Registrar Replies to 'Insensitive' Charge

I cannot accept, without comment, the remarks made by Mr D.A. Campbell in his letter (Salient. 25 May 1981) regading "two insensitive, bureaucratic 'administiators".

Let me say at the outset that the decision not to accept Mr Campbell's late application for conferment of his degree at the public graduation ceremony was mine, and mine alone. The Academic Registrat, Mr Perrott, is widely considered by both staff and students to be an efficient administiator who is far from insensitive. In his discussion with Mr Campbell, he merely made clear the policy which has existed for main years with respect to late applications for conferment of degrees.

Mr Campbell has conveniently overlooked in his letter some facts which I believe are pertinent. He received, at an address of his own choosing, his examination results and the form in which to apply to have his degree conferred, in the latter half of December 1980, and thus presumably could have returned the form to the University early in the New Year. The argument that he missed the deadline by one day is of little validity. Would he accept two days, the days, or perhaps a week as being equally acceptable? The fact of the matter is that deadlines are precisely that. The date by which that particular form had to be returned is emphasised by red printing on the form, and the text for the programme for the degree ceremony had in fact been sent to the printers before Mr Campbell spoke to me.

Members of the administrative staff do their best, often under trying conditions, to assist students in any way possible, but we do expect to receive co-operation from those students.