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My rights: being terminated

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marxbj

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Kansas

I have a full-time job with a position that requires a Bachelor's (Master's preferred.) I applied for an adjunct professor, in addition to my full-time job, that requires a Master's. It was requested by the department that I was applying for an adjunct professor job that I provide my transcript. I had HR send over the transcript that I submitted for my current, full-time job. I just found out that I didn't finish my Master's Degree. Now they are accusing me of falsifying documents and I may be fired from my full-time job, in addition to not getting the adjunct position. I honestly thought I had a Master's, which is why I didn't hesitate to provide a transcript in the first place. What rights do I have? What rights do I have if they decide to terminate me?
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?

Kansas

I have a full-time job with a position that requires a Bachelor's (Master's preferred.) I applied for an adjunct professor, in addition to my full-time job, that requires a Master's. It was requested by the department that I was applying for an adjunct professor job that I provide my transcript. I had HR send over the transcript that I submitted for my current, full-time job. I just found out that I didn't finish my Master's Degree. Now they are accusing me of falsifying documents and I may be fired from my full-time job, in addition to not getting the adjunct position. I honestly thought I had a Master's, which is why I didn't hesitate to provide a transcript in the first place. What rights do I have? What rights do I have if they decide to terminate me?
You have the right to file for unemployment if they terminate you.

ETA: Of course, if you have a bonafide employment contract or if you are a member of a union, then you may have other options.
 

cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
If they term you, you have the right to file for unemployment and look for a new job.
 

commentator

Senior Member
You're talking about "they" are accusing you of falsifying your information. This is your current employer's HR, correct? If you were to be fired for falsifying your information way long ago, and they didn't catch it, you made no effort to deceive them, you're a shoo in for unemployment benefits, it wouldn't make a whole lot of sense for them to do it unless they were trying to get rid of you otherwise and were just looking for a reason.

If your failure to complete your master's was of such nature that you yourself were unaware it hadn't happened, it can't possibly be a lot of stuff lacking to bring it up to completion, can it? Perhaps an inadequate grade in one course, or failure to apply for graduation timely, fees owed, or something of this type? Take steps to make it right, immediately, whether you're fired from this job or not. Being within a hair of another degree is something that you should've fixed years ago, which makes me believe you really were unaware. Even so, actually, as we're telling you, you have no rights to protect you, no protection from arbitrary termination in this situation, but you would probably qualify for unemployment while you're looking for a new job. Maybe they just won't. Especially if you assure them you are now going to take every step necessary to correct the situation, and do so.
 

eerelations

Senior Member
How can someone not know if he/she finished his/her Master's degree? That's almost as bad as not knowing whether or not you woke up this morning.
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
How can someone not know if he/she finished his/her Master's degree? That's almost as bad as not knowing whether or not you woke up this morning.
Honestly that was my first thought. :):cool:

How could one NOT know????? You either get the Degree or NOT. Right?:confused:
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Honestly that was my first thought. :):cool:

How could one NOT know????? You either get the Degree or NOT. Right?:confused:
I thought about that two but then realized back in the 60's and the 70's there are probably a lot of people that don't know if they finished their degree or not...

They probably don't remember waking up a lot of mornings as well
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
I thought about that two but then realized back in the 60's and the 70's there are probably a lot of people that don't know if they finished their degree or not...

They probably don't remember waking up a lot of mornings as well
I don't know...OP doesn't seem to be THAT OLD...:p...Be even if s/he IS "that old"...s/he seems to have woken up now and should have known. :)
 

commentator

Senior Member
This actually happened to my mother. She completed all the course work necessary for a master's in her field, working in the field at the time she was doing the course work anyhow. But due to her inexperience in how to "do school" she failed to apply for graduation in a timely manner, ended up never actually graduating, and never being granted the degree, though she had taken all the necessary course work. She was grandfathered into the school system's program without the actual degree, based on her transcripts and course work, and never actually finished it, though it would only have involved her doing some applications, filling out some paperwork, etc. Not everyone who gets very very close actually does get the degree involved.
 

davew128

Senior Member
If you say so commentator. I remember being ticked that my final graduate school class wouldn't finish in time for June commencement and allow me to graduate with Secretary of State Flip Flop as the speaker.
 

eerelations

Senior Member
Interesting that OP seems to have scarpered as soon as we called him/her on this "I can't remember if I have a degree or not" thing. :D
 

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