It seems some things are truly eternal. The Shaft is no doubt one of them.
As I blogged earlier, I applied to NASA to become an astronaut. Not that I think I can actually get past the first weed-out (glasses, flat feet, asthma, you get the idea), but I cannot go to my eventual demise without at least knowing I tried to get a taxpayer-funded ride to the edges of the planet. Truth be told I only want to get out there to find out just what exactly does happen when you try to eat Jell-O in Zero-Gs. Well anyway, I got a letter from NASA (more of an envelope-- the same one the "sealed transcript" came in, taped together) with what I am assuming were the actual contents of the envelope: a letter stating I had an outstanding financial obligation with the university. It was this that the NASA people saw and had the decency to send to me.
Now I have been away from Drexel for 11 years. I have never once received any notice that I owe so much as an outstanding student activity fee to them. And to receive notice of the "obligation" by the intended recipient of the sealed envelope getting a letter saying you owe the university money? Effective I suppose but not good for alumni relations; better to just tell an alum when they call or write to order the transcript. But DU is doing quite well these days financially, and I don't think they need alumni donations to keep the wheels turning. Let this be a lesson kids: it's all about money. Everything. "Higher education" is all about money. Every institution I can think of is pretty much obsessed with one thing and one thing only: money. Now I expect this from private companies and public corporations. But from supposed "public interest" endeavors, esp. ones that are tax-exempt (colleges, churches, charities, etc.)? No, it's all about money there, too. If Drexel taught me anything, it taught me that. Not that I really needed to know by the time I went there, it had already been apparent to me for some time.
But I digress. I called the "Student Receivables" dept. and of course got voicemail.
Let it never be said that the important things in life are wont to change: the power of a smile, the soft sigh of love, the never-ending quest for money and power, and the Drexel Shaft.
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Update: I spoke to someone there who said it had been a mistake. They wanted an updated billing address (WHY?) so the account had a hold on it for that reason, but not for money. Now correct me if I am wrong here, but sending a letter essentially saying you're a deadbeat to a prospective employer sealed in a transcript envelope is grounds for a libel suit, yes?
I'm thinking of suing them if for no other reason than to make them suffer.
As I blogged earlier, I applied to NASA to become an astronaut. Not that I think I can actually get past the first weed-out (glasses, flat feet, asthma, you get the idea), but I cannot go to my eventual demise without at least knowing I tried to get a taxpayer-funded ride to the edges of the planet. Truth be told I only want to get out there to find out just what exactly does happen when you try to eat Jell-O in Zero-Gs. Well anyway, I got a letter from NASA (more of an envelope-- the same one the "sealed transcript" came in, taped together) with what I am assuming were the actual contents of the envelope: a letter stating I had an outstanding financial obligation with the university. It was this that the NASA people saw and had the decency to send to me.
Now I have been away from Drexel for 11 years. I have never once received any notice that I owe so much as an outstanding student activity fee to them. And to receive notice of the "obligation" by the intended recipient of the sealed envelope getting a letter saying you owe the university money? Effective I suppose but not good for alumni relations; better to just tell an alum when they call or write to order the transcript. But DU is doing quite well these days financially, and I don't think they need alumni donations to keep the wheels turning. Let this be a lesson kids: it's all about money. Everything. "Higher education" is all about money. Every institution I can think of is pretty much obsessed with one thing and one thing only: money. Now I expect this from private companies and public corporations. But from supposed "public interest" endeavors, esp. ones that are tax-exempt (colleges, churches, charities, etc.)? No, it's all about money there, too. If Drexel taught me anything, it taught me that. Not that I really needed to know by the time I went there, it had already been apparent to me for some time.
But I digress. I called the "Student Receivables" dept. and of course got voicemail.
Let it never be said that the important things in life are wont to change: the power of a smile, the soft sigh of love, the never-ending quest for money and power, and the Drexel Shaft.
--
Update: I spoke to someone there who said it had been a mistake. They wanted an updated billing address (WHY?) so the account had a hold on it for that reason, but not for money. Now correct me if I am wrong here, but sending a letter essentially saying you're a deadbeat to a prospective employer sealed in a transcript envelope is grounds for a libel suit, yes?
I'm thinking of suing them if for no other reason than to make them suffer.
posted by Matt Campbell at 9:09 AM
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