BAC didnt put their best foot forward as far as Im concerned.
Here is a letter I felt the need to send them today:
Belmont Abbey College Administrators:
This past Saturday afternoon I took a chance and decided to contact Belmont Abbey College about a letter I received. The letter was in reference to my son who is a prospective out of state 2013 freshman. The letter in question was one of regret from the college who had somehow come to the conclusion that my son, Elijah, was no longer interested in considering Belmont Abbey as a place to further his education. For whatever reason, we received the letter late. What transpires during this phone call behooved me to write this letter you now read.
Upon hearing someone answer, I explained to the person on the line my concerns. I told them that I was the mother of a prospective incoming student. I began my conversation stating that although we received the above mentioned letter due to some sort of communication break down (perhaps even on the part of my sons school), my son was still very interested in what Belmont Abbey had to offer. I went on to say that I wasnt quite sure why I had received such letter because we still wanted to learn more about the school and was still involved in the application process. This person said to me Well if you received that letter its because we thought you didnt want to be here. Youre given three months for the application process. If we dont hear from you, we assume youre not interested. For a brief moment I sat quietly on the phone dumbfounded asking myself did I actually call Belmont Abbey College? Is this the right place? Beyond that, I initially apologized in case I was misunderstood and went on to state that to my knowledge, we had receive no other correspondence from Belmont Abbey prior. He continued, Well we did send you other letters and you didnt respond. Me: No. Unless perhaps there might be some other issue, we really did not receive any. Belmont Abbey: Well yes we did send them and we received no response It went on like this for several minutes unfortunately you could see where our conversation was headed. I even explained how we had moved recently and asked if he could cross reference the address because of issues we have had. It changed nothing. Sadly, from the moment I said hello I was met with a very disinterested, curt, disengaged, unapologetic individual who was clearly oppositional, having a very bad day (no excuse), being acutely unprofessional and had no qualms about his behavior even when I, in the end, asked if I had interrupted something because he seemed a bit irritated. I was very bluntly told that he wasnt really going to answer the phone and didnt want to answer because he was doing something and that the school was actually closed when he just decided to pick up. I thought to myself as a once professional woman (now stay at home mother) well once you pick up the phone doesnt it mean that you should be prepared to deal with whatever is on the other end? After all, he did pick up the phone.
By the time the conversation ended, I was in complete and utter shock. I could not believe that I had actually been speaking with Belmont Abbey, a southern Catholic college. A college whom I have read about in several glowing articles that was making headlines nationally because of the recent reduction in tuition, a college that sits in a hub of known southern hospitality. Please believe me when I say that I understate my dismay at the entire conversation, which was just shy of being a diatribe.
I contacted this institution to give my son Elijah a clear and defined path in his decision making process. His father grew up in the south in Wade, North Carolina where you can probably still find an outhouse or three. He received his undergraduate degree in the south, is a veteran who served our country, an attorney who works with the poor and disenfranchised. My roots are in Haiti, where my mother, father, brother and sisters were born, devout Catholics, members of Legion of Mary both in Haiti and here in the United States. Elijah grew up in the church and is a graduated member of the world renowned Philadelphia Archdiocesan Boys Choir. Although we hadnt yet settled on exactly where Elijah would further his education, we held his application to Belmont Abbey in high regard. I do know that there were breakdowns somewhere in that process. His high school was to send information that Im still not sure were received by you. And a voicemail message intended for me was brought to my attention that may have been left before I switched phone carriers. With that said, that is still no excuse whatsoever for the blatant rudeness I experienced upon calling Belmont Abbey College for the very first time.
The coup de grace of it all was when I asked whom I was speaking with. The man said Roger Jones just as I looked down at the letter in my hand, which read Roger Jones, Director of Admissions.
I do not normally take the time out to write letters or even complain unless I am extremely compelled. Your board, trustees, president, dean and others should know that your institutions first impression, reputation and ultimately, legacy, lies in the hands of those who first communicate and initially represent this college in any way, shape or form. I speak for myself and any other parent or person who may have felt a similar sense of rejection when I say that Mr. Jones, although I do not know him personally, greatly erred in upholding the character and values that Belmont Abbey College has worked hard over the years to maintain.