Leeds University: Anger as graduates miss out on jobs after uni ran out of 'right paper' to print certificates

University of Leeds alumni say they have been "let down" after they missed out on jobs and postgraduate applications. The prestigious institution said it had run out of the "right paper" to print their final year certificates due to "supplier issues."

Staff emailed students saying deliveries of the paper were taking "longer than expected", adding they may now have to wait until March to get their documents.

Felicity Harrison, 24, who graduated in December, said the University should be "ashamed" of the delays, which meant she had missed out on new opportunities. And she even claimed there were other former students still waiting for certificates who had graduated as far back as July 2022.

The politics student said: "Since the delay on providing my graduation certificate, I can wholeheartedly say that I have never felt so personally let down and disappointed with an institution. We all worked so hard in incredibly challenging circumstances, to then have our documents withheld because of a paper shortage.

"Because of this, I am missing out on opportunities that I had aspired for long, before I was even enrolled at Leeds. The university should be ashamed of the way that they have failed to care for their graduates. There are other students who graduated in July 2022 who still don't have certificates either."

In their email to students, staff said they needed to use special paper that could be marked with "crests, signatures, holograms and other security features". They added that this meant they could not currently provide graduates with "digital" documents while they waited.

Their email read: "Unfortunately, an issue with a supplier has meant that we haven't been able to print your graduation certificate yet. We're waiting for the right paper and delivery is taking longer than we expected. Please be assured this is a priority and we will get your documents to you as soon as we can. We're currently expecting this to be in March.

"Due to the nature of a certificate we are unable to produce digital certificates. The paper has all the features required to make your certificate an official document, like the crest, signatures, hologram and other security features that makes it authentic."

But frustrated Felicity, originally from Staffordshire, said she felt the delays were holding graduates back from achieving their ambitions. She told The Tab: "I just cannot understand how a university that always pushed its students to do their best, is now consciously holding us back from our post-graduate plans.

"As though completing a degree during the pandemic and finally graduating during a cost-of-living crisis was not bad enough, it has been exacerbated by Leeds' negligence. Before this, I had always prided the university on their student support."

She added: "I thought that it was just a few of us. But since communicating with the Leeds uni post-graduate community, it is clear that the university has let down a considerable amount of graduates."

Another student explained it had stopped them from applying to graduate jobs. The law graduate, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "A lot of employers do not allow you to upload a transcript in lieu of a degree certificate on their application websites and I feel like I've missed out on opportunities and jobs because of the university's disorganisation."

Another law graduate, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I've had to delay my place at the University of Law and my place still is not confirmed because I do not have my graduation certificate, and the academic verification the uni are providing is not a sufficient substitute. I had to send four emails and call the university twice to obtain an official stamped transcript."

A spokesperson for the University of Leeds said: "We very much regret the delay in providing some of our graduates with their printed degree certificates. While we are able to provide all those affected with formal proof of their award, we understand the anxiety and concern felt by those patiently awaiting receipt of their physical degree certificate.

"Following action to resolve the cause, we expect that the graduation certificates will be sent before the end of February (using tracked mail for graduates overseas). In the meantime, we have been in contact with all those impacted to keep them updated on progress.

"Anyone who is waiting for their degree certificate, and who needs further information, should contact the University through the Student Information Service."