If you're a student at San Jose State University, you already know: they don't just give those diplomas away. College success takes hard work and discipline. You've got to go to class; you've got to study. And, sometimes, even doing that isn't enough. The truth is, it helps if you understand how to work the system—if you know what it takes to impress professors, when to speak up and when to stay quiet, and who to talk to when you run into trouble.
No one knows how universities operate better than attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team. They've spent years helping students just like you succeed. If there's a problem that can come up in college, they've dealt with it, from simple grade appeals to complex readmission petitions.
So, if you're struggling to meet SJSU's progress requirements, if you've tried studying harder and joining study groups, but nothing seems to work, maybe it's time you called the Lento Law Firm to find out what they can do to help.
Academic Progression at San Jose State University
Academic progress is defined by your university's academic standing policy. At San Jose State, each school and college is allowed to set its own policy. However, most resemble that of the College of Humanities and the Arts.
- “Good” standing means maintaining a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.
- Anything below that 2.0 number means you're placed on Academic Probation. It's worth knowing that courses you transfer in don't count when the school figures GPA for probation. If you did particularly well at the junior college where you started, that success wouldn't necessarily help you at SJSU. You should also be aware that you can be placed on Academic Probation for other reasons as well, including failure to satisfy A2 and B4 requirements during your first year. Finally, you should know that all students on probation are required to participate in the Bounce-Back Program (BBP). As part of BBP, you must complete Canvas activities and meet regularly with your assigned advisor.
- Disqualification: Your primary goal while on probation should be to return to Good standing. You do that by raising your cumulative GPA back to that 2.0 level. However, you must also worry about your term GPA. If you fail to earn a 2.0 term GPA during a semester when you're on probation, you are then Disqualified from taking further courses at San Jose State.
Dealing With Disqualification
SJSU offers a process for readmission if you've been Disqualified from the university. Before you can gain readmission, though, you must first petition for Reinstatement.
The school offers two paths to Reinstatement.
- If your academic deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances—a serious illness, for instance, or a family emergency—you may be able to appeal your Disqualification and gain immediate Reinstatement.
- Alternatively, you can take courses through San Jose State's Open University program until you've earned a 2.0 cumulative GPA. This, too, makes you eligible for Reinstatement.
Only once you've been Reinstated can you go through the process of applying for readmission to the university. Even if you've gained Reinstatement, you can still be denied readmission.
Joseph D. Lento and his team are well-versed in SJSU's appeals processes. They know what Reinstatement and Readmission committees look for and how to make you look your best on your application.
Other Types of Academic Sanctions
While you can return to the university after Disqualification, the process is complex, and your success is never guaranteed. It's usually better, then, to avoid Disqualification in the first place.
Fortunately, Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team know a number of useful strategies for keeping your GPA out of the red zone.
- Some faculty are willing to assign extra credit and makeup work. You may have to take an Incomplete while you finish this work, but an Incomplete doesn't count against your GPA. Ds and Fs do.
- You might also try negotiating with your instructors. If your final exam score is higher than your course grade, for instance, you could argue that it better reflects what you know and should replace your course grade.
- Your instructor has the authority to charge you with academic misconduct—cheating, plagiarism, and misrepresentation—and to assign you a grade penalty. However, you can fight these charges and/ or the severity of the sanction by appealing to the Student Conduct and Ethical Development (SCED) office.
- If you feel you've been mistreated in the classroom, you should bring this to the attention of your instructor's department head. You may be entitled to some form of grade revision.
- If you consistently struggle to earn passing grades, you should consider visiting Disability Services. You could have an undiagnosed learning disability. In some cases, you may be able to drop low grades from your GPA and retake those courses.
Whatever your particular situation, you can count on Joseph D. Lento and his team to help you come up with the best solution to avoid an academic sanction. Whether you need help gathering evidence or you need coaching in the art of negotiation, they'll work with you, side-by-side, to get you the best possible resolution to your case.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor, Joseph D. Lento
Students sometimes ask: how exactly is an attorney-advisor supposed to help me with academic issues? It's a fair question. It's not like you're on trial for shoplifting. You need help with your grades. That's normally a matter of studying harder or finding a tutor.
As the information on this page suggests, though, succeeding in college is often as much about dealing with bureaucracy as it is about writing papers and taking exams. No one knows more about bureaucracy than attorneys, and no one knows more about how to handle educational bureaucracy than Joseph D. Lento and his Educational Law team. That team was assembled specifically to handle student conduct and academic progress issues.
Joseph D. Lento and his team are on your side. They understand that no one is perfect, and they're committed to the idea that a few mistakes shouldn't keep you from earning your degree and going on to a successful career. They'll fight to make sure you're treated fairly and that you get all the rights you deserve. You've worked hard to get to this point. Don't let that hard work go to waste. To find out more about how you can fight dismissal, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
