Yet another strange happening in the world of the Maharishi University of Management (MUM) Financial Aid Office. Today they’ve notified me via email that I’ve “withdrawn” from the university, when in fact I’ve removed myself from an unsavory and insulting class (MATH266 ) and moved toward tending private family matters — what used to be private. You may remember my experience in this class from my entry: Egregious Geometric MUMbling. Here’s the email I received:
Dear Xxxxxxx:
Attached is a revised 2013-2014 Financial Aid Award Letter due to your withdrawal from the University.
You attended 59.2% of this Semester. We have adjusted your Financial Aid and charges based on Federal Regulations and our policies. You were refunded $6,000 this Semester. After these changes in charges and aid, your refund should have been $3,611. That results in a balance due on your account of $2,389.
Please contact Student Accounts at [email protected] to make arrangements for payment.
With best wishes,
Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxxx
MUM, Financial Aid Office
As we can see from the university’s own Course Withdrawal Form, which I’ve yet to submit — nor did the school request that I complete — there is some criteria in respect to absence from class.
In the “Faculty Attendance Verification” section we notice three(3) concise conditions with their corresponding reactionary measures. My case — my absence — quite clearly falls in the scope of these three(3) conditions and therefore should result as notated on this form.
Unfortunately, the university has taken the liberty to withdraw me from the university rather than just this one class, or one semester, and then infer that I in fact had withdrawn. It seems that I would be notified of my “withdrawal” from the university first, and then their collections effort would logically ensue afterward. Instead, per the usual, they have their hand out for money under false and fictitious pretenses under which they’ve gerrymandered my academic path and federal aid.
I at least owed this communication a response, and perhaps afterwards I might parlay my emotions in a few additional paragraphs of self reflective reasoning.
Dear Xxxxx,
It’s my understanding that “Withdrawal” from the university is a process that involves my visit to the enrollment center.
My not attending one class surely is not indicative of “withdrawal”, rather, my displeasure with the quality of that class — particularly considering my “A” in the prior class. Moreover, at best, I’d surely receive a “NP” or “W” for that particular class (MATH266)… as I’m sure an overall enrollment history of the university would reflect students who in fact failed to complete a class and remained enrolled.
However, in my ignorance, I may be mistaken of the operational protocol in respect “enrollment” and “withdrawal.” In such a case please disregard my retort.
Regards,
Xxxxxx
The beauty of properly executed administrative action is the safeguard for both students and the university. A student can be certain of the status of their relationship with the university through this process of paperwork and protocol such as the above mentioned “Course Withdrawal” form.
All notions of frustration, class dropping, or withdrawal from the university beyond the scope of this form are mere expressions lacking the clear and concise “action” required in making a decision “final” or “official.” Particularly when we consider my recent communication with the “Department of Development of Consciousness“, where I disclose my pursuit of family matters — characterized by the use of the word “serious”. Moreover, like most communications with the university, the response is lackluster at best, thwarting any possible answer or action I might desire from them. This too is per the usual. In fact, I’d venture to say the university has taken it upon itself to withdraw me from it through what I consider “Soft Expulsion.”
When I received the initial financial aid award letter, I signed a “promissory note” to make the transaction “official” and “final.” But all that paper signing and red tape is meaningless when the university just makes up the rules on-the-fly. One thing the university cannot procure on-the-fly, the LAW as pronounced by the Judicial branch of United States government.
The university mails me my refund check, then contacts me just a few days later about attending the TM Retreat, then emails me days after that notifying me that I need to re-refund 50% of the refund back to the university so as to compensate for my withdrawal from the university which has not occurred.
Above, we discover more gibberish from the university website in respect to attendance procedures. I quote the primary surprise below — I like to envision Bevan Morris’ antiquated jaw skin flapping about with each syllable; for sound value:
If a student misses six sessions of a 6-week class, four sessions of a 4-week class or 2 sessions of a 2-week class for reasons other than the allowable sickness or family emergency, the student will be placed on Attendance Alert 1. If the student then has another unexcused absence in that class, the student will be invited to a conference with an Associate or Assistant Dean of Students, who will place the student on Attendance Alert 2. If a student on Attendance Alert 2 misses yet another class without proper excuse, the Associate or Assistant Dean of Students will call a Student Support Meeting, and the student will likely be suspended from the University.
I was never placed on any “Attendance Alerts” of my knowing, nor did I receive any communications from the Department of Student Life in respect to my attendance. I described my experience — and frustration — of my geometry class (MATH266) directly to the Department of Student Life in person.
Even further, if you have any sort of family emergency, your best chance of avoiding calamity is to email and phone call every department of the university to be certain that EVERYONE is aware of your personal matters so as to avoid expulsions, withdrawals, and semantic arguments of the like — exactly what one looks forward to in the midsts of a personal matter.
Naturally, I knew the likelihood was high that problems were on the way in MATH266 when we were cutting out paper hearts as a demonstration of “symmetry” in the first few days. Knowing I was likely to not learn new material in this class, I contacted the Department of Student Life who’s response was that I could “move to a new class.” While this was the first time the Department had a seemingly effective solution to my boggle, there was still one problem: How do you approach a four(4) week class with just three weeks remaining?
I expressed to the Department of Student Life: A student in this position would invest most of their time “catching up”, a sacrifice that would diminish the effort exerted on the current material which the remainder of the class would be focused on.
But alas, a decision to be made. DO I:
A. RE – REFUND THE SUM OF $2,389.00 USD to Maharishi University of Mangement as they have so kindly requested?
B. EXPLAIN THAT “LIFE IS FOUND IN LAYERS”, WHERE AS THE MUM CHECKBOOK WAS THE “SAP” THAT GAVE RISE TO THE GREEN STEM AND YELLOW PETALS OF MY BANK ACCOUNT — Albeit marginal afoot the overal expense of the experience on the whole.
