College Counselor Mis-advised my girlfriend

[Guest]

I'll make this brief, as I do not know the specifics of the situation.

My girlfriend is finishing college. Her adviser recommended she take 3 courses which were cross-listed between different departments and that these courses would allow her to graduate on time. Now, 6 months before graduation, she is told that he made a "mistake" and that she must postpone her graduation a full semester because the courses she enrolled in and paid for are not valid in fulfilling her graduation requirements.

The adviser is at fault here; however, he is a working employee of the University and my girlfriend is now out almost 2,000 dollars in tuition plus the time and effort spent towards completing the courses.

Is there any course of action that can be taken, on the legal field, to reimburse the money she wasted. Does this situation hold any water?

Thank you very much for any responses.

 

[cbg]

What responsibility did your girlfriend take to know what courses she was supposed to take to graduate?

 

[army judge]

I'll make this brief, as I do not know the specifics of the situation.

Thank you for trying to condense your query.

My girlfriend is finishing college. Her adviser recommended she take 3 courses which were cross-listed between different departments and that these courses would allow her to graduate on time. Now, 6 months before graduation, she is told that he made a "mistake" and that she must postpone her graduation a full semester because the courses she enrolled in and paid for are not valid in fulfilling her graduation requirements.

You can GOOGLE her college catalog and search for graduation requirements.
The link below is but one example.
A counselor could be likened to a stockbroker.
Both will advise you, but they take no responsibility for your decisions.
Hence, paraphrasing a certain group's motto, "Its a student's RESPONSIBILITY to know."
TRUST, but VERIFY.


http://sites.allegheny.edu/academics/graduation-requirements/

The adviser is at fault here; however, he is a working employee of the University and my girlfriend is now out almost 2,000 dollars in tuition plus the time and effort spent towards completing the courses.

That, good sir, is a legal distinction.
Only a judge could determine who's at fault.
However, it probably wouldn't get to court, as courts tend to leave higher education to decide these issues.

Is there any course of action that can be taken, on the legal field, to reimburse the money she wasted. Does this situation hold any water?

The law won't concern itself with this.

Even if it would, it would cost you more than her tuition to have the matter heard.

AJ's AXIOM on JUSTICE #35: The law takes little note of things that doesn't benefit IT.

 

[cbg]

Actually, the adviser is not solely at fault here. Your girlfriend is as much or more at fault for assuming that she need take no responsibility for her own choices. I doubt if the adviser held a gun to her head and told her that she could make no choices but these and that she HAD to take these courses and no others.

He provided an option. That she blindly followed that option and did no investigation of her own into what courses would allow her to graduate, something she is responsible for knowing, is on one's fault but her own.

There is no legal recourse here.

 

[Rarablue]

Hello. I am the original poster of this thread.

Thank you very much, cbg and army judge, for your prompt and informative responses.

 

[Betty3]

The adviser apparently thought these courses would allow graduation on time. The adviser was wrong -an "honest" mistake. No case here against anyone as noted.