In this “Experience” letter of my pursuing and completing a Ph.D. degree in Sacred Architecture at Atlantic International University, I wish to express my sincere thanks for all persons involved at AIU. From the initial contact with Student Services, I had great cooperation in leading me to my principal Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Jose Mercado, in the School of Science and Engineering, for my Ph.D. degree in Sacred Architecture.
All the people I talked to in Student Services were very friendly and cooperative in answering any questions I had. And all the people I had to deal with in the Finance Department were also very helpful and cooperative in a timely and professional manner. There were also on-line facilities at Atlantic International University such as the Library which were very useful.
Once I had Dr. Jose Mercado as my principal Ph.D. advisor, he was very
helpful and professional in having me complete all the required Ph.D. course work, and then continued to be very helpful and professional offering me advice and feedback on each chapter of my Ph.D. Dissertation that I wrote and e-mailed to him. Dr. Mercado was very prompt and professional in responding to my e-mail’s usually within several days.
Dr. Mercado for example, recommended that I put my data collection from Chapters 7 and 8 of my Ph.D. Dissertation in a “Matrix
Table” file format rather than just a description of the data in a Word document. This “Matrix Table” file format gave a better comparison and analysis of my data collection, an important part of any Ph.D. Dissertation.
Dr. Mercado was also very perceptive in offering me positive criticism in my Ph.D. writing and research, so as to stay on track in the “scientific method” of a Ph.D. Dissertation.
Dr. Mercado was also very patient and understanding with me over several years when I said I would turn in a Ph.D. Dissertation chapter by a certain date, then change the due date by several weeks, usually because of my teaching responsibilities at Temple University while I worked on my Ph.D. Dissertation.
One comment about Ph.D. advisors for my academic experience at AIU, is that I wish I had more contact with my other two Ph.D. advisors. Although Dr. Mercado was more than sufficient for me as a Ph.D. advisor, especially in helping me write my Ph.D. Dissertation.Dr. Mercado is overall an excellent Ph.D. advisor.
I would strongly recommend Atlantic International University to any student pursuing a degree in his or her relevant field at their own unique pace. I found the teaching philosophy or pedagogy, Andragogy, at Atlantic International University very interesting and useful to my Ph.D. academic field of study. Andragogy, or having the student develop his own means of education, research, and types (and methods) of courses, allows the student the freedom to frame his or her own path to a higher education in their chosen academic field, along with continued proper supervision from professors at Atlantic International University.
I would be willing to be an Academic Advisor for Atlantic International University in the future, and to be on any relevant Academic Councils for helping students. More specifically, I would be willing to be an Adjunct Professor helping any students at Atlantic International University pursue a B.A., Master’s degree, or a Ph.D. degree in the field of Architecture at AIU.
Overall, I was very satisfied with my academic experience at Atlantic International University and I would recommend AIU to any students interesting in studying at Atlantic International University.
Again, I thank Dr. Jose Mercado very much for all his help, understanding, patience, and advice while I completed my Ph.D. degree in Sacred Architecture at Atlantic International University.
Feel free to use this letter in any endorsements of Atlantic International University.
Best wishes,
Scott A. Ogburn, Ph.D.
