Equal rights?

You would think you have as much rights as any other students in the University … ye .. you would think so until something hit you hard one day.

Last year, I wanted to apply for an outside module on top of my normal cat loads (which sums up to 120+15 =135cats). I've done the paper work to request permission from that department and handed in the forms in to my department promptly.

Everything was fine when term started, the module was on my OMR list, and I have checked with that department that, if the module is on, im registered for examinations.

It was until the end of October, when my department rang up to say that I am "allowed" to take this module, but it wont count to my degree, and that I wont be registered for the examinations, and it is not advisable to take more than 120cats anyway …

Why? Because the Department thinks that 120cats is the best workload for a student, and the equation for calculating our marks can only apply to exactly 120 cats, no more and no less. That is the policy of the department The last thing the Department Secretary said to me was "You can speak to the Vice Chancellor about this if you have any more problems."

The message that got across me was that, the policy wont change just because of you, you are 1 exceptional case, and you are only one student, you have no backup.

I was disappointed, frustrated and in total confusion.

Why hadnt they said so sooner? Could they have found out earlier that I have taken on more than the allowed cats load and told me before term had started? Because, by then, I have already attended a month's worth of lectures and seminars, bought the course text book, and then they told me what you are doing, is not worth it. I feel stupid.

What is the point of putting in time and effort into a module when it doesnt count to your degree? So I dropped this extra module. well, I dont see the point of being a guest student …

I got even more frustruated when I found out that students in the Science Faculty can take up to 180 cats if they wanted to. They use a different equation so calculate their results. What is more interesting is that if you do half as well in your extra cats modules as in your main modules, it will have a very positive effect on your overall results.

Which means,for example, if I get 50% overall in my main modules, and more than 25% in extra cats module B, it makes my results better, EVEN IF IT MEANS I FAILED MY EXTRA MODULE …

Full example here: link

Well … so what if I really wanted to this extra module? So what if Im confident that I will do well, Im not allowed, Im not in the Science Faculty. I dont have as much rights.

I brought this up only now because it took a long while for my friends to persuade me to bring this out to the public, they even asked me to bring this to the Student Union because this is not fair, and thats what the Student Union is there for … Im not so sure …

: 26 Jan 2006 14:21 |  Tags: Comments On University Policy |  Comments (9) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The Family Way

Book title: The Family Way

Author: Tony Parsons

Comment:

Bold and moving, fantastic reflection of reality.
A MUST READ!!

: 19 Jan 2006 17:42 |  Tags: Book Reviews |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem