I finished all requirements for my program, was pinned, and "graduated" this May. However, on June 1st I received an email from the Records Dept saying my record was "deficient", Nursing Dept clarified that was not the case and filled out the forms to fix my problem. About a month later only my lecture grade had been changed from an incomplete to my appropriate letter grade but my clinical grade was still a unsatisfactory. The Nursing Dept filled out ANOTHER form to fix the issue.
By July 6th my grades were fixed and I submitted my application to the Nursing Dept (that's what we do at my school). A week later, it turns out my transcripts were still not released to the Nursing Dept for them to send to the BON. When the Nursing Dept contacted the Records Dept the said they would not be releasing them until AUGUST 15th. A FULL MONTH LATER! Why so long? I don't know! Anyway, the Nursing Dept assured me they would request that their release be expedited. I contacted various individuals in the Records Dept multiple times via telephone and email to ask about the status of the release of my transcripts and I got ZERO response from anyone! I contacted the President of the University and no response.
On August 11th my transcripts were FINALLY released to the Nursing Dept and personally walked over to the BON. However, the transcripts list my degree date as AUGUST 8, 2015. OH. HELL. NO. I graduated in May. I have already had my NCLEX delayed for 3 months. And the Records Dept still will not contact me.
I will guess I will reach out to the President's Office one more time, not sure if I should mention if I once again receive no response that I will be contacting the BON, the Tennessee Board of Regents, hiring a lawyer, and contacting local news stations.
The problem with hiring a lawyer is it takes on a life of its own, you never know where its going to end up, and you can never put that genie back in the bottle.
It sounds more like you were inconvenienced by your school, not screwed over. Screwed over is when your school loses accreditation halfway through the program.
Well, this is why I was asking for suggestions. You all think yourselves very clever for ripping me a new one, don't you! Congrats. Maybe I won't hire a lawyer but maybe the threat of one would put a little fire in their britches. Yes, I have the transcripts, but is it really okay for students to have to put up with having their lives put on hold for 3 months? I don't think so, my classmates don't think so, my coworkers don't think so. I'm just supposed to deal with my transcripts saying I graduated in August when I really graduated in May? I did MY job for 2 years, passed my tests, did my clinicals, and earned my grades...so yes, I expect them to do their jobs now.
I'm not so concerned with having a bad rap with the "nursing community", my school has already done that for themselves.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Well, this is why I was asking for suggestions. You all think yourselves very clever for ripping me a new one, don't you! Congrats. Maybe I won't hire a lawyer but maybe the threat of one would put a little fire in their britches. Yes, I have the transcripts, but is it really okay for students to have to put up with having their lives put on hold for 3 months? I don't think so, my classmates don't think so, my coworkers don't think so. I'm just supposed to deal with my transcripts saying I graduated in August when I really graduated in May? I did MY job for 2 years, passed my tests, did my clinicals, and earned my grades...so yes, I expect them to do their jobs now.
I'm not so concerned with having a bad rap with the "nursing community", my school has already done that for themselves.
What would've "put a fire in their britches" is seeing you in person, angry. Not a phone call or e-mail, which is so easily ignored. But that's on you, you decided to send e-mail after e-mail & phone call after phone call even after they went ignored.
No you would have a bad rap if you contacted the media and/or got a lawyer. But if you don't care about the ill effects of that, that's all on you. I would much rather have a long & healthy nursing career than start it off like this.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Well, this is why I was asking for suggestions. You all think yourselves very clever for ripping me a new one, don't you! Congrats. Maybe I won't hire a lawyer but maybe the threat of one would put a little fire in their britches. Yes, I have the transcripts, but is it really okay for students to have to put up with having their lives put on hold for 3 months? I don't think so, my classmates don't think so, my coworkers don't think so. I'm just supposed to deal with my transcripts saying I graduated in August when I really graduated in May? I did MY job for 2 years, passed my tests, did my clinicals, and earned my grades...so yes, I expect them to do their jobs now.
I'm not so concerned with having a bad rap with the "nursing community", my school has already done that for themselves.
If your final grade wasn't updated until August then August IS your graduation date as you did not complete all assignments and courses in May as evidenced by an incomplete.
What exactly do you want an attorney to do? You have your transcripts. You are in the process of getting nclex eligibility. Inconvenience is not considered compensable damages in civil court. Do you want to consult an attorney to have your transcript corrected? What exactly do you want "a fire lit" to do as you transcripts have been released and forwarded to the BoN. An attorney will have zero influence on BoN processing of your application. You cannot prove you would have passed the NCLEX or even had an ATT in June.
Is it frustrating?
If you had an incomplete in May you did not complete graduation requirements. Most schools offer graduation in May, August & December. If you still had an incomplete with a clinical failure as of June 1 then you did not meet graduation requirements for May and as such your transcript would accurately reflect an August graduation date, the next month for graduation. If your grade was not adjusted until September your transcripts would have a December graduation date.
I DID complete all assignments and requirements in MAY, the error was on them. THEY entered the information incorrectly. I'll just have to deal with their error on my transcripts, on my diploma, and every time I write my resume, or fill out a job application...gotchya!
Did anyone think that maybe it was not so easy for me to just drop in the office angry? Especially when it's very likely to be told "no one" was available to help, which is their usual response.
Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I DID complete all assignments and requirements in MAY, the error was on them. THEY entered the information incorrectly. I'll just have to deal with their error on my transcripts, on my diploma, and every time I write my resume, or fill out a job application...gotchya!
Did anyone think that maybe it was not so easy for me to just drop in the office angry? Especially when it's very likely to be told "no one" was available to help, which is their usual response.
Your graduation date is still August, whether you want to accept it or not.
You might have finished everything in May but there still is processing time. Apparently it took 2 months to process everything.
Well, did you ever stop by in person or are you just going by what they said in the e-mails & phone calls? Like I have said several times, you can't avoid someone that is right there or if you made an appointment with someone maybe that would've solved all your problems.
If you decide to go to the news or get a lawyer, think about what it might do to your potential nursing career.
"I finished in May and they didn't confer the degree until August." - That's all you will have to say if anyone asks. Some colleges only confer degrees once a year.
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
I DID complete all assignments and requirements in MAY, the error was on them. THEY entered the information incorrectly. I'll just have to deal with their error on my transcripts, on my diploma, and every time I write my resume, or fill out a job application...gotchya!
Did anyone think that maybe it was not so easy for me to just drop in the office angry? Especially when it's very likely to be told "no one" was available to help, which is their usual response.
Did you not know there was a theory course marked incomplete and a clinical marked failure before June 1? Were these last semester requirements so you wouldn't have seen the error in the pregraduation audit? Did you not have access to final grades before June 1?
I'd think it an advantage especially since many new grad programs are based on graduation date, you have 3 extra months now than those with May graduation dates.
Your frustration is palpable. But you need to ask your self what outcome you wish to get from involving an attorney or news media? If the incomplete was present on June 1 then you didn't meet May requirements. I don't understand what fire you seek to light. Maybe I'm misunderstanding.
I DID complete all assignments and requirements in MAY, the error was on them. THEY entered the information incorrectly. I'll just have to deal with their error on my transcripts, on my diploma, and every time I write my resume, or fill out a job application...gotchya!
No one else in the world, certainly not any future employers, cares whether you graduated in May or in August, just that you graduated. What do you think you're going to have to "deal with" on your diploma, resume', and job applications?
meanmaryjean, DNP, RN
7,899 Posts
Addendum: I hope you remember this and reflect upon it the first time YOU make an error that causes someone REAL HARM. Because you will (we all have).