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Harper College

Harper College

www.harpercollege.edu
What is your customer experience with Harper College?

Harper College Overview

The aggregated data is based on reviews and questionnaires provided by PissedConsumer.com users.

  • Harper College has 1.1 star rating based on 7 customer reviews. Consumers are mostly dissatisfied.

  • Rating Distribution
  • Pros: Teachers, Close to home, It is nice location free parking and i can afford.
    Cons: Sterile and corporate, Athletics, Cold feeling unsupportibe to students.

  • Recent recommendations regarding this business are as follows: "Maybe try somewhre else", "If you are a taxpayer in district, complain because Harper went downhill".

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Li R Kck
map-marker Palatine, Illinois

Agree with you its gone downhill

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Original review updated Jan 21, 2024

I went here when I was youngout of HS and then more recent as an adult. English is secondlanguage.

I felt good here when I was teen but not as adult cuz I have more life under myself. It is not supported the way it used to be and it is cold and more like my job in a store than going to a school.

I got what I came for that is it. It is what I could afford.

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Pros:
  • It is nice location free parking and i can afford
Cons:
  • Cold feeling unsupportibe to students

Preferred solution: For it to be better like it was maybe could send my kids here

User's recommendation: Maybe try somewhre else

27 comments
Guest

Yes it’s a cold place for sure. Not what I was thinking.

Guest

I am a former employee. I live nearby and wanted a PT job so I worked here, briefly, I left asap cause it is a place filled with ignorance.

Do not come to work here if you are a minority. Period. And especially if you are a person who does not “look” like a minority, whatever the *** that means.

I felt like I was in the 1950s when I worked here, so much praise they give themselves for their “sensitivity” but wow I was knocked out by how stupid the admins and many staff and faculty are. It s a ***

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2696423

Me 2. Worked here in early 1990s.

Ignorant then, and from what I see, ignorant now. Especially HR.

What a clown car. Admissions .

Guest

I agree. My daughter was thinking of going here to knock off some gen ed classes before going to a pricier college.

When we visited Harper it felt off, sterile and cold. Bad vibes.

Employees seemed disconnected and students we spoke to were sad. My daughter couldn’t see herself here so we chose another path.

Guest

I was there for a semester. That’s more than enough for me.

It’s filled with insincere people who don’t give a damn. I am older than most students so maybe it’s designed for inexperienced youngsters. But, so much nonsense and ignorance about diversity and fake DEI garbage.

Let me add I am “a poc” and trans so not a Maggot type. Glad to be out of there.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2648210

Well, I am an Independent leaning left and I thought it sucked at HC.

Guest

I went there last year hated it.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2586959

Me too. It has really really really gone downhill.

Pretty buildings, and since I am neighbors with one of the secretaries I know there are now lots and lots of new, useless, expensive admins, but wow, no support for students the way they used to have (I went here in the early 200’s, stepped out to have my kids, and went back last year).

They really used to have something special here, no more. My teachers are okay, but not as good as what they had then too.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2609067

I used to work at HC as an adjunct (and I am a POC). A very hostile work environ if you are a POC or any minority.

They are VERY ignorant in spite of all the self praise they do about acceptance. They are also very ignorant about students.

But they are very good at praising themselves. I teach at a nearby CC that is decades ahead of HC in terms of instruction, inclusion, etc.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2586959

Me 2 dude!

Guest

Wow so many of you had my experience at this sucky place. What can I say it sucked the big one!

Guest

I went here awhile ago it was the *** worst. My car got scratched up in the parking lot!@

Guest

For what I paid to this college I felt it was not a good value at all. My son has mental health issues and the counselor he saw in spring 2024 was beyond terrible.

Imagine a counslor who does not offer counseling and that is what they do at Harper. Disability services was a mess, too.

Why do.we pay taxes to this place>>?? He is transfering to a better college =.

Guest

I worked here a long time ago in the 70’s. It was my first job.

It was great. We sent our son here to get his Gen Ed classes completed a couple years ago.

He loved the teachers but said the campus was a cold place. He left early to go to NIU and said it was so much better.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2500976

Useless admins is the main prob, not just the lazy *** unions. I work here now and m looking to get the *** out.

Guest

You are an articulate young man. I worked at HC part-time not that long ago….and agree with your observations.

I thought it was a place with great promise that functioned as a toxic cesspool. The adjunct union is useless, too.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2518378

I wonder if I knew you? I worked there in the late 70’s too.

My husband worked there in 2011.

I am sad thinking of how great a workplace it was and what a *** it became. I would not let my grandkids go there.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2518378

I worked here 2, in 1980’s. From everything I know now as my brother works there, it has become a toxic workplace, but yes it was a nice workplace once upon a time.

Guest

My son and I agreed he should go somewhere other than Harper. After spending one semester there, he experienced a lot of anti-semitism.

Lots of nonsense about diversity but no real commitment. He is now at a more expensive but far better College.

Guest

Wow I DNK that you could review a college here. I went to Harper and we moved away so I only went one semester.

It is ok, and teachers are better than average, but as a nonbinary biracial man I can say it is NOT inclusive. They try to make everything “diversity” and “inclusion” by talk about black and brown people that’s a big part of it but it is not the only part.

My stepdad and stepsister are black and my mom is Mexican I look white but I am not “non diverse”. Harper needs to get into the right century and stop trying to dumb diversity down.

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Mr Zow

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Verified Reviewer
| map-marker Palatine, Illinois

Transfer out of this place

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I went to Harper in the 90's and loved it. So much support and I was treated with respect and kindness.

My college aged child has disabilities and since we live in district I encouraged him to consider Harper for next year, so we did some digging and wow - what the heck happened to this place? It really went downhill. The disability services are awful - unprofessional, not at all up to date (or even comparable with our local high school). They have people called counselors who do not know how to counsel or seem to know or care about what they are doing.

It is cold and unwelcoming. We are paying more to send our kid out of district.

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User's recommendation: If you are a taxpayer in district, complain because Harper went downhill

22 comments
Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2456108

It’s worth making the complaint. Do it - we are tax payers, and we deserve better. the sad part of HC and Oakton etc is that the teachers are mostly great but everyone else needs to go - too much overage of bloated admins and DEI nonsense (and hey, I am a liberal - identity politics have done nothing but make higher ed stupid like the rest of our poor country).

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2455578

LOTS of ignorance at Harper, practically a petri dish of ignoramuses when it comes to diversity. Guess what?

I was a Black student.

The DEI stuff they push here is crapola. I would not come back but have to add that the teachers were mostly good, though,.

Guest

Harper College. Honesty....It's a ship of fools.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2434947

It is actually more like a cesspool. I was a student many years ago (early 2000's) and it was fantastic.

Could not have had a better experience.

More recently, I almost took a job there but turned it down. The place if filled with phonies and hypocrites.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2434947

I worked here for a few months, left for a better job. So much nonsense, political immaturity, infighting, like 5th grade.

I just wanted to do my job and come home to ,my kids.

Very happy at current job. It is a ship of fools, well said, very true.

Guest

I still go here and am kind of aware of some of the stuff being posted. Clubs really suck, and yes a lot of ignorance, but I like my program and teachers are fine. I am going to graduate next year!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2430850

I am also a student. I like a lot of things about Harper but it is nowhere near as good for students as the community college my brother goes to in NY.

The people are not as friendly here and it is not the kind of place you feel welcomed.

A very cold place except for the teachers. I am going to transfer out of here.

Guest

It's not just bad for students. I used to work at Harper College many many years ago.

I lasted just a few months, as I absolutely hated it. It is a place crawling with useless overpaid administrators. Human Resources is useless esp the idiot benefits officer. No one cares about employees or students.

And overall it is very racist and sexist.

The supervisor for my Dept was incompetent and awful. I wound up getting a much better job only a few miles away.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2455578

Hi there! Complain to the ICCB - Illinois Community College Board.

They oversee community colleges in Illinois. You can find a link on the web (I used to work at Oakton :)

Guest

We would like to complain. Who to?

We live in Arlington His and thought Harper would be a good local place for our kids. It's true that many teachers are very good but else the place is a *** show.

A lot of wasted tax dollars on admins, staff, fake DEI (my light skinned, gay, biracial son attended and let me tell you it is NOT a good place to be - assumptions that "white" = bad and of course not everyone who looks "white" is "white" but this is a place where assumptions and stereotypes abound.. We did a lot of checking in to why my son wanted to transfer after his first semester and once we visited a few times my wife and I supported his transfer to UIC completely once we saw how fake a place it is.

Guest

Mr. Zoew.

You are right.

On brother yaas. Right now!

Guest

I went there too, in 2008 and it was fabulous. teachers, student care, etc.

even a place for coffee that was better than Starcubls. We live in Schaumburg.

My daughter just left there (transferred to COD cuz she works in DuPage) she hated Harper so much and could not wait to get out of there. VERY much it went downhill and I can only imagine the mismanagement that led to the cuts in the students supports but made for all of the fancy buildings and crap that no one needs.

Guest

My son liked Harper and did well here. Just as you say tho disability care here was really bad.

My daughter tried Harper out. She has a learning disability She saw the worst person EVER in disability services maybe 4 years ago? I think her name was Pascualah? She knew very little and was arrogant, terrible listener too.

My husband is a neurologist and I am an LD educator so we were displeasured to say the least about the lack of knowledge at Harper. She wound up enrolled at a different college that was so much better.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2525216

Disability services at Harper are a disaster. I am an RN with a son on the spectrum, and ADS did not handle his care professionally at all. May I add….his teachers were fine and campus was beautiful but we are glad he is no longer at Harper.

Guest

It is so refreshing to read your comment, lol I thought HC was IGNorANT esp counselors and ADS. I went in fall ’23 and transferred OUT this spring even tho I live walkable to it I am so much happier at COD which is near my work so I can still get in district ruition.

Guest

I saw this lady counslor, kind of older blonde lady last fall at Harper cuz I had some personal stuff to figure out. She was so unhelppful and didnot know what she was doing It made me feel so much worse. I am now trying to get to go to COD I heard its better and they have better people there.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2506604

OMG I feel u. At Harper went to see the worst counselir ever last semester.

Like total incompetent. Terrible listener. Not a blonde but a black lady.

Whoa she sucked. Got into a real therapist now I get what U R say in

Guest

I once worked there in Phys Plant. It was a toxic workplace, poortly run. The admins were a joke then who knows now.

Guest

Right you are! ICCB is a good way to go.

I know Harper. I worked as a receptionist at Harper for a Dean a few years back - and let me tell you Harper was a terrible workplace, worst in my career -mainly cuz the secretaries were meanspirited gossips always yapping about their hate for the teachers - *** and weird place.

HR at Harper is a joke, they don’t care about or like employees - esp the awful benefits manager lady - and I could not wait to get away. I work for a Fortune 500 now and it is night and day, love love my job!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2456166

I was a CE instructor years ago when RB was President and he took the place downhill then my partner works at the gym when KE was President and his incompetence killed the place off for good. We live out of district now and glad we are not paying taxes to this ***

View more comments (21)
TJ Fii
map-marker Palatine, Illinois

INCOMPETENT ADMINISTRATION

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The "Promise Program" is bogus. It's really for able-bodied white christian kids.

What a load of discriminatory crap. Ken Ender was by far the worst president this college has ever had - he is great for taking photo opps but that is the extent of his ability.

I am a taxpaying citizen in Schaumburg. I thought I would send my kids here but no way - I want my money back.

View full review
Loss:
$1200
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

15 comments
Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1758221

Did not expect to see my old school reviewed here - went on to see about buying a new fridge lol but hey thank you for speaking up. For me, I went just a little while ago and found Harper to be diverse with students and man do they praise themselves for everything but they are also ignoramuses of diversity.

There is lots of backward thinking and so much ignorance. Everything is about “black and brown” versus “white”. Everything is christian. Silly way to think and outmoded and unhelpful for us students does not teach us anything.

I transferred out of there and went to a place where they get that diversity is about human beings and as a trans biracial person who looks “white” but is not thank goodness i am finally at a more welcoming place. Grow the *** up, Harper.

Guest

My kid is in this program. It is true that this College is for white Christian kids.

It is not a place friendly to diversity excepting for the teachers who save the place and make it worthwhile for my son. Someone needs to teach whoever runs this place that diversity can be invisible. It can be religious. It can be ethnic.

Etc. etc.

Don’t impose paternalism on my son. Even he knows better= and lol he is just a kid.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1758221

It’s a mess.

Guest

My son had a bad experience with Proimise program too. Mr.

Ender does not care about high school students and $ college. It was not nice.

Guest

I too have a bad taste in my mouth from Harper College. Sam a former employee.

They treat employees like *** The administration is Ttoxic. I was very glad to get away from Harper.

I pay taxes lik eyou and see how they waist tax dollars like from honest people like us. I am a pissed consumer and a pissed former employee (I left their by the way and was not fried)

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1719022

Glad you were not fried

Guest

Harper is not a good place for Muslim students.

Guest

I had a mixed experience of Harper. It was great about ten years ago when I was a student.

I enjoyed it. I got married and needed parttime work so later I began to work at Harper. Whoa it changed and once great became mediocre. I saw firsthand they hire the worst people as managers and admins.

Absolute worst, nastiest people and all are white coincident?. I saw discrimination everywhere and deans laughing at faculty and students behind theyre backs. Awful awful awful. I am a pissed consumer as I pay tax dollars to this place.

No oversite here.

Someone needs to investigate thi splace. I was so glad to leave.

Guest

I just graduated. Could not wait to get the Fxxxx out of this mess.

Except my teachers who were good. THis is a very poorly run place.

Zach T Uav

I went to Harper in the 1980’s. I loved it.

My son graduated a few years ago and yes it has gone downhill. The President has really dumbed down the College. It’s a shame that we’re in a downward trend in higher ed. Administrators seem to confuse colleges with corporations.

The whole “AOI” thing is beyond stupid.

My son’s advisor was useless (and, I am sure, way overpaid) and gave him misinformation about business majors. Harper needs to hire some competent presidents - Ender and Breuer did not know what they were doing.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Zach T Uav

Could not agree more about how the AOI is a way to dumb students down. Hey, we're not that dumb! Give us a Fxxx chance!

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1713416

Fix yeag! 5hyjo!

Guest

You are right, this college used to be something special but it is run by incompetents right now. I used to work here (computers) so I should know.

Ender took something really special....and ran it right into the ground. I hope you get your $ back.

A new president is coming. I hope they gut the current administration and start putting people in who know something about higher ed.

Guest

I agree this college used to be a whole lot better than it is now. Illinois higher ed has really gone downhill. My daughter is going to go to Iowa State when she graduates just because of how far we’ve fallen in Illinois.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1686256

I came here and left after opne semester. It sucked - campus is high schoolish and my ENG teacher was confusing.

Math teacher was worse. You can do better at Oakton college

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Dontwant y
map-marker Palatine, Illinois

Used to be great now less than mediocre

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Harper was a wonderful place when I went there in the 90's. My daughter went there for a semester last year and wow has this place changed and yes for the worse.

It used to be warm and friendly. Now it is corporate and cold. Stupid marketing all over the place. Food costs more than my alma mater in California.

What gives, Harper?

Whoever is running this place forgot that community colleges are intended for the community - not some corporate waste of taxpayer dollars. My daughter is now at Elgin community college and so much happier.

Also thank you for this website - it is nice to have a place to share experiences.

View full review
Cons:
  • Sterile and corporate
Reason of review:
Bad quality
Eduardo Zgm
map-marker Palatine, Illinois

Promise program is a hoax

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You can't get in to the Promise Program is you are undocumented. It doesn't matter if you are DACA with a 4.0. That is BS.

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Reason of review:
Not as described/ advertised

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

4 comments
Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1768107

My daughter recently graduated Harper and sad to say the new president is also a bloated burp rat. She is happy at her transfer school, in Chicago, but no thanks to the useless advice from her advisor, and the incompetent counseling faculty man she saw.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-2414163

Burp away!! Sometimes you feel better afterwards.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1768107

Burp rat oil!!!

Guest

I used to go to Harper. I live and work in district now and have a 14 year old who will be in college in a few years from now.

I agree with what you wrote. I follow stuff at Harper because my kid might go there one day plus my neighbor works PT there. So I know there is a lot of lip service about diversity at Harper. It is BS.

The Old President Ender is your typical bloated burp rat. He used to talk a good game but was another politician type.

He was not credible. There is a new president lets hope she is better could not be worse.

View more comments (3)
KN Rmw
map-marker Palatine, Illinois

Harper College fell apart

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This has become a joke of a college. Disability service, athletics, the registrar and many at Harper is a total mess.

No one cares but maybe the teachers. I want my $$$$ back!

View full review
Pros:
  • Teachers
Cons:
  • Athletics
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

8 comments
Guest

Also had a very bad experience here with Financial Aid and the Bookstore. This is not a good school to go to if you are a Veteran. They don’t get how to work with us.

Guest

I liked it when I was a student but not to work. I was a secretary there for awhile, part time.

Let me tell you the dept I worked in was crazy. Nice doctor, nurses and others just awful. One of the secretaries was mean and said and did things that were unchristian to say the least.

Threatening and awful *** I was afraid of her. HR knew and did nothing for anyone, I was glad to get the heck outta that ***

Guest

It's become a really *** workplace, too. HR looks the other way and is not interested in employees.

Administration is out of touch.

No one here is happy. I left a few months ago and work at another college where it is much better.

Guest

I think the Registrar and One Stop area are bad too. They are not organized.

Guest

They should give the athletes their moneys back. This place sux.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1710484

the food service is awful here too. i had a complant and they pretty much oftnoed me. I am a veteran too.

Guest

Harper has fallen apart. The Board of Trustees are so out of touch with reality (and, with students), that they gave Ken Ender $45,000 as a bonus before his retirement.

Ender was incompetent leadership at its best. It is shocking that these things are happening in Higher Education.

I am appalled. I believe the quality of education is good, but will not send my children to Harper.

Guest
reply icon Replying to comment of Guest-1709136

Sad but true.

View more comments (7)
JV Vlm
map-marker Palatine, Illinois

Duping people

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My mom and dad wanted me to go to harper on promise. Thank gd I got into another college and will go there instead.

Promise is a good idea but the guy at harper who runs it is clueless. Harper not impressed at all.

View full review
Pros:
  • Teachers
  • Close to home
Cons:
  • Poorly run
  • Sterile and corporate
Reason of review:
Bad quality

Preferred solution: Let the company propose a solution

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