Chad Hardy's BYU Diploma Withheld

[_Yoda]

I believe that he took 2 religion courses online over the summer to complete his requirements to graduate. I'm not sure how an ecclesiastical endorsement fits into that, or when he last attended school on campus.

by the way - the trick will be to see if he can get BYU to release his transcript so that he can transfer his credits to another school. And I don't know if it's the case now, but when I attended BYU, a large proportion of credits would not have been transferable to my state university system. That may make completing a degree a more costly and time-consuming process for Hardy.

There's a big difference between a summer and six years.

Regardless, I agree that BYU is being crooked. I think that he should be granted his degree if he completed all of the requirements.

However, if he doesn't want to go down the road of a lawsuit, etc., and really needs a degree ASAP, there are options he can pursue. And, yes, there will be cost involved no matter what he decides to do.

by the way....you being an attorney...I'll throw this question out there. Does Hardy have grounds for a lawsuit, or is BYU safe based on the fact that it's a private university? Just curious.

I actually never had a problem with credits from BYU transferring. Even my religion credits transferred as elective credits. But, Harmony is right. Transferring college credits is always a crap shoot. That's why it's important to speak with an advisor of the school you are planning to attend so you know exactly what you need to do.

[_harmony]

Chad's a nonmember now. So why does his excommunication--change in status from member to nonmember--have bearing on his degree? If he were to get a signed statement from a member of the clergy from some little church around the corner as to his worthiness as a human being, would that satisfy the same requirement? And how did he remain in good standing, if he was inactive for 6 years?

Also, why has it taken them so long to revoke his status? He was in good standing for the degree in August, but it took them another month to figure out he'd been excommunicated earlier in the year? Why didn't they know that in August?

How was he able to take 2 courses via correspondence this summer, due to his excommunicated status? 2... not 1, but 2. Did no one check his homework? Was everyone asleep at the wheel?

Does this mean the school can revoke any degree they gave to anyone else who may be now excommunicated? Or is this a special situation?

Have the sales of the calendar slowed so much that he needed a shot in the marketing arm, and BYU fell for it?

The comment I thought was the funniest was the one about Jim McMahan.

[_skippy the dead]

[
by the way....you being an attorney...I'll throw this question out there. Does Hardy have grounds for a lawsuit, or is BYU safe based on the fact that it's a private university? Just curious.

The only facts I know are what I've seen on the interwebs. But based on the information that his excommunication occurred a month (I think?) before the graduation, it would seem that BYU is following its rules when it denies the degree. It's a private university with its own policies, so I think it's within its rights to do so.

Here's the actual letter, by the way: http://www.aolcdn.com/tmz_documents/1015_byu_wm.pdf

I'm just more interested in what happens with his credits, and whether he can get his transcripts released to transfer his credits to another school.

[_harmony]

But based on the information that his excommunication occurred a month (I think?) before the graduation, it would seem that BYU is following its rules when it denies the degree. It's a private university with its own policies, so I think it's within its rights to do so.

I wonder if this is clearly stated in their policy? I mean the part where they can jerk you around by first telling you you have your degree (allowing him to walk in August) and then jerking it out from underneath you weeks later?

I mean surely they knew in August that he'd been excommunicated. It's not like it was a low profile thing; it made the national news.

[_Yoda]

But based on the information that his excommunication occurred a month (I think?) before the graduation, it would seem that BYU is following its rules when it denies the degree. It's a private university with its own policies, so I think it's within its rights to do so.

I wonder if this is clearly stated in their policy? I mean the part where they can jerk you around by first telling you you have your degree (allowing him to walk in August) and then jerking it out from underneath you weeks later?

I mean surely they knew in August that he'd been excommunicated. It's not like it was a low profile thing; it made the national news.

BYU is kind of odd in how they let people walk through graduation ceremonies. My husband walked through a June graduation ceremony, but he actually had one class to complete, which he did through the summer. They allowed him to walk, but he didn't receive his actual diploma in the mail until that September, a month after he completed his class and his grade had been turned in.

The same thing happened with one of my girlfriends. She was getting her BFA in Musical Theater and still had a math class to complete. They allowed her to walk, but didn't send her diploma until after she completed the class.

[_skippy the dead]

But based on the information that his excommunication occurred a month (I think?) before the graduation, it would seem that BYU is following its rules when it denies the degree. It's a private university with its own policies, so I think it's within its rights to do so.

I wonder if this is clearly stated in their policy? I mean the part where they can jerk you around by first telling you you have your degree (allowing him to walk in August) and then jerking it out from underneath you weeks later?

I mean surely they knew in August that he'd been excommunicated. It's not like it was a low profile thing; it made the national news.

I think it's the whole right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing. Plus, even though graduation occurs right after finals are done, the university likely doesn't check to make sure all requirements for a degree are complete before commencement (personal experience confirms this). It would seem reasonable to also assume that the online nature of his final courses may have added another wrinkle.

And the policies are clear that excommunication will prevent the award of a degree.

[_krose]

And the policies are clear that excommunication will prevent the award of a degree.

That's odd. Don't they allow non-Mormons, and even non-Christians initial entry? Will they deny anyone a degree if their status changes, or just LDS excommunications? Or am I wrong in assuming BYU would accept a Buddhist?

[_harmony]

And the policies are clear that excommunication will prevent the award of a degree.

That's odd. Don't they allow non-Mormons, and even non-Christians initial entry? Will they deny anyone a degree if their status changes, or just LDS excommunications? Or am I wrong in assuming BYU would accept a Buddhist?

It probably depends. If a Mormon decides to voluntarily resign membership and join the Buddhists, they might let him graduate. If they excommunicate him for embarrassing the church, they won't.

[_skippy the dead]

That's odd. Don't they allow non-Mormons, and even non-Christians initial entry? Will they deny anyone a degree if their status changes, or just LDS excommunications? Or am I wrong in assuming BYU would accept a Buddhist?

It probably depends. If a Mormon decides to voluntarily resign membership and join the Buddhists, they might let him graduate. If they excommunicate him for embarrassing the church, they won't.

Actually, typically resigning one's membership in the LDS church will also get you the boot.

If you are not LDS, you can change religions at will with no penalties. Non-LDS and non-Christians have a similar type of ecclesiastical endorsement, but following one's own religion isn't part of it.

[_moksha]

Another troubling item for those who are called upon to renew BYU's accreditation.