Most of my readers usually like these recollections of conversations, so I'm throwing yall a bone here. The premise is an "international" student who was recently kicked out of *insert certain private university located in Dallas* and couldn't understand why he couldn't "just come to our university." Dialouge is as follows:
- Me-Enrollment Services, this is Leanne. Can I help you sir?
- Student-*sounding like Apu from the Simpsons...no I do not want a slushee* Yes, I have questions about transfering to your university.
- Me-Okay no problem, I can certainly help you with that.
- Student-*hesitant* Uh, I need to speak with an 'official' admissions counselor. My situation is very specific. Is there a gentelman I can speak with?
- Me-*dramatically rolling my eyes and wanting to vomit...sexist pig* Actually sir, I am an 'official' admissions counselor, and the rest of our staff is currently in training sessions for the rest of the day and every day this week. This includes my supervisor, Mr. Sanchez. So no one else is available but myself. I can assist you or you will have to call back next week.
- Student-*hesistant, again*-Okay, I 'guess' I can talk to you...I am interesting in transfering to your university for Computer Science. I am currently at *insert certain private university located in Dallas*, but was recently academically suspended due to some family problems and an assault warrant. I want to come to your university in the fall to finish my degree.
- Me-Well sir, that is going to be difficult for you. Any state university in Texas, by law, cannot admit students who are currently on any type of probation or suspension. If you are wanting to transfer here, you will need to either get back in good standing with your current institution, or attend a community college first. Plus the application deadline had passed anyway, and at this point there is no guarantee we could make an admission decision in time. Also, most classes are already full. Either way, we cannot, by law, admit you.
- Student-*getting irritated* Well I just don't understand that. Is there just a fee I can pay to bypass the policy? Why would I have to fill out an application? Do I have to turn in a current transcript for the admission process. When (again, he said "when") I'm admitted can I just ask the professor for permission to be in the class? Quite frankly I don't see why you can't just let me in since I am a student at (in a snobbish manner) *insert certain private university located in Dallas* Your university is second rate to mine, so based on that alone I should just be able to take classes.
- Me-*gritting my teeth and trying not to reach through the phone to choke the guy*-The reason why every new student has to fill out an application is because it is a.) mandatory, and b.) the state and university, again by law, needs an official record of every student that is admitted and takes classes at the university. Professors cannot hold spots in their classes, this is university policy. Once it's full, it's full. And yes, you would be required to submit both an application AND an official transcript for the admissions process. If you don't, we can't make a decision without it. Plus, witholding certain academic information is considered academic fraud, which a felony, and could potentially cause the university to lose it's accredidation. Therefore, literally thousands upon thousands of students degrees, including my husband's, would then be null, void, and useless. Also, our university is NOT second rate, as you so eloquently put it. It was actually founded by one of the top, multi-billion dollar technical companies in the entire world. We still have extremely close ties with that company, which offers us millions of dollars in research grants and funds. YOUR university, however, does not receive such types of grants and fundings. Our engineering and computer science graduates on average start out with yearly salaries of 60-70 thousand a year. And quite frankly sir, it doesn't matter if a student is coming from a community college or MIT, poor academic standing is poor academic standing, that's it. Again, because you are on suspension from your most recent institution, our university, much any other state university in Texas, absolutely cannot admit you. And a word of advice, it isn't a good idea to refer to a university in which you are trying to admitted to as second rate, especially to an admissions official.
- Student-That is ludicrous (oooooo, BIG words!). I just understand WHY you can't make an exception for me? Is there any way I can appeal this and fight for myself?
- Me-Sir, state policy is state policy. I could lose my job over making an exception just for you (like I care, I have two days left, but he didn't know that), and as said before, the university could potentially lose it's accrediation, funding, and cause many students degrees to be null and void. Honestly, no one in their right mind is going to take on the state of Texas and its' policies on their own. It's set in stone and their for a reason. We are just not going to accept students with sub-par academic history, especially if they have been kicked out of school. Hypothetically if we were to make one exception, we would have to make exceptions for everyone. And plus we are not a private university, nor a community college. Admission standards and policies are concrete, we can't make case-by-case decisions. You could try another private university or a local community college to see if they will make an exception, but we can't because our standards and expecations are much higher than sub-par.
- Student-*long pause* Well...thanks for nothing I guess...
- Me-*smug and smiling* You're certainly welcome! Have a great day!
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