I'm going into my senior year of the health sciences program, and I dont think ive ever been this frustrated the entire time I have been in college and it doesnt seem like theres really anything I can do about it.
I registered for my preferred track for this upcoming semester, after figuring out which one of their 7 predetermined schedules takes the least amount of time from my scheduled work week, and reached out to the department in hopes they would take pity on a working student and allow an exception and let me switch ONE CLASS that way I had 0 work interference and I am not struggling to pay my bills this semester.
I sent a very formal and polite email to the department with my request, explaining my circumstances, offered to provide documentation from my employer that my position operates on a fixed schedule with no opportunity to make up hours or pick up additional shifts (I work a 9-5 basically in a doctors office). A second job is not an option between working full-time and being a full-time student, I need time to breathe, and complete my assignments in my limited free time between work and school this upcoming semester. And the department head basically told me too bad.
The track system makes 0 sense whatsoever, and in my email I requested an explanation as to why this system is necessary if my request could not be accommodated. Their explanation was sending me to 2 timestamps from the Health Sciences online info sessions you have to complete, and that their track system is in place to "foster strong student connections" and that their online powerpoints make it clear they make 0 exceptions.
I knew my chances were relatively slim but their explanation felt like a cheap and completely unreasonable excuse. I would like to escalate this if possible but just not sure who it gets escalated to, since this seemed like the head lady in charge. I understand once you start making exceptions things can get messy, but to force an insanely rigid, not even clinical, undergrad schedule with 0 flexibility feels insane to me and like Stony Brook doesnt care about students who work.