To be annoyed at my unis response

[Stansmith01]

This is my first time posting posting in AIBU, I don't know whether I should've posted here or in the higher education boards... oh well
I've just finished my first year and wanted to change courses because I found it be to rather underwhelming (def not worth the extortionate fees I'm paying). I wanted to change to a joint honours course (so staying with half of my course but studying a new half alongside). I contacted my course director at uni who kindly took the time to meet me to discuss my options etc. I met all the academic entry requirements, and I could show her I was genuinely interested in the new course (had done my own research, spoken to other students etc). We discussed lots of the modules, and I'd got the impression that I'd be allowed to switch courses. However she said that she'd have to contact the admissions staff to finalise everything. Fair enough I thought, but I received a response from the admissions officer today which left me feeling quite annoyed. I guess deep down I know a part of the reason I'm annoyed is because they said no... but AIBU for being disappointed with their flippant response.

They emailed me saying "Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately, it is not possible to offer you a place on x course"

No reason given, two bloody sentences?! I feel as if the admissions officer simply couldn't be bothered to help me, as they haven't offered to meet me or explain alternative options. I meet the entry requirements and this is not a prestigious university, courses are regularly in clearing. I haven't replied because I don't want to seem too pushy/rude

I'm thinking of meeting my personal tutor to vent my frustration, as the admissions officer hasn't even let me put my case forward just a simple no. Or should I just give up?
Considering fees are 9k+, AIBU to expect better communication

stan don't worry, I took so long typing my reply you had already answered my question (which others had asked as well in the meantime!)

Are the entry requirements the same for next year? Have they room for you to do the course? They may only allow so many to do the joint honours course.

dray, degrees cost what they always did. The difference is only that the cost is no longer subsidised by the government. You could hope to make universities more accountable - and I don't think it'd be unfair - but it's a red herring to think it's about where fees are paid and by whom.

Parents can't be given information because the issue is one of privacy. You don't have the right to another adult's confidential info, even if they're your child. The same would be true if you rang your adult child's GP expecting them to tell you what was going on with their health. It's human to worry, but that doesn't mean it'd be ethical for anyone to treat an adult student as anything less than an adult.

As to laughable contact hours ... are they, really? I think it might depend where you are and what is counted. I notice, for example, that some students (not most!) think 'contact hours' means 'the hours in which I wished to see someone' and not 'the hours I chose not to turn up to my supervisor's office hours, my supervisor's revision sessions, my library's training sessions, my course's special workshop ...etc.'

Have you checked that you meet all the entry requirements for the new course? They'll have all their offer out - deadline day was a couple of weeks ago.

First year results from mother uni won't let you move. It'll be your ucas points. Otherwise uni could get sued.

Huh?

Why on earth would the university be sued? And why couldn't she move?

Taking the results from a different uni and admitting on the basis of those not ucas scores could be seen to be preferential treatment towards that person .

Even in the uni I worked in, to move course internally you always always needed to have a first in your initial course - i.e. Over 70% in your first year as an average of all your modules.

How could it be seen as preferential treatment? Since most universities don't base every single application on UCAS scores anyway, I would think it would be hard to make the case. It would be differentiated treatment, sure - but then, the OP would be applying from a different basis from that of students fresh out of A Levels.

Because university scores aren't standardised across universities in the way that a levels are

True, but nor are A Levels standardised with any of the many other measures through which universities typically offer students places. And I have yet to see anyone worrying about being sued for offering a place to a student without A Levels, or a mature student, or indeed a student moving from another university.

They are standardised across exam boards or at least the theory is that they are.

Students moving to our university from another would have to meet the ucas requirements for that new course in the year in which they applied. They would have to reapply via ucas and take their chance with the new applicants.

Mature students need an access course if they don't have standard a levels or btecs and if they are going to apply via an APEL route they need a substantial portfolio of evidence and will be interviewed. And possibly will have to do one or two modules on a part time basis first.

That may be so for your university, but it's not the case everywhere, and I find it quite hard to believe the rationale is that the university is worried about being sued!

Mature students do not need access courses always. Again, this might well just be your place.

Pretty much all universities deal with a tiny (but, cumulatively, noticeable) number of students who don't have qualifications that match up easily to UCAS - because they were home schooled, because they are from countries where people rarely transfer to the UK, whatever. Last year I had to look up a qualification because I'd never seen it before, and nor had the much more experienced admissions tutor.

For students swapping from one university to another, first year exams may or may not be valuable, but the university in question could tell the OP that, and I'm absolutely certain they won't make her feel she's risking having them sued.

I presume you found it on Naric?

We do have an APEL process as I mentioned but it is very small.

We run specific access courses with the colleges of FE thar map to UG degrees.

i can assure you that the legal opinion was that first year exams at another university should not be used for a student who wishes to enter a different course at a different university. In that situation we asked the student to reapply via ucas and admitted them based on ucas score.

I have seen it done once on a professional course which was regulated where a student had compelling reason to transfer and in that case a combination of professional exams and ucas and marks at the other university was used.

I don't really think the specifics are worth arguing over. The op asked a question re the response of her admissions team, and I was just trying to be helpful and explain that we had had advice that a simple"sorry that will not be possible" was not a surprising response.

Op. I hope you get it sorted. It might be worth asking them if you should reapply via ucas.

If there are no places on the course there are no places on the course, I don't know why you expect more from the admissions department than a simple yes or no.