Pittsburgh Technical College

"This school has just sent out a mass email to all their former students asking them for help because the school is in such bad shape financially (and apparently reputation wise as well). I had no idea about this situation until I got this email signed by the current president of the school Alicia B. Harvey-Smith. This email mentions not to believe "things being said on the news" about her. Again, I had no idea about any of this bad press until this bizarre mass letter (talk about a backfire?) which made me go look up this news: Apparently there was a whistle blower report in the last year or so about how Alicia B. Harvey-Smith acts like a dictator and is using the schools funds as her own piggy bank, as well as awarding contracts to companies who have donated to the school directly. She used school funds to help publish her own book (then turned around and donated the proceeds to the school after it came to light - aka she was caught), as well as allegedly used a bunch of money from the school spent on her office renovations. A vast majority of the board also resigned right around the time this report became public. Below is some links to the different news reports I have found, including more recent reports of their financial troubles: Edit: Google will apparently not allow URLs in reviews. Simply Google: PTC WPXI Whistleblower This is extremely sad to see. I attended this school in the early 2000's for a nursing program when it was still known as PTI (Pittsburgh Technical Institute). This organization was great back then, and was known for cutting out all the fluff / useless classes you get in a 4 year/university school by giving you a fast and intense education focused directly on skills needed in your career. It looks like the shift to a more traditional "college" was disastrous for this organization. This school has been around for 70+ years, and is now in shambles a few short years after the current president took over. I do not regret my time at this school WHEN IT WAS P.T.I (which is why I am giving it a two star review instead of 1 star). But I am not sure how I could recommend this organization to anyone now in its modern form."

"I am a current Student in the Culinary Arts Associates degree program, and the school is terrible, for starters our staff doesn't care about us as long as they are paid. Second, our "President" is also fake as all comes, she tries her best to make the allegations against her like sunshine and rainbows. We all know and you all don't have to hide your facts. We all know about not having electricity because YOU didn't pay the bill. But really I would rather eat a box of nails and be buried underneath the soil, before I trust any staff member that's not my chef's or the cafe staff. The nice part is the cafe staff are beautiful bubbly people and make the day to look forward to. I suppose what's also nice is we are in a woods area and so it's I suppose safer."

"Despite recent allegations, I couldn't be happier with my experience at this small college! The genuine warmth and dedication of every staff member, from professors to janitors and the Café Staff, is truly remarkable. The intimate campus size fosters meaningful interactions with professors, promoting a personalized learning environment. Additionally, the abundance of work study options and extracurricular involvement opportunities make this school a standout choice for anyone seeking a well-rounded Education."

"Strongly discourage any veterans from using your benefits here. My instructors were great, however every other aspect of school staff is mediocre. Career advisors have routinely done me a disservice and now I'm in a position where my internship has giving me no skills and I'll likely be left out to dry again. As a disabled veteran I'm appalled by the treatment I've received from this school. NOT VETERAN FRIENDLY."

"Great college, it is a beautiful campus on the outskirts of Pittsburgh in the country, 10 min drive to from the stores.. my son really liked the smaller classroom settings also!"