Complaints

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  Blackstone Career Institute

  1011 Brookside Rd Ste 300 Allentown, PA 18106-9042

  
• 

  Blackstone Career Institute

  PO Box 3717 Allentown, PA 18106-0717

  

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/10/2024

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  11-27-23

  Greetings, my name is ********* ****** ***. I am incarcerated at ****** C.C.  My inmate # is ******. I am writing in regards to a business contract I agreed to with Blackstone Career Institute Possibly being breached.  The Blackstone Career Institute is requesting me to re agree to "Retest Policy" which didn't exist in the 1st policy we agreed to. 

  I've notified the Blackstone Career Institute on that I'd like to be held under.  The contractual policy we agreed to or I'd like a full refund I have not heard from the Institute since I've wrote them.  I've attached some documentary proof to help motivate your office to assistance me in handling this endeavor.  

  Please notify me as soon as possible in regards of handling this situation.  Thank you for your time, effort, and energy.

  Sincerely,

  Further Info;

  - I enrolled with Blackstone Career Institute in 2020

  - When I enrolled the criteria did not envolve a "Final Exam,"  that included a proctor. 

  - I never agreed to new terms.

  - I am in the process of retrieving my initial and only contract with the Blackstone Institute, in which I will provide your establishment with if needed.  

  Business Response

  Date: 01/24/2024

  January 24, 2024
  
  RE: Complaint – ********* ** ****** **. ******  
  
  Dear ******* *****,
  
  This letter is in response to the
  complaint filed by *** ****** on November 27, 2023, regarding his
  dissatisfaction with the required final examination policy for students
  incarcerated in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities.
  
  *** ******, a student
  incarcerated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, enrolled in Blackstone
  Career Institute’s (BCI) Legal Assistant/Paralegal program in March 2021
  (EXHIBIT 1). On April 11, 2022, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)
  directed BCI to require a final proctored examination for all IDOC students
  enrolled in the Legal Assistant/Paralegal program to meet their requirements
  for correspondence programs, effective immediately.
  
  EXHIBIT 2 is a memo dispersed to
  all Illinois correctional facilities confirming this directive. This memo was
  provided by the Office of Adult Education and Vocational Services of the
  Illinois Department of Corrections. To graduate, IDOC students must pass the
  final examination with a score of 70% or above. Two attempts on the final
  examination are provided. The final examination is not factored into the
  student’s overall grade but is considered a pass/fail requirement to graduate
  and receive their certificate.
  
  Notice of this newly implemented
  policy was mailed to Blackstone’s active IDOC students, including *** ****** on
  April 11, 2022 (EXHIBIT 3). This policy and notice were drafted and approved by
  the IDOC. At that time, *** ****** had not yet completed all his coursework, so
  he was required to abide by the IDOC policy and take the proctored examination.
  On this same date, we included this updated policy information in the catalog
  which complies with 22 Pa. Code § 73.61 (a) (10). In addition, the prospective
  student information packet was updated with the same statement. This packet is
  mailed to all incarcerated persons requesting enrollment information.
  
  According to our records, *** ****** contacted BCI by mail in March 2023, after the notice was sent, inquiring about
  the final examination procedure and proctors, which demonstrates that *** ******
  was aware of the new policy.

  In
  February 2023, we confirmed that *** ****** met the academic criteria to
  receive the final examination. A transcript showing the student’s grades is
  enclosed as EXHIBIT 4. On May 19th, 2023, we sent his final exam to
  the facility for proctor administration. The proctor’s directions state that
  students can use their course materials for reference and have up to 3 hours to
  complete the 40-question examination.
  
  The final examination was returned to Blackstone and graded on August
  3, 2023. *** ****** did not receive the minimum 70% passing grade.
  Correspondence was sent to *** ****** on that date to provide his results and
  retest information and further instructions to retest
  (EXHIBIT 5). We did not receive additional correspondence from *** ******, as
  such, the retest was not mailed.
  
  BCI maintains that the institution is not in breach of contract as
  the enrollment agreement states: “Educational requirements and regulations governing employment vary from
  state to state. It is the responsibility of each student to determine whether
  the BCI Program selected meets those educational requirements within his/her
  resident state” (EXHIBIT 1). The educational requirement of a proctored final
  examination was determined by the state of Illinois’ Department of Corrections.
  
  It is Blackstone Career Institute’s goal for our
  students to successfully complete the course and receive their certificate,
  however, BCI must follow all state DOC policies and regulations to deliver
  educational programs to incarcerated students. Our coordinated efforts with the
  IDOC have been effective as the final examination currently has an eighty-five
  (85) percent pass rate. To date, four hundred sixty-two (462) students in the
  IDOC have taken the final examination. Of those students, three hundred ninety-one
  (391) students passed, with three hundred and eighteen (318) of those students
  passing on their first attempt. Seventy-three (73) students passed the
  examination retest. The current average passing score is approximately eighty-seven
  and a half percent (87.5).
  
  We also wish to clarify that the policy mentioned in *** ******’s
  complaint regarding the final exam is an Illinois Department of Corrections
  policy that aligns with their education good time credits. Blackstone Career
  Institute does not provide, nor guarantee, that any student will be eligible
  for such credit. The IDOC determined that all Blackstone Legal
  Assistant/Paralegal program students must complete the final examination
  requirement, regardless of their eligibility for sentence credit.
  
  The additional supporting documentation is enclosed:
  EXHIBIT 1 - Enrollment Agreement for *** ******
  EXHIBIT 2 – IDOC memo explaining final examination policy for BCI
  students
  EXHIBIT 3 – Blackstone
  communication to IDOC students of policy implementation
  EXHIBIT 4 – Transcript
  EXHIBIT 5 – Failed test letter
  
  Sincerely,
  ***** ** *********
  President