 |
 |
We recently had a similar occurrence at Derby where a local branch with a large student membership began requiring students to obtain a letter from the University confirming their address. We wrote back, explaining exactly this point (That they are asking us to confirm the information we received from students) and they have accepted it is incorrect to require universities to do this. This was only on a local basis but it does seem that once we explained the situation they sought other means of verifying this information. Richard Richard Barber Administrative Officer University of Derby Email: [log in to unmask] Phone: 01332 591067 >>> [log in to unmask] 04/25/02 11:39am >>> At sussex we have also experienced a rise in requests from banks for student addresses to be included in TWIMC letters, and for these letters to be addressed to specific branches. Our TWIMC letter gives the following standard info: name, degree, programme, length of programme, year of programme, commencement date, and programme ends. The preamble reads "This is to certify that the person named below id fully registered as a full-time undergraduate student at this University for the academic year.... the particulars of which are given below. It is printed on headed paper and signed by me over a legend which proclaims my position. Student addresses are only as reliable as a student's information - if we're told they live in Windsor Castle, we have no resources to check that. This email correspondance highlights a significant problem which is taking up a lot of time of colleagues across the country. Can I ask that more senior colleagues on this mailbase take steps to try to meet with the banks and provide a national policy on what banks will accept as verification of student status. My view is that what Sussex currently does is sufficient and that adding in student addresses does not provide any verification of that information other than to say that the student has told us that this is where they live. Jim Guild > From: Andy Robinson <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Thu, 25 Apr 2002 10:47:09 +0100 > Subject: Re: Letters for students > To: [log in to unmask] > Reply-To: Admin-student <[log in to unmask]> > > We only seem to have had problems with Barclays Bank (which is the on- > campus bank at Queen Mary). > > As at other institutions we generate Certificates of Attendance directly from > the Student Record System and these have been constantly refused by > Barclays even though they are on the same campus. > > They say they require the letter to be addressed directly to them, and it must > have both the address from which the student originally applied to come to > University (which is often different to the student's home address) and the > current term-time address. Our system cannot generate this information and > we have taken to advising students to present their original offer letter along > with our system-generated certificate. > > We have produced a slightly different template which is addressed to > Barclays but not to a specific branch. > > So far this appears to have worked but it is a quiet time of the year. Come > September, when we're busy enrolling lots of students I expect it may well > become a problem. > > If it does become a problem we may well end up advising students to bank > elsewhere. > > Andy > > Date sent: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 17:10:58 +0100 > Send reply to: Admin-student <[log in to unmask]> > From: "N.Connon" <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: Letters for students > To: [log in to unmask] > > > We have been getting round this problem by continuing to issue our standard > > TWIMC letters without addresses and advising the students to take our letter > > together with their contract for term-time accommodation to their banks. So > > far, that has been acceptable to our local banks. > > > > Nicolette > > > > Nicolette Connon, Assistant Registrar > > King Alfred's College, Sparkford Road > > Winchester S022 4NR > > Tel: (01962) 827224 > > Fax: (01962) 827406 > > [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Helen Heath [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: 24 April 2002 16:18 > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: Letters for students > > > > At Staffordshire we are having major problems with Barclays > > Bank who > > will now no longer accept TWIMC letters and request > > individual > > addresses to be added to letters. I phoned them to say we > > would > > advise students not to use Barclays in the future and they > > said it > > was their regulations that could not be changed!!!! > > > > ----------------------------- > > Helen Heath > > Student Information Manager > > [log in to unmask] > > 01782 292734 > > > > > > On Mon, 22 Apr 2002 11:24:14 +0100 David Ealey > > <[log in to unmask]> > > wrote: > > > > > We provide standard letters for students to confirm their > > enrolment at the > > > University. These are done in the format 'To whom It May > > Concern' as they may > > > be used for a variety of purposes. Our system is set up > > to generate these, so > > > that we can provide them to students fairly quickly. > > > > > > However we are getting increasing numbers of banks who are > > insisting on > > > letters addressed to that particular branch. This is > > obviously more time > > > consuming and at peak periods will lead to longer delays > > in providing these > > > letters. > > > > > > I wondered if this was a general problem or was > > concerntrated more on > > > institutions based in London. > > > > > > Regards > > > > > > David Ealey > > > > > > > > > ---------- > > > > > > David Ealey > > > Head of Student Records & Awards > > > University of North London > > > 166-220 Holloway Road > > > London > > > N7 8DB > > > Phone 020 7753 3252 (Internal 2863) > > > e-mail [log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > > Dr Andy Robinson > Administrative Officer (Records and Examinations) > Student Administration Office > Queen Mary, University of London > Phone: 020-7882 5549 > Fax: 020-7882 5588 > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > Jim Guild, Assistant Registrar, Undergraduate Office, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9RH. Tel: 01273 - 606755 ext. 3819, E-mail: [log in to unmask]