There's a lot going on in college: meeting new people, figuring out your own boundaries, learning how to separate your colors and your whites. Your first priority, though, has to be academics. You came to Ball State to be a student, and the university will hold you to that. A bad class, and you could find yourself on Academic Probation. A bad semester, and that Academic Probation could turn into something much worse.
How do you protect yourself from academic sanctions? You contact the Lento Law Firm. What can an attorney do to help you raise your GPA? Here's a little secret: navigating the Ball State system can be as important to earning good grades as mastering the Periodic Table. Who knows more about bureaucracy than lawyers? It's practically its own course at law school.
And no one knows more about educational bureaucracy than the Lento Law Firm's Educational Law Team. That team was created to help students get the fair treatment they deserve. We spend all day, every day, contacting administrators and negotiating with professors on behalf of our clients.
The moment your grades start to slip—or when you think they might be about to slip—don't wait. Call 888-535-3686 to find out what the Lento Law Firm can do for you, or use our automated online form.
Academic Progression at Ball State University
Let's start simple: what are the academic progression issues you need to worry about at Ball State?
Like all colleges and universities, Ball State maintains an academic standing policy. This policy sets the academic standards students must meet, and it includes a set of sanctions, or punishments, you face when you're not meeting those standards. “Good” standing, which is where you want to be, requires you to keep your cumulative GPA above 2.0. The sanctions start when your GPA falls below that number.
- Academic Probation: Ball State reviews student progress at the end of every semester. Any time your GPA is below 2.0, the university places you on Probation. While on Probation, you are encouraged to meet with your advisor and a Student Success Coach. Your primary objective, though, should be to return to Good standing. The good news is that you can take as long as you need to do that, assuming you earn term GPAs above 2.0 (2.1 if you have more than 30 credit hours).
- Academic Disqualification: Should your term GPA dip below the 2.0 mark while you're on probation, you are subject to Academic Disqualification. This means separation from the university for two full semesters. You must apply for readmission, and your return is not guaranteed. You may take courses at another institution while you are away, but you must submit records of those courses as part of your application, and low grades can count against your chances of returning.
When you return from Disqualification, you are once again placed on Probation. Should you reach the point of Disqualification a second time, you must spend at least three years away from the university before reapplying.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
You can appeal a Disqualification decision and, if successful, gain additional time on Probation. Appeals must be based on extenuating circumstances, such as a serious illness or family emergency, and you must provide a narrative describing these circumstances and concrete documentation to back up that narrative.
What do you do, though, if you don't have extenuating circumstances to explain your deficiencies? Further, what can you do to avoid Probation since Ball State offers no appeals process in those cases? Luckily, the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know some important strategies for using the Ball State system to your advantage. For example,
- If you've suffered mistreatment in the classroom, this is likely grounds for a grade revision or, at a minimum, filing a formal grade appeal. It's important, though, that you report such misconduct immediately to your instructor's department head.
- If you consistently struggle to pass your courses, you could be suffering from an undiagnosed learning disability, such as dyslexia or ADD. Disability Services at Ball State can help you find out and will work with you to put accommodations in place if you need them. You may be entitled, for instance, to more time to complete assignments, to a peer note-taker, or to special technology. You can also petition the university to drop low grades from your transcript. You can then retake those courses—without penalty—and try to improve your GPA.
- Low grades are sometimes the result of academic misconduct allegations. If your instructor decides you've cheated on an exam, plagiarized a paper, or made up lab results, they can lower your grade on the assignment or lower your grade in the course. You can dispute the allegation by appealing to the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. In fact, even if you admit you committed some form of misconduct, you can appeal the severity of the penalty your instructor has chosen.
- You can sometimes negotiate grades with instructors. For example, if you showed real progress over the course of a semester, you might argue that you deserve to pass, even if your individual assignment grades don't add up to a passing course grade.
- One of the easiest ways to raise a low grade is simply to ask an instructor for extra credit or makeup work. Not every faculty member will be receptive to such requests, but if they are an extra lab assignment or a paper rewrite could be enough to raise your GPA and avoid a sanction.
Every situation is different, and none of these strategies will be effective in every case. Your Lento Law Firm attorney will sit down with you and come up with a plan to solve your particular problem. Together, you'll put together a plan, and your attorney will work with you to implement that plan, whether that means finding out exactly what administrative office you need to talk to or drafting a formal appeal.
If you should wind up academically disqualified, or if you've already been academically disqualified, the Lento Law Firm can help you put together a strong readmission packet. We know what schools look for in these applications, and we know how to make you look your best to a committee.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do for You?
Your Ball State diploma is far more than just a piece of paper. It's your avenue to a successful career. If it's under threat, you can't afford to try and handle the problem by yourself. University processes and procedures can be complex and difficult to navigate, and often, you will find the system is stacked against you. You need the very best help you can get, someone who is in your corner and ready to fight on your behalf.
The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team has helped hundreds of students just like you respond to academic issues and make it to graduation. What can we do for you? To find out, call us today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
