UCD Sucks- Really P**sed Off :(

Teamhar

Just found out that my extenuating circumstances application for missing my Semester 1 exams at Christmas has not been accepted. I'm a 33 year old mature, distance student with real-life problems ie. I've lost my job, my mother is ill in another country, my savings are rapidly depleting and yet, I have no access to any of the support or grants that a traditional student has access to. I missed the exams as despite my best intentions to be home well in time for them, bad weather delayed flights to the extent that what is normally a trip that takes half a day - Toronto to Dublin via Chicago- it actually took three days which included two nights on airport floors and a routing through London that wasn't even part of my original itinerary.

If I repeat the exams, I'm capped at a D- and my assignments, which were all turned in on time, for which I got high grades and which were originally 50% of the final result, will not be considered. As I'm just in my first year of a 2 year diploma, the first years results make a difference. I'm dropping out- I can do better elsewhere and I'm damned if I'm paying them any more money.

No consideration for mature, distance students who pay high fees and have real lives to lead- ****!!!

Sorry folks, had to vent and don't know where else I can give out.

T.

subnation

WOW thats really rough, I'm sorry for your troubles T. What did the student welfare officer have to say?

getting worse

hi teamhar sorry to hear about your troubles, all I can say that has not been my experience of UCD, who have been quite supportive of students in difficulty. You may have done so already but can I suggest that you talk to Ronan the Mature students advisor or antoher advisor before you drop out.

randylonghorn

That is completely ridiculous.

Write directly to the Registrar, Dr. Philip Nolan, outlining your case clearly and calmly.

Enclose copies of original extenuating circumstances application and response.

This sounds like someone in an admin role saying "well, he should have taken an earlier bus!" ... which is a reasonable response to someone who arrives late to an exam at 9.30 from a few miles away, not to someone who lives in Toronto (or who was there to visit a sick mother, I'm not entirely clear which?) and is delayed for 2 days plus by weather.

maturestudent20

i agree, i am a mature student with A- avg, in feb i lost a baby had an operation and my father died, i dropped to a b- c+ avg and sent in extenuating circumstances form, they wouldnt budge on my grades. i had to hand all assignments in on time because as an evening student the course is cyclical and therefore extenuating circumstances doesnt apply, there is no alternative support available to evening students. contacted ronan to complain, he passed me back to extenuating circumstances people. thinkin of droppin out too.

randylonghorn

maturestudent20 wrote: »

i had to hand all assignments in on time because as an evening student the course is cyclical and therefore extenuating circumstances doesnt apply, there is no alternative support available to evening students.

The BA evening courses are cyclical in NUIM too, but there is a possibility to defer in extreme cases.

I'm sure it's a bit of a nuisance for the relevant staff, but hell, a bit of humanity goes a long way!!