Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.96.980708120703.11009A-100000@dante> Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 14:38:17 -0600 From: "SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL (SSI)" <mailto:juwandem@NMSU.Edu> Subject: Re: BAD EXPERIENCES with Wolrd Learning Inc. To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
First of all, I seldom write to gain somebody's sympathy. The reason I wrote about World Learning was simply a felt need to warn and to inform this community about my own experiences. With regards to more specific details:1) before I finished my MSC I wanted to participate in some conferences which would have enhanced my learning, my request was denied alleging "lack of funds". After I finished my MSC World Learning (then PIET) reverted to USAID a $9,000 SURPLUS on my account. 2) I was verbally accused of sexual harrassment by a former PIET employee on her only visit to the university. After demanding PIET to support her allegation an apology was offered to me. 3)After learning that I had served as Senator for the university student body while working on my Ph.D. and without finding out ALL the facts, World Learning cut my stipend by one third for three months. Reimbursing me after painstaking work demonstrating USAID officials that the money I had received was a leadership scholarship based on my own merits and not a salary paid for my services as senator. These are JUST THREE of very many unpleasant experiences I had to put up with under the "care" of World Learning and which could have been easily prevented had some really professional and caring (other-than-in-their-bottom-line) organization been in charge.Regards, JCW Ph.D.
p.s. I am from Ecuador and was selected by USIAD/Ecuador officials based on merits (i.e., BSC Cum Laude from U. Of Maryland).
MORE BELOW....
On Wed, 8 Jul 1998, Matthew Parry wrote:
> After reading the messages from Messrs. Wandenberg and Mwoko
> about their dissatisfaction with World Learning, I have to ask - could you
> please be more specific about why you are so unhappy and what the
> details of your program were ?
SEE ABOVE
> What expenses did AID pay
MOST EXPENSES (although during my last two years of my PhD. program they decided unilaterally to reduce my insurance benefits thus forcing me to pay for dental check ups and new glasses)
> and where exactly did World Learning fail ?
EVERYWHERE! except perhaps in making a profit out of administering USAID monies.
>How long did your program last,
TOTAL: about 5 1/2 years (2 for my MSC and 31/2 for my Ph.D)
> and did you finish ?
YES
> On the surface, Mr. Wandenberg's message sounds like AID was paying
> for his Pd.D. - is this true ?
YES
> I know next to nothing about World Learning, so please support your
> charges with some substantive details / facts before asking the List
> Serve's readers to sympathize.
> Matt Parry
No sympathy requested. Thanks anyways.
Kind regards again, JCW