Not quite similar but I've had some serious trouble getting to speak with my own academic advisers and it really fucking sucks.
It was 2007, the financial crisis had a year or two to go and I was having serious personal issues. Home, finances, relationship. (which only got worse in the coming months). Basically depending on how you calculated it, by the sheet or by the online audit program I only needed 1 or 2 classes to graduate but had a lot of extra classes I had taken, many pertaining to the subjects I needed the credits in and some of which were upper division (300 - 400) courses. And it's not unheard of for them to let you use one or two classes in place of other classes. Or at least take a similar class. The lenders were calling in their tabs, the classes I needed weren't being given for another year, my home/family/relationship was hell and given the state of the economy I KNEW it would be hard to find real work even with a degree but impossible without it. I showed up to the advisers every day before and after doing a short term job for my aunt, called and they never answered so I left messages, sent emails with were either unanswered or told me to go during their office hours which they never showed up. Tried the dean as well. Between both I put in maybe 6 weeks of JUST trying to get in touch with them before giving up.
I still haven't graduated and to be honest I'm still very sore about this. Even if they told me to screw off and that I had zero hope of graduating at least it would have given me some closure. I paid those jerks tens of thousands of dollars and only had a maximum of 2 classes to go the least they could have done was see me. Even if they said no at least I could have joined the military or something. I had my heart so set on getting that fucking degree...it's been my only goal of my adult life. To be honest it's the only real dream I've ever had, like an actual real dream and not something stupid like owning a beach house or something. Once I had it, even if things were bad I'd at least be on better footing.
Anyways shit got worse. Family member committed suicide. Found out my gf and best friend were screwing. 60k in debt, big chunk she helped rack up. Minimum of 5 collection calls a day. Took the wind out of my sails. Decided to pay off the debt before going back and now I'm down to 7k though it might be 6 by now I haven't checked in awhile. Full of anger at what may very well turn out to be a wasted decade of my life just treading water. A solid decade of my life where I could have been working on a career and seeing how far I can take myself is gone.
So yeah, I don't know this dudes story. He could have a huge dick to them or kept exposing himself or any other battshit insane thing to make them not want to talk to him...which I doubt since she's being put on leave. Fuck that lady.