Northcentral University : Northcentral University Reviews
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 27, 2012
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Ambibalent
I attended NCU in previous years for a few classes then re-enrolled a couple years ago. It is a good place to get the paper you want, but you will teach yourselves.
My biggest issue is how they make consistent changes during the same school year...(programs, financial increase, mentors...instructors) and pretend it is all for the benefit of students. This I do not believe.
Frankly I believe those in charge only care about the money. The mentors basically correct your papers and do the best they can, but it appears that they pretty much come and go also because of dissatisfaction. Tuition went from about $1300 to over $2300 in a few years,(doctorate) claiming that all costs are now inclusive. (Joke). In the end, you still have to pay a graduation fee. Some students who came in in prior years, due to administrative changes could not finish on time, and were NOT grandfathered in under the old rules. Well, the school made plenty of money from them and the student had no final degree.
The staff at NCU will back up anything or any choices that are made. They must to keep their jobs. I DO NOT THINK it is a good school, ethically or otherwise.Once you get into it, it is too costly to transfer elsewhere.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on August 30, 2011
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For-Profit is NOT student friendly
Folks,
This is a for-profit university. The economic incentives grossly retard HOW the education is pushed to you, the low, sub-par quality of student-peers and professors, and any agreement you make will be stacked against you. Sure, you may get through a for-profit program with little fuss, but if you find yourself unhappy, you WILL BE stuck.
So after high pressure sales tactics, I finally get my "Enrollment Agreement" that they really, really wanted me to electonrically sign, BUT they tried to get me to give them an open-ended e-signature that will give them open-ended consent on all furture agreements, changes, etc., unless you are seriouly paying attention. I call to complain, and stated my opinion as such.
Here's my e-mailed response to thier proposed Enrollment Agreement:
"You know you're in trouble when over a quarter of an "Enrollment Agreement" details arbitration. This is a sizable red flag.
So let me get this straight, I agree to allow this University to charge any and all fees throughout the duration of a 5-7 year program, all off which are subject to change; you want me to forgo my rights to sue this for-profit program in court in the event I am wronged; and, my favorite part, you get to change any term or condition at anytime you want?
Yeah right. I am quite amazed that people actually enter into such a decidedly one-sided agreement that utterly protects this University and affords no protections whatsoever for the student. None! What a waste of time. It violates every precept of contract law, fairness, and consideration. I'll be sure to articulate my observations on the social media / blog boards.
Please withdrawal my application from Northcentral University. I have exhaustively researched the for-profit model as well as this University, and I find them both to be comical at best, devastating to higher education at worst.
Respectfully,
Eric"
Take the time to read. Your not engaging a student-friendly education institution. You are entering in an agreement that was written for shareholders and the protection of the bottomline.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on January 24, 2011
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The worst university that I have had
I used to work for NCU and took classes from NCU. It is a place for you to pay an obnoxious amount money for tuition and fees, do 99% of the work and fight to get your degree. Support from mentors was nearly zero. Sometimes I made errors in my assignments and still received an A with a short comment from mentors "Good job!" That's how much time they will spend on often a side job, teaching on line as adjuncts! Some of them are not qualified to teach and chose to ignore my questions for over a month and I finally had to request to switch to a different mentor. I finally withdrew from the university because I could no longer waste my time. Many times, I found syllabi were written poorly with many spelling errors, or incomplete sentences. Once time, NCU did not update the syllabus in the system so I bought a textbook that was too old based on the new syllabus. NCU is also a horrible place to work for. You’re not gona believe how incompetent some managers are. But they got paid very well for doing nothing but creating troubles for other employees who actually did the work every day. HR is not a place for you to go to get help if your manager treated you unfairly. You have no one to share and just have to shallow it all. HR director often avoided dealing with staff. She avoided eye contact or saying hello to you if she could. However, she fired employees very easily based on other employees' false accusation or make-up stories. It was quite depressing working there since you had no one that you could trust to share any feelings/thought about management.
Top management/president of the university is a scammer! Before NCU was visited by the Department of Education in 2007, he had meetings with staff to prepare them for not reporting issues/problems directly to DOE audit team. He said everyone could just tell him problems. But if you did, you received no answer from him. All the feel-good-photos, mission statements, direction panels on the interior walls of the building of NCU were just put up within the week before the visit of DOE. It was really fake! Once NCU received the accreditation for 3 years, management treated employees like trash. Pretty much every week, someone or a group of 3-5 employees will be fired with no good cause. Quicken was one of Wallstreet companies bought NCU in late 2008 bought its own people in and thus some good long time employees had to go! Management often makes up rules as it goes to keep you confused and frustrated. Yes, tuition hike is an obvious trend with this university. New owners are from WallStreet! They are extremely greedy! They're not gona thing about you or anyone out there but themselves. But from now and then, they will pay to have someone to write a good write up either through a local newspaper or a military magazine, or even through their own website. They pick and choose some learners who had good experience with the university to be the ambassadors to "vouch" for them. Of course, you had bad experience; you would never be chosen to write a review. All the reviews that you complete at the end of each class from NCU were never read by anyone there. It was just a making-you-feel-good feature. One last thing, the CFO and controller, payroll administrator, and accounting manager are the ones you certainly do not want to trust. They all suck up to each other and are willing to lie, make up stories when necessary to get rid of other employees that they foresee as a threat to their positions. NCU won't get nowhere if they continue the same direction with unethical management teams and HR. It's not a joke that NCU vouches for itself as the best place to work for. It can only fool people who have limited access to the internet and information. There have been and will be many of us willing to take time write factual reviews about NCU, an university that should have not received accreditation for DOE.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 9, 2010
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School is Average
If you can teach yourself, it is fine. The mentors are 90% great. The school sucks because they always change things mid-stream. They just changed where students had to start paying mandatory dissertation fees in beginning research courses. Then a few months later, beginning Jan 1, 2011, classes are offered at an all-inclusive tuition rate.I believe this was made to get more financial aid money from students, and what about those who have already paid part of their dissertation fees, even though it is 4-5 classes away. Many good instructors/ mentors have left. I understand it was about receiving no tenure. Regardless, it is about money to the board members and owners, not people receiving (teaching themselves) a good education. Many schools, online or resident, are the same even if it is a state school. I have found after taking classes at about 10 different schools over a 45 year period, Junior colleges are the best.
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Anonymous
(Graduate) on July 6, 2009
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NCU: A fine university
NCU is a fine university that has a strong academic focus. At the same time, I agree it is NOT for everybody. Students of distance learning programs ARE expected to be comfortable with a high degree of self-directed study. I did my Masters from a reputable and traditional B&M (via distance learning) so I can tell you that the NCU experience was even more challenging and worthy. I am proud of my time spent at NCU.
In this post, I want to address some of the common concerns regarding NCU: they are mostly related to lack of hand-holding and the dissertation process.
Concerning the lack of hand-holding, I am somewhat surprised that some post-graduate learners still require a significant amount of hand-holding. If this is the case, then you should examine whether academic post-graduate study is right for you as opposed to getting professional certification in your field. This is NOT meant as any disrespect to any individual - its just that some people like self-study and others thrive well in a regulated environment. Perhaps it is the failing of some under-graduate programs to inadequately prepare the expectation of some students for post-graduate study.
Concerning the dissertation process - I have read, talked to, and shared the NCU experience with other doctoral learners. Those reading this may want to choose NOT to believe this, but IT IS GENERALLY THE SAME EVERYWHERE. Please do NOT expect a doctorate to be handed to you on a platter. YES, some professors are better, and some are not. Some school reviewers are tougher, and others are less stringent. Some professors are the greatest scholars but some of these left their teaching brains in the other jacket at home.
Is NCU perfect? No. Can it improve? FOR SURE. The school should improve. The professors should improve. The administration should improve. And hey, I'm guessing, ... some of their students could improve themselves too.
For the esteemed readers reading my post, let me pose two questions: (1) Why does one study for a PhD? (2) What is the purpose of a PhD program? If the ONLY answer you have was so that people can call you "Dr", then you still have a long way to go.
To all the NCU / online-education bashers out there, please earn your doctorate from a RA-school, then come back and maybe some of us will take you a bit more seriously.
Finally, to the rest of you pursuing your degree at NCU or other online schools, BE ENCOURAGED. Online learning requires a high degree of independence and self-study. You are all people of a certain quality but you must persevere and complete the program. Nothing that is of value is easy; and great success is only attained through much tears and toil. I wish you all the very best!
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on April 9, 2009
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NCU no more
This school is a waste of your time and money. If you want to do Doctorate degree, seek for a well established state University not one with 100% online. What do you plan to do with your PhD or DBA after graduated? Teaching? too bad, NCU PhD graduate is not up to the standard to teach in other state universities. But you can try your luck with NCU. May be, to use that Online Phd degree to get an executive position? Unfortunately, most executive position do not require PhD degree. Even if a company is looking for a PhD candidate to fill a position, it wouldn't be NCU.
From personal experience, the homework turnaround is more than 24 hours. Some courses simply lack of students where the lecture do not bother to do anything. I have been in a DBA course with only 3 students, 2 dropped and I was the only one left. Requesting more information on assignment will get response 2 days later and only couple days left to finish up a 20 pages paper with strict guidelines. This school has dropped the writting assistance in the middle of my program. I have to pay local writting professional for editing for couple of my courses. Those costs added up fast!
Also, just wait till you want to get out of the school, you will be charged with all kind of fees. Withdrawing from NCU will be more expensive than registering.
NCU has one advantage I must admit. They have very good online research library. But hey, you pay big money for it and expecting to solely use it for the rest of the program. Most professors have unknown degree to teach a class. English major is teaching OB???? I am expecting to learn real Organization Behavior from the professor not from textbook. I don't need to pay someone to tell me what to read. I am an executive and what I need is real world example. I have 0 discussion in my OB course. Just read the chapters and write papers every week to get through.
Be real, NCU is not a university, it is a company there to make profit !
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Jerry.green
(In Progress) on June 16, 2008
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NCU Rigor
I graduated with a B.Sc. and M.A. from traditional B&M universities. I have found that the rigor required to succeed at NCU is at least as difficult if not more so. Recently, after four years of rigorous study, I’ve earned doctoral candidacy status at NCU, the ABD stage in my journey. My dissertation committee members all teach at very reputable universities across the country, in addition to teaching at NCU, and one is also a director with the APA. They require no less of me than one of their students completing a dissertation from their B&M school. Change seems more difficult for some people, nonetheless however, over-time, fewer and fewer people will leave their home to attend school. Regionally accredited universities, such as NCU, are at the forefront of this imminent change.
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Langewasheb22
(Graduate) on February 28, 2008
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My experience at NCU
I just finished my studies at NCU. I was in the doctoral program in education. I have to say that when I started with Dr. Hollywood, the experience was absolutely great. After three years, Dr. H. was gone. I spoke with her after her termination and she told me the new president told her the school was going in a different direction. Well, I am one to give everything a chance, but the new direction was one of chaos and lack of support. Thank god I was almost finished, because quite honestly if I was just starting, I would have gotten the heck out of there. I wouldn't recommend the university to anyone, and I had recommended it to no less than 5 friends. Now I heard that they only got 3 years of reaffirmation, which I understand in the world of accreditation is not good. Of course, it is better than probation, but not a sign of confidence. Luckily I am out with an accreditated degree. The place it is now isn't the place it was, and that is a shame. We had a honor society in the school, which I understand there is no support for any longer. The new provost has completely turned the place upside down. I am an Ed.D. and he has been quoted as saying that Ed.D. are inferior to Ph.D's. Inferior? No just different in focus. There are no faculty left. Now they use all adjuncts. The service with the dissertation has become a nightmare. My friends who are in dissertation are now waiting weeks and weeks for feedback and no one seems to know who is on first or second base.
I would not recommend NCU, and I hate saying that given I am now an alum.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on February 24, 2008
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NCU and the future of online degrees
I've read a lot of these reviews about NCU. Many are true and many are false, but perception is reality in the eyes of the beholder.
Basically, NCU is an online correspondence school:
- NCU gives the student the assignment
- the student does it
- the student turns it in for grading
- at the end, a grade is given
- and, hopefully, a degree is obtained.
There are no lectures (like at a Brick & Morter University) and there is no student interaction. The only interaction I got from mentors was after I completed an assignment -- then the mentor would provide constructive criticism, along with a grade. If I needed help, then I found answers on my own i.e. there is no one to babysit you or to hold your hand. Once I got to the dissertation phase, then I talked to the mentor via telephone to get a basic idea of what his expectations were.
I have a MA from a traditional Brick & Morter school, so I have a basis of comparison from which to compare NCU. I learned more knowledge at NCU, but I made more "community connections" at my Brick & Morter school. Which is more advantageous? I'm not sure, but either way: both schools will provide a regionally accredited degree.
Many NCU students seem to be complaining that NCU is nothing more than a correspondence school because NCU simply provides the assignments and the student completes them with little to no supervision. The only way around this dilemma is to enroll in a traditional Brick and Morter university where there is plenty of instructor-student interaction, as well as student-student interaction. Some people need this kind of interaction, while others don't need it at all to obtain a degree. I also took a class at the University of Phoenix online and, frankly, I didn't get anything out of the "group projects;" nor did I get anything out of the "group postings" where we had to make a "quality post" for others to read. It was silly. NCU bypasses that and allows students to work on their own, which I prefer; but conversely, I really enjoyed the interaction that I got while obtaining a MA degree at a Brick & Morter school.
The 21st Century is the "information age" and all of these online schools are unfolding before our very eyes. Is it the wave of the future? Time will tell. It's probably going to be contingent on:
1. the students' perceived value of the degrees
2. the community's perceived value of the degrees
3. the long-term sustained profitability of online institutions
4. the regional accreditors
My .02
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on January 25, 2008
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Good experience
I am in my 5th course through Northcentral University, Prescott AZ, in the PhD Psychology/Marriage and Family Therapy Concentration. I am very satisfied with this program, and have found that the books and research articles have been informative and provided useful information with my client population. Out of 5 instructors, I have had only one that I had significant difficulty reaching through email, three who were accessible and provided sound feedback regarding assignments, and one instructor who I consider one of the most engaged and motivating instructor I have ever had. This instructor's feedback on assignments has truly helped me be a more accomplished writer. My academic advisor promptly emailed me or called me, and I have had numerous phone calls with library staff to help walk me through a problem finding articles. While my undergraduate and graduate degrees were from B&M schools, most nobably Wake Forest University, I believe that I am the most important part of my education,and have found Northcentral willing to help me reach my academic goals.
Northcentral U.'s regional accreditation is also a major reason I chose them. They are not AAMFT accredited, which is the accrediting body of my profession. If I were not already licensed in my field, this would have hindered me from attending, but being licensed, my degree will have merit because it is from a regionally accredited university.
I recommend Northcentral without reservation.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on December 30, 2007
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Very Limited Info -- Not Recommended.
I have taken a couple courses at NCU.edu (NorthCentral University, Arizona)
From my experience, this is a quick review.
There is very little to almost no interaction with the mentors (aka professors). They only like to communicate via email. You are almost never able to pick up a phone and call someone. This can be especially challenging if you are taking your 1st set of classes and have questions about the format etc.
The advisors also only provide assistance over web content & always ask you to refer to online documentation. This can get very old very quickly, as my perception is people take online courses as they are limited with the time they have, and would like to get responses fairly quickly.
NCU staff & administration constantly push for students (or learners) to use the NCU messaging system. This is very archaic system that only allows sending messages (messaging) between ncu personnel. Also this message system has no interaction to the outside world .. so if you are travelling & get a message from someone, then you cannot respond from any email client -- you have to log into the NCU webpage & respond.
I am finding that NCU online is very much aloof in terms of assisting students with any program or helping them review materials.
If you were able to pick up a text book, and write an exam, to get a grade, and eventually get a degree -- this is what you will experience at NCU.
It will certainly benefit if NCU put's some effort into their learner's online interface. its a very rudimentary system, put together to get a few students. However, now that they have a lot of student's signing up, it would be good to have a lot of interactive tools.
Hope this information helps. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Thanks,
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Propdrvn
(In Progress) on December 12, 2007
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Preceding Questions
I am a student nearing the end of my MBA program, and I have been satisfied the whole way. I have three other degrees from bricks and mortars universities (Purdue University and Embry-Riddle) and the rigors of NCU academics are on par.
Just like anything new, there will be plenty of people who don't want to change and/or feel threatened. Remember the old adage "if men were meant to fly, God would have given us wings"? It has been a century now, and I doubt there are many naysayers about that laughable and newfangled idea of flying. Online learning, just like flying, is a new medium for its purpose, and it is just taking off. Some "universities" will do it wrong (which is evidence for the naysayers), but many will do it right. Has train travel gone away because of the airplane? Will bricks and mortars learning go away because of the rise of online learning. I for one, believe that for every "changeaphobe's" steadfast view, it never turns out like they feared.
Okay, onto the questions about accreditation and the apparent past bankruptcy of the owner. The accreditation issue is not much of an issue at all. Regionally, NCU is accredited in the same organization as Arizona State, University of Arizona, and my alma maters Purdue University and Embry-Riddle. Additionally, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes NCU -- (http://www.chea.org/search/actionInst.asp?CheaID=699) and (http://distancelearn.about.com/od/onlinecourses/a/MBAaccredit.htm) and (http://www.acbsp.org/index.php?module=sthtml&op=load&sid=s1_001).
As for the owner's past bankruptcy, is not bankruptcy a common risk for entreprenuers? A bankruptcy does not a failure make. What I care about as a consumer -- not a student, a consumer -- is that the product I am buying is proven and accepted. The NCU product is exactly that, proven and accepted.
To those people who have their finger on the NCU tuition trigger, put your worries aside. There will always be naysayers out there for any decision you make. Nevermind those armchair quarterbacks. If you've done the research, then YOU have more information than the quarterbacks could ever have, especially those who tried but failed and are disgruntled.
Remember, this is a business decision for you. Don't treat it like you're in highschool trying to decide which university to go to. Treat it like an investment with a specific anticipated return, even if purely intrinsic (the joy of knowledge for example).
In closing, just remember that the diploma mill threat is not indigenous to the online realm, it just seems like that because it is an easier market to enter than it was 10 years ago. Just go to the links I posted and that should be all the proof you need, for NCU or any other school you are investigating.
Good luck!
Jim
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Propdrvn
(In Progress) on October 29, 2007
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Negative reviews??
I am absolutely flabbergasted by the (very few) negative responses on this board. Only one actually gave ideas on how to improve, the others just ranted and raved like spoiled children who didn't get their way on this item or that item.
NCU has been a blessing in my educational journey. I have a management Masters from another online school that is also a B&M school. That particular school (Embry-Riddle) has one of the top engineering programs in the nation and specifically partnered up with NCU to create a bridge program for doctoral learners and the creation of other Masters programs. I highly doubt a regionally accredited and well respected school such as Embry-Riddle would pick NCU if it did not have the utmost of respect for NCU's programs and efficiencies.
And by the way, for the individual who referred to the "regional accreditation" of NCU, your sarcasm is completely misplaced and unwarranted. NCU has the exact same accreditation of Arizona's state school system, Embry-Riddle, my undergrad alma mater (Purdue University), and many many others.
NCU is about working professionals trying to improve their careers and/or gain knowledge for more insight into their own profession. There is no hand holding. This is the real world kiddies, and just like the real world, you are assigned the work and told when to have it done. You can always ask for advice from those who know more (NCU mentors), but the direction you take to achieve the goal is yours and yours alone. If you can't take the idea of setting your own direction, then you really have no business being at NCU or any advanced university program for that matter.
Jim
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Eekress
(In Progress) on April 16, 2007
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Long, Self-Directed Road
I have just completed my Ph.D. program (Psychology) at NCU. It took me nearly 4 full years. I entered the program with two MA's. I work full time and have two teens.
I took one class at a time, taking nearly 1 full year for the dissertation process....data collection, statistical breakdown, writing of dissertation, completion of the oral defense. Whew!!!
NCU worked for me, I could easily contact my Professors, and received quick turnaround on my written work. I only had one negative experience with a Professor, most were helpful, supportive, encouraging.
The course work was rigorus. I learned a great deal, and feel my degree is well earned. The university is North Central Acredited, I would never have wasted my time if it did not carry this qualification.
If you are looking to expand your education, and do not need the support of face-to-face direction, I would highly recommed this University.
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Anonymous
(In Progress) on September 12, 2006
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You can do a lot better than this
As a relatively new school NCU seems to be experiencing a lot of growing pains. This wouldn't be too much cause for concern if the effect was solely internal to the school, but they seem to be passing it on to the students.
For example, initially I had difficulty with the person evaluating my previous work for transfer credit. It was apparent the individual hadn't even read the transcripts I submitted, and as a result I initially was being denied appropriate credits. I'm still not certain whether this was merely the result of that individual's abject incompetence or part of a plan to soak students for more tuition for unnecessary coursework.
Once that was settled I started the program and did have a couple of wonderful professors. But I also had one professor who was not only incompetent but an unabashed liar as well. Again, the professor's conduct was so outrageous it raised the issue whether anyone could be that incompetent by accident, or whether there was some purpose or design to the conduct.
(I've since learned NCU has a legacy of corruption, shady dealings, diploma milling and "overseas agents" involved in selling cut rate degrees for little or no work, as discussed in more detail here: http://www.armedforces.net/Groups/General_Military_C1/Military_Distance_Education_F4/First_Hechts_Balin_Scam,_Now_NCU/SCUPS_Scam_P276797 )
Eventually I got tired of dealing with their problems and left the program. I found another program at a different school with a much higher level of prestige in my field.
I would not recommend NCU to anyone unless you couldn't possibly get admitted at a decent school. Even at its best NCU is bottom of the barrel. If you are willing to settle for that then this is for you, but if you aspire to anything above that look elsewhere.
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