class issues

Woman Sues Her College Because She Can’t Find a Job

This is what career services at a good school looks like.

This weekend the Times “Styles” section profiled a number of middle-aged transitioners who were getting back into the workforce via their college alumni networks. “It’s all free,” one said happily of the services at Syracuse. Not everyone is so pleased with their alma mater’s level of support. Earlier today, a 27-year-old New York City woman named Trina Thompson filed suit against Monroe in the Bronx, claiming the school didn’t help her find a job and demanding her $70,000 in tuition back.

Thompson says she’s been unable to find gainful employment since she received her information technology degree in April. She says the Bronx school’s Office of Career Advancement hasn’t provided her with the leads and career advice it promises.


On the one hand, this is ridiculous: This lady graduated in April, and there’s a freaking recession. On the other hand, fair enough. Monroe touts its “career-oriented” focus all over its website (“resource is our middle name”), so maybe they should offer a your-money-back guarantee to dissatisfied customers. In fact, maybe all lower-tier colleges should consider having students sign a fine-print contract during orientation, since they’re the schools who tend to overpromise on the employment front by marketing themselves as job supermarkets. For instance, now that we think about it, the only thing the decidedly preprofessional Temple University did for Intel Jessica was score her an interview or two with people who registered visible disappointment that she was not black nor any good at basketball. Maybe she’ll sue them. Just as soon as she finishes suing her high-school pot dealer and her bad attitude.

Unemployed Woman Sues College For Tuition [AP via HuffPo]
Alumni Use Old School Ties to Find Work [NYT]

This weekend the Times “Styles” section profiled a number of middle-aged transitioners who were getting back into the workforce via their college alumni networks. “It’s all free,” one said happily of the services at Syracuse. Not everyone is so pleased with their alma mater’s level of support. Earlier today, a 27-year-old New York City woman named Trina Thompson filed suit against Monroe in the Bronx, claiming the school didn’t help her find a job and demanding her $70,000 in tuition back.

Woman Sues Her College Because She Can’t Find a Job