In organizations, nobody knows what the rules allow
I went to art school for a year. There was a small 8 AM Monday-morning course that I never attended – I went to one class, near the end of the semester, where I was greeted by an angry teacher who just exploded: “What do you think you’re doing here, at this time of the year? I’m never giving you a grade. Just leave.” The following year, I moved and switched universities. I went to an interview to be accepted in another art school. During the interview, the teacher looked at my grades and gently asked:
“I see you’re missing 3 credits (57/60) for the year. Was that supposed to be blocking you going to 2nd year?”
“(my brain) What? Aren’t you supposed to be the one telling me?”
“Of course not. I would just validate 3 more credits during the year.”
“Awesome! Then you’re in!”
This next year, I actually started university at the same time as art school. I decided to take courses in mathematics, computer science, biology, and physics. I wanted to be a renaissance man. The physics course had its exercise timeslot on Monday morning, 8 AM. However, the train couldn’t really get me to university in time to make it. By the end of the year, I tried to make sense of the course. I could not really stand the approach of physicists to mathematics, it just gave me a visceral disgust. It was clear I had no option but to fail it. I checked the probability 1st-year mathematics course, and saw I could work a few hours to at least get a passing grade there. So I went to the administration, and asked the secretary to remove me from the exam in physics, and add me to the statistics exam.
“Are you allowed to do that?”
“Of course.”
“Fine then. I registered the change.”
I did get a good grade. As I passed by, I heard one of the girls from 1st-year mathematics say: “This guy never came to the class, and got a better grade than most of us. Isn’t it just totally unfair?” I had mostly spent two afternoons doing the exams from the previous years.
There’s one time when a teacher used this on me, though. The analysis 101 class was taught by an unlikable and incompetent prof, so one day I was the only one who showed up. She was gleeful: university rules forbade being alone with a student! So she canceled the class. I asked my best friend in class to come with me the next time, so that I could get the class content.
“What? This dummy isn’t there to learn, you just asked him to come.”
“But the university rules say you have to give the class, we’re 2.”
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
Unable to reach a compromise, we went down to the administration, where a visibly uncomfortable secretary was sitting.
“She has to give the class,” I immediately went in.
“Just find him another timeslot that he could follow instead of mine,” the prof calmly said, ignoring me.
I can’t remember what the secretary muttered in response, but she only cared about getting back to peace and quiet. It was a bit pointless anyway, so the prof got to skip the classes she was paid for the rest of the semester. I had met a friend with whom I could work on analysis, so I didn’t pursue it any further. (this event happened a few months before my exam change request)
In most cases, you can just “take the right”. Any “permission structure” is a spook. Law and conduct enforcement systems are only supposed to kick in for problems that cannot be mediated through. Are you allowed to do that? According to whom?