What are my rights when my university didnt handle my degree evaluation correctly?

C

change4range

New Member
Jurisdiction
North Carolina
I was enrolled in one of the UNC schools from 2008-2011 and did all of my advising as we all do as college students. The university had a change of degree requirements in 2010 and I was informed of such. I spent several months discussing trying to get a requirement that I was being told I needed waived to graduate when all other requirements were met. I went through 5 sources and none would allow it when there was really no reason I should not have been allowed according to the requirements stated in the undergraduate degree information. I would have been enrolled for 2 years for 2 classes I did not need, taken on extra debt and I ended up becoming discouraged and leaving the university. I have now contacted them and I have been informed that they were incorrect in their assessment years ago and I was in completion of my degree. For 6 years I should have had my bachelors degree. I am concerned that they knew this or were negligent and tried to keep students enrolled to collect more revenue for the university. This has kept me from possible promotions, furthering education etc and I feel I may have a case due to the lack of attention to the matter at the time from the administration or the manner in which they handled the situation with.
 
If you have any recourse it is within the UNC system.

I suggest you peruse the student material on graduation and the student handbook.

As far as the court system, it is of no use to a person regarding these types of disputes.

Good luck.
 
How many times in those 6 years did you try to resolve or check on it? Did you still live at the address the university has on file?

I suspect the onus was o you rather than them to complete their process and/ or keep up with any policy changes
 
hrforme said:
How many times in those 6 years did you try to resolve or check on it? Did you still live at the address the university has on file?

I suspect the onus was o you rather than them to complete their process and/ or keep up with any policy changes
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I went through an appeal process within the university and followed all the guidelines they recommended since they are the ones that are supposed to be the experts on the matter advising and helping when they had a representative of the university mention it was a possibility i might be able to have the classes waived under the new curriculum. I spent 6 months going through different channels to hit the end of the road with the last person I could. I have now after considering different moves in my career considered going back to finish. I accessed info that has led me to conclude the university may have either made huge mistakes which they need to beheld accountable for or purposefully were trying to hold student back to generate revenues. That is why with proper investigation I think there could be a case. If there are enough professionals with the right info in place at these institutions one would not have made just a simple mistake on graduation eligibility when there are clear cut standards in place they should all know about. And if a student doesnt they should inform them....Thats what they are there for.
 
You have the right to think what you want, but there's no conspiracy here... it really could be an honest mistake... again have you followed up at all in the last 6 yrs? After the 6 month time period? Did they have a good address to contact you at?
 
hrforme said:
You have the right to think what you want, but there's no conspiracy here... it really could be an honest mistake... again have you followed up at all in the last 6 yrs? After the 6 month time period? Did they have a good address to contact you at?
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Yes. They had a good address for 2 years before I left and when I had gone through the appeal process and had formally been told by the dean of the business school that I could not have it waived that seemed to be the end of it? I did not think there was any more to it....

So what if 6 years later I find new evidence to support my case. If youre a lawyer or anyone saying otherwise id never hire you. I found more proof that something they did wasnt right.
 
change4range said:
Yes. They had a good address for 2 years before I left and when I had gone through the appeal process and had formally been told by the dean of the business school that I could not have it waived that seemed to be the end of it? I did not think there was any more to it....

So what if 6 years later I find new evidence to support my case. If youre a lawyer or anyone saying otherwise id never hire you. I found more proof that something they did wasnt right.
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So, take all your paperwork to an attorney and spend the money to ask them your questions if you don't like the answers you're getting for free.
 
cbg said:
Not everything that "isn't right" has a legal remedy.
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I understand that. However I had 2 classes that they had 5 "professionals" review and all of them clearly should have known that I did not need to take them based on new curriculum requirements. I have now contacted the university again, found that they are still giving several different answers to questions that Im posing very straight forward to them. Their goal is to get someone enrolled and spend money; not help them graduate. I feel like at that time they had plenty of info, even though I didnt to see I qualified to graduate, yet did not assist me in that way and there may have been plenty of students who fell into the same situation. But in my case I did not through a process and was being told to spend more money and ended up walking away instead, just not completing the degree. If they in fact are to be found of some wrong doing...not just doing something that "isnt right".....im not sure how that isnt a case. But I could be wrong.
 
change4range said:
I understand that. However I had 2 classes that they had 5 "professionals" review and all of them clearly should have known that I did not need to take them based on new curriculum requirements. I have now contacted the university again, found that they are still giving several different answers to questions that Im posing very straight forward to them. Their goal is to get someone enrolled and spend money; not help them graduate. I feel like at that time they had plenty of info, even though I didnt to see I qualified to graduate, yet did not assist me in that way and there may have been plenty of students who fell into the same situation. But in my case I did not through a process and was being told to spend more money and ended up walking away instead, just not completing the degree. If they in fact are to be found of some wrong doing...not just doing something that "isnt right".....im not sure how that isnt a case. But I could be wrong.
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Even IF you had a case, anonymous nobodies on the Internet can help you prosecute your case.

A lawyer licensed in your state can.

Hire one, if this perceived injustice sticks in your craw.
 
Im not a lawyer. I have no idea thats why I brought the information to a forum and thought maybe someone would think of something. It seems like if a university clearly knows a student can graduate and withholds them from it they are breaking some law? Especially when the student goes through formal processes set in place by the university.... And if denied by the university and they continuously deny the student the right to graduate when they qualify there has to be something there. Im really not sure what law is broken, but If I pay money for a degree and complete it and they withhold it and I am qualified to graduate there is an issue.
 
No, there is no law that prohibits the university from making a clerical error. In the absence of any evidence that this was done deliberately, you have nowhere to go with this.

I'll tell you straight out - NO law was broken here.
 
cbg said:
No, there is no law that prohibits the university from making a clerical error. In the absence of any evidence that this was done deliberately, you have nowhere to go with this.

I'll tell you straight out - NO law was broken here.
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ok thanks for clarifying. I think I have a strong grievance with them. Should I at least not seek some recourse for that. Or if there were evidence found that this is a constant from the university that not only I, but many other students have been told the same wrong information purposefully then there is a bigger issue.
 
Prove that it was done intentionally. Not just your belief, but proof that will hold up in a court of law.

Until you can do that, you're SOL.

For that matter, until you can show an actual job that you lost or an actual promotion that you did not get or an actual raise that was withheld, not a maybe or a could have but an actual employer confirming that the sole reason you didn't get the job/promotion/raise was the lack of the degree, you have no legally recognized damages.
 
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