Major misspelled on Radford grad’s diploma

When Marshall Wildberger heard Radford University had awarded diplomas that misspelled Virginia at the past two commencements, he decided to double-check the diploma he received a year ago.

Virginia is spelled correctly, but his major — information science and systems — isn’t.

Systems is spelled with an “a” instead of an “e” on the diploma Wildberger received last July.

“It’s kind of disappointing. You would think for how much you pay for four years for a bachelor’s degree, your diploma would be right the first time,” said Wildberger, a Mechanicsville resident now working for Capital One.

“They don’t cut you that break in school when you’re writing a paper.”

Wildberger said he received his diploma in July after completing one course needed for his degree.

Radford has said it will replace the defective diplomas, but Wildberger thinks the university should pay for reframing as well.

The university discovered Tuesday that about 1,480 undergraduate and graduate students received diplomas in May 2013 and December 2012 that were missing the final “i” in Virginia and the second “e” in thereto.

Radford said the problem was caused when a commercial software system used to produce the diplomas within the university’s registrar’s office was upgraded last fall.

The software upgrade required the diploma wording to be re-keyed into the program and during that process the typographical errors were introduced into the template.

But the error in Wildberger’s diploma occurred before that change.

A Radford spokesman said Thursday that there appears to have been no systemic problem with the two commencements in which errors occurred in the entire run of diplomas. He said he couldn’t speculate about what happened with Wildberger’s diploma, except that it may have been printed during a period of time when the software was erroneous.

The university said the diplomas are printed within the registrar’s office and that no university print shop or outside printer is used.

Weather Journal

11 hours ago

1. 41-vehicle wreck ties up traffic Sunday on I-81 in Rockbridge County 

2. Arrest made in case of missing Nelson County teen

3. Virginia Tech football roster has holes on picture day

4. WOYM: Fewer stinkbugs? You may have wasps to thank

5. Medicare penalties hit hospitals in Roanoke, New River Valleys

6. McFarling: 2 little numbers are a big hurdle for Virginia Tech football 

7. Microfestivus beer event gets downtown Roanoke hopping 

8. CB Manning opts to transfer from Virginia Tech

9. Dam release to raise Jackson, James rivers

10. Virginia attorney general's office grows under Ken Cuccinelli