Part-time student, held to full-time requirements, graduates cum laude after appeal
Part-time student Jesper Trappenburg earned his master’s in Private Law with excellent grades but was initially denied cum laude honors. He had been held to the same time requirements as full-time students. Only after appealing to the Appeals Board, the honorary distinction was granted.
An average above eight. Check. No single grade below seven. Check. Completed his part-time Master’s in Private Legal Practice faster than planned. Check. Yet, at the end of last academic year, Jesper Trappenburg did not receive the cum laude distinction on his diploma. The reason? He had not finished the program within the maximum nominal study duration of one and a half years – the same period that applies to full-time students.
To receive the cum laude (‘with honors’) distinction on a diploma, certain criteria must be met. These requirements vary by faculty, but the rule that only high grades count always applies. Students at the University of Amsterdam can also graduate with the distinction summa cum laude (‘with highest honors’). The distinction magna cum laude (‘with high honors’) does not exist at the UvA.
Universities are not obliged to participate in the cum laude system. A few years ago, for example, the Faculty of Medicine at the Vrije Universiteit decided to stop awarding this honorary recognition.
“I actually had no doubt that I met the requirements,” Trappenburg says. He found the decision not to award him cum laude – because part-time students must meet the same time requirements as full-time students – both “frustrating” and “unfair”. “Studying part-time while working doesn’t automatically mean you have more time to study. I was disappointed that you are held to requirements that are essentially unreasonable given the way you study.” Trappenburg pursued his master’s alongside his job as a lawyer, which took about 32 hours per week.
A year plus a half
Despite several discussions with the examination board about his study duration, they stuck to the rule that a 60-credit master’s must be completed within a maximum of one and a half years to qualify for the distinction. Trappenburg exceeded that period by just over three weeks and therefore could not graduate cum laude.
The part-time student then turned to the Appeals Board for Examinations to try to have the cum laude distinction added to his diploma. For Trappenburg, it was about more than the recognition itself: “In the legal sector, graduating cum laude really does add value to your career. But for me personally, this title was also important: I wanted to prove that, although I might be a part-time student with an applied sciences background, I wasn’t just here for the piece of paper.”
On appeal
At the Appeals Board, Trappenburg pointed to several official documents showing that the nominal study duration for part-time students was presented differently than for full-time students. For example, the UvA enrollment regulations state that the nominal duration of a part-time program is “the nominal duration of the same program full-time multiplied by two.” The study guide for the Master’s in Private Law also indicated that the part-time variant lasts two years.
The Faculty of Law’s examination board defended its decision, arguing that the study duration requirement is essential to ensure equal treatment of students. A longer study period, they claimed, would make it easier to achieve higher grades. In addition, according to the examination board, the Education and Examination Regulations (OER) did not officially establish a part-time program; therefore, the time limit of one and a half years applies even if the program is taken part-time.
Different decision
The Appeals Board viewed the case differently. In its reasoning, the Board stated that it was of the opinion that “the term ‘nominal,’ for part-time students, is not sufficiently clearly and concretely defined in the Education and Examination Regulations (OER), the Examination Rules, and on the student website.” The Board also noted that the examination board’s decision “violates the principle of equality, as part-time students are held to the same requirements as full-time students, even though the available information sources indicate a different study duration for this group of students.” The decision to deny cum laude was therefore overturned.
Trappenburg was therefore able to collect his diploma, including the honorary distinction, in November – following the provisional ruling. Graduating cum laude after all has left him feeling both “proud” and “grateful”. The Appeals Board’s decision became final last month.
Trappenburg also believes the ruling could have broader implications: “I hope it inspires part-time students who may have thought they weren’t eligible for cum laude, and it would be great if a few students now take another look at their grade transcripts.”
