Letter to the editor: Ambrose ruins graduation

I graduated from St. Ambrose University on Saturday, December 17, 2005 with a very negative feeling toward the school. I received an email from a staff member in the Records and Registration office by which I am very offended.

I worked very hard to graduate summa cum laude in 4.5 years with two majors. He told me there is no space for both majors as well as my honors to be listed in the program. I am very much insulted by that statement!

One line from his email was, “I do not have the time or resources to constantly send out reminders to students.” All I was recommending to this person was to send a short reminder to the graduating students a week before a big deadline. One example may be “Quick reminder graduates that the cap and gown ordering date is next Friday!” That is all the email would have to say in order to keep people up to date. 

His statement about not having the time to do this makes me think that now that I am graduating he does not have the time for me. Unfortunately, his job includes commencement information. I realize he may be busy and has many other jobs to do at work, but isn’t letting the students know about their own commencement just as important as any of his other jobs?

I am very frustrated and disappointed with one staff member, especially, but that reflects on my overall opinion of St. Ambrose University. To graduate from college is a huge honor, and to have that honor ripped away from you because someone in one of the offices at St. Ambrose does not have “the time or resources” to help you is ridiculous.

I recommend that the administration do something about the way the seniors are feeling when they leave St. Ambrose if they intend to keep the school running on alumni contributions and tuition. 

The St. Ambrose mission statement mentions respect, but I do not feel like I have been treated respectfully in this situation. “The mission is lived in an atmosphere that fosters mutual respect and stresses excellence in student-centered teaching and learning” This quote also mentions the school being “student-centered”.

I feel, however, that this staff member has acted in a selfish way by not taking the time to apologize for making two large mistakes in the program for my college graduation. I also feel that the response I received from this staff member is unacceptable and rushed as a way to simply make me be quiet, graduate, and leave. 

One of my last memories of St. Ambrose University will be a very negative one. I think that is absolutely disgusting considering I have been here for 4.5 years and have never felt this insulted by anyone on the campus. What disheartens me even more is that when I talk to people who have graduated recently from St. Ambrose they share similar situations and have a similar bitter thought about the school upon graduation. 

Hopefully by this letter being published other students will feel more comfortable speaking out against problems so they will not feel as negatively toward St. Ambrose when they graduate. My goal is that St. Ambrose as an institution will benefit from this situation by having happier and more satisfied students and alumni than they do now.

Sincerely,

Susan Brandt