Obligation to provide statements for past pupils?

[lazarusb]

My DD left university 3 years ago. She has recently been given a conditional offer for a Master's degree but needs her first university to provide a statement. It's apparently dad's responsibility to chase the reference but despite emails and phone calls, it's now been several weeks and if it isn't done in the next week, DD will lose her offer. Do former tutors/universities have an obligation to provide these?

I would provide one - if the student contacted me.

if they got their parent to do it, it would be bottom of my to do list tbh.

I completely understand that you wouldn't respond to a parent. To be clear, that isn't what has happened here.

DD is just very concerned that she's going to lose her place next week without it and doesn't want to annoy her former tutor by having to keep contacting her.

We were just wondering if there was anything else we could do to prompt some action from the tutor?

Dd needs to contact them, shocked a parent would get involved.

Your adult child is making her dad do her university admin? How is she not embarrassed by this and how are both you and him letting it happen??

I’m fairly sure the “dad” in the OP is autocorrected “dd”.

Who says it’s not the DD wondering what to do? She’s presumably sent the emails! I would ring the department. Maybe her tutor isn’t there. Some tutors can be flaky on this.

No - DD stands for dear daughter on MN! She has been contacting the tutor but not getting any responses.

I was just wondering if there was anything else she could do to get a response from them. I'm not getting involved and neither is her father.

Sorry - didn't note the autocorrect mistake!

She has also called the department last week and said they would send a Teams message to the tutor. Still no response though.

Is there not anyone else she can contact? Who is the tutor she was contacting before? Her adviser of studies?

I would advise her to email another member of staff who she had a positive relationship with, like her dissertation supervisor or the lecturer in an elective module that she chose in her final year.

Does she need a reference or the transcript? You just said 'statement'.

Is there another tutor she can contact - 3rd year project supervisor for example?

Thank you @Precipice I will suggest she does that tomorrow.

I agree the PT should provide the reference letter, but realistically I don’t see how this can be forced. If there is no project supervisor or other alternative to step in at the last minute, I think DD should contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies or similar. Pronto.

This person may be able to motivate the PT. Even if they cannot, they will want Department alumnae to succeed and may be willing to write a letter confirming DD’s results and confirming the highlights of her UG career.

Note that to make this happen DD must report the facts without getting overly accusatory. She should say gently she possesses email showing that the first request was several weeks ago and sketch follow up attempts. It is very important that she be clear she has a conditional offer: this missing letter is a formality. I would title the email something like ‘Urgent formality’.

Best wishes to DD

PS I presume DD has sent at least one reminder

Thank you @poetryandwine Your advice is really helpful and I will pass that on to DD. She won't be accusatory, we both understand that her former tutor will be busy and has other calls on her time, particularly at the beginning of the new term.

Update, just in case you wanted to know - DD managed to actually speak to her former tutor at lunchtime. She hadn't seen any of the emails from either the new university, or DD. Also hadn't listened to dd's voicemail last week. But she did agree to write the reference this afternoon so hopefully DD will be able to register later this week. She's very relieved!

Great news, OP!