Students Denied Computer Degree In Nakhon

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Students denied computer degree

College faces suit after officials refuse to certify two-year course

Published on September 25, 2007

A group of business-computer students vowed yesterday to take legal action against Srisophon College after they were barred from attending the conferral ceremony on Sunday.

Their degrees were not granted because the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) declined to certify the course, which it said needed improvement.

"We have received passing grades and the college has announced that we have successfully completed the course. Our names are on the list of graduates to receive the degrees from Education Minister Wijit Srisa-an," Sunisa Jaroenjit, one of the students, said yesterday.

She and 11 other classmates also attended the rehearsals for the conferral ceremony last week before they were barred from attending the actual ceremony at the last minute.

"We had already gone into the conferral hall when we were asked to leave," Sunisa said. The students were between 23 and 35 years old.

All the students said they were too upset to continue their studies with Srisophon College, and would not accept the college's offer to provide an extensive course and to help them to graduate within 28 days.

"The college must show its responsibility over what has happened," Sunisa said. Each student paid some Bt100,000 in tuition fees for the two-year business-computer course, which has yet to receive standard certification from the Ohec.

Sunisa represented her classmates during yesterday's talks with college president Nontha-porn Sopon.

Nonthaporn's voice was choked with emotion when she apologised and talked to the students. She said the college found out only a few days ahead of the conferral that the computer course was yet to be certified.

"We were told that the students hardly answered questions when the Ohec representatives came to check the quality of the course," Nonthaporn said.

Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial government's complaint centre arranged a meeting between Nonthaporn and the students.

"They could not negotiate satisfactorily. Legal channels are the only choice now," the centre's chief Kittipan Petchnoo said.

Ohec said the college's business-computer course was certified in 2004 but that was revoked about a year later.

The college wrote to Ohec last October to ask for the certification so the students could be allowed to graduate. On July 18, Ohec academics checked the quality of the course.

On August 16, it suspended certification.

The Nation