Hello my darling Boomer Friends, sheesh its been too long and has me weary and I must admit…a tad shy!! Just thought I would spend a little time updating on the Uni situ. I have been withdrawn from the course under the guise of not meeting probationary stipulations…it is all to coincidental that I made a complaint about a tutor who was rude and undermining on front of all of my peers and the very next day I was up against the Vice Chacellor to be withdrawn

As from Tuesday of next week, I should have gone through various information which will take the appeal to a higher level. I am not sure if an internal report will cover all my bases and as much as the student advocacy is concerned. I am having serious doubts about them even though they are appearing to be pulling all of the work necessary together in one place. I am also giving the green light to an external company of solicitors who deal well with students, to start the ball rolling form a legal point of view. The internal reps have advised me if I am successful, I could have my fee’s and some of my loans wavered.

The legal team are very much concerned with the blatant ignoring of a disabled student services set up(or not as in my case) They also outlined that I have an excellent case for taking on my Unis department for failing me right across the board, this case could be overturned and the Uni would have to follow the issues outlined in my D.S.A recommendations, but as that was never the case, I could be awarded all of the monies generated by student loans and grants.
All I want is for my name to be cleared. Do I want to back to The Sir John Cassidy school of art and spend a ridiculous amount of money, nope, I do not wish to return. In most of my experience at the Cass were valued, taught and demonstrated by makers and designers…..but discovering how everyone joined ranks, and closed in in a way that shocked me to the core. The Cass is fussy when it comes to bums on seats in that they can charge others outside of Ireland and the Uk..I would imagine that a good 60-75% of London Met place a higher value on overseas students who will pay four times what I paid(£3071 per term)
The initial shock sent me into a hypo reaction and I was down for nearly four weeks
So, having had time to think since this Uni mess, I went online and googled Jewellery courses and sifted through hundreds of courses, I found a 32 week course, with the focus on 2 day bench workshops…the rest of that week would be a paid work experience in Hatton Garden. The hotbed of London’s jewellery scene. This course covers more technical issues than all other providers and its reputation is pretty good for providing short and long courses in all areas of expertise. Whilst coming up to interview time (22nd of may with the Chelsea and Kensington school of art ), I have also found a fair number of specialist hands on weekend and evening courses. The price for these long and short courses range from £10 pounds/to £90 and all I have to do is sign up for most that I would prefer to give me the skills I set out to acquire, which I thought would have been covered by my degree.

It is an exciting time as I know that what I want most is there for me without the pressure, cost and with a huge range of skills not observed by my degree. This means that going into production should be happening sooner rather than later

They say that things happen for a reason…and nope, I am not come of with a plethora of platitudes! I think the choices ahead of me are what I was hoping from ‘the cass’ but didn’t get, from support to specialist skills.

I will of course keep you all posted

Love
Poppie