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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Uni dissertation problem

78 replies

BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:04

Dd in third year, doing joint honours, decided to do full dissertation (options were full diss or half diss + another module).

After a couple of weeks DD decided to change to a half diss. The system allowed her to change, and she checked with her diss supervisor that she could change, plus another staff member. They all said she could change.

Five weeks later, she's told that she can't change to a half dissertation as she's doing joint honours.

Dd is distraught as she has spent three weeks doing new module and has now lost five weeks of diss reading time. She had a meeting with the heads of both subjects, who were v sorry that dd had been told wrong info/been allowed to change diss options, and they said it will be v hard for her to catch up now.

Where does dd stand now? I want her to complain now and ask for some lenience in marks as this situation is not of her making and the same has happened to other students. Dd doesn't want to complain more in case her diss supervisor is prejudiced against her.

Dd has been told she can have a 2.5-week extension and will still be able to graduate in summer. If she has a longer extension, she will have to graduate in winter, and she doesn't want that.

Anyone in HE - can you advise me/dd? I'm cross that dd has been wrongly advised. This situation is not her fault. She's concerned that it will affect her final degree - the dissertation is 40% of the mark.

Thank you!

OP posts:
Muffinbakery · 26/02/2025 18:06

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:12

Oh, she will, thank you. But I wanted to know what to do re the uni.

OP posts:
CerealPosterHere · 26/02/2025 18:15

id Want details of exam board dates and deadline for the marks for the exam board. Final exam boards are normally in august with a marks deadline of early august. When are they offering her an extension till? I’d be pushing for the 5 week extension.

If she won’t make the exam board she could ask them to do a chairs action after the exam board for her individually. So not having to wait for the next exam board. The chair from the previous board just confirms her results when they’re ready. Doing this might get her to make the normal graduation ceremony.

where I work this would probably work from a timings pov but everywhere is different so may not be possible.

AmusedGoose · 26/02/2025 18:16

Sorry but it's better that she just gets on with it.

PattyDukeAstin · 26/02/2025 18:29

I agree with the pp - she just needs to get on with it. We cannot fix everything in life..and she does have an extention and the option of graduating later. What exactly do you want from them?

Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:31

CerealPosterHere · 26/02/2025 18:15

id Want details of exam board dates and deadline for the marks for the exam board. Final exam boards are normally in august with a marks deadline of early august. When are they offering her an extension till? I’d be pushing for the 5 week extension.

If she won’t make the exam board she could ask them to do a chairs action after the exam board for her individually. So not having to wait for the next exam board. The chair from the previous board just confirms her results when they’re ready. Doing this might get her to make the normal graduation ceremony.

where I work this would probably work from a timings pov but everywhere is different so may not be possible.

Thanks, that's helpful. I will talk to dd.

OP posts:
Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:31

AmusedGoose · 26/02/2025 18:16

Sorry but it's better that she just gets on with it.

Better for whom?

OP posts:
Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:32

PattyDukeAstin · 26/02/2025 18:29

I agree with the pp - she just needs to get on with it. We cannot fix everything in life..and she does have an extention and the option of graduating later. What exactly do you want from them?

A fair playing ground. The same time she would have had to prepare if the uni hadn't fucked up.

OP posts:
titchy · 26/02/2025 18:34

CerealPosterHere · 26/02/2025 18:15

id Want details of exam board dates and deadline for the marks for the exam board. Final exam boards are normally in august with a marks deadline of early august. When are they offering her an extension till? I’d be pushing for the 5 week extension.

If she won’t make the exam board she could ask them to do a chairs action after the exam board for her individually. So not having to wait for the next exam board. The chair from the previous board just confirms her results when they’re ready. Doing this might get her to make the normal graduation ceremony.

where I work this would probably work from a timings pov but everywhere is different so may not be possible.

Most UG ceremonies are in June/July so that wouldn't work - OP says she wants to be at the same ceremony as her friends.

She just needs to grit her teeth and get on with it frankly. It's a couple of weeks of extra hard work, not the end of the world or anything to catastrophise over.

Tumbleweed44 · 26/02/2025 18:35

Is it 5 weeks or 3 weeks since she was told she can change to now being told she cannot change? So it is 7 weeks in total for everyone else doing the full dissertation?

2 weeks was doing full dissertation changed mind and 2 weeks later after changing started the module, 3 weeks after starting module was told no can’t do it?

It is confusing in your OP as you say she has done 3 weeks of new module only.

titchy · 26/02/2025 18:36

She's been offered a solution that levels the playing ground. She doesn't want it. Yea it's a pain, but in the grand scheme of things isn't that major.

Addictedtowotsits · 26/02/2025 18:38

I changed the topic of my dissertation 1/2 way through the year and still got a 1st many years ago. It was bloody stressful but if I could do it, she can catch up those 2.5 weeks.

User0ne · 26/02/2025 18:40

If it's only 5 weeks then realistically she can just work harder for a bit (unless there's something you're not telling us like a disability).

It's not ideal but when she leaves university in the near future she will presumably want a job. You're probably aware that sometimes work deadlines change at short notice and that might require more work over a short timespan.

burnoutbabe · 26/02/2025 18:46

I assume though she would have started her dissertation back in October if she knew she was doing a full one? But could also have started her half one then.

(Assume one can do same topic for both types just one is longer than the other?)

CerealPosterHere · 26/02/2025 18:48

titchy · 26/02/2025 18:34

Most UG ceremonies are in June/July so that wouldn't work - OP says she wants to be at the same ceremony as her friends.

She just needs to grit her teeth and get on with it frankly. It's a couple of weeks of extra hard work, not the end of the world or anything to catastrophise over.

Show quote history

That’s why I said whether that would work or not for timing depends on the uni. Some unis have autumn graduation.

but even if a summer one, they’d then have an earlier exam board and chairs action is still worth asking about.

Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:51

User0ne · 26/02/2025 18:40

If it's only 5 weeks then realistically she can just work harder for a bit (unless there's something you're not telling us like a disability).

It's not ideal but when she leaves university in the near future she will presumably want a job. You're probably aware that sometimes work deadlines change at short notice and that might require more work over a short timespan.

Mmm, yes, of course, but this is the equivalent of everyone else being told at the start what the topic was and how long they had, then dd being told five weeks later!

OP posts:
turnyouralarmoff · 26/02/2025 18:51

titchy · 26/02/2025 18:36

She's been offered a solution that levels the playing ground. She doesn't want it. Yea it's a pain, but in the grand scheme of things isn't that major.

Yes this is correct. They're offering a longer extension but that means she'll miss the summer graduation - the academic process leading up to this plus the organisation of these events is considerable.

Obviously she should not have been allowed to switch but I also wonder if that is written somewhere in programme handbooks that your daughter should have been aware of? If not documented anywhere that would form a key part of my complaint.

She can go through the official complaints process and request longer extension/still graduate in the summer in case that can be accommodated outside the usual deadlines but aside from that I think pp are right and she just needs to get on with it .

It's not great timing for her but being resilient now will serve her in far better stead than holding herself back dwelling on it not being fair.

Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:51

burnoutbabe · 26/02/2025 18:46

I assume though she would have started her dissertation back in October if she knew she was doing a full one? But could also have started her half one then.

(Assume one can do same topic for both types just one is longer than the other?)

No, dissertation titles etc were only OKd by dissertation supervisors after Xmas.

OP posts:
CerealPosterHere · 26/02/2025 18:53

I get some of my final year students through via chairs action every year. I always have some trailing students who miss the main board due to no fault of their own or mine (midwifery students chasing birth numbers). I guess some unis may not be as flexible or maybe don’t even have it in their regulations as an option (?) in which case they might not do it. But it’s just a way of not having to wait for the next formal exam board. The uni should have a director of student experience (or similar title) she can complain to as well.

Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:54

Oh, she is being resilient! She's getting on with it.

But I'm cross, having paid £27k for this degree, to have this level of balls-up and stress for dd at this stage.

Subject heads confirmed that there was a fault with the system and that this has happened to other students; not DD's fault.

OP posts:
Original poster
BellissimoGecko · 26/02/2025 18:54

CerealPosterHere · 26/02/2025 18:53

I get some of my final year students through via chairs action every year. I always have some trailing students who miss the main board due to no fault of their own or mine (midwifery students chasing birth numbers). I guess some unis may not be as flexible or maybe don’t even have it in their regulations as an option (?) in which case they might not do it. But it’s just a way of not having to wait for the next formal exam board. The uni should have a director of student experience (or similar title) she can complain to as well.

Thank you. Will look this up.

OP posts:
Tumbleweed44 · 26/02/2025 18:57

But is it actually 3 weeks or 5 weeks? You’ve not answered my question?

InattentiveADHD · 26/02/2025 19:14

How long has she got to go? I wrote my entire dissertation (ADHD) in about 2 weeks and got a 2:1. My ADHD DS did similar.

They are also offering a 2.5 week extension and presumably a 5 week extension if she's happy to graduate later. This seems a very fair offer to make up for their mistake. I suspect they are unable to offer a longer extension and allow her to graduate on time or they would do this.

Tbh I'd want an extension rather than marks off as the latter is very arbitrary and also usually very limited on how much they can deduct (a couple of percent at most I'd suspect). Much better to know that the grading was accurate and reflective of her work imo.

Mistakes unfortunately happen but it sounds like the university are holding themselves to account and offering a couple of very fair options.

PattyDukeAstin · 26/02/2025 19:15

Life isn't always fair or smooth, it is not the end of the world. You can make expensive purchases and things still go wrong. Stepping in, getting cross really is not helping your daughter. Step back let her get on with the dissertation.

singletonatlarge · 26/02/2025 19:20

What a shame, but human error does happen. Your DD has had the choice of having a five week extension and graduating in the winter, or taking the shorter extension and graduating sooner. Fair enough to want to graduate in the summer, but I think she just has to get her head down and get on with it now.