Student Fights Professor Over Missing Grade

For most students, the stress of professors and final grades melts away with graduation. But what do you do when an incomplete transcript stands between you and your diploma?

Lana Lorenzo is a member of Brooklyn College's class of 2009. She participated in her commencement ceremony just last month, but a missing grade had her worried over actually receiving her diploma. Lana had been assigned an "incomplete" for a class she took during the fall of 2007. A year after completing the course, she still hadn't received her final grade.

"This is a major course requirement for my degree and without this grade I have an "F" incomplete on my transcript," said Lana. "I cannot use that to obtain my degree."

And that's not all... the professor responsible for assigning the grade just happens to be the department chair. Lana says the mix-up all started over a final paper sent from overseas.

"I sent my paper to her and something happened that she received it blank," she says. "And she e-mailed me back stating to resend it. And I made several attempts while I was away. And when I got back to the states, I resent it to her again. And then I sent her another e-mail stating 'Did you receive it?' And then she sent me one back saying 'Will check and confirm.' And from that point on, I haven't heard anything from her."

Lana's tried e-mailing the professor dozens of times and has made frequent phone calls to her secretary.

"And I told her in person as well that I will give her a hard copy," she adds. "She goes, 'Oh it's not necessary. I'm sure it's in my inbox.'"

As graduation day approached, Lana decided to take the issue up with a higher authority: the assistant dean. Not even he could get through to the professor. That's when the matter was taken to the head dead. When he couldn't get an answer, we stepped in. And as it turns out, a little more urgency did just the trick. Here's what Brooklyn College had to say:

"As soon as we heard about Ms. Lana Lorenzo's complaint we took every step to remedy what appeared to be an impediment to her graduating with the rest of the class of 2009. Although final grades were not due until this month, we understood that hers was a legitimate concern about being able to graduate on time and join the market with her degree in hand."

As of yesterday, Lana has received that missing grade. Brooklyn College says she can expect her diploma to arrive in the mail sometime next month, with the rest of her class.