Devastated DD - awful reference

[AnonymousStudentParent]

My undergraduate DD recently asked her Personal Tutor, by email, whether he could be her referee for a summer school (prestigious, with a generous scholarship scheme). She attached a link to the website of the summer school and underscored the information relating to the reference. She didn't hear back from her Personal Tutor immediately but after about 3 weeks he emailed briefly saying he'd already submitted the reference (she had anticipated him getting back to her for clarification on a couple of things she had done that she had mentioned in the email that he didn't know about). Yesterday she had a quick beginning of term meeting with him when he outlined to her the devastating terms of the reference, basically saying she was too young and under qualified for the summer school but a nice hardworking person if they wanted to take a chance on her.

My DD is neither too young nor under qualified for the summer school - quite the contrary, she's very amply qualified (though mostly outside the scope of her degree). It's in an area she is extremely knowledgeable about and she has properly researched the summer school. She spent several days in the Christmas holidays writing the extensive application.

She was too flabbergasted to react (and her time with the PT was up) on the spot. Needless to say, this isn't good for her self-confidence. Any advice to how she goes back to the PT and asks him whether he can spend a few minutes looking at the website and her application and rethink his hasty judgement? The deadline for submission of the application isn't for another couple of weeks.

Or he could simply have asked her! It's not unreasonable to expect a small degree (sic) of interest and involvement from a PT...

I started this thread in order to garner ideas to help her think through a potential follow up appointment. Keeping raking over what should have been done differently in the past is pointless because my DD could not possibly have done anything differently. She followed the policies and procedures rigorously. The point of the thread is to get input about moving forward. It would be helpful if posters could stop trying to rewrite the past and frame the situation as my DD having done something wrong and deserving all she got, which is victim blaming.

My DD would be the very first to respond to such an email. She loves talking to the academics at her university. Some of them are much more available than others and she is quite mature enough to appreciate that eg the ones with young children and long commutes aren't going to have as much time to invest as the ones who are older and live close by.

@poetryandwine This basically sums up the advice that I gave DD yesterday. She has two additional referees listed on her CV, neither from her current university. One of the two is well known to the summer school and is one of my DD's biggest fans. Perhaps, if the summer school is puzzled by the wording of the reference, they will contact the PT for clarification or indeed contact another referee? At least they option is there.

I trialled the tease idea on my DD and she was adamant that wasn't the vibe. She's a pretty shrewd judge so I shall leave that idea behind.

She provided 100% of the information and supporting documentation that her university's policy on reference requests allowed and permitted.

They are just listed on her CV as referees. No other action is required.

@poetryandwine It’s not unheard of for companies to ask a referee to comment on suitability for the job. That clearly can move the reference into a subjective area. Therefore this could have been the case here and we don’t know what the summer school asked for. All we know is that the PT was inaccurate. It’s pretty clear no one should include inaccuracies in a reference.

I'm not victim blaming. I asked a question. Your DD has not yet had a follow up appointment with her PT, nor did she ask for one during her initial meeting. My guess is that is one of the reasons your DD has had problems in this situation. Some of this situation was in her control. It is a good lesson for next time.

There is a single reference request on the application form for the summer school. The referee must be an academic at the applicant's current institution (these are the rules of the summer school). My DD's university requires her to ask her PT in the first instance to be her referee (rules of her university), which she did. The summer school requires as one of the supporting documents a CV. My DD has listed on her CV three referees, one of whom is her current PT and the other two are from elsewhere. They aren't being asked to supply anything. Get it?

You are victim blaming just as much as you are being passive aggressive. Your lack of self-awareness is hysterical.

Ok, no problem. Reporting this as a personal attack.

OP, in her final year your DD will be asked to fill in the National Survey of Student Satisfaction (NSS).

Aside from anything else, the rules around requesting letters of reference and requesting to see your PT sound unhelpful. ( My university is ‘upper Russell Group’ and the VC would come down hard on any School with this rigidity) She and her peers - others must also get frustrated - will have the chance to express their concerns directly to the Office for Students.

That is a good point.

However, I am finding head scratching that if a student has something important to discuss with a PT, that they cannot or are limited to 10 minutes a term. My goodness sakes, when I had a tutee with a problem, they could make an appointment and come in. We had feedback hours (used to be called office hours) scheduled every week for students to come and see us about things, no appointment needed...I think it was 2-3 hours?

Everyone I know will see a personal tutee by appt within a day or so, and not just for 10 min.

We also changed the name from Office Hour to Feedback Hour, I suppose to address that infernal NSS question on Feedback. We generally have one per week, more if there is demand. But that is seldom.

In my experience it is the ones with young children and who have to organise their days around commutes and drop-offs that are the most efficient and responsive to students. .