Can my uni throw me out immediately? Really upset pls help

[incrediblydistraught]

Late paying last installment for my masters degree, having some financial difficulty. I went in and spoke to them and asked if would be ok to finish paying by August followed up with call last week.

They have suspended me now and can't access any of my student accounts. I have called and am really distraught I can't fucking cope I have just spent £8000 and a whole year trying to make myself more employable AND THE WHOLE THING IS A FUCKING WASTE.

Nobody could say if they will let me finish. I don't know what to do I feel so misled as far as I knew it was ok to finsih paying by August and then suspending my email how the fuck can I communicate with anyone at the uni to even try t o resolve it????????

Shaking with fear no matter what I do how hard I try it all gets taken away from me I am a laughing stock. I have paid £8000 all for nothing, my grades are all good and its all for nothing.

True Grace, but at my university we only have a policy of not responding to emails from non-university accounts where the student has access to a university account. Where a student can't access their university account then, obviously, people accept emails from other accounts. My university is one of the most inflexible, kafkaesque institutions in the UK - its utterly shit, surreal approach to admin is famous across the whole sector - but even we don't refuse to take emails from students who can't actually email us from their university accounts because they've been locked out of them.

Anyway OP, hope this gets sorted out for you asap. Remember, they want the completion stat, they want your money - they will sort this out for you.

Does your Uni use a system called MyCampus by any chance? If so it's the devil, not fit for purpose, and this might be a error on the institution's part. Even if not, could be that kind of an error.

I know it's anxiety-inducing but I strongly recommend you go to speak to people face-to-face about this. Student Welfare or equivalent are a good start. Is there a Programme Administrator for your particular Masters course or is that the person on hol? They can be incredibly useful in giving you the right contacts within Finance or wherever so that you aren't wasting time and energy being passed round the houses.

But FatherBuzz how would you know that they are locked out? Or do you mean you’d read them, but just not reply if you knew they still had access to Uni email?

.... also this poster is right:

"Anyway OP, hope this gets sorted out for you asap. Remember, they want the completion stat, they want your money - they will sort this out for you."

The latter Grace. No-one is going to automatically bin an email with a title that suggets it's from a student in trouble, so you would have to open it to see what it is and who it's from.

I’d have hoped not, but Jango said specifically that non-Uni account emails might not be read. So I guess her Uni is more draconian.

Just to say it isn't Draconian. It is all about confidentiality. The Uni address is set up between Uni and student, with all the usual warnings about not sharing access - which is a disciplinary matter.

Outside emails could be anyone and so get ignored. That has been standard since emails became possible. I used to be moaned at a lot for ignoring DaisyMooMoo when s/he emailed asking for an extension or some advice or a rehash of a whole terms worth of learning. Oddly I was always responsive to the .ac.uk requests.

Not to mention the horrific amount of phishing emails the uni receives - constant battle at both I've worked!

Sorry to have potentially been the cause of yet more anxiety. At my institution we have a 3 line whip about the personal email thing, it might not be a problem at yours. Most staff would probably read it but it's not guaranteed.

As a pp said it is not currently teaching time at a lot of places so staff might not be very responsive/ physically in their offices but there will be someone in the department. Phoning around until you get someone will be faster. Yes, academics can't change do anything with the finance system but they can give advice (you won't be the first) I think you need some quick reassurance right now. They will also probably get more information faster than you can yourself.

Another poster mentioned the students union, they will also be able to advise you.

Sorry, Maybe draconian was the wrong word, but interesting then that both of you (Random and Curious) would agree with Jango that an email from a non-Uni address would not even be read? I’m asking because OP was talking about emailing her tutor(s) tonight?

Cross post.

I'm another member of academic staff, and we would definitely see/read personal emails in a situation like this.

Also, our work numbers have voicemail that emails us a sound file of any messages - so we get messages wherever we are.

If you can't seem to reach your tutor by phone or email, the department secretary/admin is also a good place to go to put you through to the last place.

Your tutor/ director of your MA/ other academic staff might not be able to sort the problem directly, but they certainly can start phoning the right people and figuring out what you need to do.

Part of our jobs, OP, and definitely not intrusive! Good luck!

I hope my explanation made you see it is a sensible precaution, Grace You wouldn't believe what sort of thing we get asked... and an embargo on DaisyMooMoo once made it easy for me NOT to supply one student with another's transcript - a sackable offence. The email was quite believable too.

Please call your tutor ASAP. They will want to know what the finance team are doing to their good students. Your tutors don't want you to be chucked off their course.

Please, contact them ASAP.

P.s. the personal email thing might sound nuts but we've had some awful attempts at impersonating students before now!

Absolutely Curious, I wasn’t necessarily questioning the policy, just trying to help OP get a sense of whether there would be any point in sending an email from a personal account. FatherBuzz thought that a clear title suggesting a student in distress would result in the email being read but sounds from what you say that this could just be dismissed as a classic phishing tactic?

Outside emails could be anyone and so get ignored. That has been standard since emails became possible

Sorry if this derailing OP, but Samphire you're not saying you only open internal emails are you? Or even only ac.uk emails from other institutions? How do you deal with reference requests from employers, emails from prospective PhDs, interview requests from media?

OP it's been a few years since I worked in the uni system but I absolutely would have wanted to know if a student of mine had been in this situation. Phoning isn't intrusive - they can ignore a call if they don't want to answer it. As PP have said, it is in the university's interests for you to pass.

Honestly, I can't handle this. This degree was me rebuilding my confidence after years of shit and was doing so well and its all for NOTHING.

You're catastrophising, which isn't surprising when your confidence is low. Plus, when shit keeps happening it's easy to assume that more will. However, it is highly, highly unlikely that the university will want this to come to nothing. They're just large organisations with complex and sometimes faulty systems. Once you're back from your appointment draw up a list of things to do then work your way through it. Remember, they want you to pass. Chances are that once you've organised a payment plan with them this will all be sorted.

Remember they may well be towards the end of the exam period and right in the throes of marking. It's a busy time for universities. So you can get this sorted, but allow for them to be busy.

At my university, we request that emails are sent from the students university account or an alternative email account that has been recorded against their student record.

@incrediblydistraught I would call your tutors, it is not intrusive at all, it is their job. You did well in their classes which will help.
Is there no way you can borrow/take a loan for the outstanding amount?

OP, do you have a student loan? You can still apply for one.
It's paid directly to you.

@OP

you ought to have names of people you spoke to, and keep a record of contacts, conversations and so on.

"suspend" implies a temporary action that should get sorted.

As you are older than most of the students, you ought to have some experience that will help you resolve this calmly.

I think you should talk to your tutors. It can't do any harm, and they might be able to help.

Good luck.

At my university, we request that emails are sent from the students university account or an alternative email account that has been recorded against their student record

So how is a student supposed to contact you if their account has been cut off in error?

So how is a student supposed to contact you if their account has been cut off in error?

From their alternative email address recorded against their student record? Or in person?

So how is a student supposed to contact you if their account has been cut off in error?
Apply knuckles to door, rap sharply. It's called knocking. If you can't find the tutor's office go to the degree office.

Studying for a postgraduate degree it's reasonable to assume you're an adult with some knowledge of how the world works. If you can't figure out how to contact your tutor in the event of a simple email failure, how do you suppose you'll manage on the degree?