Re: grade issues and grad school / job(long)


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Posted by don't put up it on July 17, 2002 at 17:19:04:

In Reply to: grade issues and grad school / job(long) posted by Distraught in NY on July 15, 2002 at 12:11:47:

Don't put up with that nonsense. It's irrational academic bureaucratic BS.

I once had the experience of having the dean of liberal arts approve one semester of chemistry and one semester of physics as my year of science for my degree plan, which I submitted as required the semester before I was to finish. The dean approved it.

When it came time to wrap up course work a semester later, the dean who'd approved it was out with a serious health problem and there was an acting dean who was going to refuse to allow me to graduate, despite the approval that I already had obtained earlier from the "real" dean. This guy underscored his refusal with an observation sometime like, "You music folks over on the edge of the campus think you can do whatever want. Well, you can't!"

This would have delayed my graduation, and at the time this happened it would have had very serious ramifications because I was about to go on active duty with the Navy and would not have been allowed to stick around for another semester of science.

Ultimately, common sense prevailed. The ill "real" dean heard about it, stepped in, and ordered that my year of science be accepted and that I be permitted to graduate.

By all means, go through the rest of the appellate process, since if you decide to seek legal redress you don't want someone to say that you "failed to exhaust your administrative remedies."

However, if common sense doesn't prevail, you may want to consider consulting an attorney.
If you're going to get shafted by academic bureaucracy, give them a good fight.

I am not one to sow anarchy, but I believe that regulations should be rational and should occasionally bend to reflect mercy and solid judgment made with educational goals in mind, but just rigid adherence to the letter of the law.

One more thought: Is there a student ombudsman to whom this problem can be presented?
This may be one of those situations where an independent third party can be used effectively to mediate a solution in which you get what you need and the "system" doesn't "lose face."

My 2 cents.




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