If you've been at DePaul University for more than a minute, you know this is a school where academics matter. Coursework is rigorous, professors are demanding, and if you can't keep your GPA, you face some pretty serious consequences, including the possibility of dismissal.
Of course, we all struggle with our grades from time to time. We all have those courses where we're just lost and those semesters when nothing seems to go right. The important thing at DePaul is to make sure you address any grade slippage early. One bad semester can mean probation, but three semesters on probation can mean looking for a job without a college degree on your resume.
The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm are here to help. Our Education Law Team knows what you're up against. We know how hard it is to succeed in college. We know how much your college success matters to your future career. We know something else, too: how to use DePaul's system to your academic advantage.
When you get that first D or F, you can't afford to wait and see what might happen. Call 888-535-3686 today to find out what the Lento Law Firm can do for you, or use our automated online form.
Academic Progression at DePaul University
At DePaul, every individual college sets its own academic requirements. However, for the most part, they all resemble the academic standing policy of the university's largest program, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Here's what that policy has to say.
- Good Standing: This is where you want to be. It means you're making steady progress towards your degree. To remain in Good standing, you need to keep your cumulative grade point average above 2.0
- Academic Probation: DePaul reviews academic progress at the end of every quarter. Any time your GPA falls below 2.0, the university places you on Academic Probation. There are no special requirements while on Probation—no extra courses to take or webinars to complete. However, you are limited to 12 hours each quarter until you return to Good standing.
- Academic Dismissal: You can take up to three quarters to return to Good standing. If you have not done so by the end of that period, though, DePaul then dismisses you from the university. Dismissal lasts for a minimum of three quarters, and readmission is not guaranteed. In most cases, you must, at a minimum, demonstrate “acceptable academic achievement” at another “regionally accredited college or university” before you're allowed to return.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
Unfortunately, DePaul offers no formal means of challenging an academic sanction. Even in cases of dismissal, “the dismissal decision is effective immediately and final.”
This does not mean, however, that you should simply accept a sanction. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know a number of valuable strategies for avoiding probation and dismissal. For example,
- If your low grades are due to some sort of extenuating circumstances, such as a family emergency or a serious illness, you can try appealing directly to the dean of your college. Often, such circumstances can be grounds for additional time to improve.
- Low grades can sometimes be an indication of a learning disability, such as dyslexia or ADD. If you're diagnosed with such a disability, you may be entitled to accommodations in some courses, like extra time on assignments or access to special technology. In addition, you can petition the university to drop low grades from your GPA. Then, you can retake those courses, with accommodations in place, and replace your grades.
- Instructors have enormous authority in the classroom. Among their powers, they can decide you've committed academic misconduct—cheating or plagiarism, for instance—and lower your grade as a result. They can lower assignment grades, they can lower course grades, and they can even fail you outright. However, you have the right to challenge their original decisions and/or the severity of the sanction by requesting a hearing before the university's Academic Integrity Board.
- You should never suffer mistreatment in the classroom. If you feel an instructor is treating you unfairly, you should contact the department head or, failing that, the dean of your college. At a minimum, such mistreatment could be grounds for a grade appeal.
- Some faculty will consider negotiating grades if you have a compelling argument. For instance, even if you failed a course, you might argue that your improvement over the semester warrants a passing grade.
- In addition, faculty are sometimes willing to assign extra credit or makeup work to students with borderline grades. While you'll likely have to ask for such assignments, one extra lab or a rewritten essay could be enough to raise your GPA above the 2.0 mark.
No matter what your particular situation is, the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm will sit down with you and work out a plan for addressing where you are academically. In addition, though, they'll help you to implement that plan, whether that means drafting an appeal, gathering and organizing evidence of your abilities, finding out who you need to contact, or coaching you in the art of negotiating with professors.
Finally, though, if the worst should happen and you should find yourself dismissed, the Lento Law Firm can work with you to put together a readmission petition. We know what committees look for in these documents and how to make you look your very best on paper.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do for You?
Your DePaul 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 trying to work against you. You need the very best help you can get.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team has helped hundreds of students just like you to get their academic careers back on track. We know who to talk to when you have a problem, we know exactly what to say, and we know how to say it.
Before you reach the point of Dismissal, or even Probation, call us today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
