Disagree completely. I am 10 years removed from my computer science undergraduate degree and am halfway through my MBA program. The classes are at least half free discussion (albeit guided to a particular topic) and the professors, for the most part, are extremely motivated and care about educating as much as publishing--I have had several professors even say if you don't care about teaching, you should not be in this business. And comparing it to my high school experience 15 years ago is pretty much laughable--high school was a joke and I have never been more challenged in my entire life than I am right now.
Now, to be fair it is a top school, and if I contrast it with some of the programs that my friends are in their experience is practically night and day. So YMMV. But to slander the entire American University system seems fairly silly to me. It seems more like as with anything you get what you pay for, and you get back what you put in.