academic advisor

admission representative

financial aid advisor

manager

support specialist

American Public University System

My particular department was undergoing leadership and program changes when I was brought on, but everyone was fantastic, supportive, and flexible. This is not the story I hear from other departments, however, and it leads me to believe that I got lucky.

The work is relatively flexible, sometimes fun, but largely unfulfilling.

I've always been an educator at heart, and I love the idea and culture of education; and, although I had a relatively good experience, got good performance scores, and even a raise, I'll be the first to admit that this is essentially a diploma mill. Now, we do try hard to make the courses challenging and relevant, but there's no denying that the scales are tilted in the students' favor, leaving us just hoping that a decent curriculum has some positive effect.

I tried my best to grade fairly and teach with some depth, but the rubrics favor effort over competence, and the grade weights favor discussions over assignments. Unfortunately, this meant many more students earning grades that are not representative of their work. Frankly, for the most part, you'd have to try really hard to fail a course in my department.

However, it's the monotony and unpredictable workloads that ultimately killed me. You won't know how many students you have in a class until you accept your task, and the amount of repetition (from instructions to feedback) is unnerving. Some terms, it's just like groundhogs day, living the same day over and over.

I did connect with some students, and I appreciated the maturity of many of my older students, which was refreshing coming from larger institutions that cater mostly to recent high-school graduates. However, there was a level of entitlement, even from some of the older ones, when I wouldn't let plagiarism, bad formatting, and other issues fly. I'm sad to say I've had to make some concessions, although always in exchange for teachable moments.

If you're principled and looking for a way to make real impact, this may not be for you. If you're looking for a flexible, remote position that may help your resume, it's not too bad.

Great for flexible schedules and self-driven people. Improvements could be made with communication and collaboration and being more inclusive with educators in decision-making. There was no opportunity for advancement or pay raise in the 14 years I taught at APU unless I advanced my degree. For that reason, I pursued my EDD in curriculum and instruction and finish my coursework December 2017 with a Capstone project to complete by Fall of 2018. I attended conferences and met some colleagues which helped connect me with the university. For those who don't participate in such opportunities, the university can be a very isolating place to work where support comes in the form of observations that focus on meeting criteria more than encouraging professoinals to exercise their expertise and professional will. I was at APU for a long time, saw a change in management, and wanted to improve the management for people like myself, so my goal was to manage those who have the job I know so well, knowing the type of support I needed. Effective managers are those who manage people they can truly relate to because they have experience doing their job. I appreciated my time at APU, the flexibility, and the experience I gained creating and revising courses and working with adjuncts to engage in process of continual improvement. I appreciate the opportunity I had to gain valuable experience in online higher education.

If you have any life/family issues that require your attention, there is a difference between  what is said and what they actually want. Anything less than your full attention and you needed to be mindful of who may be reporting anything you say or do to management. It used to not be like this, but within the last year, the change in culture and job security left many people on edge. 

Workplace culture when I was there was departmentally territorial from management. You needed to get to know individual people within different departments and cultivate a positive relationship that was a two-way street to often get the information you were being asked to provide to your management. Good people skills and sincerity in on-going networking within departments a necessity.

Hardest part of job: lack of true cooperation and teamwork within different departments who had the same goals.

Most enjoyable part of job: as someone who is a team driven person, it was great to work with others who felt the same way. We had our workplace fun so there was a collective chance to laugh at ourselves

What is the best part of working at the company?
Big company so it is easy to find like minded people to bond with.
The pay is slightly above Industry standard.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
No solid Direction, poor training, bad communication. Bosses are often not top tier and will throw you in the line of fire for their lack of support. 
To many high salary management positions not enough workforce positions. Rolls are constantly changing to add more responsibilities with no additional pay.
Every time tension plays a roll you are reminded that the economy is fragile right now.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
All departments are different but my department has the look of a good functioning team but that is because we are all bonded by the feeling of being trapped and just trying to get by long enough to get promoted in to better departments 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Stress and Anxiety to start. Trying not to be noticed through the afternoon and finishing it up with the gratification that you made it through another day

I was a student while attending American Public University, meaning that I cannot truly rate the work experience of this college. However, I do feel that this university offers high quality education for a lower cost than most brick and mortar colleges. Due to pursuing an Associate's degree, my courses were eight weeks in length. I found the material presented to me in my courses to be challenging and relevant to further understanding concepts being taught in the classroom. The professors actively participated in the classroom and would engage with students on discussions in the chat room and discussion forums. Despite being an online student, I felt a sense of comradery amongst my peers due to having the ability to private message them via the school website and to engage in conversations in the discussion forums. Overall, I feel that this university has a lot to offer for those that can self-motivate themselves and desire to learn.

A typical day at American Public University System involves engaging with students, collaborating with faculty or support staff, and ensuring academic goals are met efficiently. Whether you're in academics, student support, or administration, your work contributes to helping students succeed in their educational journey. I’ve learned a great deal about online education, digital tools, and effective communication in a virtual academic environment. Management is approachable and encourages innovation while maintaining clear expectations. The workplace culture is inclusive, mission-driven, and focused on continuous improvement. The hardest part of the job is managing workloads during peak academic seasons, but the work is highly rewarding. The most enjoyable part is seeing students thrive and being part of a team that values education and service.

I have been fortunate to work at APUS and, honestly, it has been one of the most transformative experiences of my professional life. It's an Innovative Atmosphere, creativity isn't just encouraged—it's a way of life. The company is continuously pushing the envelope, and as an employee, you're right there on the front lines, contributing to its pioneering initiatives.

Leadership is very supportive all the time. I've never worked somewhere where camaraderie and teamwork were so palpable. Everyone, from entry-level staff to upper management, is accessible, helpful, and genuinely interested in seeing you succeed.

There is an expectation for continuous growth and APUS promotes a culture of lifelong learning. Regular training sessions, workshops, and even opportunities for further education are commonplace, ensuring that you're always growing and enhancing your skillset.

Impressive campus in Charles Town, WV and a mixed bag of departments and a diverse population of employee's.  It looks pretty but on the inside it's not such. Bad experience with inexperienced managers who have less education than the employee's and are probably lucky they have a job.  Nepotism and favoritism are rampant.  There are mixed reactions from employee's about working there depending on who you talk to.  It's impressive when you walk in and there are amenities to work/life such as telecommuting from home and free coffee in the break room.  Aside from this, you are constantly watched and monitored by staff.  You get the inside look of what kind of online university it is and it is all about making a profit.  

Aside from that, if you have no soul then you will enjoy working there for the man.

The University environment has changed over the last few months and not for the better. They have hired new upper management that do not care about the employees or the employee moral. Their only concern now is the bottom dollar and employees are expendable. You were hired for a Monday through Friday job and now are told you will work Monday through Wednesday and every weekend. If you have previous commitments they do not care. If you hope to ever have a family life or go to church this is not the job for you. When upper Management says they know people will leave and they don't care. They expect to come first and don't care if you ever see your kids or what you loose out on. These changes don't affect them, they will continue to work their Monday through Friday shift.  Be careful if you choose to work here. They make it sound great until you are in the door and then it all changes.

In the Student Support Dept there has been very poor leadership and VERY high turnover. VERY disorganized with issues/problems being ignored or dealt with a "band aid" instead of addressing the actual problem. Representatives and Team Managers both have left for lower paying positions in other departments as well as outside of the company. Management will say nice words to try to placate with saying they are just in a transition period, tell reps they are appreciated give the classic " HI-5 and pizza party" in order to not have to deal and try to solve the problems that lead to turnover.  

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Academic advisor 8 salaries reported	$46,888 per year
Admission representative 8 salaries reported	$41,753 per year
Financial aid advisor 3 salaries reported	$39,667 per year
Manager 3 salaries reported	$55,333 per year
Support specialist 3 salaries reported	$35,667 per year

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