ochi-aha:




@Richy, yes, I am currently in Nigeria. I am talking from the point of view of someone who has a Cousin who was offered admission to a University in Australia. Due to non-available of funds for tuition, the cousin was asked to pay the tuition fees for one academic session, after which the University sent a letter to the Australian High Commission in Nigeria and the said Cousin was granted a Student Visa. The Cousin is presently in his third year of study because the University found a part-time Job for him through which he is able to pay his tuition.

Elaineh: My nairalanders,

Please, I need some advice from you yet again. My sister is in a very difficult predicament in London and I don't know how to help her out of this wahala...any constructive and actionable advice will be greatly appreciated.

A little bit of background:

My elder sister has been studying for a Bachelor's in the public health field at a university in London for the past 3 years. These 3 years have been exceedingly difficult for her. Our uncle and aunty pledged to support her financially through the program but every semester when the time would come to pay school fees, come and see fight and struggle. The girl had to beg and plead with them and do all manner of things to get them to pay up. Worse, because they were paying her fees, they took it as an excuse to convert her into a 24-hr nanny, maltreat her, etc. This semester she had a very stubborn American professor who made her life and those of some of her classmates very difficult (she had favorites). One day she threw my sister out of class on test day because she walked in a few minutes late (through no fault of her own) and eventually removed my sister from her module's roster. She maltreated so many students that a group of them lodged a formal complaint against her. Under pressure, the woman evenutually re-enrolled my sister in the course.

Fast forward a few months. My sister had pretty much completed all the coursework for her degree and was on track to finish with a second class upper. All that was remaining was for her to submit one essay to this American professor. My sister slaved away at this essay for a solid two weeks - she wasn't picking me or my mother's calls because she was so focused, she wanted to finish well. She then submitted the essay only to find out a week later that the essay was not graded and she did not receive a mark for the module.She spoke to the professor and the reason she gave was that the essay was supposed to be submitted electronically AND in hard-copy - my sister had only submitted it electronically. My sister had missed the portion of the syllabus that read that it had to be submitted in hard-copy as well, an innocent and honest mistake.

The woman has refused to mark the course point-blank and the university is now insisting that my sister resit that entire module next term (beginning February). The problem? 1) my sister's student visa is expiring in November, 2)my uncle and aunty have withdrawn all financial support from her and will certainly not be ready to pay for an additional term, 3)if she takes one module, she'll be considered a part-time student and thus ineligible for a visa, 4)she's barely managing to feed right now talk less of paying visa application and tuition fees. The school has offered to give her a basic degree, as in 3rd class, but my sister refused because it's an insult - if you know what she has been through these past few years?! It's a miracle that she stayed in school talk less of getting a 2:1. She spoke to a lady at the international student office and the lady said that she cannot help her because the directions for essay submission were very clear. What's more, she said that if my sister appeals the decision, she will have no choice but to bring evidence against her.

Me, I think the American professor has a personal vendetta against my sister for reporting her. She picked my sister as the scapegoat becaause she was the only one in the group (that complained) who is not a British national. They are playing with my sister's life and future and it's simply not fair!

Can anyone please advise us here? Justwise? Anyone?
Who can we talk to or appeal to? Is there any room for legal recourse? These people have chopped 3 years of my sister's tuition money - they can't do this to her now!

InHimItrust:


I'm the sister in question! My sister didn't tell you the whole story. My university changed the the submission rule to electronic copy only in my final year. We had always submitted hard copy and electronic copy until the new rule was established.I relied on the new rule and missed the lecturer's personal request for a hard copy submission

ochi-aha:




@Richy, yes, I am currently in Nigeria. I am talking from the point of view of someone who has a Cousin who was offered admission to a University in Australia. Due to non-available of funds for tuition, the cousin was asked to pay the tuition fees for one academic session, after which the University sent a letter to the Australian High Commission in Nigeria and the said Cousin was granted a Student Visa. The Cousin is presently in his third year of study because the University found a part-time Job for him through which he is able to pay his tuition.

InHimItrust:


I'm the sister in question! My sister didn't tell you the whole story. My university changed the the submission rule to electronic copy only in my final year. We had always submitted hard copy and electronic copy until the new rule was established.I relied on the new rule and missed the lecturer's personal request for a hard copy submission

677ano:

If you feel you have been victimized by the lecturer request a judicial review through your school academic board or write to your local MP and ask him to request judicial review on your behalf.

seedord247:


Is that what you call appeal in Naija sir?