Posts: 84
Threads: 21
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Mar 2006
I got back from abroad last week. I was there for about a month. The only exam remaining for me to complete my BSL is Math and I am taking a course at Penn Foster for it.
I have completed all the exams at Penn Foster except for the last proctored one. I am yet to receive that exam.
I called Excelsior today to find out if by completing all my requirements by June 15th (that was the date they gave me earlier when I called them..in March) I would be able to attend the July 13th commencement ceremony.
The advisor informed me that the last date to submit everything was May 18th
This means I will not be attending the ceremony.
I feel quite terrible about it as I am had been really really looking forward to attending it. My husaband and I have also been looking for tickets to Albany since last week and this comes as a blow to our plans.
I know I can attend it next year..but am sure I will not be as excited about it as I am now as I will have moved on in my life and studies by then.
The advisor did sense my disappointment and asked me to write a letter to the dean explaining my eagerness to attend.
I do not see anything much coming out of that because it seems it takes a while to get everything processed and am sure they will not go out of the way for just one person.
I will be writing the letter though and will keep my fingers crossed.
Adoncia
![[-]](https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/images/collapse.png)
•
Posts: 26
Threads: 1
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: May 2007
Adoncia,
I feel your pain. I took some spring semester web classes at UMUC to complete my Excelsior degree and think that it is ridiculous that the deadline is set so that it is not possible to attend commencement if you complete traditional spring semester coursework. Many of my classmates were able to attend UMUC commencement a week before final grades were released for one of those classes! My advisor made the same suggestion about writing to the dean, and I may consider it when all my transcripts have been received by Excelsior.
I am closely watching the incoming transcripts to see if I will even make the July conferral date or be pushed back to August. I have been accepted into a traditional fulltime graduate program in the fall and have no desire to attend commencement after a year of graduate school. That seems silly, and I will probably just wait for the conferral of my grad degree to walk in a ceremony.
Elizabeth
•
Posts: 84
Threads: 21
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Mar 2006
05-23-2007, 08:36 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-23-2007, 08:40 PM by adoncia.)
Wow Elizabeth..we seem to be on the same boat When are you going to be done with your last exam? I will be done around June 15th hopefully and was told by the advisor that bcoz of paper work that means my degree will be conferred in August. They should not penalize us for being just a few days late.
I just hope something could be worked out but the advisor I spoke to today said they hardly made any exceptions
I do plan to go to grad school too so hopefully might get the opportunity to attend a grad ceremony..someday, but right now feeling very bad about the entire situation.
Adoncia
•
Posts: 1,121
Threads: 46
Likes Received: 85 in 61 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Apr 2006
adoncia,
Please check your Private Messages.
JoAnne
•
Posts: 73
Threads: 14
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Nov 2006
Adoncia,
I can understand why you are so upset. I know how hard it is to have your mind set on your graduation date, and have it ripped away from you. I recently found out that I couldn't take one of my classes that I needed till this summer. I would have to wait until next May to walk. So needless to say, I will miss out on that experience with my college. Just remember, its the piece of paper and the knowledge that you gained through this experience that is important!
Toby
•
Posts: 290
Threads: 8
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Apr 2007
Adoncia,
If they don't bend the rules, I'll be PROUD to walk with you next summer.
•
Posts: 44
Threads: 6
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: May 2007
Think of the money you're saving and do something else fun with it.
•
Posts: 776
Threads: 43
Likes Received: 2 in 2 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Jun 2006
In England, where I'm stationed, the base holds a graduation ceremony for Bachelor Degrees once a year. I have a friend who just walked the stage with 3 CLASSES still not finished!!! He is a student of Embry Riddle.. Unfortunately, Excelsior will not let this happen and I was not allowed to attend as my degree will not be conferred until June15th. Since I am retiring in November, I will not get a ceremony as I can't attend the one next year. I'll take the money I saved and invest it into the Masters course I'm signed up for. We feel your pain, good luck!!
[SIZE="2"]Associates Degree, Aviation Maintenance Technology, Community College of the Air Force[/SIZE]
[SIZE="2"]Bachelors of Science, Liberal Studies Degree, Excelsior [/SIZE]
[SIZE="2"]MBA Human Resource Management, California Coast University[/SIZE]
•
Posts: 26
Threads: 1
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: May 2007
Adoncia,
I have finished everything I need to graduate, though I have some pre-reqs and other classes I want added to my transcript after the fact in progress. I am just waiting in Excelsior to receive my transcripts, so it's in teh hands of the USPS to determine whether I make the July conferral deadline or must wait until August. I have two transcripts out, one confirmed mailed on 5/21 and the other is a GRE subject test report for which scores became available by phone on 5/16 so I know I made the score I needed. I have no way of knowing, however, if GRE score reports have even been mailed. I could graduate without the GRE score, but I would lose the more important of my two majors and jeopardize my conditional admission to grad school. The condition is degree conferral according to my stated program and prior to the start of the fall semester.
I find it very frustrating that Excelsior sets there deadlines so as to exclude traditional spring classes due largely to mailing concerns. If they pushed the annual commencement, or just teh transcript receipt deadline to attend, two weeks back, most spring semester classes would have transcripts in time for graduation. Alternatively, they could accept proof of registration in set deadline classes or test appointments for conditional approval to graduate with the stipulation that they receive proof of completion a week or two before the ceremony.
Elizabeth
•
Posts: 84
Threads: 21
Likes Received: 0 in 0 posts
Likes Given: 0
Joined: Mar 2006
05-24-2007, 01:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-24-2007, 01:09 PM by adoncia.)
Thank you for your kind words and support. I wish they would understand our sentiments about this. I called them again today and they said they hardly made exceptions in this matter.
Greggy, we will surely attend next year's ceremony and probably next year I will have moved closer to Albany as my husband is trying for a job in the East coast (I am in Michigan now)
..and traffic you are right..it will be a lot of money saved and next year would definitely be cheaper. I could use take a mini vacation with what I save to celebrate my graduation. Thanks Joanne plz check your pm.
Thanks to all of you, I am feeling better about this today..
and it's true it is the degree that matters the most.
Adoncia
•
