Living a Lie I Didn't Know I Was Living
More proof that Moliere was right: life is a farce.
In December, 1995, I completed my studies for a technical writing certificate. At that time, the community college where I was enrolled had only a spring commencement. By that time I was working, did not attend, had no particular communication from the college, and went on with my life.
Fast forward to November, 2004. I'm enrolled in the same community college, for Medical Coding (I follow the market). It struck me, my advisor, and the college's Centre for Alternative Studies that it was redundant to have me take a one-credit course on how to act in the workplace. If I haven't figured that out after 35-odd years, another course won't help. In a star-crossed moment, it occurred to the Alternative Studies folk to request a substitution, based on my technical writing internship all those years agone. They filled out the form, I signed, they filed. I figured that was that. Silly me.
Shift to March, 2005. By now I've ironed out some other kinks in the graduation process and I enquire about the waiver. The Registrar wallah looks at my file and mutters. First of all, no waiver. It has disappeared. In hindsight this isn't surprising: It takes no less than six signatories to confirm that a 58-year old man can find his way around an office after many years of work.
Next, no record of the course we wish to substitute.
Two days later they've found it, with a grade of F. Since the course was a requirement, it follows that I did NOT graduate, although no one bothered to tell me at the time. I had a barely satisfactory phone conversation with another functionary at the Registrar's Office about fixing the immediate problem, graduating this time. The long-term problem, restoring my missing credential, made no progress. Registrar functionaries do not admit mistakes. Therefore, the only possible explanation of the confusion was that I knew I had flunked and was lying about it.
I have a couple of D minuses on my record (chiefly from a high school algebra teacher with whom I didn't get on) but I have no Fs. The implication that F was my earned was not only there, but reinforced. I was becoming disturbed, and ended the conversation. My tech writing advisor is still on the faculty and I'm still on good terms with him. The grade was as surprising to him as it was to me. Three days later he filed a change of grade report with the A both of us recalled I had earned. I did make a point of forwarding his email to that effect to the Registrar flunky.
Is this the end? Noooo. It solves the problem of waiver credit, but in their books I am still not matriculated. Thus I have to apply to graduate from a program I completed over nine years ago, a program that is no longer on the curriculum. Do I anticipate further difficulties? You betcha dupa.
In December, 1995, I completed my studies for a technical writing certificate. At that time, the community college where I was enrolled had only a spring commencement. By that time I was working, did not attend, had no particular communication from the college, and went on with my life.
Fast forward to November, 2004. I'm enrolled in the same community college, for Medical Coding (I follow the market). It struck me, my advisor, and the college's Centre for Alternative Studies that it was redundant to have me take a one-credit course on how to act in the workplace. If I haven't figured that out after 35-odd years, another course won't help. In a star-crossed moment, it occurred to the Alternative Studies folk to request a substitution, based on my technical writing internship all those years agone. They filled out the form, I signed, they filed. I figured that was that. Silly me.
Shift to March, 2005. By now I've ironed out some other kinks in the graduation process and I enquire about the waiver. The Registrar wallah looks at my file and mutters. First of all, no waiver. It has disappeared. In hindsight this isn't surprising: It takes no less than six signatories to confirm that a 58-year old man can find his way around an office after many years of work.
Next, no record of the course we wish to substitute.
Two days later they've found it, with a grade of F. Since the course was a requirement, it follows that I did NOT graduate, although no one bothered to tell me at the time. I had a barely satisfactory phone conversation with another functionary at the Registrar's Office about fixing the immediate problem, graduating this time. The long-term problem, restoring my missing credential, made no progress. Registrar functionaries do not admit mistakes. Therefore, the only possible explanation of the confusion was that I knew I had flunked and was lying about it.
I have a couple of D minuses on my record (chiefly from a high school algebra teacher with whom I didn't get on) but I have no Fs. The implication that F was my earned was not only there, but reinforced. I was becoming disturbed, and ended the conversation. My tech writing advisor is still on the faculty and I'm still on good terms with him. The grade was as surprising to him as it was to me. Three days later he filed a change of grade report with the A both of us recalled I had earned. I did make a point of forwarding his email to that effect to the Registrar flunky.
Is this the end? Noooo. It solves the problem of waiver credit, but in their books I am still not matriculated. Thus I have to apply to graduate from a program I completed over nine years ago, a program that is no longer on the curriculum. Do I anticipate further difficulties? You betcha dupa.
posted by Uncle | 00:11
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