and I would imagine HPU officials would tell it very differently. But honestly, the legitimacy of your story has little to do with your original claim. I still want to know what make HPU a scam.</p>

<p>Claiming HPU does not care for its student, or does not live up to its claim of caring for its students is like bringing a knife to gun fight. I have seen things happen at HPU that would NEVER happen at a bigger school as far a faculty interaction goes with the students. I have a friend with an illness that greatly affects his life and HPU has gone out of their way to help him when he has issues stemming from the illness. Its truly amazing what the school has done to support him. I can go on and on about things HPU does to care for its students.</p>

<p>As fas as “what sells”, HPU is much more than what you describe. Our tours are MUCH more substantial than fountains, ice cream, and coffee. We DO NOT “sell” visitors on looks, we “sell” them on a vision. If you don’t believe in the vision of HPU, thats fine, but there are thousands of students at our school that do and wouldn’t study in an environment any different than what HPU offers. People are inspired by different things, and if HPU’s outlook of attaining success doesn’t inspire you, so be it. Crying wolf and claiming scam appears to be a foolish claim that holds no water at all.</p>

<p>Not in your bucket. You’re probably one of Nido’s minions anyway lol. I spoke my peace, though, and truly hope that this phenomenon is the one and only of its kind. In the name of success, may your children be baptized in the extraordinary waters of the 3 ft. deep swimming pools and forever expect handouts in life.</p>

<p>Ok, so again, no evidence to back up the scam claim. Obviously there was no truth to that. </p>

<p>Just because I’m a student sticking up for my school doesn’t mean I’m being paid off by the president. Come on man… </p>

<p>Handouts… LOL. I guess the occasional free t-shirt makes me one of those lazy liberals who expects a check every month right? My oh my… good stuff.</p>

<p>so… here we are deciding on App State or HPU…LittleBlackDuck… you did wow me…not sure what to do now.</p>

<p>Don’t be swayed by one bitter student posting here. My daughter just graduated in three years from HPU last week. Her college experience could not have been better and she always found Nido accessible. Go ahead and email him about your concerns and I can almost guarantee you that you will get a reply almost immediately. See if you get that from any other college president. As for academic statistics that were compiled before that last couple of years, you can throw those out the window. Other posts here claiming that HPU grads work at McDonalds and the like are absurd. My daughter was accepted at the top graduate program in her field and given a full scholarship. I doubt they would do that if they thought an HPU degree was worthless.</p>

<p>BTW, the graduation weekend with Lance Armstrong speaking was great.</p>

<p>My son will be attending High Point in the Fall and we could not be happier. One person’s opinion should never be enough to base any decision on. Do your own research, talk to people that attend and their families. There are always going to be people that have problems. It’s a huge investment and I would never listen to one person’s view.</p>

<p>Littleblackduck -</p>

<p>Maybe I am a functional illiterate, but I fail to understand how simply doing an assignment incorrectly (or doing an incorrect assignment, I am not sure which it was) equates to plagiarism, unless there was something copied from another source without attribution in the assignment which was handed in. What exactly is your friend alleged to have plagiarized and how was the alleged plagiarism detected? I don’t expect you to disclose the subject or topic but knowing whether she is accused of having handed in a paper or assignment someone else previously handed in or if she is claimed to have copied research or quotes without attribution would make a difference.</p>

<p>As for HPU itself, it came up a match for our son (rigorous course schedule, lazy grades and very competent test scores that don’t reflect his poor GPA) and it seems to meet the only criterion he has thus far set forth (he’s a junior) - it’s not in a city, it’s not too large, it has a climate where he can wear shorts and sneakers year round and there’s the possibility of not having to share a room. Per collegeboard.com, the mid 50% SAT is 980 - 1200; he has a 1350 and the mid ACT is 22-26 and his is 30. He didn’t study or take any prep courses.</p>

<p>I would like to ask those with experience if this is a school that would be appropriate for a nominally Jewish kid from the NYC suburbs who is an out of the box thinker. A course on comparative religions would not bother him so long as no one religion was extolled and he was not penalized for expressing his agnostic views. He has no interest in sports at all and wouldn’t care if there were no teams, though Ultimate Frisbee might get him going. He would be interested in a chess team or club, a shooting sports/archery availability and an active history/social sciences curriculum. Greek life is also of no interest.</p>

<p>Another aspect that interests us is that our DD is studying education in NYS and has been told that NC is where a lot of jobs are. She is thinking of going down there after graduation and H and I are also thinking of moving if we can get a good enough price for our house that we can buy for cash down there. She is done in 3 years and our goal is 6, when our youngest finishes HS. This would make NC more attractive as a college location because it might be where he’d wind up staying, especially if family was there. We are planning on driving down over next winter break to check out schools for son and his 9th grade brother and places where our DD might want to teach. Is HPU worth putting on our list?</p>

<p>Thanks all.</p>

<p>Joan52, I would advise that you proceed with caution. A number of the posts address the absence of diversity. Even some of the supporters ascribe a “Stepford” quality to the student body - - not the sort place that comes to mind for an out-of-the-box thinking, Jewish kid from NYC. </p>

<p>The visitation policy (no opposite-sex guests - - even relatives) suggests a conservative culture vis-a-vis social values, which my kids would find uncomfortable. Likewise the univ president referring to HPU as a “God and country” kind of schooland the fact that the supporters on this thread appear intolerant of dissent (see post below railing against other unis which push a liberal agenda down students’ throats). </p>

<p>Start at the beginning of the thread and read thru the posts. I have pasted a couple of posts below - - to whet your appetite.</p>

<hr>

<p>post 91:
I completely agree with you tchr59. My daughter and I went to HPU recently on an athletic recruiting visit. The vibe there is definitely creepy and we found the emphasis on the superficial disturbing. We ran into the president, and he made a comment to our group of two girls that they don’t admit any “ugly boys”. Our tour guide repeatedly invoked the president when explaining why certain things are the way they are, i.e., “We give away free oranges because he wants to model generosity”, or “He’s building a steakhouse to teach us how to have good table manners.”, etc. We have been on many college tours and we couldn’t even tell you who the presidents are of most of them, but I can assure you, you will not leave HPU without knowing who Dr. Qubein is! My D saw right through it all and announced to me after we left that she would not go there “even if it was free.” </p>

<p>post 194:
I see nothing wrong with Nido [HPU president] calling the school a “God and Country University”. It’s certainly better than having a liberal agenda pushed down your throat like at so many universities. Clearly, Nido was joking when he said they only admit good looking students. Anybody that took offense to that should really learn to lighten up.</p>

<p>I must say when we first arrived on campus for scholarship weekend it did have somewhat of a Stepford aspect to it, perfect looking kids with perfect smiles in polo shirts waving to you. Once we we spent the day there and met the people my daughter didn’t even want to visit Elon which she had also applied to.</p>

<p>Joan52, you should also check out two threads on the High Point board:</p>

<p>High Point - Any Liberals There?</p>

<p>How Religious is HPU </p>

<p>(One Jewish poster characterizes HPU as “iffy” for Jewish students. She also suggests posting your question on the “Schools for B Jewish Student;” you can find that thread on the Parents Board.)</p>

<p>Keep in mind here, HPU was founded by the Methodist Church in 1924. So we were founded on a Christian foundation. Though the services at the chapel are non-denominational to support religious diversity now. </p>

<p>Fact is: HPU is a private school in the south. It should be to no surprise that the student body leans to the conservative side. That being said, and I have said this before, there is no agenda shoved down your throat at HPU. I have heard horror stories from students at big state school referring to the politics seen in lectures and grading. At HPU I promise you the professors do not use their class time to stand at a political pulpit and brainwash students one way or the other. My world religion professor was the most un-bias teacher I have ever had, and that was perfect for a class like that. </p>

<p>And to address the one post regurgitated from earlier on in the thread… I’ll just flat out say it. If you are not a God and Country person, look elsewhere. We’re not here to apologize for that belief and it will not go away any time soon. You don’t have to lean left or right to be considered “God and Country”, there is MUCH more to that belief than politics. </p>

<p>Joan52, HPU is a great school to put on your list. Come take a tour, and see it for yourself. As far as Jewish life goes, I would advise you to go talk to Dr. Schnied about the organization on campus for Jewish students. At the very least he can give you the actual info you are looking for rather than an old bumped post in a 3 year old thread.</p>

<p>From the "How Religious . . . " thread (December 28, 2010)</p>

<p>mdgirl93 - I am active on the Jewish Parent thread that DeskPotato just referenced and happened to see your post. I personally find High Point to be iffy at best for a Jewish student, but a lot will depend on how you have been raised and how actively Jewish you seek to be at college. </p>

<p>The stats on the number of Jewish students at High Point are hard to come by. The figures on the national Hillel site are generally out of date. I have spoken with the faculty advisor for Hillel and an admissions rep - and believe the number to be anywhere from 80 - 150.</p>

<p>When I look at a college from a Jewish parent perspective - I look at 2 levels. The first level is safety and socializing. Is there anti-Semitism on this campus? Will you be ostracized as a Jewish student? Will you encounter people who have never met a Jewish student before and look at you like you have two heads? Will you have difficulty finding dating possibilities?</p>

<p>When answering these questions about High Point - I have had mixed responses. Some people report no problems - some have had some very disturbing experiences. </p>

<p>The 2nd level I look at is Jewish life. Is there a Hillel? Is it active? After speaking with the Hillel advisor, my conclusion is that there is a small Hillel (they actually call it the Jewish Students Association) and that it has not been able to gain much traction.</p>

<p>This is an issue that every Jewish family has to evaluate for themselves. I would suggest speaking with as many current High Point students as possible - ask them if they have Jewish friends. If you can find a current Jewish student - ask them what their experience has been. If you can be on campus for that Wednesday evening [ecumenical] service - that would be interesting. The fact that High Point does not have Wednesday evening classes so as to facilitate attendance at this service speaks volumes to me. </p>

<p>But really - it comes down to you. If you participate in any Jewish life now or are active in any Jewish teen groups - USY, BBYO, etc., - than I cannot in good conscience see how High Point would fit you. On the other hand - If you are a reform Jew and not terribly religious - than it might not be a problem for you. But I think you are wise to investigate this question thoroughly before deciding to attend High Point.</p>

<p>I would be curious to hear more of what you find - I am always willing to be corrected if new info turns up. Please let me know what other opinions you gather and what you ultimately decide to do. Good luck. </p>

<hr>

<p>Last edited by rockvillemom; 12-28-2010 at 06:34 PM.</p>

<p>"If you are not a God and Country person, look elsewhere. "…</p>

<p>This is a summary to all of the above discussion and VERY well put…especially from a “fan of HPU”…</p>

<p>Most (if not all) Jewish people do not espouse to that philosophy, and, therefore, would probably not be a “fit” as you describe…</p>

<p>foolishpleasure… I would like to hear your opinion on the matter rather than copy and pasting old posts that you have picked throughout this 3 year old thread. When you visited HPU what was it like in your opinion? Did you feel that there was a lack of diversity? What did you personally see that raised questions for, say, a Jewish student? </p>

<p>Just curious…</p>

<p>Correction on foolish pleasure’s post. My son has had classes on Wednesday evenings for the last two semesters. I am not sure who told you there are no classes on Wednesday’s evenings. That information is incorrect.</p>

<p>cathy, that is interesting. I remember having read something about there being no classes on Wednesday. I found where this is stated. Perhaps things have changed at HPU?</p>

<p>[Charles</a> E. Hayworth Sr. Memorial Chapel](<a href=“http://chapel.highpoint.edu/?CFID=22151102&CFTOKEN=71186216]Charles”>http://chapel.highpoint.edu/?CFID=22151102&CFTOKEN=71186216)</p>

<p>" No Evening Degree classes are held on Wednesdays" is the exact wording.</p>

<p>The 4 credit system is the reason for the change. In order to allow scheduling flexibility they have added Wednesday evening courses. Website needs to be updated.</p>