UTD has been surrounded by controversy after it denied degree confirmations to graduates who were arrested at the May 1 pro-Palestine encampment. Degrees in the state of Texas require earning 120 credit hours, after which students apply for graduation and the university confirms that they have earned their degrees. However, when a university decides to deny a degree by claiming the graduate does not hold a diploma from the university to anyone who asks, it is deciding to withhold a key component of graduation, even if the student earned it fairly. Students, administrators, and other stakeholders need to recognize that denial of degree has been weaponized against students, and how the major actions previously taken by UTD have far-reaching consequences.
For a student to be denied their degree, UTD administration must take specific steps such as convening a disciplinary committee and notifying the student if a decision to deny was made. However, there are very few instructions or guidelines in the policy handbook, and much of the process is left up to the discretion of administrators. In matters related to academic issues and student discipline, UTD is prohibited from publicly releasing information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The act provides UTD with secrecy, keeping the public and students in the dark about key facts, breaking the public’s trust that students facing denial of degree are being punished fairly.
A student having their degree denied can potentially threaten their entire livelihood. There is no guarantee that limited time periods of denial will expire or not extend indefinitely. Without a degree, the work that many students put in for years to earn enough credits is wasted and leaves them with no recourse. Students may potentially have to take a different career path, many with no safety net and no better off than when they started attending UTD. While it is possible that some situations do warrant revocation or denial of a student or former student’s degree, every other possibility where this power is misused against UTD students highlights the importance of having guardrails and accountability.
The action of denying a degree is important for every student to understand, even if most will never face a situation like this in their lives. Students work hard and spend years of their lives finishing a degree, often giving up time they could have spent earning income. As degrees are one of the most essential aspects of a university, it is also essential for UTD to accurately recognize the credit a student has earned while attending university. UTD having proper procedures in place, such as consistently providing accurate information to students on how the university is handling disciplinary action, will help make sure administrative powers are not subject to abuse, and will also promote fairness and integrity at UTD. This can be done by amending policy to increase checks and balances on this process along with engaging in more open and transparent communication with stakeholders.
For the current procedures in place to change, students need to further research the denial of degree policy and reach out to the Office of the Dean of Students at dos@utdallas.edu to express concerns about this power being misused. Faculty and staff can also help address this issue by reaching out to the Academic Senate at academic.governance@utdallas.edu and the Staff Council at staffcouncil@utdallas.edu. If UTD recognizes the importance of protecting students, it can help restore the public trust that it has lost.