Straighterline New Proctor Policy Change

[Publius]

Yes, I was not correct on the new pricing.
I mentioned that in another post.
The web site did say 2 different thinks at the same time, that is where my confusion came from.

So 99.00 + 49.00 is still a good price.

Well it's not as competitive with CLEPs and DSSTs now, depending on how you do it.

CLEP: $80 + about $20 for proctoring — That's $100 (about $33 a credit hour). 6 credit exams -- about $17 a credit hour!
DSST: Same thing, $80 + $20 = $100 (about $33 per credit hour).
SL before (1 course per month): $99 + $39 = $138 ($46 per credit hour). *With code: $99 total ($33 per credit hour)*
SL before (2 courses per month): $99 + $39 +$39 = $177 ($29.5 per credit hour).*With code: $138 total ($46 per credit hour)
SL now (1 course per month): $99 + $49 = $148 (about $49 per credit hour). **With code (if continued): $99 total ($33 per credit hour)*
SL now (2 courses per month): $99 + $49 +$49 = $197 (about $33 per credit hour). **With code (if continued): $148 total ($49 per credit hour)
[COLOR="#008000"]
*There is a code(s) out there that allow the first course which would shave off $39. Not sure if they're going to continue to implement this but if they did it'd be slightly more competitive. [/COLOR]
**If they still offer a code that will take the first course off then the total will be deducted by $49.

*Notice: If they do continue the code (or codes) that allow for that discount, then the price for 1 one course completed in one month stays the same. This would wave the additional proctoring fee. If this was the case then it may be best (if you're going to do SL) to do it month by month. Sign up using discount, do course, cancel in under 4 weeks (billing period is actually 4 weeks not a month). Sign up again using discount, complete another course, cancel, and so forth. You could even take a month in between and work on a CLEP or DSST so that you don't look too suspicious. Not sure if this could or would work, but it's a thought all the same.

BTW, I talked with Proctor U, and the exam doesn't have to be taken on your computer. It can be taken on a computer that isn't yours (i.e. a library's -- granted it meets the requirements). This way, personal files aren't accessible. I know, it's not convenient, but safer if one has to do SL. This takes nothing away from the fact that SL is still making it a hassle on their students.

[sam_wendt]

Well, I'm just happy I can purchase three courses from SL before November 1, email them to change the proctor requirement, and take those classes at my own pace.

[IrishJohn]

Just when I thought SL couldn't get more despicable! How slimy can one company be?
Who started the wiki? Don't they have the final say to get this overturned? And if we do, lets just get their entry removed entirely.

dcan started it. DF Wiki now requires folks to sign up, which I refuse to do now, so I presume that editing any entries is more difficult.

[IrishJohn]

We could privately host the "wiki" somewhere, then SL wouldn't be able to change it...I don't like that they were able to lock the wiki...that's a bunch of crap. I've been relatively quiet on this issue...but the degree forum wiki isn't theirs anymore than it's mine.

It's "theirs" now. Interesting how a little corporate pressure can impact things, no?

[IrishJohn]

Well it's not as competitive with CLEPs and DSSTs now, depending on how you do it.

CLEP: $80 + about $20 for proctoring — That's $100 (about $33 a credit hour). 6 credit exams -- about $17 a credit hour!
DSST: Same thing, $80 + $20 = $100 (about $33 per credit hour).
SL before (1 course per month): $99 + $39 = $138 ($46 per credit hour). *With code: $99 total ($33 per credit hour)*
SL before (2 courses per month): $99 + $39 +$39 = $177 ($29.5 per credit hour).*With code: $138 total ($46 per credit hour)
SL now (1 course per month): $99 + $49 = $148 (about $49 per credit hour). **With code (if continued): $99 total ($33 per credit hour)*
SL now (2 courses per month): $99 + $49 +$49 = $197 (about $33 per credit hour). **With code (if continued): $148 total ($49 per credit hour)
[COLOR="#008000"]
*There is a code(s) out there that allow the first course which would shave off $39. Not sure if they're going to continue to implement this but if they did it'd be slightly more competitive. [/COLOR]
**If they still offer a code that will take the first course off then the total will be deducted by $49.

*Notice: If they do continue the code (or codes) that allow for that discount, then the price for 1 one course completed in one month stays the same. This would wave the additional proctoring fee. If this was the case then it may be best (if you're going to do SL) to do it month by month. Sign up using discount, do course, cancel in under 4 weeks (billing period is actually 4 weeks not a month). Sign up again using discount, complete another course, cancel, and so forth. You could even take a month in between and work on a CLEP or DSST so that you don't look too suspicious. Not sure if this could or would work, but it's a thought all the same.

Exactly the point I was making at DF Wiki, since it was supposed to be about helping other DL students, that is before SL hacks apparently got to Wikia to lock their page with their own sales pitch for their service. It's cheaper to take a course through something like Saylor.org, use InstantCert and/or Free-Clep-Prep.com and then take the CLEP or DSST. Those exams are transferrable to hundreds of more colleges and universities than anything SL currently offers. Even if ProctorU will allow folks to take SL exams at a library computer, an improvement over what we were previously told, I see no advantage to taking an SL course instead of the CLEP or DSST exam. For all of them you will still have to take a proctored exam, definitely outside of your home for CLEPs & DSSTs or possibly in the case of SL unless you allow ProctorU access to your personal computer. Less money and hassle to just take the CLEP or DSST exam in my opinion.

[Publius]

Exactly the point I was making at DF Wiki, since it was supposed to be about helping other DL students, that is before SL hacks apparently got to Wikia to lock their page with their own sales pitch for their service. It's cheaper to take a course through something like Saylor.org, use InstantCert and/or Free-Clep-Prep.com and then take the CLEP or DSST. Those exams are transferrable to hundreds of more colleges and universities than anything SL currently offers. Even if ProctorU will allow folks to take SL exams at a library computer, an improvement over what we were previously told, I see no advantage to taking an SL course instead of the CLEP or DSST exam. For all of them you will still have to take a proctored exam, definitely outside of your home for CLEPs & DSSTs or possibly in the case of SL unless you allow ProctorU access to your personal computer. Less money and hassle to just take the CLEP or DSST exam in my opinion.

Exactly, the advantage that was once there is slipping away. Even if you can get them close to the same price, don't forget that SL courses have anywhere from 6-20+ graded exams. CLEPs and DSSTs are just 1!

[IrishJohn]

Exactly, the advantage that was once there is slipping away. Even if you can get them close to the same price, don't forget that SL courses have anywhere from 6-20+ graded exams. CLEPs and DSSTs are just 1!

Excellent point, I forgot about that one. Sheesh, Macro & Micro Economics had somewhere around 20 exams each!

[Ace_King]

Wait, I'm confused. The creator of the wiki forums, for the degree forums section, can't even change what Straighterline added? Isn't he like the mod for our wiki?

[dcan]

Hi all,

I've been dormant for a while, taking two classes and whatnot. Recently I noticed there was increased activity on the Straighterline page (I get an e-mail for every edit) but didn't have time to keep up with what was going on or to monitor the forum here. In my defense, early on in the process I saw what appeared to be criticism still on the page and only glanced at the page without fully reading it, so I didn't realize it was spam. I saw the notice about the policy change at the top of the page and assumed we had a sudden overzealous forum member upset at the policy change making a lot of edits. In this I appear to have been naive, and for that I apologize.

While I don't know exactly who was making the edits, or why, I can take action to protect the site for the good of the community here.

Effective immediately:

• User "Heitah" has been deleted
  
• A related IP address has been banned
  
• The Straighterline page has been reverted to the last "clean" edit I could find, 10 October 2012
  
• The Straighterline page is locked for admin edits only
  

Also, I contacted the Wikia mods to inquire about the lock by one Brandon Rhea. He is a mod at Wikia. My assumption is that automated mod tools detected the back-and-forth mass updates and they locked the page to keep it from turning into constant edit war. A further assumption is that this lock prevented "anonymous" users from editing the page, but still allowed "Heitah" to continue his/her edits. I'm not sure if this user contacted the Wikia mods to request this lock, but I do want to get to the bottom of it.

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who has contributed content to the wiki. I have seen several "thank you" notes over the past year from people who were helped along in their journey, but the wiki is only a collection of the information each of you has meticulously investigated and put together. You deserve all the credit. Thanks for what you do!

[Ace_King]

*bows down* Thanks Almighty Dcan! You my friend! Have a good soul, my friend :]