Arnold Walnut
1313 13th St
Des Moines IA 50311
January 31 2006
Dr. Michael Whiteford,
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50010
Dear Dr. Whiteford and staff:
I am contacting you regarding the accompanying academic policy petition.
Recently, it was brought to my attention that after having completed all of the academic
requirements set forth by my advisor(s), I will not be allowed to graduate this spring due
to a two year long misinterpretation of Liberal Arts and Sciences academic policy. The
repercussions of this surprise are entirely improper and unjust. Accordingly, I am
requesting a waiver for the 17 credits in question to allow me to graduate in May in light
of the events described here.
Shortly after I started classes at Iowa State, nearly two years ago, my advisor,
Professor Terry Alexander, indicated to me that it would be in my best interest to
complete the Associates in Business Administration degree that my curriculum had been
designed around at DMACC. Without question, I followed his advice and re-enrolled at
DMACC to complete this degree. The premise of my re-enrollment was that completing
and transferring the associates degree would allow me to eliminate a combination of
seventeen “natural science” and “arts and humanities” credits in pursuit of a Bachelor’s
of Economics. I dutifully completed and transferred the associate’s degree at DMACC, as
Dr. Alexander will attest, in order to graduate in the spring of 2006.
I worked under this plan for nearly two years, until last week when I received an
email from professor Alexander stating that the degree had not been transferred, and that
I would need it in order to graduate in May. After much research, we discovered that the
associate’s degree I completed specifically on the recommendation of my advisor cannot
be used in the capacity previously intended. Apparently, the Associate of Science in
Business Administration I completed must be an Associate of Arts in business
administration (which DMACC does not offer) in order to fulfill this 17-credit
requirement--a fact missed by ISU’s representatives for nearly two years.
Student Responsibilities
I will first address what I guess to be foremost in your mind--that it is ultimately
the student’s responsibility to ensure that all criteria for graduation have been met for
graduation. However, by definition, an advisor must have some expertise in academic
policy. Kansas State University has defined an advisor as “A faculty member who
provides information and makes recommendations on courses, requirements,
prerequisites, and programs of study…” on their graduate school website. My advisor,
Dr. Terry Alexander, received his PhD in Economics in 1989 from the University of
Maryland. Currently, he instructs three economics course: 102, 302, and 431, on top of
the advising duties he has held for his 12 years at Iowa State. By any reasonable set of
standards, these qualifications would indicate he is an “expert” in the academic policies
of Iowa State’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Given his experience and
credentials, there is no reasonable way to expect a student to doubt what they are hearing
from such a highly qualified individual, particularly given the uniqueness of the situation.
Considering Dr. Alexander’s vast experience and his excellent track record, I had
absolutely no reason to doubt his advice.
Completed Work
Considering the unfortunate circumstances, it’s likely there is no one to blame for
this mishap. Even so, this doesn’t change the fact that I’ve done everything recommended
to me in order to graduate this spring. I’ve passed the classes, done the homework,
studied the notes, and taken the finals. These 17 specific credits aside, I will have
amassed 126.5 credits by term’s end--a sufficient number to graduate with a Bachelor’s
of Economics from Iowa State University
Honor
One of the largest drawbacks for an adult student is that they are often already rooted in a
community. By the time my wife and I decided it was actually in our best interest for me
go back to school, we were well aware of what she must also sacrifice for this enterprise.
Unfortunately, an extra semester (and a tough one at that) will require further sacrifices
not only from my wife and I, but our three children will suffer as well.
Four years ago, I made a promise to my family--that I would do everything
humanly possible to complete my degree by spring of 2006 so we could continue on with
our lives. That time is drawing near and I fully intend to keep this promise one way or the
other.
Financial Implications
In order to more fully understand the gravity of this situation, you need to
understand the financial reality demanded of a successful non-traditional student like
myself to morph into a full-time college student. For me to consider going to college
while already having a family of three children and a wife required large amounts of
savings beforehand. While still in the private sector, we began putting aside for the
coming famine, knowing that even with students loans and grants of roughly $18,000 per
year, we would have to draw from our savings on a monthly basis. As expected, shortly
after I began college, we were required to draw incrementally from savings, and were
happy to do so. It meant I was getting the necessary education I needed to reinvent
myself. In order for me to stop working full time and go to college instead, I had to quit a
job that paid a package of $39.70 per hour, totaling roughly $82,500 annually. Adding in
the expense of tuition paid from loans, approximately $7,000 annually, the net change in
income is approximately $94,000 per year. This, I would assume, is the reason most
experts recommend retraining if at all possible as opposed to further formal education.
Having established lost compensation to be in the neighborhood $376,000 at the
end of four years, we must consider the costs associated with attending another term of
college. Admittedly, an entry level position does not start at $80,000 per year, nor will I
try to convince you that, because of my previous experience in the military and in
electrical construction, I would be able to start at that level. Realistically Mike Gaul of
Ag Career placement agrees with me when I assume that a $40,000 starting salary is a
reasonable expectation for an individual holding previous work experience and a fouryear economics degree. Using those earnings, we’ll realistically consider a term to be in
the order of four months long and see that I’ll lose roughly $13,333 per quarter year in
lost wages. Adding back the additional tuition and loans, it becomes clear that my family
and I are effectually being assessed an $18,433 penalty for an extra semester because of a
single mistake by an advisor who has an otherwise exemplary 12 year record.
I have willingly given up a great deal to complete this degree, but to be truthful I
was happy to do so. The nice thing about economics is that it is a science of quantitative
discipline that allows me to realistically express the amount of physical goods I’ve given
up to complete my college degree. Let’s do so, but let’s simplify the calculations by
assuming I can retire at 65, that the net change in income occurred all in one year, and
this lost amount would have generated a modest return of 5% over the 34 years, so that
by retirement, the total cash value of what I have already sacrificed will be of the form:
n
34
∑ C / (1+ i) → ∑ $376000 / (1 + 0.05)i → $1,474,711.39
i =1
i =1
These calculations illustrate the compensation I’ve let go. And again, I’m happy to do so
because I’ve exchanged it for a college education.
But another term doesn’t cost that much more right? Wrong. The actual lost
wages of four months at a $40,000 per year job are roughly $13333.34 and childcare –
which is by no means inexpensive – will be close to $5000 more. To keep our numbers
fairly easy to read and since this is not an all inclusive list of expenses, let’s round lost
wages up to $14,000. Using our new subtotal of $376,000 + $19,000 = $395,000 the loses
at retirement will be:
34
∑ $395,000 / (1+0.05)i → $1,549,231.38
i =1
With a difference of $74,519.99, this extra term is clearly not inexpensive. Feel free to
have Dr. Rajesh Singh in the economics department check these calculations since they
are from his ECON 353 Money Banking and Financial Institutions class – part of my
already complete curriculum.
Human Costs
While money can sometimes be replaced, there are other significant costs that are lost
forever. These are costs I am not happy to have given up and which are not easily
quantifiable. These costs are the tolls to my family. How much more should they to have
to give up? How can I adequately quantify the value of the countless hours I‘ve had to
give up with my wife and kids in order to complete homework and study. What about the
numerous times my children asked “Daddy will you play with me?” and I have had to
reply “I’m sorry honey, I have to finish homework, maybe later...” and they walk away
disappointed--again. How much more must my family give up because I did as I was
supposed to and followed the advice of my advisor, only to find out my efforts were in
vain? How do we evaluate that? And now we are being asked to give up more.
As much as we prepared, planned, and saved, we did so to a level that would be
commensurate to the average college student’s stay in school – four years. There was no
reason for more considering that I have historically been a dedicated, hard-working
student and that the vast majority of students like myself will complete a four-year degree
in four years. Statistically, there was no reason to think or plan for missed details by
university representatives.
Given our four-year plan, the funds intended to allow us to subsist through the
four year long struggle of college will be exhausted by the end of the spring semester.
Student loans fall short of supplying the need level of income for a family of five by
themselves, leaving me with no choice but to quit school in order to go back to work to
support my family.
Conclusion
It’s obvious that this is “just one those things.” We would be hard pressed to
assess blame to anyone involved, but most especially my family and I. A decision not to
let me graduate in the Spring of 2006 would be both unjust and immoral with respect to
the work requirements I have completed toward a Bachelor of Science in Economics as
set forth by my advisor in the department of Economics, and would have substantial
negative implications on my family as well as on myself. With the exception of the 17
specific credits in question, I have completed the tasks set before me by my advisor. If I
could go back and take the exact coursework, I would. Forcing me to delay graduation
and further burden my family is an inappropriate action and will serve no real purpose
with respect to my abilities, degree field or career goals. I urge you to do what is just,
both academically and morally--issue a waiver for these seventeen credits and let me
graduate this spring and get back to my career and family.
Respectfully,
Arnold Walnut
.