A short while ago, I found this e-mail in my inbox:

From: Richard Ribb Mailed-By: lists.cc.utexas.edu
To: la-students-s1@lists.cc.utexas.edu
Date: Oct 3, 2006 2:29 PM
Subject: OFFICIAL: graduation information
Dear Liberal Arts Seniors:
Congratulations on approaching the completion of your coursework at
UT Austin. If you are planning to graduate this December, you must
apply to graduate by 5:00 p.m, October 25. In most cases, you may
apply online from the College of Liberal Arts Web site at
.
Seniors who plan to graduate in May or August of 2007 must schedule
an official degree check with a Student Division advisor by October
24 or risk not graduating as expected. The Student Division advisors
confer with students in Gebauer 2.306. You may schedule an
appointment by calling 512-471-4271.
REGULAR SEMESTER-BY-SEMESTER MEETINGS WITH YOUR DEPARTMENTAL ACADEMIC
ADVISOR WILL FACILITATE SATISFACTORY PROGRESS TOWARD YOUR DEGREE, BUT
ARE NOT CONSIDERED OFFICIAL DEGREE CHECKS.
Sincerely,
Richard Flores
Associate Dean
College of Liberal Arts
www.utexas.edu/cola/
RF/rhr

From the e-mail, if you were planning on graduating in August 2007, what course of action should you take? I gathered that I should call and schedule a degree check.
After putting it off for about a week, I call today to schedule the degree check. The conversation went something like what follows:
Me: Hi, I’d like to schedule a degree check.
LA Employee: Sure, what semester do you graduate?
Me: August 2007
LA Employee: You don’t need to schedule a check until May.
Me: The e-mail I received said otherwise.
LA Employee: The system probably expects you to graduate in May. That’s why they sent you that e-mail. You can still schedule one if you like.
Me: No, I wouldn’t want to unless I had to, but for your knowledge, the e-mail says “Seniors who plan to graduate in May or August of 2007 must schedule an official degree check with a Student Division advisor by October 24″.
LA Employee: We might as well schedule one. What is your UTEID?
After that, she asked me if my major/minor was correct and I told her I wanted to declare a different minor. Since I need to redeclare online, she couldn’t schedule me anyhow and I’d have to call back in a week.
I e-mailed the associate dean who sent out the original e-mail since I’m not going to schedule a degree check unless it is required. I can already see what is going to happen. They’re going to be upset at the method I’m taking my Spanish courses. I’ll say yes, so I’m applying for a degree modification. They’ll grumble. Nothing exciting will happen.
That’s my UT issue of the day.