University can’t locate my original degree
I am having a bit of a nightmare.
I graduated from Bolton University in 2012.
I am undertaking another degree with a different university and need a copy of my certificate.
I have requested this. Six months ago.
I have emailed every single month and honestly they are stressing me out so badly.
I’ve got and have sent over my transcript but they’re telling me that the award wasn’t calculated at the time of completion.
But I’ve got the original transcript.
I am panicking as you can imagine.
Can anyone shed any light on this situation as it seems I’ve been working for 15 years without a degree!
Below is the email a received after pestering them for three months.
We apologise for the delay in issuing your certificate. We discovered that your award hadn’t been calculated at the time and so we needed to contact your administrator in order for them to begin processing your award. They are now currently waiting for your award to be agreed. Once we have this confirmation, we will process and post your certificate as soon as possible.
We emailed your administrator yesterday requesting an update on when they expect your award to be agreed. I will keep you updated on the progress.
I graduated from Bolton University in 2012.
I am undertaking another degree with a different university and need a copy of my certificate.
I have requested this. Six months ago.
I have emailed every single month and honestly they are stressing me out so badly.
I’ve got and have sent over my transcript but they’re telling me that the award wasn’t calculated at the time of completion.
But I’ve got the original transcript.
I am panicking as you can imagine.
Can anyone shed any light on this situation as it seems I’ve been working for 15 years without a degree!
Below is the email a received after pestering them for three months.
We apologise for the delay in issuing your certificate. We discovered that your award hadn’t been calculated at the time and so we needed to contact your administrator in order for them to begin processing your award. They are now currently waiting for your award to be agreed. Once we have this confirmation, we will process and post your certificate as soon as possible.
We emailed your administrator yesterday requesting an update on when they expect your award to be agreed. I will keep you updated on the progress.
Sounds vaguely similar to the issue I had with SOAS after completing my CertHE there, as due to an error they never actually awarded the qualification. Took months to sort out, and only really got sorted because in the end I had to constantly chase them up once or twice a week (in person!) to get them to make progress on it...
While normally when contacting academics I recommend people not expect immediate responses and accept a couple weeks response will be normal, for contacting uni administrations such as in this case I actually suggest the other route and be really on the ball with it, continually keep in contact for regular updates and ask for them to set clear expectations on when it will be done and then hold them to those.
You may also need to see about going in person to their registry office/student records office to have a robust conversation about your requirements for this and the need for them to sort it out (as ultimately if they failed to properly calculate or award your qualification at the time that would be an error on their part).
In the meantime you may want to see if the other uni will accept the transcript either in lieu of the degree certificate or on a temporary basis while you sort this out.
While normally when contacting academics I recommend people not expect immediate responses and accept a couple weeks response will be normal, for contacting uni administrations such as in this case I actually suggest the other route and be really on the ball with it, continually keep in contact for regular updates and ask for them to set clear expectations on when it will be done and then hold them to those.
You may also need to see about going in person to their registry office/student records office to have a robust conversation about your requirements for this and the need for them to sort it out (as ultimately if they failed to properly calculate or award your qualification at the time that would be an error on their part).
In the meantime you may want to see if the other uni will accept the transcript either in lieu of the degree certificate or on a temporary basis while you sort this out.
Reply 2
Vinny25
OP
4
Thanks so much for your reply.
Thankfully, I live local to the university so will be going down there first thing in the morning.
I’ve CC the dean of the uni into my last ema sent on Friday.
I’ve got a trail of every email sent and their none urgency to sort this out.
I have sent the transcript over to Salford but from what I am reading, because it’s not a transcript from an awarding body and is from the university, it won’t be accepted.
I am so beyond stressed by this situation.
They can’t take my degree from me can they? Or say I was never awarded it in the first place?
If I don’t get this copy, I won’t get into the university I want.
Thankfully, I live local to the university so will be going down there first thing in the morning.
I’ve CC the dean of the uni into my last ema sent on Friday.
I’ve got a trail of every email sent and their none urgency to sort this out.
I have sent the transcript over to Salford but from what I am reading, because it’s not a transcript from an awarding body and is from the university, it won’t be accepted.
I am so beyond stressed by this situation.
They can’t take my degree from me can they? Or say I was never awarded it in the first place?
If I don’t get this copy, I won’t get into the university I want.
Reply 3
Vinny25
OP
4
For context, the 12th Nov 2024 was when I first made contact about a duplicate certificate. I’ve emailed them monthly for updates.
Six months is appalling. I am so shocked by their complete disregard and no urgency for this considering how long ago since I initially applied for the duplicate.
Six months is appalling. I am so shocked by their complete disregard and no urgency for this considering how long ago since I initially applied for the duplicate.
Original post
by Vinny25Thanks so much for your reply.
Thankfully, I live local to the university so will be going down there first thing in the morning.
I’ve CC the dean of the uni into my last ema sent on Friday.
I’ve got a trail of every email sent and their none urgency to sort this out.
I have sent the transcript over to Salford but from what I am reading, because it’s not a transcript from an awarding body and is from the university, it won’t be accepted.
I am so beyond stressed by this situation.
They can’t take my degree from me can they? Or say I was never awarded it in the first place?
If I don’t get this copy, I won’t get into the university I want.
Thankfully, I live local to the university so will be going down there first thing in the morning.
I’ve CC the dean of the uni into my last ema sent on Friday.
I’ve got a trail of every email sent and their none urgency to sort this out.
I have sent the transcript over to Salford but from what I am reading, because it’s not a transcript from an awarding body and is from the university, it won’t be accepted.
I am so beyond stressed by this situation.
They can’t take my degree from me can they? Or say I was never awarded it in the first place?
If I don’t get this copy, I won’t get into the university I want.
I suspect it's not a case of you not ultimately being awarded to the degree or having it "cancelled" or anything (since with the transcript you can presumably prove you did in fact undertake all the courses and pass with the required level and it'd not be worth their while for the inevitable legal challenges and stuff they'd face). It's more a case of them doing it but you need to be keeping on them because university administrations tend to be slow and inefficient at the best of times and for important stuff you really need to keep on top!
Definitely follow up with the original uni and chase them for it, but in the meantime also reach out to the new one to clarify if they can accept what you've sent them so far (in general or temporarily).
Reply 5
Vinny25
OP
4
I went into the uni yesterday and spoke to someone. Then received this today with some contact details for people whin are dealing with it.
I honestly don’t understand. I’ve sent over my original transcript so how can they can that the award hasn’t been calculated. I’m so stressed that I’m going to be told I’ve not actually got a degree.
Email received today….
I am very sorry that you have still not received your certificate. Unfortunately, we have still not received confirmation that your award has been calculated, which is why our department is still not able to provide you with your certificate.
I forwarded your email that you sent last Tuesday to the appropriate people and asked for escalation but I have not yet received a response. I will email them again today and ask for urgent escalation.
I honestly don’t understand. I’ve sent over my original transcript so how can they can that the award hasn’t been calculated. I’m so stressed that I’m going to be told I’ve not actually got a degree.
Email received today….
I am very sorry that you have still not received your certificate. Unfortunately, we have still not received confirmation that your award has been calculated, which is why our department is still not able to provide you with your certificate.
I forwarded your email that you sent last Tuesday to the appropriate people and asked for escalation but I have not yet received a response. I will email them again today and ask for urgent escalation.
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