Straighterline New Proctor Policy Change

[IrishJohn]

GoodYellowDogs, it's some one whose getting paid minimum wage, whose also just their for a paycheck. They don't CARE about private information or your social security numbers. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if they are recording you take your test on their mobile device.

That may be so for the overwhelming majority of those who work for ProctorU or other such companies, but it only takes one scammer to get one of these jobs and cause a great deal of havoc for many folks. Identity theft is real and one pays hell trying to overcome it, let alone whatever embarassing or proprietary information from their job may be on one's computer.

[alleycat]

That may be so for the overwhelming majority of those who work for ProctorU or other such companies, but it only takes one scammer to get one of these jobs and cause a great deal of havoc for many folks. Identity theft is real and one pays hell trying to overcome it, let alone whatever embarassing or proprietary information from their job may be on one's computer.

All excellent points IrishJohn.

[IrishJohn]

StraighterLine,

3) By making proctoring mandatory for everyone regardless of whether it is required by their educational institutions, StraighterLine has effectively punished all for the actions of a few.

If SL is doing this to expand accetibility of their courses at more colleges and universities, I could understand that. However, it would seem to me to be far wiser to make it part of the agreements with these colleges and unversities to require proctored exams instead of forcing everyone to take them so students have a choice. If you go to College X which has an agreement with SL to require proctored exams, fine. Yet if a student wants to attend College Y that doesn't require such proctored exams, that should be acceptable too.

[IrishJohn]

Darn! I had planned to take Managerial Accounting, and my math class with them. Now it looks as though I'll have to find another option. I've had my local library and a friend with a degree proctor tests, but I'm not having some stranger do it. As for cheating? Pleeease! Where there's a will, there's a way.

As Alleycat said, give Penn Foster a try for Managerial Accounting. You could also take the FREE open course at Saylor.org to prepare for the DSST exam, which should cost you about $100. As for math, if your school accepts it give ALEKS.com a try. Penn Foster might have the math course you need as well. There is also KCTCS, although that is more expensive but at least comes from a regionally-accredited school and should be transferrable just about everywhere.

[LaterBloomer]

Yes, just like the Eng. CLEP. If you're enrolled in a college, you take the exam the way that they want you to take it. Also, don't some schools allow credit for the exam without essays? Testers take the exam based upon their situations and schools' requirements Straighterline is shooting itself in the foot. While I'd read about it in a newspaper, it was the fellow-posters here who got me planning on using it. Now, I'll just go with Plan B. ABS - anything, but Straighterline.

[Ace_King]

Right it only takes one scammer. I don't mean to offend any one who makes minimum wage and is only there for a paycheck, I was just speaking in a different tone. But it is true, their are many bad apples in the work place, I remember the other day, my local Mcdonalds, a cashier had some sort of credit card swiping device swiping customers credit cards beneath the counter or during drive thru waits. He ended up getting arrested etc. It's just simply amazes me that Straighterline doesn't think that way. Using a for profit company with inexperienced people controlling our computers. What if one day some one who works for Proctor U just hates his job or just simply hates his/hers boss, I would think he might take it out on a student and steal his valuable information.

[Jackinrke]

This changes my plans. I was going to take some of the general Education requirements from SL. The extra 30.00 each class and the additional price increases makes cleps the better choice for myself now. Protoring is a secondary issue. A silly one at that, I am taking my computer major classes at the local community college and most of them are open book. So any test taken any where online or B&M that require Protoring while open book are unnecessary. Of coarse I do not like anything that waste my time or money, this would seem to fit the bill.

[cookderosa]

Bottom line, after all the fuss, nothing is gained.

Colleges who don't take ACE evaluated credits are NOT going to take SL credits despite this new proctor policy. It won't matter- this kind of policy won't evaluate SL credits individually, the college will look at their entire ACE policy. So, nothing gained here. Second, colleges that do take ACE evaluated credits already take SL credits. Yawn.

If the college you are attending accepts ACE credit, you're likely somewhere with a generous transfer policy, good CLEP/DSST acceptance, and potential for other credit sources like military/work/ALEKS/PLA. If you're in a position to shop for credits, you may find a reason to pick SL over others, but don't for a second think that SL is the SAME AS CLEP/DSST or transfer credit. They are NOT.

Let's remember, they're just a business, and their credits transfer into VERY FEW places. I know they need students to believe the credits will transfer because that's the question they get asked by potential customers, but I have a feeling this move was to land an account. Let's wait and see who the new partner school is....let's start an office pool. Guesses anyone?

[StraighterLine Team]

IrishJohn, congratulations on completing so many courses with us. We appreciate your business.

We are not requiring all students to retake final exams. It will only affect a very small percentage of students who we have suspected of cheating. This is a preemptive policy to prevent future cheating, but we reserve the right to deal with cheaters accordingly regardless of when we find out.

You still have on your website that certain accounts will be flagged and former students required to retake the final exams. I finished my courses in 6 months ago and transferred them to TESC already, no proctoring was required at that time. I can say this: if SL tries to yank these credits now or requires me to pay more money as well as retake the final exams, I will definitely be joining the discussed lawsuit. You cannot change the rules like this months afterwards, that's false advertising at the very least.

[StraighterLine Team]

Ace_King we appreciate this and other forums for much of the business that has helped us grow. Our pricing plans for freshman year $999 for upto 8 classes per year is unchanged in pricing. So is our a la carte $399 for any course. The only pricing change is in our $99 per month subscription which will now require a $10 increase from $39 registration fee to $49 to partially accommodate our cost of the test.

Per your 100 year argument... the internet is causing the need for protocols that weren't needed even 10 years ago. We are in an information age and the amount of time it takes to cheat can be counted in seconds via a search engine. We are an innovative company trying to get ahead of the curve. This change does indeed increase academic integrity.

Straighterline. First of all, why though? If a partner college doesn't require proctored examinations than why are you (a non-regionally accredited institution) requiring this? It doesn't add up to this "Academic integrity". As many mentioned, this is a purely money making scheme you guys are implementing! You guys are requiring students to pay for a proctor and I believe that colleges make a fortune off students already! If a proctored examination is here to stay, than make us find our own proctor. If it's really about "academic integrity", than sure let us FIND OUR OWN PROCTOR. Look how Penn Foster does it http://www.workforcedevelopment.com/form...e_Form.pdf That is their proctor examination form.

Penn Foster doesn't require us to use a for profit organization to proctor or do they have us pay for a proctor. Penn Foster, originally International Correspondence Schools or ICS, was founded in 1890. 1890!?!? Straighterline? They been out for more than 100 years and they must be doing something right. I took proctored examinations at Penn Foster at my local community college without a hassle and without paying for it. Many students do not want to purchase a new computer for meeting the proctor u requirements. And you keep stating that they don't have control access to your computer. Proctor U uses a similar model of protocol as a software named TeamViewer.

You are blatantly lying to your customers Straighterline. It is sad that, this forum and our sister forum, is where you originally got well known. The Big three. Many customers helped spread the word to other students who loved the self paced format and non proctored examinations because the partner schools they chose didn't require proctored examinations.