The VA saga continues

I am a disabled vet. (Go Army!!!) Nothing earth shattering, but I lost the vision in one eye. I have no depth perception. The two main things I have a problem with are shooting my rifle (shooting left-handed is harder than shooting right because the hot shell ejects right into your face) and biking in a group with the Triathlon club. Parking is an adventure and sports requiring eye hand coordination are out, but mostly I do OK. This does put me in the disabled category for the VA. They are supposed to do vocational rehab. In my case this means pay for school. And therein lies the rub.

I have paid for the last three semesters on my own. I paid for this semester on my own. My VA rep, H, is absolutely buried with clients (I can't stand that that's what the VA calls us, clients. I'm a soldier, not a client. A client is someone shopping for Avon.) When she first became my rep, I was one of about 75 people she handled. Now she has over 200. She is a great lady, very thorough, knows what she's doing, but how the hell do you expect anyone to get anything done with a 300% increase in workload without help?

That is just asinine.

When I told her a couple weeks ago about the problems I would have getting classes at UCF, she wasn't encouraging. I went ahead with them anyhow. I submitted all the paperwork to her today. She has my graduation from VCC, admission to UCF, the grad audit for civil engineering, and all my courses for this semester.

She called me within a few hours of receiving it and told me she'd apply for my extension this week. When I asked her how long, she went on a bit of a rant telling me she was swamped. Except I've been to her office. I know you can't see even a square inch of her desk. Her active "client" folders are spilling from every flat surface. It's not like there are two check marks and then she passes the case on. She needs to write a narrative every time she talks with a vet. Every change, every request for change, every granted change, everything needs to be documented. It is ridiculous that one person is expected to counsel 200+ vets who are in various stages of rehab, from all five services, at every school imaginable.

Anyway, I asked when I should contact her and she said if I didn't hear from her by the end of September, to call her.

It's on my Google calendar.

Transient Student It Is

I needed Chem2045. I had to have it. UCF had four spaces in the labs, but nothing in the lectures. SCC; unless I had a weapon to my head, I was threatened with eating brussel sprouts as my only source of nourishment for the remainder of my life and I forgot how much I liked having hot pokers placed in my eyes, I will never again deal with that place. BCC already started classes and I wasn't driving to Titusville for a lab. And then we had Valencia.

I watched, I looked, I searched and I found a Chem1045C with three open spots and a wait list of four. I jumped in. On August 16th. I knew this process. I was wait-listed. If a spot opened, I'd get an email that told me to register within 24 hours or I would be dropped and the next person on the wait-list would get an email. I waited. I checked email 10 times a day. Nothing. The wait-list got longer. Nothing. The tuition deadline approached and I looked. I was first on the wait-list, and there was still a spot open. Still no email. I called registration and left a message. Then another. And another and then a fourth message.

Class started at UCF, but nothing was open. Day 7. Still wait-listed, but the wait-list was full at 14, so it disappeared. What was the problem?

The classed reappeared. After the tuition due date, the class wait-list reopened with 3, but quickly grew to nine. I was getting desperate. I took the day off of work on wait-list day 12 and went to Valencia. The line at the Answer Service was shorter, but I have already waited in this line 7 times this summer. It was an hour and 20 minute wait until I spoke with a counselor. She dismissively told me this was a problem for the chemistry department. I needed to go to the chemistry department office in Building 1. I took a day off of work. A whole day to discover had someone returned any of my four calls, this could have been handled over the phone inside of five minutes.

So I wonder why. I mean the Answer Center is where to go for registration questions. If someone had just returned the call, the problem would have been handled almost two weeks ago. I made my way to the Chemistry Department and the Administrative Assistant to the Dean, Tonaysha, very graciously, expeditiously and without further difficulty, had me in the class inside of two minutes. I love a woman who knows what she is doing.

I'm glad it's completed and I got into the class I need, but why does the system make these things so hard. How difficult is it to return a phone call rather than ignore the student? Why are the university employees so dismissive of the students? I understand there are some students who aren't paying attention, but the majority of us are. Answer our questions without the eye rolls, the melodramatic sighs, the crossed arms and the looks between employees that very clearly make us feel like we are the problem rather than the system the universities have deployed.

I paid for the class, bought the lab manual at the bookstore, ordered the text online and reviewed the study guide options. I'll hold off on those.

But the classes are trig online at Brevard Community College, Calc I and Chem 1045C at Valencia and EGN3016, Engineering Economics at UCF.

International Engineering minor

I heard from Dr. Gonzalez, of the International Engineering minor program. I am meeting with him on Monday the 31st of August in the morning. I'd like to see what he has to say about me working out an African or Middle Eastern program within the confines of the existing program. It'd be a lot of work, but it would be mine and made for me. We'll see what he has to say and for that I am WAY excited.

Currently there are several internships in Europe, but since I've lived and worked in Europe courtesy of the US Army, I don't want to pursue that. The other option is Costa Rica, but I look at Costa Rica as a foreign country like I look at Canada as a foreign country. Technically, yes, you'd need a passport and visa depending on length of stay, but they are more like Minneapolis and Miami than a foreign country. Everything has ISO 9000 standards and is comparable to working in the US.

I can't wait for the 31st.

Orientation

I had the UCF orientation today and I know my guardian angel at UCF, Ms. Carol Anne Pohl, told me I would likely be a transient student because of the lateness in registration, but when it happened I was still a little disappointed.

This semester I have a lone class at Brevard Community College online, a lone class at Valencia Community College, though I am wait-listed for another one and hoping I get that one otherwise things are really going to be difficult in two semesters and one two-credit class at UCF in engineering economics. Currently I have 10 credits for certain and potentially another 4, but if the wait-listed chemistry doesn't come through, then I will take CADD as a filler to get to the full-time status I need.

At least I was able to get something. There were a lot of folks who didn't get anything. The spring semester will be better because I'll have calc I out of the way and more things will be open.

The Adventure has Begun

After much effort, cajoling, queue-standing and paper-pushing, I have finally been admitted to UCF. I'm excited, but also relieved. I wasn't certain it would happen after the ongoing adventures at SCC and then VCC. It happened though and it's done.

Congratulations, You Graduated! Well, Maybe not. You Know, After Another Look, Yes You Definitely Graduated!!

Way back in June when I applied for graduation, I was told I needed the foreign language credits, a new Gordon Rule class as the one I had taken in 1990 was too old and my high school diploma. I dutifully noted everything and made sure I was progressing.

In July, I got an email from Debbie Reynolds in the graduation office. Without the humanity class, I couldn't graduate. I dropped the mythlogy class at VCC because of a schedule change at work, but picked up a humanities class at SCC at night to make up for it. I kept her up to date on my life and I was on track. She had everything under control. She knew of the problems with the SCC transcript. She was up to date on the Spanish classes. She was on the ball and made sure I was on track to graduate.

I received an email from her on Friday, August 14:

CONGRATULATIONS!! It has been awarded.
Best of luck to you as you further your education endeavors!!!
Debbie Reynolds

I'm done with part I and now onto UCF for part II.

Except for one little thing.

On Tuesday, August 18, I received the following email:

August 18, 2009


Leighsah Jones
1406 XXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXX FL XXXXX

Dear Leighsah :

After a careful review of your records, we would like to inform you that you have not met the degree requirements to have graduated this semester (summer 2009). All required graduation documentation (i.e. final transcripts, CLAST scores, CLEP scores, etc.) should have been submitted six weeks prior to the end of the term in which you applied for graduation.

Now I know my stuff is straight. Too many people have looked at everything and evaluated everything and Debbie has been Johnnie on the Spot for two months. Who the hell is Edwin Sanchez, Director of Graduation & Records, the author of this bombshell?

I replied that I had been told the week prior that everything was in order and I had definitely met the graduation requirements. Within a minute, I received a response:

My apologies this was sent in error.

Edwin Sánchez
Director of Records & Graduation

A few hours later I received this notice:

By way of this email I would like to inform you that you may have received an email indicating that you did not earn your degree this summer. Your degree was awarded and your diploma will be sent out by the beginning of September to the mailing address on your Atlas account.

Again you did graduate please disregard the email that indicated to you that you did not meet the requirements. This email was sent in error, please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Edwin Sánchez
Director of Records & Graduation

Is it just me, or does this seem like a monumental screw-up. What system failed that allowed an email like this to go out? Or do they even have a system?

What You Need to Graduate

I applied for graduation from Valencia back in June sometime. I knew what classes I needed. I was told to track down my high school transcripts, finish the classes I was enrolled in and all would be fine. But things didn't quite go as planned.

Why did I need my high school transcripts? I gave them to Valencia 20 years ago. Oops. When they upgraded their computers eight years ago, the high school transcript info was deleted. They had a record that I had given them a transcript. They knew I graduated, and they even had an annotation on my record that they had had my transcripts at one time, but that it was deleted. I challenged them. "You know I gave VCC my transcript. You have it annotated that I did. Through your own actions you deleted my record. And yet I still have to pay for, request, hope they find and then deliver my transcript to you all over again? You are people serious?" Yes they were.

I graduated in 1984. This was before computers. This was typed on an IBM Selectric and filed in a box somewhere. I graduated from Winter Park High School that I attended for about three weeks. This was high school number 7 (Winnacunnet HS, Winthrop JH, Winthrop HS, Deerfield Beach HS, Boca Raton HS, Sandalwood HS and Winter Park HS) I knew I took two required classes. I had all the credits I needed, but there were these two required classes I needed; Americanism versus Communism and some consumer math class. I took both and finished up and left for the Army. And now Valencia wanted me to provide, for the second time, a record that this happened.

Winter Park High School changed a lot at least by my memory. It took me half an hour just to find the place. I went in, filled out the request, paid my $5 and waited. A week later nothing so I called. Nope, they couldn't find them. I dug through my records and found a copy, but I needed a certified copy. I called them back. This is what it says. "Oh, OK." Two days later "Nope, still can't find them." I called the registrar and ask her to get involved. Miraculously they found them.

I delivered them to the Winter Park Campus and was told it will be 30 business days to evaluate them. "Evaluate them? You evaluated them 20 years ago when I gave them to you the first time." The kid told me that's what he is told to tell everyone.

The one Spanish grade was finally updated and mostly posted. I had applied for graduation. But the transcripts from SCC were still missing.

I requested my SCC transcripts within two days of the grades posting, and they finished up the semester earliest, a full week before VCC, but dealing with them is like taking a step back to the 80's. At SCC, when you request transcripts, the estimated prep time is 7 to 10 business days. Yes, you read that correctly, a week and half to two weeks to even send out transcripts. That is for both hard copy and electronic versions. At VCC, there was a $3 charge, but the transcripts were sent the same day. I requested hard copies of my VCC transcripts as late at 2:40 pm and they were in my mailbox the next day. But SCC... well.

The electronic version was sent to VCC on day 8, but there was a problem with it. There were no grades, just the class listings. I discovered this after yet another three hour wait in the Answer Center line at VCC. I went to SCC the next morning bright and early, 7:30 am to make certain I was first in line and pickup the hard copy of the transcript I had requested. I was helped promptly at 8:30 after I turned over my picture ID and signed for the transcripts. I was out the door by 8:40.

I returned to VCC to give them the hard copy. Again, I waited in the Answer Center line. It was a two hour and 15 minute wait. As I got to the door, second in line, I dug out the transcripts SCC had handed me. Sandra Jones. SANDRA JONES! Who the hell is Sandra Jones? Now this is my fault entirely. I know how incompetent SCC is. This isn't the first time they've given me someone else's transcripts. A few years ago it was Ashley Jones, but that time I noticed before I left SCC. I spent another half day chasing my tail for something that should be accomplished with no more effort than a stroke on a keyboard.

I returned to SCC and in my most subdued voice, explained that I had been given someone else's transcripts. The response was the usual apathy. If I ever again have to deal with SCC, it will be too soon. The incompetence just seeps and oozes from the vast majority of the employees. There are a few stars, but it's hard to determine if they are really stars or if they just seem like stars because their coworkers are such morons.

I got the hard copy of my transcript, but had to go to work. I returned again to VCC the next day and again waited in the Answer Center line. It was only a one hour and 15 minute wait because I got there early, by 9. I turned in the transcript and was told it would be 30 days to evaluate the transcript. I was incredulous.

Two weeks earlier I had dealt with Linda Vance, the Student Affairs dean, who told me this would be a 2 or 3 day process once they got the transcripts from SCC. She had enrolled me in Direct Connect which she said fast tracks the stuff between VCC and UCF. Now it was going to be 30 days. I tracked her down and asked her for an explanation. She backed off the 30 days, but still said it wasn't likely to happen in time for UCF's last orientation.

I asked her to make it happen as that was what she told me would happen.

I don't know who did what, but SCC's electronic transcripts were corrected and evaluated. I mean it was a lone standard humanities class. It wasn't some obscure elective. And they have everything they need.

Six times in the Answer Center line, more than 11 hours in that one line alone, much hoop jumping required by both VCC and SCC, countless phone calls and questions and scrambling, but they finally have everything to see if I've met the graduation requirements. Now to wait.