Saturday, April 18, 2009

Where is my diploma?

In 2007, I finished my graduate studies in Education. Graduation was scheduled the following year which I didn't attend because of work commitments. I expect to get my diploma this year but unfortunately, the university seems to be working like a sloth. Again.

Two months ago, I received a priority mail from the university registrar saying that my diploma is ready for release. They have given me 4 options namely:

1. I can pick it up myself from the university in Los Banos.
2. They can have the diploma delivered to my home address. I just have to pay the corresponding courier fees.
3. They can send the diploma to their Manila branch where it's more convenient for me because of its location.
4. I can have somebody else to pick up the diploma on my behalf.

I opted for #3. I replied to the letter and waited for a month; that is the estimated time stated in the letter. But after waiting for one month - you guessed it right - for some reason that escapes me, the diploma has not reached the Manila office. When I called the Manila center to follow up, the lady even had the gall to blame me that I should have mailed the letter to the Manila office and not to the main headquarters in Los Banos for faster processing. On top of that, she told me to call the Los Banos office myself. She did not offer to make that call which ticked me off a great deal.

I don't know if such work ethic is common to all public institutions. There seems to be no sense of urgency on their part. And this is not the first incident wherein they displayed no regard for other people's time. Last year, I was made to wait for more than an hour in the same Manila office because according to the security guard, the coordinator left to attend to other "important matters". Granted that it is an important matter, they should have made arrangements to put another person to man the office while the coordinator is away. Students drop in anytime during the day and not all people have the luxury of time to wait for them. It's such a shame that this is how a premier university operates.

7 comments:

The Angry Baker said...

I'm sorry to say but only their students and graduates think that it's a premier university. If truly intelligent people ran that university, its processes and quality of service should be efficient and something that we could all be proud of.

Plus, some of its alumni survive in the Philippine corporate world simply on the strength of their school's reputation and not necessarily on their individual performance.

It's such a shame and the height of arrogance that they put people's lives on hold for years simply because of the very inefficient and pathetic way they conduct their business.

Pinay MegaMom said...

Am glad I relocated your blog through some stroke of luck... Anyhow, can't agree more with Panaderos' observation. Kakainis!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't have my diploma either not because of the university's fault but my own. I dropped out from UPLB's Agri-Business Management during my senior year many years ago. I joined the USN.

A neighbor had no problem though when I requested him to get my transcript and mail it to me.

Having a graduate degree is definitely a plus towards a brighter future. More power to you Mari.

Mel

Mari said...

@Angry Baker - I think so too. But that's based on our experience. There could be people, humble ones, who think otherwise. :D Animo!

@Megamom -
I deleted my old blog. :) Nakakainis talaga, sa totoo lang. Hay.

bw said...

It's a case of the school trying to be up with the times or trying to be different when they can't. They should not have offered #3 as an option.

Keith said...

How disturbing a story this is. I thought when you said Los Banos you were at some school here in California (my ego-centric analysis) but I could not think of our Los Banos having a school.

Still, here, the actual diploma is not as important, except to decorate walls. I hopoe this negligence is not impoeding your applying for work...

Mari said...

bw - They should have not offered it in the first place. Wasted time waiting for nothing.

Keith - We also have Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Toledo, Laguna, Santa Cruz etc. here in the Philippines. I have to keep an eye on my transcript as well.

 

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