Working for a for-profit college. Yay or nay?

I have an interview to be an adjunct professor at the Art Institutes Minneapolis in film production. I can't seem to find a straight answer on whether they're shady or not, but that matters less to me than getting experience and I love talking about and teaching film. My issue is will a position at a place like that be looked down on? The mission statement and program of study sounds pretty much like the top school where I got my degree, and I'd take the students very seriously, I just was wondering if its a black mark in academia.

• I should add that I have plenty of real world experience, but want to teach as well. So part of my taking the job is the idea that it will give me some bona fides. If it won't I'm not sure its worth it.

• They're shady. It's a free country, and you are welcome to work for whomever you wish, but like most (if not all) for-profit colleges, Art Institutes are scum-sucking parasites.

  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/educating-sergeant-pantzke/

  The Voice of the Night

• They are very shady. I did some work for an interactive agency feeding online leads to them. They are ripping people off by pretending the degrees they award (ie sell) are worth anything. I don't think they reject any applicants. what does that tell you? It's sad because they prey on poorer people with few options, as long as they can get loans. So they get into debt for a worthless degree.

• I thought they were a gflorified trade school from their ads. You know, like med techs, culinary, and computers.

• OP do some damned research. You obviously have access to a computer. If you are younger and looking forward to establishing bona fides in a career you are developing, don't go there. It isn't something you'd want on your resume. If you want some thing to put on a resume, some highly reputable Community colleges have film programs hwere you might give instructions, or go work for an ad agency shooting commercials. That's how Jerry Bruckheimer started.

• [quote]They are ripping people off by pretending the degrees they award (ie sell) are worth anything. Here's what I don't get about that - I went to a top school and on the first day they told us that it is a tough to impossible industry. You make connections but YOU have to hustle. No film degree is technically worth anything in the way an accounting or teaching degree is. If I'm asked to paint a rosy picture I'm out of there. Honestly, though, I don't think its necessarily the school's fault if the students don't have the tiny bit of common sense to realize its a tough business. Many alumni complain finding work is tough. So do a lot of NYU grads. From what I've read a huge complaint is that the teachers suck and I feel I would put a lot into it. We'll see, if nothing else the money would be ok and I'll just keep it off my resume. And if there is a kid who shows promise I'll push them and tell them the truth.

• They're all unaccredited diploma mills that rip off both the government and students.

• Aside from being moral black holes, for-profit colleges are a far from any hall of academia. Most people who turn to such institutions care less about actual learning than finding a seemingly cheap shortcut to career advancement. If you're looking to really teach try to find a nearby community college.

• OP, why bother asking for advice since you're obviously going to ignore it? You've already made your decision so go with it. Or were you looking for approval?

• [quote]Here's what I don't get about that - I went to a top school and on the first day they told us that it is a tough to impossible industry. If you went to a 'top school' it says something about your capabilities. No college degree guarantees anything in terms of income upon graduation. These for-profit schools sell the false idea that their degrees will land you a lucrative job, or will be viewed as the equivalent of degrees from real universities. it's really fraudulent IMO.

• It's a decision that you will really have to think deeply about, but I'll offer my opinion later. While enrollment in for-profit colleges is down, it is those very schools that will likely admit more and more Americans who will need a practical solution to career advancement. Practical is not working 9-5, attending to a family, attending traditional classes from 6-9 at night, and finding time to study. That's questionably practical for someone to even attend a for-profit college. Which leads me to these little factoids: some for-profit colleges have been under fire for years for leaving students in mountains of debt, targeting service members, and having education standards that do not justify federal student loan aid. The Obama Administration and Democrats have really doubled down on for-profit colleges calling for them to raise their standards around the aforementioned problems or face being "cut off". Republicans, on the other hand, have other "interests" in for-profits and advocate for them in their platform. My personal opinion is: if you feel like you have something to really offer students and your aim is changing the current state of the for-profit industry, then you should go for it. If your intent is only to build your resume, do it with a for-profit college that has solid standing (admittedly there are few). I'm going to respectfully disagree with our fellow posters by saying that, outside of certain professions, simply displaying that you taught/attended a traditional university isn't going to really guarantee you much. Without incredible work experiences that stands out to employers and knowing the right people, you won't be competitive in this economy.

• Jesus christ okok i wont do it. I think i would get depressed and angry looking at kids paying that much without telling them all to go home.

• r11 did your college never teach you how to make paragraphs?

• In the cooking and design stuff at AI i get the idea that a student could go in with expectations of a job of some kind. But film - I still don't understand how someone can accuse a school of false promises of a job (in minnesota no less) without being derranged and irresponsible. How can someone not do a basic search and find "AI fraud". My school was brutally honest and tried to make you quit through overwork and general demoralization in the first semester. I applied to one school, all or nothing, got in and still deffered for a year to think it over and I REALLY wanted it. Now i'm tempted to go to the interview and see what the regulations are. If they want me i'd like to see what they're willing to bend. Hmmmm.

  OP