Bradford Art college big let down

A few months ago I got an email telling me about a course at Bradford school of arts and media. It was a 2 year course in constructed textiles and from the email it sounded perfect for me. The main part of the course was in weaving and knitting, designing knitwear is just up my street.

I replied straight away and was redirected to another email address of the course tutor, eventually I managed to speak to her and was told I had to choose between knitting and weaving, (although the original email didn’t say that).

I chose knitting and was told she was about to go on holiday but would send me out an application pack before she went.

Several weeks past, nothing.

I contacted the college and eventually spoke to someone who said the course tutor was on holiday and wouldn’t be back until the end of August. She’d obviously not sent out the application forms so this person would find one and post it to me.

Application arrived, I filled it in and returned it straight away.

I also applied for a student loan – a massive task on it’s own.

I had to prove who I was for the loan, but the only proof they accepted was a current UK passport or a full birth certificate. I had neither, so paid the £10 or so for a birth certificate. Then I found out I also had to have someone sign to say they knew me.

This person needed to be a professional, a UK passport holder, know me for 2 years, not related.

I know people who have a passport, but they’re not UK. Found one guy who had the UK passport, but not a professional. people who were professionals, but hadn’t known me for 2 years. After days of searching I found one person.

Student loan applied for.

Today, after 4 phone calls to the college I got through to the course tutor. Here’s the jist of what she said…

Well I haven’t got your application form, it takes a few days to get from the main office to my office. I forgot to advertise the course in time, so not enough people have applied, and the knitting teacher retired and I haven’t got around to replacing her yet. We’ll have to postpone the course at least till January, maybe even make it a summer course…

Oh and I’m off on holiday from next week.

I’m not all that clued up on colleges, most of my skills have been self taught or through youtube, but I expected a lot more than that.

What do they do with all that funding? Obviously not paperwork.

So, because they didn’t get around to advertising and hiring, and had a jolly good holiday, I have chased around for months for nothing.

Not only that, it’s the idea that I’m just going to accept that it’s too late to be chasing around for an alternative course and have nothing to aim at this year. I’m expected to just accept their bad organisation skills because it’s not affecting their lives, just mine (and I’m not worth their apology).

Bad day.

Moan over.