Dilip-da, Thanks for the correct advice. I may appear stupid asking for such advice given that I got a degree in Education from Harvard - analyzing the education systems of various countries esp US -incl Higher Ed ----but this UBC system is beyond my comprehension.
At Harvard College -where undergarduate students study - there is ONE Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a student can take courses in either Arts or Sciences and get a BA or BS degree accordingly. My host's brother has taken all the required courses for a BS degree so far --but at UBC the Arts and Science Departments are separate and he is now told he cannot get a BS degree becos -- he took science courses in the Arts Department and Not the Science dept (though they taught the same thing) . When I did my master's at harvard the faculty advisor -Prof Reimers ( www.gse.harvard.edu/iep ) who was also the program director fro IEP program -- had to sign the form mentioning that he approved of the courses I was taking for the semester --only then I was allowed to register for the courses. In this guy's case --he was allowed to enrol for all the courses without requiring any written approval from any faculty advisor. He did take all the required courses in science -though not in the dept of science --but it is the same univ --and it is not his fault. Why didn't the Univ officials make sure that he was taking the courses needed at the correct dept --for any of the six semesters he has completed there? but I think you are right --he should talk it over peacefully with his dept heads. In India I would have advised that he also mention that he is a kickboxing and skateboarding champ :-) It is unfortunate that being an orphan none really guided him so far - so he started his bachelors degree so late --maybe going by the mistaken perception that American dream is even now for those who are just High School Graduates. He did his high school from California -with his relatives. Thanks for the advice. Regards. Umesh --- Dilip/Dil Deka <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ADVICE: > It is not as whimsical as it appears. For every > degree in US and Canada, the university has a > requirement of certain number of courses. At BS, BA > level, normally it is a mix of science and arts > courses. The course requirements are clearly spelled > out in the department graduation policy. > Why doesn't your friend go to his department head > and ask for the paper detailing the graduating > process? > Dilipda > > umesh sharma <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi, > > Can anyone be allowed to study science > courses/subjects at a Univ for three years full time > - and he passes all of them and then asked to study > for four more years (full time) before a bachelor's > degree can be awarded to him? > > Seems strange but thats the option given to my > host's (husband of my classmate from Harvard) elder > brother. It might smack of racism but for the fact > that the person who was acting as his advisor was > fired for giving "unofficial" advice to him and > others. However, no eforts so far have been made to > allow him to join class (the academic session > started this week at www.ubc.ca ) saying that since > he was enrolled in the B.A. program he cannot be > allowed to take higher courses in science (ALL the > courses he took so far are in science though) and > unless he studies three years of arts courses > (languages, philosophy etc) he cannot graduate with > either a BA or BSc degree. > > He says that he always wanted to graduate with a > BS (BSc) degree and was told by the "unofficial " > advisor -secretary of the Science Faculty Director - > that he should continue to enrol in the Arts faculty > and keep taking science courses and at the end of > his third year he would be transfered to the science > faculty. That woman is fired and he is in the hot > seat thanks to mismanagement by univ officials. > > Thankfully there is a professor who has shown > some interest in hearing him out (though has nothing > to do with the issue and cannot help him out > directly) and he has gone to meet him today. A > advisor appointed by the univ. -it seems -has no > time to meet him neither responds to his phone calls > or emails. I advised he contact all possible people > since he knows knowone here -despite being a > citixzen now --since he is an orphan and a refugee > on top of that. > > Any advice ? > > Umesh > > > Umesh Sharma > 5121 Lackawanna ST > College Park, MD 20740 USA > > Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , Vancouver, > Canada > > 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] > Canada # (607) 221-9433 > > Ed.M. - International Education Policy > Harvard Graduate School of Education, > Harvard University, > Class of 2005 > > weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ > --------------------------------- > Try the all-new Yahoo! Mail . "The New Version is > radically easier to use" The Wall Street > Journal_______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > Umesh Sharma 5121 Lackawanna ST College Park, MD 20740 USA Current temp. address: 5649 Yalta Place , Vancouver, Canada 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone] Canada # (607) 221-9433 Ed.M. - International Education Policy Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Class of 2005 weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/ ___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! 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