Do we have no rights?

[blarn]

What are our rights as grad students when the school messes up? I have been playing catch up all semester due to being blocked out of my online courses at the start of the semester for some "unknown" reason that was not my fault. I was also majorly delayed in starting my clinical hours which was also the schools fault. These things may not seem like major inconveniences to some people, but to me they were. When you are living out of hotels and attending clinicals almost in another state, doing class work, taking tests, studying, working, driving back and forth, and just plain dealing with life..... To top it off every instructor grades differently and follows thier own set of rules and all the students know it. The school takes zero responsibility for any errors while students are expected to be held to a higher standard. Do we have no rights? I've went up the chain of command but it's me against a million. What would you do?

[broughden]

Simply speak to the professors and come to a mutual agreement on if you can hand in any assignments late due to the late start?

I guess I'm not really sure what the specific problem is that you're encountering?

Could you maybe tell us specificly what the problem is?

As for your avenues, as you said you have the chain of command with in the nursing school. Then if you are within a traditional university you also typically have an ombudsman's office and or the provost's office.

[blarn]

Yes I have tried to get them to understand how the schools errors have caused issues.. They simply do not care

[ICU2NP]

I think I would be transferring. What school is this? How do you get locked out of a course? Did they not find you a preceptor in time? We need more details, but I'm sorry. I would find another school.

[chare]

Your university should have a student handbook that addresses your rights and options. However, my thoughts are that if you started the course late, without addressing an adjusted syllabus with modified assignment due dates, you are likely going to be held to the same schedule as the rest if the class.

[Oldmahubbard]

You don't give any real specifics, so it is difficult to answer this, however, my experience in a similar situation was that any leeway will not be in favor of the student.

If you were initially blocked from courses, you should be able to resolve the delays with your instructors. I took many an incomplete during my graduate school years.

All the instructors grade differently? Welcome to the real world.

I understand how difficult it is to combine work and school, particularly if the school is in another part of the state. I did it for years. I ran in to some snags, to put it rather mildly.

However, from the tone of your post, I can't help but wonder if you have played a role, even a small role, in your difficulties.

[caliotter3]

If you keep on chafing at the bit with the school once you have determined they are not going to change anything in your favor, all you might accomplish is to put yourself in a permanent bad light. That can have its own consequences. If it is that bad for you, do as others have suggested, change programs.