Degree Completion

westie17 · 24 May 2015 at 14:26

Hi,

I have a training agreement at work that requires me to reimburse university course costs if I leave within one year of completing my course. However it does not state when a course is considered complete so my question is when does a university course complete?

1. End of lectures/teaching?
2. When you finish exams?
3. End of academic year?
4. When you receive results?
5. Graduation?

Thanks

dowie · 24 May 2015 at 14:34

Presumably 4 or 5... at a guess I'd say 4 - the graduation ceremony is just a ceremony and you don't have to attend it... it is when you receive your results that you've got the qualification.

Then again I guess technically the course ends at the official end dat of the course - which may well be after exams but before you get the results...

Jokester · 24 May 2015 at 14:37

With a bit of thought, I would have said 2 as that is when you have completed your course.

Sliver · 24 May 2015 at 14:43

Just ask your employer.

AndrewNR · 24 May 2015 at 14:45

Sliver said:
Just ask your employer.

Don't be silly. Too easy.

Jokester · 24 May 2015 at 14:46

Because that's not going to alert them that he's already thinking of leaving?

Sliver · 24 May 2015 at 14:51

AndrewNR said:
Don't be silly. Too easy.

Yeah. Being logical is a no no on these forums, I keep forgetting that.

And as for alerting his employer that he's thinking of leaving ? So what ? What are they going to do ? Cut his head off ? lol. You can't sack someone for asking a question.

Jokester · 24 May 2015 at 14:56

Sliver said:
And as for alerting his employer that he's thinking of leaving ? So what ? What are they going to do ? Cut his head off ? lol. You can't sack someone for asking a question.

You know most employers like employees who are committed to the company and the better ones (like ones that offer to pay for degree courses) reward them as such. Marking himself out as a mercenary who was only there to get a degree and then leave at the first oppurtunity could potentially mean that if he stays he might not get the same rewards (pay increases, promotion, first choice of work).

Play the game, keep your options open.

Sliver · 24 May 2015 at 14:59

Jokester said:
potentially

And potentially nothing will happen. In fact probably, most likely, nothing will happen. Asking a question doesn't automatically make you a dissident/pariah/bad apple/subversive element. That's just drama talk.

Basically the company he works for knows the answer to his question because they have their own policies regarding it. So they are the best people to ask. Coming on GD and asking, not so good.

Jokester · 24 May 2015 at 15:01

Sliver said:
And potentially nothing will happen. In fact probably, most likely, nothing will happen. Asking a question doesn't automatically make you a dissident/pariah/bad apple/subversive element. That's just drama talk.

Basically the company he works for knows the answer to his question because they have their own policies regarding it. So they are the best people to ask. Coming on GD and asking, not so good.

Yes, nothing might happen, but there's a chance something might happen as a result, versus not asking directly meaning definitely nothing happens.

Would you tell your employer you were taking some time off to go to a job interview?

Sliver · 24 May 2015 at 15:03

Jokester said:
Would you tell your employer you were taking some time off to go to a job interview?

Probably not. But if I did what could they do ? Not pay me for a day ? Big deal. They couldn't legally sack me.

Jokester · 24 May 2015 at 15:13

Sliver said:
Probably not. But if I did what could they do ? Not pay me for a day ? Big deal. They couldn't legally sack me.

Yes, but they might then preferentially treat other employees over you thinking, well he's leaving anyway! Might not be a big deal if you do leave, but if you don't you could impact your career in the short term.

OP, you should really have asked this question at the start of your contract, as I'm assuming you're in the position now you're looking to move elsewhere and want to know when you can safely do it. For the sake of a couple of months, just wait until you're definitely clear of the 1 year.

iviv · 24 May 2015 at 15:30

Indeed. Plus assuming it's a big company that sponsored you through Uni, it will probably be well known in the sector that you're working in that they do sponsor applicants through university in exchange for the job at the end of it. So any company you apply to will see that you're fresh out of uni with the bare 1 year minimum under your belt, put two and two together and come to the assumption that you freeloaded a degree out of them then jumped ship as soon as you could.

Of course, there's reasons for doing this, if the company you got sponsored by turned out to be awful, there's nothing wrong with doing that. Just keep in mind how it will look for potential employers in the future.

That said, I left my first company after less than a year from leaving uni, but they didn't sponsor me through it, and I didn't have a problem finding a better job.

jkb · 24 May 2015 at 16:21

I would think 4 as at that point you have gained your qualification

dowie · 24 May 2015 at 16:40

Sliver said:
Yeah. Being logical is a no no on these forums, I keep forgetting that.

And as for alerting his employer that he's thinking of leaving ? So what ? What are they going to do ? Cut his head off ? lol. You can't sack someone for asking a question.

your job doesn't pay any significant form of discretionary bonus I presume?

Buffman · 24 May 2015 at 18:50

jkb said:
I would think 4 as at that point you have gained your qualification

I reckon 5 or when you receive your graduation script/passed it on to work.

Kenai · 24 May 2015 at 18:55

Most courses have a defined finish date don't they? I would imagine it would be that...

Destination · 24 May 2015 at 19:33

jkb said:
I would think 4 as at that point you have gained your qualification

I'd say on the Graduation is when it is issued, either in person if you attend, or otherwise if you do not, until that step I would say the course isn't complete, as you have not received the qualification, even if you know it is coming.

savagesam117 · 24 May 2015 at 20:33

Id say 4.. You've completed the course as you no longer have any work or exams to do. Waiting for the results usually takes a month or two.

Does seem like a bit of a **** move though, I'm not starting an argument or anything as I don't know the situation but certainly wouldn't look good to the next employer!

HangTime · 24 May 2015 at 20:50

Typically I would say the date of the award (if it has one). This is probably either #2 or #4.