Repeat year refused

Voyager2002

The original post suggests to me that the person who sent the refusal letter did not see all the evidence that you sent. Maybe a clerical error? It would be unusual for an administrator to turn down a request signed by a head of faculty.

Anyway, get on the telephone on Monday and see if you can get hold of the tutor and/or the head of faculty. Remember that many academics work at home over the Summer -- secretaries have home numbers but will not give them out, but are able to pass on messages. If the refusal letter simply results from a clerical error the right people should be able to sort things out fairly easily.

And please do take note of the suggestion that a year off before returning might be in everyone's best interests.

BLT_2

sal-ad_daze wrote: »

Thanks for that really helpful reply!
My son fought to gain his place at uni and valued it, he didn't plan to not be there!
I know he didn't do things 'according to the book' and I just wanted some help and clarification.

Nobody is disputing the fact that he fought for his place, and it is to his credit that he achieved the necessary educational results to actually obtain a place at university.

Nevertheless my points remain valid and reflect, I believe, the reasons why the university have made their decision.

Rosie75

MrsManda wrote: »

Repeating the year is different to withdrawing from the current year and as the letter states 'this means you will remain registered for the 2009/10 academic year' I was wondering if what they've refused is your son's withdrawal from this year rather than repeating this year as if he'd failed.

As ONW said, it's very rare for someone to be refused a repeat if they've failed the year for any reason so thats why I wonder whether they've refused a withdrawal and repeat, rather than just a repeat.

This is also what I think is likely to have happened, based on the information you've supplied. I've sat on committees on this sort, so have some experience of how they work, though there may be minor differences in policy between universities. Other than the doctor's note stating that your son was fit to return next year, you don't mention what other mitigating evidence your son supplied that would excuse his absence / lack of assessed work throughout the year. I know you say that you, and he, have spoken to his tutors but this is not necessarily admissable as mitigating evidence. Something documented by a professional is usually required, and Universities are generally pretty stringent about this. My colleagues have, on occasion, been completely mortified when the University told them that they had to get a student to show them the death certificate of a deceased parent in order to claim mitigating circumstances.

I'm sorry if I've misunderstood what you've written. If you'd like to PM me for advice, please feel free - I prefer to remain anonymous on this boards and it can be difficult not to reveal things about your workplace in this kind of discussion.

sal-ad_daze

Thanks Rosie have sent you a pm.