Life Really Sucks!---Not anymore

[YellowJacket!]

With my last test in physics, I managed to bring my grade up to a B.  I went to the testing center today to take my final exam and was told that the testing center was closed - even though I made my appointment for the exam 10 days ago.  The were administering the GED today and could not interrupt the stdents to let me into the classroom to access the computer.  I told the director that I would end up with a ZERO and she just said "sorry".
I tried calling my instructor on all his numbers and do not get an answer or voicemail at any of them.  I'm screwed.  If I get less than a C, I have to pay my employer back for the class which was over $1000.00!!  Between that and my AC unit, I'm screwed.
And, I need physics to  graduate.  I'll have to take the freakin class all over again, whic will now put off PA school another year.  This just sucks really bad.

David

[Brian Moffet]

I'm sorry to hear that.

Since it seems to be an error on the testing center's part, can you request an incomplete on the course, which will hopefully delay the final grade?  Do you have a receipt for the reservation, that should help.  Call the department office, as well as the advisor for your your department.  They should be able to provide some help on how you can deal with this.

Start making phone calls now, you need to establish a "phone" and paper trail detailing what you did to rectify the problem.

As background, my wife was the undergraduate advisor for the math dept and U.C. Santa Cruz.  The students who contacted her, her office, the college, etc were more likely to be able to work around a problem like this than the people who didn't contact them because they thought there was nothing they could do.

You have demonstrable examples that you were not at fault in this, you need to make sure other people know that as well.

Brian

[Brian Moffet]

Oh yes, and to paraphrase my wife:

Faculty rarely have the capability to make things happen.  Fixing errors like this is usually in the realm of the department and college offices.

[YellowJacket!]

Still no answer from my prof. Called academic affairs and got a "voice mailbox is full" message and my advisors phone rings and rings with no answer. I guess thats a big problem with taking summer courses.  Nobody is there when you need them.
On top of that, I figured that I might get the chance to take the test tomrrow if my prof understands but my boss told me I would recieve a written reprimand if I called in.  I also tried to call the director of the stesting center and got a message that she is out of the office until Aug 23rd (when fall classes start) so I sent her an email which she probably won't get until then.

UGH!

David

[Brian Moffet]

My suggestion, which is all you paid for it...

Take the reprimand, that's temporary and explainable.

Call the physics department.  I assume you belong to a department somehow, (I don't know what it is, where ever you go to get information), call them.  Start at the first person you can get (operator usually) in the testing center, be patient and explain what happened.  Someone should be able to help you.  Write down names and numbers, and if you get a voicemail box, go back one step and find a new path. 

It's going to be tedious, but if you don't do something you're screwed as you said.  You can't possibly be worse off if you do something...

Brian

[YellowJacket!]

Caled Chattanooga state where my prof is based at and they transferred me to another line for him.  Guess what....Voice mailbox full!  Do these people not ever check their voicemails!?!?!  Called Regents online and all they could do was give me technical support.
At least I sent him several emails

David

[Brian Moffet]

Assuming you're attending Chattanooga State, call the following numbers, and tell them politely what happened and ask who you should talk to:

Practical Nursing/Surgical Technology/Medical Assistant Departments    423-697-4447
Mathematics & Sciences Division      423-697-4442
Testing Center 423-697-4461
Career Planning  423-697-4421
Advisement 423-697-4483 


If there are fax numbers associated with these people, send them a fax.  That way you have a paper trail on what you tried to do.

Otherwise, find the same offices in the college your attending and contact them.

Brian

[YellowJacket!]

My Professor called me back tonight and I explained what happened.  He is going to open the exam back up for me to take tomorrow morning at the testing center!!
The only thing that scares me now is that everyone has taken the test and the class average is 60!  Oh well, I'll do my best.  Can't let those stats scare me.

Brian, thank you so very much for your support and the numbers you posted above.  I owe you one.  ;D

David

[Coil Coyle]

Dave,

           Just thought I'd throw that at you!
;D
Coil

[Brian Moffet]

Brian, thank you so very much for your support and the numbers you posted above.

Don't worry about it.  Just offering advice based on my experience working at a university (prior to my current job...)

Brian

[YellowJacket!]

Well, the last 18 hours were hell.  The director of the testing center emailed me this morning to tell me that the center was indeed closed and that it closed on July 23rd - a full two weeks before my final exam and that my instructor and I should have known that.  I called her back and left a message for her to call me and she was quite rude to the point that it almost brought out the worst in me.  I managed to regain some of my composure and told her that I would file a complaint with the dean and the TN Board Of Regents as well as seek the advice of an attorney (we have a good family friend that is a great lawyer and was willing to help me pro bono) as well as write to my state senator who is a very big advocate of continuing education in TN.

She told me that she would try to find someone that was "willing" to come in and proctor me and after a while on hold she came back and told me that she found someone who would do it but that she was very upset that she was having to do this in place of her other work.  (What a biotch!) And, that I would only be allowed 1 hour instead of two which my professor allowed!!  I had no choice but to accept and showed up before 11:00 when she said to be there.  The proctor arrived at 11:10.  I managed to finish the exam in 48 minutes but got a 60 on it...the class average is 58.  My final grade in the class ended up being a 78.9, or 1.1 points shy of a B, so I emailed my professor and explained the situation to him, including having only 1 hour to take the exam and also thanked him for his graciousness to open the exam up one more day for me.  I guess now the rest is in his hands, including that 1.1 point.  Hopefully there will be a little curve and I'll get my B.  If not, I still passed anyway which is what matters the most.

Now, only one more final to take and then I'm back to normal for 2 weeks.  Plus, I'm only pulling 8 cr/hrs next semester instead of 14 like I tried to do this time.

David

[Brian Moffet]

WOO HOO!!  Congratulations!

[YellowJacket!]

Thanks!  If I'm ever out your way, besides going on a nice ride, I owe you dinner and a beer!  If you are ever out this way, I have a place for you to stay.  ;D

David

[Tiger]

 

:) Congrats and well done Dave... 8)[/size]

[h2olawyer]

I'll bet you feel you can breathe again!  That was one hell of a stress inducing exam.  Life as a student should not be that difficult!  Glad you endeavored to persevere.   ;D

Congrats & you deserve a barley-pop (or six).

H₂O

[Lucky]

Perhaps this was all a point that they only bother to make to the BEST doctors, to ease them into the stresses of their chosen profession. if this is the most stressful point of your professional carrer, consider yourself blessed..  ;)

[YellowJacket!]

Couldn't do it without friends like you guys!

David

[h2olawyer]

Professional schools in general do their best to heap the most stress they can upon the students.  It's an ongoing thing.  For example, the law school I attended has one final exam for each class at the end of the semester.  That's 90% of your grade.  The other 10% is class participation.  The exams are like nothing you've ever experienced & then you have to wait a few weeks before they post the grades.  On top of that, after the end of the first year, they 'eliminate' the lowest 30% of the students.  That'll grow an ulcer pretty quickly if you let it bother you.

Glad things are easing.  After this, 8 credit hours should be a snap!

H₂O