Petition to Receive University Degree without Delay from Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Target:
- Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland
- Region:
- Canada
Each year universities such as Memorial University of Newfoundland hold Spring and Fall Convocations. While convocation can be an enjoyable time for students and family to gather during this ceremony it poses an inconvenience for students completing their degrees at the end of the Fall semester (December).
Students who may have met all the academic requirements and paid all outstanding fees still have to wait until Spring Convocation (Approximately 5 months) to receive their parchment.
According to Memorial University Regulations, section 49 of the Memorial University Act:
"The Chancellor shall be the Chairperson of Convocation and all degrees shall be conferred by him or her."
Basically put, you have to wait until the university's Chancellor give you your parchment.
However, students seeking employment and wishing to go overseas often require an original degree as a requirement of their employer or the foreign government.
Some universities agree to give you a "Pre-convocation Diploma" which is basically a parchment much the same as a degree to take the place of your actual degree, pending convocation.
If any university is going to go through the trouble of creating a "Pre-convocation" diploma then why can't they simple give students their degrees in advance of convocation?
If students have met completed the academic requirements for their degree and paid all fees associated with their education they have aright to receive their degree without delay.
As a representative from Memorial University's Registrar's Office stated in a recent email (December 8, 2010 2:50 PM), paraphrasing:
"it is my view that the process of conferring degrees at Memorial is not a regulation but stems from a longstanding practice or custom in place at universities generally"
Not a regulation but a tradition, and one that needs to change!
We, the undersigned do hereby petition Memorial University of Newfoundland located in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada to allow "any" student who has met the academic requirements of their respective degree and who have paid all fees pertaining to said degree be permitted to receive their respective degree (parchment) without delay.
Furthermore, we petition this university to revise its regulation and/or traditions to allow students to receive their respective degree prior to convocation and without delay.
In addition, we collectively petition the New Minister of Education for the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the honorable Joan Burke (formerly Darin King at start of petition) to intervene on our behalf in this matter to ensure that Memorial University of Newfoundland addresses our concerns noted within this petition.
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The Petition to Receive University Degree without Delay from Memorial University of Newfoundland petition to Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland was written by Newfoundland Students and is in the category Education at GoPetition.