[nagdu] Guide Dog School Losing Paperwork

Thu Apr 19 19:26:36 UTC 2012

    Jewel, Oh, I'm sorry you're having this issue with the school. 
Unfortunately, this is a chronic issue with the GDF.  They admit it's an 
issue and say they're
taking steps to fix it, but it's still happening, and not just to new 
applicants, but to returning grads.

The training is good, but you still need to go through the same office if 
you want to talk to your trainer or fax a vet form.

I used to be one of the biggest GDF cheerleaders out there; I helped run 
their Email list and was on their alumni council for a year.  I had these 
things happen to me, and I've known people who have had it happen to them. 
I don't really feel comfortable referring people to the GDF anymore because 
of it.  I get it: They are responsible for a huge amount of papers and 
Emails and faxes that come through there, but every guide dog school has to 
contend with Emails and faxes and paper work and they don't have these 
issues.  If I kept losing paperwork at my last job I would have been fired.

As I said before, how a school handles confidential and time sensitive info, 
and how they respond to questions from frustrated applicants who need to 
send a medical report just one more time is just as important as the 
training and how you're encouraged to work with your dog.

This is really heartbreaking for me, no kidding, because I've been 
affiliated with the GDF since 1995.  I got to try a GDF demo dog at the 95 
convention and that clenched it for me.  I've received two awesome dogs from 
the GDF, I know how good it can be, and I'd love to see it that good again. 
Yes, things change, but change doesn't mean it has to be done at the cost of 
time and stress on people who just want a well-trained dog to enrich their 
life and provide efficient mobility.

I'd encourage other GDF grads on this list to speak out.  I know I'm not the 
only one to deal with these issues. Most people just put up with it or get 
frustrated and move on to another school.  Addressing it with school staff 
really hasn't helped because they claim these are just isolated incidents 
when they are most certainly not.

Lisa

1st Law of Procrastination: that which can be done will be done . . . 
TOMORROW!!
Lisa Belville
missktlab1217 at frontier.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jewel" <herekittykat2 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog School Losing Paperwork

> It's funny you mention GDF, Lisa, because that's the school I am
> applying to who lost the paperwork. I didn't want to name names, but
> you already pointed out the problem, so I feel it's okay for me to
> point it out, too.
> Is the poor paperwork organization, in your opinion, something that
> affects the school's performance when it comes to training? To send
> vet reports, do you scan them into your computer and then e-mail them,
> or do you send them another way? What's the best way to deal with this
> issue?
>
> I've been impressed with GDF up to this point. I am concerned that
> this will become a problem for me in the future, so am a little
> hesitant about going to GDF now...but I really like their program.
> Should I apply to another school? Or should I just learn to work
> around the poor organization skills of the school?
>
> Lisa, I'd love to hear about how you deal with this problem, and
> whether you feel, knowing now what you do aobut paperwork problems and
> the like, whether you would go back to GDF.
>
> Thank you all for the comments so far; I remain concerned...
>
> ~Jewel
>
> On 4/19/12, Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net> wrote:
>> Hi Jewel.
>> I'd be mighty annoyed if that happened to me, especially if they lost
>> stuff I had to pay to get, like a medical report and an O&M report.  And,
>> considering how much I had to bug my references to get it done, that 
>> would
>> be annoying, too.
>> I think Cindy's suggestion is a good one.  See if there's a supervisor 
>> who
>> can open drawers and look behind the desk, I guess.  Sheesh! Pretty
>> sloppy!
>> Hope you can get it straightened out.
>> Tracy
>>
>>> Hey guys,
>>> Has anyone experienced a guide dog school losing your paperwork? The
>>> school I want to attend says they don't have my medical report, my O&M
>>> report, and my references. I know for a fact that I sent the medical
>>> report with the video that they do have (they watched it, so they do
>>> have that), my O&M instructor says he sent his report, and all three
>>> of my references said they sent their reference letters. On top of
>>> this, when I had an interview, I was told the interview was the only
>>> thing they didn't have in my files. The interviewer also made a second
>>> video of me walking, and they can't find that, either. I've been
>>> offered a spot in the July class, as long as all my paperwork goes
>>> through and I'm accepted, but I *sent* all that stuff. Should I just
>>> go get everything all over again, or should I hold them accountable
>>> for the lost paperwork...and do what?
>>>
>>> Concerned about the school's organization,
>>> Jewel
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
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>
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