Do ya’ll remember my last blog topic? I was talking about finally getting to a point in my life where I knew exactly where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to do. Do you remember how excited I was to start developing my theory and being able to apply it this fall? Well, that rug has just been pulled out from under me. Well, maybe that’s a little extreme, maybe what I should call it is a detour. Yea, let’s call it a detour because I’m not stopping and I’m not staying down! You see I am a former Argosy Student and in case you haven’t heard Argosy University closed, and not only did they close but they closed immediately with minimal warning and after they were paid for Spring semester. Yes, they were paid for the spring semester, but they closed before spring semester ended. I know I keep repeating that same term, but you know what I’m still in disbelief. Like how the hell does a college CLOSE???? With being a former student of the clinical mental health and counseling program, I recognized that I am going through a griefing process, and I see other Argosy students doing the same. When we first heard the rumors that Argosy could be in trouble, we responded with shock, disbelief and even denial. I remember the first time I said ‘you know they could actually close if the judge does not recognize the school’s needs.’ And several classmates replied with ‘no that would never happen. I mean they wouldn’t let that happen. Surely they would take the students into consideration.’
And then it happened… My school closed.
And I immediately jumped to anger. How dare they do this to us when we have done everything that has been asked of us. How does this make me feel? Violated, cheated, angry, vulnerable, sad and then that brings me back to anger. It’s been hard. I go through the thought process of I did what was asked of me, I completed my work, I attended my class, I kept my grades up, and I paid them. I kept up my end of the bargain. They, however, did not. And when I say “They” I’m not talking about the faculty or the staff, I’m talking about the owners. Owners who I now realized never cared about me and my calling to be a counselor, or my path, or my dreams. Only the staff and faculty cared about us. Our professors were amazing; they were not the run of the mill professors. They were seasoned and knowledgeable. They didn’t just teach from a book; they also taught from their experience. Last year several of our professors in the clinical and mental health program received awards from the CACREP, CSI and the APA. They were wonderful mentors, and they were instrumental in my own personal growth, and for that I am grateful.
After the anger, I moved to depression and a feeling of loneliness. The reason is that we (the students) have felt as if we are all alone in this mess, and there is no one coming to help us. Since the closing of Argosy, I have spent the majority of my days on the phone with numerous organizations that I am a member of, such as the American Psychological Associate (APA), Counsel for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Program (CACREP), and Licensed Professional Counselors Association (LPCSA); I also contacted the Board of Regents and the Secretary of State Office trying to find out what our options were and what they were going to do to help us out. Now since I’m members of each of these professional groups, I’m not going to oust who was more helpful than others, but I have to admit I was disappointed in a group that I really expected more out of. In fact, when speaking with one of the directors, I actually said “We’ve been trained to advocate for others, and we have been doing that with various groups and organizations. So, tell me who is going to advocate for us?” Needless to say, the line went silent, and I was finally told “Ms. Rhyne, I’m sure this will all work out with time.” In my mind, I was screaming “I DON’T HAVE TIME!! I START MY INTERNSHIP THIS FALL!!!!” And that is all I’m going to say about that. This was when I was felling the most isolated. I realized we were on our own and no one was going to come to rescue us.
And then the reconstruction stage. This stage makes me feel better. Any time I am in a situation that seems overwhelming I end up needing to create a plan to fix the problem. Writing and checking off list calm me, I love to check off a list. And right now, that’s where I am, in the reconstruction stage, making a plan and considering my options and my next step. I am telling myself that this may be for the best I may end up at a better school, but that is hard to accept because I Loved Argosy. I loved my professors and my academic advisor and the Director of the mental health program. I was surrounded by a diverse group of intelligent, knowledgeable people who challenged me, and I was learning, and I was growing. So, to have it taken away from me has been painful and frustrating.
The final stage is acceptance. I’m not in the acceptance part yet, I know I’m not. It may be a while before I get there. I’m still angry and frustrated, and I’m still in the reconstruction stage. However, you know what I have gained out of this ordeal? Do you remember in my last blog when I talked about envying the bloggers who could blog during a painful and frustrating time? Well, I’m doing that. I’m blogging during one of the most challenging times in my life. It would be easy to give up and quit, but that’s not something I can do.
I’m still dealing with My school closing. I’m really not sure to do with my free time, besides looking for other schools. But on Tuesday evenings I’m sitting at home wishing I was in class sharing with my classmates and my professors. Do you have any idea how it feels to make a plan and create a timeline and arrange your time, your life and your family’s life, just to have the rug pulled out from under you? Well, let me just tell you it is the worst feeling in the world. I had it all planned out. I was going to take my last two core courses this spring, and then take my National Counseling Exam this summer and start my internship this fall. But guess what? It’s not going to happen now. Because they Closed. Argosy University CLOSED. How does this even happen you ask? Because the owners of Argosy were unable to manage the finances properly. Because of that thousands of students did not receive their stipends which equals more than 9 million for just the spring semester, and the Department of Education has not approved a loan forgiven for the students. Which means we pay twice for classes we have already taken. We have also spent the last several weeks searching for another school that will take the majority of our credits and allows us to start this summer, so we don’t lose our stride.
And to be honest, I’m somewhat embarrassed. I wonder did I miss something? I mean when I was researching schools for my counseling degree, I wasn’t looking at their financial plan, I was looking at the instructors, the location, the class availability, if were they CACREP accredited and then the recommendations. Argosy was recommended to me by 10 different alumni from Psy.Ds to counselors. Their program was top notched their faculty and staff outstanding. But still, They Closed. My School is Closed…..
Lei Rhyne, LPC, NCC, CHt 