Thread: Absence policy - No Excuses, death or life.

I felt this was something way too disturbing to pass up. My associate emailed me last week about a bad situation he found himself in...
His wife is due for a C section delivery of his first born child. His wife is having the baby in the US in order to be near family and have the baby on their US insurance plan.
The school has denied him any excuse for missing more than the normal allowed 15% of classes required in order to take the final exam in any class. (UAG requires you to be in 85% of each classes dates or you cannot take the final exam)
This student is a perfect example of the complete heartless approach to student policy and rational thinking from UAG administration. This student has approached all Admin officials and asked them in advance for some leave, no more than 5 missed days of class, and he was told he would not be able to take the final if he missed.
It is important to note that this student is in the top 10% of UAG ranking..
In any case. I think students coming and students already at UAG should know that this kind of crap goes on. Not even the birth of you baby and the difficult recovery from a wifes C-section delivery merits the medical excuse from this heartless & ----less medical school. Just when you thought they could not dip any lower......

I also should add that I personally was not able to go to my grandmothers funeral last semester due to the same reason....I was faced with the choice of going to my Brothers wedding or my grandmothers funeral the week before the wedding, because the school would not excuse the in between days if I were to stay in the US for both, and who can afford two trips in one week.......
Be informed, and plead with your friends and family not to die or have babies you wish to be a part of, because UAG will not be kind. They will not be reasonable, they will not think..... I am beginning to believe they cant think.

UAG will never stop suprising you about how LAME they can get. God help us find a school who will accept good students and treat them like one. UAG has half right, they accept.... and once their wallets are filled, they say "Go figure it out yourself"

That's how it is and they won't change that policy. You just have to live with it.
I got SICK one semester and I was hospitalized for 2-3 days. I had all kind of documents, excuses....you name it! Still they told me that I wasn't allowed to take the final. I took my segundo exam and I wasn't happy about it .
It's like I planned to get sick so I could have a mini vacation ....sigh!!!
Oh well, that's how it is.

Oh, please people. I got hit in DHC/IPM I had dysentery on midterm day.

They said take segundos.

UAG always gives you three chances to take an exam for a class. Final, segundos and extranos. That is why they feel a little more justified in sticking to attendance policies when they wish.

I have missed more than the 15% in classes and there has been no penalization.

It depends on the class. I have a friend who was kept from the final in genetics on attendance.

It is not a rule that is set in stone for all classes and all situations.
It is a rule that can be used if the teacher is pissed or if the student is difficult, or if they have had problems with other students asking out for silly reasons on top of your good reason.

Karplus I hear you but if they have the attendance policy they should be fair and use it with everybody, don't you think?!
Besides I always went about my business @ UAG...never was a problematic student
You are right, some students miss class a lot and still they are allowed to take finals....go figure!

Originally Posted by Karplus

Oh, please people. I got hit in DHC/IPM I had dysentery on midterm day.

They said take segundos.

UAG always gives you three chances to take an exam for a class. Final, segundos and extranos. That is why they feel a little more justified in sticking to attendance policies when they wish.

I have missed more than the 15% in classes and there has been no penalization.

It depends on the class. I have a friend who was kept from the final in genetics on attendance.

It is not a rule that is set in stone for all classes and all situations.
It is a rule that can be used if the teacher is pissed or if the student is difficult, or if they have had problems with other students asking out for silly reasons on top of your good reason.

with karplus. I mean if they are giving you 3 chances to take a final test, whats the problem? . Unexpected situations will happen all the time but it doesnt mean that the school will need to grant every single one of them. Some people tend to abuse the sysytem when the school is too "flexible". I guess the way people approach the problem and how legitimate the school think it is, they will make a resolution.

Originally Posted by Stoverty

I felt this was something way too disturbing to pass up. My associate emailed me last week about a bad situation he found himself in...
His wife is due for a C section delivery of his first born child. His wife is having the baby in the US in order to be near family and have the baby on their US insurance plan. your associate made a decision that knew was going to affect him negatively at one point. It was a good decision for him but not for the school so the schools has to stick to its policy even if it is not "humane" or ideal to most people.
The school has denied him any excuse for missing more than the normal allowed 15% of classes required in order to take the final exam in any class. (UAG requires you to be in 85% of each classes dates or you cannot take the final exam) I think that is positive I guess in some cases but not in classes that you might waste your time attending.
This student is a perfect example of the complete heartless approach to student policy and rational thinking from UAG administration. This student has approached all Admin officials and asked them in advance for some leave, no more than 5 missed days of class, and he was told he would not be able to take the final if he missed. sounds horrible but I think that your associate knew what he wa getting himself into and knew about the attendance policy ....why expect any different? especially when he knew apriory.
It is important to note that this student is in the top 10% of UAG ranking..being smart doesnt grant you "special" treatment I hope... ...I am screwed....
In any case. I think students coming and students already at UAG should know that this kind of crap goes on. Not even the birth of you baby and the difficult recovery from a wifes C-section delivery merits the medical excuse from this heartless & ----less medical school. Just when you thought they could not dip any lower...........

I also should add that I personally was not able to go to my grandmothers funeral last semester due to the same reason....I was faced with the choice of going to my Brothers wedding or my grandmothers funeral the week before the wedding, because the school would not excuse the in between days if I were to stay in the US for both, and who can afford two trips in one week.......again, your personal inconveniences doesnt affect the attendance policy; you are blaming your "bad luck" in the schools policy on attendance. I wonder if your misfortunes would ahve been during break time if you would be writing about this....I think not....
Be informed, and plead with your friends and family not to die or have babies you wish to be a part of, because UAG will not be kind. They will not be reasonable, they will not think..... I am beginning to believe they cant think. you cannot be one dimensional on your thinking either I hope I make myself clear; dont blame the school for something that is not under your control and that you or your friend knew in advance that was going to happen.

UAG will never stop suprising you about how LAME they can get. God help us find a school who will accept good students and treat them like one. UAG has half right, they accept.... and once their wallets are filled, they say "Go figure it out yourself"

....tunnaluvluv II ...time to fly...

What are you talking about tunnaluvluv time to fly.
You guys are pretty heartless, this guys having his first baby! How is that abusing a loose or flexible system?
Cabrillo, as I understand, you have never been a student at UAG, no?

I was not being heartless before.

Life is full of choices.

Not seeing your first baby born is awful.
He should definitely have seen his first baby born.
He should also take it on the chin when it comes to consequences.

I would love to have a story like that.

Yeah, I know I have to take segundos but I was watching my first baby be born.

That sounds much better than.

Yeah, ... ... but I was in the toilet for the whole test.

See my point.

Make a choice, be a man, face the consequences, ...

...

or, face away from the proctologist.

whatever is more appropriate.

where is the heart?
OK, forget heartless, maybe reasonable. Im sure this dude is 100% able to take it and move on. But that attitude is ridiculous, it is acceptance, not showing any thought or effort to obtain whats right and best. Thanks to stovty for posting this, as you know I would have if I could. We need more info to be out in the open, so people can prepare............
How about this..... (Quoting you)
If I was allowed to by policy, and I came and punched you "in the chin" and said "Be a man, face the consequences".... would you quietly grin and bear it, or do something to make the unreasonable policy allowing me to do that changed? and try for justice?
I assume you would not just accept the policy and the consequences of a shot to the chin and be a man and quietly bear it.
Someone will someday have to have the guts to stand up and face these outlandish policies and issues, so change can happen and for the better of UAG. until then....people like you will ever make UAG stay in the rut that makes it lacking.
Just saying it like it is, nothing personal.

Okay, let me see how many people I can get to hate me....

First, no one told anyone to get his wife, girlfriend, etc pregnant. Adding one more [avoidable] expense while in medical school is, in my opinion, just plain stupid. I have no sympathy.

As for a wedding, you have less control over it, and a funeral, well you have my complete sympathy. As it has been stated though, you do get 3 tries at the test, where most medical schools only give one (two if they had a lot of compassion for your reason missing "the" test).

Originally Posted by Karplus

I was not being heartless before.

Life is full of choices.

Not seeing your first baby born is awful.
He should definitely have seen his first baby born.
He should also take it on the chin when it comes to consequences.

I would love to have a story like that.

Yeah, I know I have to take segundos but I was watching my first baby be born.

That sounds much better than.

Yeah, ... ... but I was in the toilet for the whole test.

See my point.

Make a choice, be a man, face the consequences, ...

...

or, face away from the proctologist.

whatever is more appropriate.