to think graduating with a 2:1 is not the same as graduating with a First?

[ClaudiaGooselover]

I am due to graduate this week from a top RG Uni, which is a massive achievement considering I've completed my studies around difficult life circumstances and having four children. I have achieved a First. However, my university sent me a letter saying I have a 2:1. When I queried it they said one assignment was three months late so I received no mark for it. This was incorrect and I was able to provide the mark and comment sheet to demonstrate I actually submitted it early.

They are now 'liasing' about this and said they'll just change my certificate after graduation if need be. Aibu to think that this isn't good enough? I've told everyone at uni and from my family who are attending that I have a First, I wanted the experience of being announced as a First after how hard I've worked to achieve it.

Can you decline to graduate this year if they haven't sorted it?

I really wouldn't trust them to fix this afterwards.

It may be too late to change the program for everyone but they could print off some correct ones just for you and your family.

It will be sorted out and you will get your first. Well done BTW I bet you are over the moon.

Ours had all the firsts up first and then everyone else in alphabetical order.

Fight it! It is a great achievement after a lot of work (especially with dcs).

You deserve it.

YANBU At some universities, the graduation programme book presented at the graduation ceremony has the names listed under the degree, is listed under grade.

OP - when is the ceremony? It could be that they've already sent the proofs to the printers so don't want to pay for the amendments. Fight it. You've earned First, they made the mistake

It's the attitude that would really annoy me. How dare they be so casual about it. It is their mistake, insist they put it right before graduation.

Mine and others that I have attended graduate alphabetically not by grade.

Fight it if you feel you should have a first however you kind of lost me at the 'RG university' bit. It as if anyone who doesn't is somehow inadequate.

We went to a graduation last week - everyone went up alphabetically, but when the names were announced, it was "Joe Bloggs, first class honours" for those with firsts, and everyone else just had their name announced.

I got a first and they didn't acknowledge whatsoever it except for a letter to say congratulations, come do a masters.....and pay for it.

On my graduation they also did a special acknowledgement for people with a first, both in the ceremony and the paper program. Everyone else was lumped in together. Fight it!

Yanbu of course it matters!

I hear they mark the ex-poly's certificates with a black mark, just so no future employer gets confused and mistakes them for a top RG graduate.

It doesn't seem right at all for them to be so casual about it as it would obviously be a big deal to any student. Who have you spoken to about it?

Of course they need to change it before the graduation. When is the ceremony?

Oh, and well done!

Off topic but is all this Russell Group thing new? Because I went to one and had no idea it was a thing!

I work in academia and the Russell Group thing seems only to be a Big Deal on MN. They are a group of good universities, don't get me wrong, but the way the term is bandied about on here is hilarious.

I went to an ex poly, and we went up alphabetically but those of us with firsts got an announcement as we went up.

We went alphabetically also. And a First is an amazing achievement and it really matters that they get this right.

Ahh - just checked! Graduation, if for Reading Uni, is Wednesday-Friday this week. They may have time to change the programme dependent on day. Or they can can insert a paper declaring your grade into each programme. Both of which, if not enough time, they may refuse to do due to money constraints (uni's are quite hard up financially at the moment). The least they can do is do specific programmes for your family but expect them to drag their heels on this as well. They should be able to call you up with others who received a first. And I don't know about certs as mine was posted before the ceremony.

My father opened it, framed it, put it on his wall and then told me

Having printed the programme is no excuse for not awarding the correct degree on the day. Errata slips exist for this very reason.

And even if class isn't mentioned in the ceremony or programme, why would they think it's OK to publicly hand someone the wrong official piece of paper?

Off topic but is all this Russell Group thing new? Because I went to one and had no idea it was a thing!

It's not new but it didn't exist in the 1980s for example. It reflects the research status of the university rather than anything else but the universities that belong to this group have always been universities rather than polytechnics or colleges of higher education.

I went to a RG university. It's status was never mentioned by anyone at the time and I'd never even heard the term until joining Mumsnet.

That's by the by though. OP deserves to have her First acknowledged on the certificate.

I'd be fighting it by saying "well ifa top RG Uni can't get a simple thing like this right..."

If they call you alphabetically with no mention of grades that's one thing. But if the calling is by grade that's quite another.

I bet they've already printed that material and that's why they won't change it before the ceremony.

It is definitely not unknown for a module grade to get missed out and then that to affect the final grade.

Kick up a fuss.