The University of Arkansas takes its responsibility to educate students seriously. The school doesn't just give diplomas away. Making it to graduation requires brains, hard work, and perseverance.
No problem for you, though, right? After all, you put in a lot of work getting in. You should be up for the challenge.
The thing is, college comes with a degree of difficulty you didn't face in high school. You're on your own for the first time—making your own decisions, setting your own boundaries, doing your own laundry. And while it may sound silly, while you're learning to separate their whites from their colors, you can sometimes lose focus on your studies. Before you know it, your GPA slides, and suddenly, you're facing an academic sanction.
What do you do if it happens to you?
You call the Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team. What can an attorney do to help you with academics? That will become clear as you read. For now, all you need to know is that the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm are on your side and ready to do what it takes to protect your future. They know the law, they know the UA system, and they've helped hundreds of other students avoid academic sanctions and dismissal. The only real question is, what can they do for you?
Academic Progression at the University of Arkansas
Let's start with the basics. If no one has mentioned it to you yet, your spot at the University of Arkansas is dependent on your ability to meet the school's Academic Standing requirements. Those requirements define steady progress toward your degree and set clear penalties when you aren't making that progress.
UA's policy is fairly straightforward. Undergraduates must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average to remain in Good standing. Anything below that number is subject to academic sanctions.
- Academic Probation: The first consequence of a low GPA is Academic Probation. This is basically a warning that your grades have fallen, and you need to improve or risk worse sanctions. There are no special requirements while you're on probation other than to work towards returning to Good standing, and you can remain on probation as long as you need to in order to make that happen, so long as you keep your term GPA up. Freshmen need to keep that term GPA above 1.8. Everyone else must keep it above 2.0.
- Academic Suspension: Should your term GPA fall below the minimum, the university then suspends you for one major semester (Fall or Spring) plus any contiguous terms. You must apply for readmission, and when you return, you are once again on probation. Note that students who take courses at another institution while they're suspended must apply as transfer students.
- Academic Dismissal: Finally, if you should continue to struggle following readmission, you are then subject to complete dismissal from the university.
Returning to UA following a dismissal is rare. You must wait at least two years before applying, and you must demonstrate to the Academic Standards Committee that you are capable of performing to university expectations. You're always better off avoiding this situation if you possibly can.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
Unfortunately, the University of Arkansas does not offer any formal mechanism for challenging an academic sanction. There's no way to appeal, even if you've been suspended or dismissed.
However, that doesn't mean you must simply accept a sanction. The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team knows many strategies for responding to the threat of probation, suspension, and dismissal.
- If your academic deficiencies were caused by some extenuating circumstance—a family emergency, for example, or a long hospital stay—you can ask the dean of your school or college for more time to improve.
- You are entitled to fair and equal treatment in the classroom. If at any time you feel an instructor is mistreating you, you can bring this to the attention of your instructor's department head. You may be entitled to some form of grade relief.
- Disabilities, including learning disabilities, may entitle you to course accommodations. If you weren't given these accommodations, you might be able to drop the grade from your GPA and retake the course, even if you weren't diagnosed at the time you originally took it.
- You have the right to appeal any allegation of academic misconduct—such as cheating or plagiarism—to the university's Academic Integrity Board. Such allegations can hurt your GPA.
- Some faculty are open to the possibility of extra credit and makeup assignments. Completing an extra lab or revising a paper could be enough to get your GPA up and avoid a penalty.
- You can also try negotiating directly with your instructors. If your final exam score was especially high, for example, you could argue that it best represents your coursework and should replace your actual course grade.
Again, none of these options is part of UA's standard operating procedure. You'll only find out about them from an experienced student defense attorney. A Lento Law Firm attorney can help you decide which approach is right for your particular situation and work with you to implement it.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do For You?
Students ask all the time: How is an attorney supposed to help me make it through college? It's a fair question. After all, 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.
The thing is, though, succeeding in college is often as much about navigating bureaucracy as it is about writing papers and taking exams. No one knows more about dealing with bureaucracy than attorneys, and no one knows more about dealing with educational bureaucracy than the Lento Law Firm's Educational Law Team. That team was assembled specifically to handle student conduct and academic progress issues.
The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm 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 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
