University/College Issue
January 6th, 2014
My university experience really hasn’t been great so far.
I’ll try and summarise it quickly.
– I joined a 3 year course, the first 2 years were 100% assessed by assignments
– Halfway through the second year they added an exam in a subject I struggled with
– If the lesson carried on as normal with no exam, I would have passed by a large margin.
– Nowhere in my enrolment did they say they were able to add and remove things as and when they pleased, it also mentioned no exams in any handbook given.
– Needless to say, I failed this exam.
– I then revised as hard as I could for the resit exam, I then promptly emailed my tutor in regards to my mark
– I received no reply but when a fellow student asked about my grade the tutor told them I had failed with x marks.
– I probably would have told the other student myself but that’s my choice, not theirs and they have completely breached my confidentiality, that’s how it feels anyway.
– I still haven’t had any reply from my tutor 2 weeks later after the resit and I’m sure the third year of my course must start pretty soon!
First of all – They added this exam and I feel as if I’ve completely been set up to fail, which means a lot of money has been wasted (Roughly £8000 in loans) if I can’t attend my final year and complete my degree. I also find it extremely ironic that I’m not even studying what I failed in my final year, so why should that hold me back?
And lastly – Is this a breach of Tutor Student confidentiality or are my grades open to anyone who asks? Because I find this completely unfair and extremely embarrassing. I would really like to take action if that’s a possibility?
I’d really appreciate any reply that could be given, thanks a lot!
lol
“tutor student confidentiality”?
I’m pretty sure that’s not even a real thing. While it may not have been ethically right for your tutor to tell someone else your grade(s), I’m quite sure that it doesn’t violate any laws and/or university policies.
-Niz replied: They added this exam and I feel as if I've completely been set up to fail
As people are being extremely helpful, I’d like to add that it’s not just me in this situation, a good 75% of my class also failed the exam.
-Niz replied: a good 75% of my class also failed the exam.
Better luck next time?!
Sounds like an issue you need to discuss with your professor instead of a forum full of strangers.
Sounds like you need to study more and grasp a better understanding of what it is you are learning.
prozac4312 replied: Sounds like an issue you need to discuss with your professor instead of a forum full of strangers.
This is better
/facepalm
//end of rant
///BIN
prozac4312 replied: Sounds like an issue you need to discuss with your professor instead of a forum full of strangers.
I’ve been down that route and they had no helpful solutions.
And it’s not a case of studying harder – I had close to top grades in every subject apart from this one. And my grades would have been fine if it wasn’t for this exam.
But it doesn’t matter, I just thought there may have been someone out there who’s faced a similar situation.
…maybe go over the professor’s head? Try the head of the department of whatever class you’re taking.
Dont they post your marks on the wall for all to see, at the end of each session so everyone will know thier standing in the class, thats the way it was done when I went to grad school, what happens at graduation TOMMY got a 98,but we cant tell what -Niz got because its a secret!!!
locator replied: Dont they post your marks on the wall for all to see, at the end of each session so everyone will know thier standing in the class, thats the way it was done when I went to grad school, what happens at graduation TOMMY got a 98,but we cant tell what -Niz got because its a secret!!!
No, nowadays they post your grade with your student id number so no one really knows who is who.
U cant do much about it except studying hard n competing. But even of u do so, you’ll still be embarrased always whenever ur old friends will mention this incident to ur future friends. So,
Laugh at yourself. Laugh at this situation. Hell! Tel this incident to all of your friends and observe how the “embarrassing feeling” vanishes ion thin air. And then, go and watch Russel Peters and Be a Man!
Cheers!
I can totally understand where you are coming from -Niz. I found myself in a very similar situation a couple of years ago at university. Basically, the course I undertook was very different to the one I’d been sold and one of the head tutors was seemingly all too happy to discuss personal stuff with other students.
If I were you I would go and see a student union rep (one who is not part of your course) or somebody from student services and see about making a formal complaint. A university should have its courses planned at the start of the year and shouldn’t be making them up as they go along. As far as the discussing of your grades go, your uni may or may not have a specific policy on tutor/student confidentiality but either way you cut it it is grossly unprofessional and not the sort of behavior that most universities would condone.
prozac4312 replied: lol
"tutor student confidentiality"?
I'm pretty sure that's not even a real thing. While it may not have been ethically right for your tutor to tell someone else your grade(s), I'm quite sure that it doesn't violate any laws and/or university policies.
Where I live it’s illegal for teachers to reveal to other people or publicly reveal/display a student’s grades unless they have permission from said student. If a teacher fails to do that they can get into serious trouble. It all depends on what the laws are in your country/state. Stop being an ass.
-Niz replied:
And lastly - Is this a breach of Tutor Student confidentiality or are my grades open to anyone who asks? Because I find this completely unfair and extremely embarrassing. I would really like to take action if that's a possibility?
You’d probably know already if it was, since you would have gone through your entire school career from 6 to 18 yrs old following it. At school your teachers would have never said grades out loud, they would bring you one by one to their desk to see it, blocking other children’s scores. Corrected exam copies would be put face down on desks, and so on. It would be impossible to know another student’s scores unless they told you. If you didn’t grow up in a system like that, then there probably isn’t a law about it.
tawny_owl replied: I can totally understand where you are coming from -Niz. I found myself in a very similar situation a couple of years ago at university. Basically, the course I undertook was very different to the one I'd been sold and one of the head tutors was seemingly all too happy to discuss personal stuff with other students.
If I were you I would go and see a student union rep (one who is not part of your course) or somebody from student services and see about making a formal complaint. A university should have its courses planned at the start of the year and shouldn't be making them up as they go along. As far as the discussing of your grades go, your uni may or may not have a specific policy on tutor/student confidentiality but either way you cut it it is grossly unprofessional and not the sort of behavior that most universities would condone.
Really appreciate your reply, thank you!
My main concern is the failing of the exam that I shouldn’t have had to do in the first place. I can live with people knowing but regardless of that I’m sure I should have been told before another student!
Thanks again, I’ll be on the phone in the morning!
Talk to your professor about it, not us.
Did you pick a mickey mouse course? Like Media or Film Studies?
Quick, call the
.
Add an useful, elaborate and on-topic comment next time.
Glad you got some good advice from tawny_owl and from ~neo.
It is certainly something that you should pursue.
So good luck!
If your not getting any good answers from your professor, then go ABOVE your professors head… If 75% of the same class feel the same way, then you have a good case to complain about the course.
You will have to gather all your evidence (whatever it might be), and arrange a meeting with the HIGHEST SENIOR members of staff at the university.
Even then, it probably wouldn’t do any good.
Ashleyuk1984 replied:
Even then, it probably wouldn't do any good.
As is always the case when dealing with the majority of professors.
I Appreciate the help from those who’ve actually helped.
And for those who are telling me not to ask here… This is called the “Helpdesk” – “Get help with just about anything and everything”. The reason I asked here is because I received no help from the Student Union, Student Services, My Course Tutor or the Head of Dept… I felt I had nowhere else to turn and I know how much of a great community Warez-BB has!
I’m not making out that the world is against me, I had a genuine issue which I needed help with, not only me but a large portion of my friends had this same issue.
And no, my course wasn’t a “Mickey Mouse Course”. It was Computer Science and for those who are genuinely interested I had a programming exam. Sat behind a screen I can program quite adequately but pen to paper is a different story. If this exam wasn’t put in I would have passed the module with 87/100 which is equivalent to a First Class Honours degree.
I just hope when you’re struggling with something you get the same help you gave me, your input wasn’t necessary! Troll all you like, my issue is now sorted.
Once again, thanks to those who had helpful input. I really appreciated it.
-Mods can close this now, if anyone else has a similar issue to mine feel free to PM me and I will let you know everything I did to rectify the problem. Thanks.