Students at Purdue University are criticizing the administration’s decision to invite companies that have been accused of engaging in multi-level marketing tactics to recruit students for jobs on campus.
According to a report by the Purdue University student newspaper, the Purdue community is up in arms over the administration’s decision to invite Southwestern Advantage to campus to recruit students for an internship program.
Emily Geary, a sophomore at Purdue University, accused Southwestern Advantage of engaging in unethical practices. She pointed out that the company forces its salespeople to purchase the product from the company before they sell it to the end-consumer.
“They disguise it as an investment, but it’s really just fueling their business and not yours,” Geary said in a short comment. “They literally sell the same product twice: once to the direct seller and again to the consumer who buys from the direct seller. The company earns double when their direct sellers break even.”
But Timothy Luzader, director of Purdue’s Center for Career Opportunities, claims that Southwestern Advantage is not a “multi-level marketing” company, which are frequently accused of being pyramid schemes.
“Southwestern Advantage is not a multi-level company, it is actually single-level,” Luzader said.
Southwestern Advantage has been banned from college campuses around the globe over their alleged questionable business practices. Harvard University banned the firm from campus in 1977. The University of Maryland, the University of Idaho, and the University of Edinburgh have banned Southwestern Advantage from their campuses.
A spokesperson for Southwestern Advantage said that their rigorous internship program is intended to help students learn how to be a salesperson.
“Just like not everyone who starts at Purdue as a freshman finishes with their degree or makes straight As, we are like every other organization that has people who experience varying levels of success,” Campbell said. “Our business model is based on helping students improve year after year in their ability to serve the educational needs of families. Our company is only successful if students are able to succeed.”