Might end good, might end bad.
So this is what I sent today to Denise, the SF director of my school.
Dear Denise,
There seems to be a miscommunication between Jerrod and me regarding housing in NY, and I've been put, unknowingly between a rock and a hard place.
So, here is the email thread with comments, where assumptions happened on both our parts I believe...
After i said "I'm in" (on the 13th) Jerrod writes back:
HI
Perfect!
I have you confirmed for taking classes at Lowe NY and staying in student housing.
I will send the details over the weekend
To which I reply on the 14th:
Hi Jerrod,
So I'm looking into some alternative means for housing, but, I know that Thomas is looking for that as well.
if I found something, i'll let u know as soon as i know and perhaps you can offer that housing to him...if he wants it.
ttys man
D
He writes back later that day:
Hi
I have you confirmed for student housing in NY.
If you dont take it, I need one of the other students to take your spot.
Let me know right away. The student housing is really amazing.
J
As you can see, I never asked to be put in student housing, I was just assigned. My entire decision to go to NY was based largely on the fact that I know people there who could help me with alternative means of housing. It's the reason I live in San Jose, Denise. I, my family, can't afford a place of my own with all the school work and not time for a job on my part. Now, I assumed that "let me know..." meant to let him know when I knew, which i did (nearly two weeks before the start of the program, as you will see).
It doesn't/didn't make sense to me that Jerrod would continue to have me "confirmed" in student housing after I told him I was looking for other means. I was never consulted on this "confirmation", nor were my wishes taken into account.
I was also never given a hard deadline for decision making. I kept looking, with every intention of trying to find other means as I had clearly stated.
Despite this, on the 16th, we're sent a mass email regarding the Victor House, which again, says the following:
You are confirmed as staying in Victor House this coming Fall quarter.
If you do not want your confirmed spot at Victor House, you must find a replacement student or intern to take your spot.
Wait a minute...
Why are these decisions being made (with our money) without our approval as 'consumers' of this school. And more importantly, why is tuition (education) tied to housing (living)? The Quarter Away contract says "The opportunity to go on a Quarter Away... is a privilege extended to a student bases on their maturity, attitude, performance in school." Nowhere in this contract does it say that we are chosen based on our "abiliity to pay" the school for housing. I completely understand being kicked out for defaulting on or financial obligations towards our education, but what I don't get is why the two are tied together as if they were one and the same.
Legally, the MAS QA contract is pretty iron clad in protecting MAS, but doesn't do much in terms of options for us, the consumer/students. It only addresses "when" and not "if" we choose to live in student housing. It states penalties for "withdrawls" from housing, but nothing in terms of financial responsibility (or lack thereof) should we choose alternate means. Additionally, why is it the student's responsibility to find a replacement when the decision to live in student housing was made independent of the him/her?
We spend a lot of money and time on this program. For the most part, students respect it, treating our instructors with professionalism. I would expect the same in return. Does all this money, time, and effort afford us any choices when it comes to money issues outside of tuition? (It'd be remiss not to mention my personal shock of even having to raise the question!)
I understand that we are assigned certain classes with our development in mind, but assigned, mandatory, housing, does not make sense in any way. Unless the instructors are going to be at the Victor house, at our beck and call, I don't see much of a relation.
I think our email thread made it clear that that I was CHOOSING to look elsewhere and more importantly that Jerrod, as a representative of MAS, was acknowledging and OK with it. So I went ahead.
After I read the mass email, I was also worried about the housing because it says that some of the rooms are shared. I do not wish to pay 900/mo. to possibly share a room. I know I can find something else better than that. So, I wanted to inquire about possible rate differences between singles and doubles:
On the 21st, I emailed Jerrod this:
Jerrod,
I had a question. How would I get a single/double in the house? Is one more than the other? I'm hoping that there is a difference... I'm still searching around at the moment, and I told Thomas Schwarz that I would tell him if I opt'd out... thanks Jerrod.
danny
This, I must stress, was met with no reply. He only wrote back yesterday when I sent him my confirmation that I wasn't going to stay:
Jerrod,
I wanted to write and tell you that I won't be staying in student housing for this quarter. Thank you for the spot in the house, but I have to decline due to financial reasons.
I am going to be staying at a friends till I can find a sublet. I simply can't afford that much.
I've written you and expressed that I was looking for alternatives before and to my knowledge, have never officially told you yes regarding the house.
I am going to forward this information to Thomas Schwarz. He knows that I was on the fence about it and also, i know that he was looking for a place.
Thank you Jerrod,
Danny
As you can see, I told Jerrod as soon as I knew, just like he had asked, a full 13 days before we start. That is nearly two weeks.
He replied:
"HI Danny
I have had you listed as staying in student housing and my communication to you and the other
students in the housing has been clear. There is no on the fence when it comes to housing.
If Thomas or another student takes your spot you can give up your spot.
If they do not and you do not stay in housing, you do not come to NY for classes.
I am working with 175 students and I seem to be able to communicate clearly with everyone.
I am not playing word games with students."
...An ultimatum?
Denise, not only did I find this response tactless and rude on a personal level, it disturbs me that everyone is nice and gung-ho until it comes down to money. I'm very disappointed not only because this discourse has soured my feeling towards QA and MAS in general, but it kills my faith in institutions of higher education. I feel like my wishes were continually ignored and looked over in the interest of the school's. You know, I haven't turned in the QA contract for fear of this exact situation and I'm starting to think that it was not such a dumb move on my part.
I hope that my email sheds some light on how I see things. I know there are two sides to every story, and I understand that MAS also needs to turn a profit, but all I am interested here is being fair and just. That's all I seek. No more.
So all this leaves me with a few questions:
1. Am I, by Jerrod's leveraging of LOWE, being forced to pay MAS for housing?
2. Did Kira have to go through the same thing? I know she lived with her sister when she went.
3. Was my going to NY a decision based on my merit/maturity/work or was it motivated by something else entirely... (I hate to even insinuate this)
4. Lastly, are my educational opportunities at MAS mutually inclusive to other costs that are solely at MAS's discretion?
I really hope I haven't gone as far as outright accusing anything, yet I know when I am being trapped, and I feel like I'm certainly being taken advantage of. Like I said, I want things to be fair.
I know I've raised some heavy questions, I'd really love some answers...
I would appreciate it if we could schedule a meeting or phone conference to discuss this issue in more detail.
Thank you for reading,
Sincerely,
Danny Chung
Dear Denise,
There seems to be a miscommunication between Jerrod and me regarding housing in NY, and I've been put, unknowingly between a rock and a hard place.
So, here is the email thread with comments, where assumptions happened on both our parts I believe...
After i said "I'm in" (on the 13th) Jerrod writes back:
HI
Perfect!
I have you confirmed for taking classes at Lowe NY and staying in student housing.
I will send the details over the weekend
To which I reply on the 14th:
Hi Jerrod,
So I'm looking into some alternative means for housing, but, I know that Thomas is looking for that as well.
if I found something, i'll let u know as soon as i know and perhaps you can offer that housing to him...if he wants it.
ttys man
D
He writes back later that day:
Hi
I have you confirmed for student housing in NY.
If you dont take it, I need one of the other students to take your spot.
Let me know right away. The student housing is really amazing.
J
As you can see, I never asked to be put in student housing, I was just assigned. My entire decision to go to NY was based largely on the fact that I know people there who could help me with alternative means of housing. It's the reason I live in San Jose, Denise. I, my family, can't afford a place of my own with all the school work and not time for a job on my part. Now, I assumed that "let me know..." meant to let him know when I knew, which i did (nearly two weeks before the start of the program, as you will see).
It doesn't/didn't make sense to me that Jerrod would continue to have me "confirmed" in student housing after I told him I was looking for other means. I was never consulted on this "confirmation", nor were my wishes taken into account.
I was also never given a hard deadline for decision making. I kept looking, with every intention of trying to find other means as I had clearly stated.
Despite this, on the 16th, we're sent a mass email regarding the Victor House, which again, says the following:
You are confirmed as staying in Victor House this coming Fall quarter.
If you do not want your confirmed spot at Victor House, you must find a replacement student or intern to take your spot.
Wait a minute...
Why are these decisions being made (with our money) without our approval as 'consumers' of this school. And more importantly, why is tuition (education) tied to housing (living)? The Quarter Away contract says "The opportunity to go on a Quarter Away... is a privilege extended to a student bases on their maturity, attitude, performance in school." Nowhere in this contract does it say that we are chosen based on our "abiliity to pay" the school for housing. I completely understand being kicked out for defaulting on or financial obligations towards our education, but what I don't get is why the two are tied together as if they were one and the same.
Legally, the MAS QA contract is pretty iron clad in protecting MAS, but doesn't do much in terms of options for us, the consumer/students. It only addresses "when" and not "if" we choose to live in student housing. It states penalties for "withdrawls" from housing, but nothing in terms of financial responsibility (or lack thereof) should we choose alternate means. Additionally, why is it the student's responsibility to find a replacement when the decision to live in student housing was made independent of the him/her?
We spend a lot of money and time on this program. For the most part, students respect it, treating our instructors with professionalism. I would expect the same in return. Does all this money, time, and effort afford us any choices when it comes to money issues outside of tuition? (It'd be remiss not to mention my personal shock of even having to raise the question!)
I understand that we are assigned certain classes with our development in mind, but assigned, mandatory, housing, does not make sense in any way. Unless the instructors are going to be at the Victor house, at our beck and call, I don't see much of a relation.
I think our email thread made it clear that that I was CHOOSING to look elsewhere and more importantly that Jerrod, as a representative of MAS, was acknowledging and OK with it. So I went ahead.
After I read the mass email, I was also worried about the housing because it says that some of the rooms are shared. I do not wish to pay 900/mo. to possibly share a room. I know I can find something else better than that. So, I wanted to inquire about possible rate differences between singles and doubles:
On the 21st, I emailed Jerrod this:
Jerrod,
I had a question. How would I get a single/double in the house? Is one more than the other? I'm hoping that there is a difference... I'm still searching around at the moment, and I told Thomas Schwarz that I would tell him if I opt'd out... thanks Jerrod.
danny
This, I must stress, was met with no reply. He only wrote back yesterday when I sent him my confirmation that I wasn't going to stay:
Jerrod,
I wanted to write and tell you that I won't be staying in student housing for this quarter. Thank you for the spot in the house, but I have to decline due to financial reasons.
I am going to be staying at a friends till I can find a sublet. I simply can't afford that much.
I've written you and expressed that I was looking for alternatives before and to my knowledge, have never officially told you yes regarding the house.
I am going to forward this information to Thomas Schwarz. He knows that I was on the fence about it and also, i know that he was looking for a place.
Thank you Jerrod,
Danny
As you can see, I told Jerrod as soon as I knew, just like he had asked, a full 13 days before we start. That is nearly two weeks.
He replied:
"HI Danny
I have had you listed as staying in student housing and my communication to you and the other
students in the housing has been clear. There is no on the fence when it comes to housing.
If Thomas or another student takes your spot you can give up your spot.
If they do not and you do not stay in housing, you do not come to NY for classes.
I am working with 175 students and I seem to be able to communicate clearly with everyone.
I am not playing word games with students."
...An ultimatum?
Denise, not only did I find this response tactless and rude on a personal level, it disturbs me that everyone is nice and gung-ho until it comes down to money. I'm very disappointed not only because this discourse has soured my feeling towards QA and MAS in general, but it kills my faith in institutions of higher education. I feel like my wishes were continually ignored and looked over in the interest of the school's. You know, I haven't turned in the QA contract for fear of this exact situation and I'm starting to think that it was not such a dumb move on my part.
I hope that my email sheds some light on how I see things. I know there are two sides to every story, and I understand that MAS also needs to turn a profit, but all I am interested here is being fair and just. That's all I seek. No more.
So all this leaves me with a few questions:
1. Am I, by Jerrod's leveraging of LOWE, being forced to pay MAS for housing?
2. Did Kira have to go through the same thing? I know she lived with her sister when she went.
3. Was my going to NY a decision based on my merit/maturity/work or was it motivated by something else entirely... (I hate to even insinuate this)
4. Lastly, are my educational opportunities at MAS mutually inclusive to other costs that are solely at MAS's discretion?
I really hope I haven't gone as far as outright accusing anything, yet I know when I am being trapped, and I feel like I'm certainly being taken advantage of. Like I said, I want things to be fair.
I know I've raised some heavy questions, I'd really love some answers...
I would appreciate it if we could schedule a meeting or phone conference to discuss this issue in more detail.
Thank you for reading,
Sincerely,
Danny Chung
posted by Dwat at 12:40 AM
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