The State University of New York Empire State College

Date: Jan 05 2010
Major: Other (This Major's Salary over time)
I am completing a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies. I am currently taking my final two classes. I have taken all of my classes online so I can't speak for the on-ground or hybrid options.

The Good- The fact that this is an online program has afforded me the opportunity to finish a degree that I would not have had the time to complete otherwise. The cost is VERY affordable, even cheap in comparison to other online schools. It is a SUNY school and as a result garners a certain level of respect from other institutions.

The Bad- The school claims that instructors will reply to emails within a 24-48 hour time frame. I have not had even ONE professor who did this. This is an online program, therefore students do not have the opportunity to go to a professor's office to ask questions, nor can you stay after class for clarification or details about an assignment. Thus it is very logical to assume that teachers in an online program would comprehend the great importance of being available to students in other ways. NO SUCH LUCK! Teachers sometimes take over a week to respond. I have had more than one teacher that I couldn't get in contact with for over a month. There is a LOT of work. That worked for me because I actually like learning, researching and writing. I came to ESC with 96 credits and wanted to finish as quickly as possible. I knew going in that I would be taking numerous classes at a time to finish and was willing to go without sleep for days at a time to meet my goal. However, all students are not in as much of a rush as I am. My sister also attended ESC for a time and the work load crushed her. Students should be informed when they register that taking more than two classes at a time will require a minimum of 40 hours per week for the ridiculous amount of time it takes to complete the reading and writing assignments.

The Ugly- The grading policies are severely subjective (meaning if you disagree with your professor or call them on their b.s. your A+ will magically become a B- despite the grades that your work received). Of course there is a grievance/ appeal procedure but it takes FOREVER and involves more hoops than a Barnum and Bailey show. The bureaucracy at ESC is unending. There is red tape after red tape, arbitrary policy after arbitrary policy and an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. My own mentor was mildly helpful, but I have heard absolute horror stories from others.

Overall- If you are looking for an affordable, flexible program from a moderately respected school ESC is a viable option. It is not at all what I would call a pleasant experience. The administration is mediocre at best, 99% of my professors have been horrendous, the grading policies are severely subjective and the workload is tremendously time consuming. But after all is said and done, if you survive it, you will get your degree.