Location: Georgia
I’m seeking legal advice on potential remedies related to a serious mishandling of my academic records and degree conferral by Georgia State University (GSU), specifically within the College of Education.
Background: I enrolled at GSU as a graduate student in Fall 2022 in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. After my first semester, I formally transferred into the College of Education to pursue a graduate degree in teaching. Before transferring, I received written and verbal confirmation from academic advising that my previously earned graduate-level credits would apply toward my new degree program.
In May 2025, I completed all my required coursework. My petition to graduate was approved, and I participated in the official graduation ceremony. At this point, I was led to believe my degree had been conferred.
The Problem: In June, I noticed I hadn’t received my degree, nor had my certification paperwork been sent to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). I reached out and discovered that GaPSC had not received anything from GSU. I ended up submitting my own paperwork to receive my teaching license.
However, the license was issued at the undergraduate level, not the graduate level, due to GSU’s official transcripts showing outstanding coursework—specifically, credits that had previously been approved as transferred but were now marked as missing.
After contacting GSU, I learned that several departmental staff had left, and no one could initially explain why my transfer credits were no longer recognized. After weeks of confusion and advocacy on my part, the university ultimately corrected the issue and acknowledged that I had in fact completed my degree requirements.
However, they retroactively listed me as a Summer 2025 graduate instead of Spring 2025. This discrepancy has created significant professional issues. My resume, teaching license, and previous job applications list Spring 2025 as my graduation term, which is consistent with my coursework completion, participation in the graduation ceremony, and initial university communications.
Now, it appears to employers (schools, administration, ect) that I either misrepresented my credentials or was dishonest in my applications—all due to the university’s internal error and delayed response. I’ve already lost out on several job opportunities as a result.
My Question: Given the emotional distress, potential damage to my professional reputation, and measurable financial loss due to delayed employment opportunities, does this situation rise to the level of institutional negligence, and/or are there any potential legal remedies available to me?
I have documentation of:
Initial transfer credit approvals,
Graduation petition approval,
My participation in the Spring ceremony,
Communications with GSU and GaPSC regarding the delay,
Updated transcripts listing me as a Summer graduate.
I’m open to speaking with an education or civil attorney, but would appreciate any guidance first on whether this is likely to be actionable and under what legal theory (negligence, breach of contract, detrimental reliance, etc.).