Messed up Graduations!!!

mickydi

University Ulster
Was due to graduate on July 4th. Had been in touch with fees office to make sure was paid up to date last April ... paid off anything owed & told account was clear.
Got results & checked with tutors ... told I had 2.1. Happy days!!
Then much later after telling everyone bout my 2.1found out it was 2.2 gutted!!! & furious that I was badly informed!!
Then got word that because there was some mix up some students fees assistance/loans hadn't been paid and I was one. Told that as result I was not eligible to graduate ... was devastated ... had been really looking forward to the event.
Just took it that was it ...wasn't able to go, end of story.
Have now found out that loads of people in same boat did graduate. Seems the university took decision that because so many were affected ...100s it appears ... and it wasn't their fault they should be allowed to graduate ... without parchment being included ... seems that many were contacted by phone or letter ... but I recieved nothing .. no call or letter and I was still of the opinion that I couldn't graduate and so I didn't!!!
I am now told that I should have been there! I am absolutely gutted ... even if I attend in Dec .. which since I had planned to travel for a year (all arranged around grad dates!!) will not be possible ... it wouldn't be the same, my friends won't be there & the experience would be very different from the one I'd hoped. I feel robbed.
Really think the college fees office should be doing something to apologise ... maybe in the circumstances it would have been better to defer the whole event to smooth out the problems ... then again that might have been unfair on others who had planned around the dates!!
Sooo frustrated & disappointed!!!. Was anyone else affected like this?

pow wow

mickydi wrote: »

University Ulster
Was due to graduate on July 4th. Had been in touch with fees office to make sure was paid up to date last April ... paid off anything owed & told account was clear.
Got results & checked with tutors ... told I had 2.1. Happy days!!
Then much later after telling everyone bout my 2.1found out it was 2.2 gutted!!! & furious that I was badly informed!!
Then got word that because there was some mix up some students fees assistance/loans hadn't been paid and I was one. Told that as result I was not eligible to graduate ... was devastated ... had been really looking forward to the event.
Just took it that was it ...wasn't able to go, end of story.
Have now found out that loads of people in same boat did graduate. Seems the university took decision that because so many were affected ...100s it appears ... and it wasn't their fault they should be allowed to graduate ... without parchment being included ... seems that many were contacted by phone or letter ... but I recieved nothing .. no call or letter and I was still of the opinion that I couldn't graduate and so I didn't!!!
I am now told that I should have been there! I am absolutely gutted ... even if I attend in Dec .. which since I had planned to travel for a year (all arranged around grad dates!!) will not be possible ... it wouldn't be the same, my friends won't be there & the experience would be very different from the one I'd hoped. I feel robbed.
Really think the college fees office should be doing something to apologise ... maybe in the circumstances it would have been better to defer the whole event to smooth out the problems ... then again that might have been unfair on others who had planned around the dates!!
Sooo frustrated & disappointed!!!. Was anyone else affected like this?

No, and I hadn't heard anything about it. It is a dreadful mix-up and apparently the blame lies with them, but you have to be realistic about things as they are now: there is little you can do about it. Going to the Chancellor will get you little joy I expect as all they can do for you now is let you graduate in the Winter ceremonies.

The ceremony itself is only a small part of what graduating is about (cliche I know) but working yourself up about something you can do nothing about is only going to make you feel worse. Plenty of people missed the Magee grad because they were away on J1s and the like.

mickydi

I know that the ceremony isn't what it's all about and that many people don't bother with it at all ... such as those who go away on J1s etc. Without meaning to harp on .... the thing is ... that is their choice, and I fully respect it but it wasn't mine!!
I do feel really cheated and poorly treated. I am disappointed too that my parents who worked hard to put me through college and were also so looking forward to the event were robbed of it through what appears to have been clerical error/s.

pow wow

mickydi wrote: »

I know that the ceremony isn't what it's all about and that many people don't bother with it at all ... such as those who go away on J1s etc. Without meaning to harp on .... the thing is ... that is their choice, and I fully respect it but it wasn't mine!!
I do feel really cheated and poorly treated. I am disappointed too that my parents who worked hard to put me through college and were also so looking forward to the event were robbed of it through what appears to have been clerical error/s.

I understand that (believe me I do, I was victim of the sham admin. there more than once during my 3 years) but as I said - what can be done about it? It is awful and it's unfair, but dwelling on it, when you can't change it and can't do anything to make it better, will only make you feel worse. Having complained once and gotten absolutely nowhere I'd even advise against that, purely because you'll probably get even angrier than you are now about them not even acknowledging there's a problem.

mickydi

Thanks for your supportive comments. Didn't really complain yet just made enquiries with fees office re what happened & it was they who told me. I know you're right though probably no point in complaining as they won't care. Am not really dwelling on it just annoyed & disappointed both for myself & family ... the fact that I was on borderline for 2.1 & got 2.1 doesn't help. Suppose it could have been worse... Could have failed!!!! Think I'll look for post grad elswhere next year!!

GAAman

Go now and raise all hell, and they should let you graduate in october with the other people who will graduate late for one reason or another, i know this isnt the same but at least there will be somethin salvageable from it

Still its not unusual as ellscurr says uu admin is shíte and thats being nice about it