OT: University of Phoenix - Widespread Layoffs Coming

[crisper57]

http://www.azcentral.com/business/n...-of-phoenix-expected-to-announce-layoffs.html

For years after its 1994 debut on the Nasdaq, Apollo was seen as a fast-rising stock. In January 2009, Apollo’s stock traded for more than $89 a share and had actually risen throughout the Wall Street meltdown that began in September 2008.

Since then, however, the stock has plummeted nearly 75 percent. In the past year, it has hovered near $21.

Uh oh. U of P is having financial woes. How long until they give up their naming rights to the stadium? If they do, who might take over for them?

 

[BigRedRage]

that sucks, second time in recent years - they employ a TON of arizonans.

 

[crisper57]

that sucks, second time in recent years - they employ a TON of arizonans.

You ain't lying. #10 on the list of top AZ employers is Apollo Group.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/rep100/

I believe prior to the cuts last year, they were #4 or #5 on the list.

 

[Mulli]

OL. QB. S. Who else? A few of the OL coaches...

 

[Dan H]

It should have been called Tillman Field. To heck with the naming rights.

 

[BigRedRage]

You ain't lying. #10 on the list of top AZ employers is Apollo Group.

http://www.azcentral.com/business/rep100/

I believe prior to the cuts last year, they were #4 or #5 on the list.

decent wages too. If they crumble our economy will take a massive hit. Housing market and all.

 

[BigRedRage]

It should have been called Tillman Field. To heck with the naming rights.

OT - some college kids are renting a house up the way from me. I knew itd be college kids when I saw several different states lisence plates outside of the home one day.

Then fast worward to this week - they have a huge homecoming float they made outside that has a painted image of tillman and then a giant almost pinata looking tillman figure standing on it. Thought it was pretty cool.

 

[crisper57]

decent wages too. If they crumble our economy will take a massive hit. Housing market and all.

Might not all be here. From the linked article, it sounds like they are spreading the pain.

The cutbacks were confirmed to The Republic by an employee in the Phoenix area and described by others purporting on an employment website to be university employees from Milwaukee to Dallas to Little Rock, Ark.

 

[crisper57]

And it may not be totally apocalyptic. From the Phoenix Business Journal.

We’re hearing that about 20 employees are losing their jobs today, but it’s unclear whether this round of layoffs is part of an ongoing and previously announced 1,000-person nationwide layoff by UOP’s parent Apollo Group Inc. In June, Apollo let go of 24 employees in Arizona as part of its downsizing.

Still, this company and its business model are in a slump. Might need to start rethinking their marketing, including plastering their name all over a giant NFL stadium.

 

[Mulli]

And it may not be totally apocalyptic. From the Phoenix Business Journal.



Still, this company and its business model are in a slump. Might need to start rethinking their marketing, including plastering their name all over a giant NFL stadium.

So about half of the OL coaches, got it.

 

[BigRedRage]

And it may not be totally apocalyptic. From the Phoenix Business Journal.



Still, this company and its business model are in a slump. Might need to start rethinking their marketing, including plastering their name all over a giant NFL stadium.

I always assumed the model would be unsustainable but we shall see i suppose. GCU followed suit and is doing rather well and not blowing all their money on advertising - yet.

 

[Shane]

Their tuition is godawful not surprising.

 

[Capt'nCard]

And it may not be totally apocalyptic. From the Phoenix Business Journal.



Still, this company and its business model are in a slump. Might need to start rethinking their marketing, including plastering their name all over a giant NFL stadium.

I work at UoP and I can promise you they are not hurting. Online education is different than 5 years ago and they are just adjusting to a new market. There's tons of other schools offering online classes and the piece of the pie is just smaller.

It sounds like the layoffs were of higher-ups in management and some middle management and in my opinion they are sound business decisions. They're just trying to get to the right number of management for the business model today. Overall, its a good move but its a shame to hear anyone losing their job.

 

[Capt'nCard]

Their tuition is godawful not surprising.

So are all of the state schools. ASU is actually more expensive in the long run vs. UoP. Unfortunately people dont educate themselves on this fact and just go by hearsay.

 

[BigRedRage]

they are all overpriced either way.

 

[Capt'nCard]

they are all overpriced either way.

I cant argue that! Still I'd rather have student loans for a short time and a high paying job versus the alternative.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

I always assumed the model would be unsustainable but we shall see i suppose. GCU followed suit and is doing rather well and not blowing all their money on advertising - yet.

GCU is fully rebranded. It's really weird, too. They are legitimately a local private university now. I mean, I know the Horacio Llamas era in the 90s, but it's almost as if it's for real now. UoP on the other hand is no better than for profit prisons. GCU adjusted their business model in response to growing pressures against for profit higher education and they have done so successfully. UoP just can't get away from their hardcore sales model. Middle managers who were making six figures during the boom times (pre-2008) are now getting canned to trim costs.

Subsequently, those same middle managers are now making maybe $50k per year wherever they land. UoP was fool's gold. I feel sorry for all those folks making all that coin on a hard-sell education who now see their BMWs on the back of a repo man's truck, but it was always false.

 

[Red Dawn]

Then fast worward to this week - they have a huge homecoming float they made outside that has a painted image of tillman and then a giant almost pinata looking tillman figure standing on it. Thought it was pretty cool.

This post is useless without pictures

They should rename UOP Stadium: Tillman Field at "I'm a Cardinal Fan, beat me whip me it feels so good when you stop" Stadium.

 

[BigRedRage]

This post is useless without pictures

They should rename UOP Stadium: Tillman Field at "I'm a Cardinal Fan, beat me whip me it feels so good when you stop" Stadium.

whats funny is I drove by it last night and thought, I should take a picture.

 

[BigRedRage]

I cant argue that! Still I'd rather have student loans for a short time and a high paying job versus the alternative.

I dont see in any way how UoP translates into shorter term student loans and higher paying jobs but to each his own.

 

[Capt'nCard]

GCU is fully rebranded. It's really weird, too. They are legitimately a local private university now. I mean, I know the Horacio Llamas era in the 90s, but it's almost as if it's for real now. UoP on the other hand is no better than for profit prisons. GCU adjusted their business model in response to growing pressures against for profit higher education and they have done so successfully. UoP just can't get away from their hardcore sales model. Middle managers who were making six figures during the boom times (pre-2008) are now getting canned to trim costs.

Subsequently, those same middle managers are now making maybe $50k per year wherever they land. UoP was fool's gold. I feel sorry for all those folks making all that coin on a hard-sell education who now see their BMWs on the back of a repo man's truck, but it was always false.

I'm not sure you are correct here. GCU is a fully for-profit and nearly everyone running their program is from UoP. They are actually more aggressive in their "sales" model and constantly poach UoP employees . If you think the mangers and exec's at GCU aren't making tons of money you'll need to think again. The same men who led UoP done this path are now running GCU.

Enjoy the ride.

 

[Capt'nCard]

I dont see in any way how UoP translates into shorter term student loans and higher paying jobs but to each his own.

I hear ya. Some people are just slower in understanding the evolution of industries and get stuck in the "traditional" ways of doing things. Those who think this way tend to miss out on new things.

 

[Mulli]

OT!

 

[crisper57]

I'm not sure you are correct here. GCU is a fully for-profit and nearly everyone running their program is from UoP. They are actually more aggressive in their "sales" model and constantly poach UoP employees . If you think the mangers and exec's at GCU aren't making tons of money you'll need to think again. The same men who led UoP done this path are now running GCU.

Enjoy the ride.

8-9 years ago, before they were considered "legit" I interviewed at GCU for an "academic adviser" role. The interview process was a cattle call. 20 applicants in a single room. They pitched us pretty hard. It was clear the adviser role was a cold-caller who would sell GCU to prospective students. 100% commission-based.

There was a break in the interview where they told us to mull it over and stick around if we were still interested. Of the 20, I was the only one who left. I think it was unethical to call a salesperson an academic adviser. Not sure if U of P has the same titles for those types of jobs, but they are intentionally misleading.

Back to the subject of the thread...500 people laid off. That is another big chunk of their staff, mostly IT and admin folks.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

I'm not sure you are correct here. GCU is a fully for-profit and nearly everyone running their program is from UoP. They are actually more aggressive in their "sales" model and constantly poach UoP employees . If you think the mangers and exec's at GCU aren't making tons of money you'll need to think again. The same men who led UoP done this path are now running GCU.

Enjoy the ride.

I have no interests in GCU, so I could well be off-base. But, I can tell you that they outwardly appear to be re-branding. That's my point. UoP remains a pure sales model and GCU may be the same underneath the veneer of re-branding.

I am distinctly knowledgeable of the pre-2009 UoP model. So, my comments on UoP are dead-on (though, I should say that I never worked there). One of the greatest reforms under this administration was the higher ed reform stuff. It undercut the for-profit sales model and that's a great thing.