You're smart, and you're hardworking. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made the decision to go to college in the first place. You get up every morning, and you get to class. You spend most evenings studying. You read assignments as soon as you get them, and you start working on papers well before the due date. You're a student, and you're a good one.
College success isn't just about hard work and smarts, though. It's about surviving the other challenges life throws at you while you're trying to be a good student. It's about getting along with instructors you might not like, dealing with personal crises when they show up, and navigating the complexities of the UVU system.
Writing papers and cramming for exams—that's your responsibility. If you're struggling to keep your grades up because life has intervened, though, or because your school's administration isn't treating you fairly, visiting your professor during office hours or finding a tutor isn't going to be enough. Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team believe in your potential, and they don't want anything to stand in the way of you earning your degree. If you're struggling to meet the Utah Valley University academic progress requirements, you owe it to yourself to find out what they can do to help.
Academic Progression at Utah Valley University
Progress at UVU is defined by the academic standing policy. This policy sets the benchmarks you must meet to keep moving forward from one semester to the next. To remain in Good standing, you need to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. In addition, you need to earn a 2.0-term GPA every semester.
What happens if you're not meeting these standards? You face sanctions. A slip here or there isn't the end of the world. Continue to struggle, though, and the penalties can become serious.
- Academic Warning: The first time your term GPA falls below 2.0, you're issued an Academic Warning. Your cumulative GPA remains good, but UVU wants you to know you've hit a bump in the road. As part of this warning, you are required to complete an online Warning Workshop before you can register for classes.
- Second Academic Warning: Should your term GPA fall below 2.0 again—at any time—you are issued a Second Academic Warning. As part of this Second Warning, you must again complete the Warning Workshop, and you must also meet with an academic advisor before you can register.
- Academic Probation: You are placed on probation any time your cumulative GPA falls below 2.0. Probation is more serious than a Warning. In this case, you're required to complete an online Probation Workshop and to visit with an advisor in order to register. You can remain on probation as long as it takes to return to Good standing, so long as you are earning semester GPAs above 2.0.
- Academic Suspension: If you fail to earn a 2.0-term GPA while on probation, you are then suspended for one semester. You must submit a petition for readmission.
- Academic Dismissal: If, on returning from Suspension, you continue to struggle, you are then Dismissed from the university. You can apply for readmission after one calendar year, but your return is not guaranteed.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
Utah Valley University doesn't offer any formal processes for challenging an academic standing decision. The school assumes that if your GPA is low, you simply haven't been working hard enough.
You know, though, that your classroom performance isn't always about hard work. What do you do when even your best efforts just aren't enough?
Luckily, Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team know a number of less formal approaches to avoiding academic sanctions. For example,
- If you're struggling because of extenuating circumstances—an illness, for instance, or a family emergency—you can ask the dean of your school or college for extra time to improve.
- Some faculty are willing to assign extra credit and make up work, especially to students whose grades are already borderline. You may be able to raise your GPA just by doing a little extra research or writing a paper.
- Faculty are also sometimes willing to engage in grade negotiation. You might try asking a professor to reconsider your work from the semester. When they aren't swamped with teaching assignments, they may see something in that work that they missed before.
- If an instructor is mistreating you, you should absolutely bring this to the attention of that instructor's department head or, failing that, your dean. You may have a case for a higher grade.
- Some low grades are the result of academic misconduct accusations. If your instructor decides you've cheated or plagiarized an assignment, they have the authority to impose grade sanctions. However, you have the right to appeal your instructor's decisions to their department head.
- A disability sometimes entitles you to course accommodations. If your instructor denies you these accommodations, you can take your case to Accessibility Services.
Joseph D. Lento and his team have years of experience helping students get their academic careers back on track. As a result, they understand the UVU system and how to use it to your advantage. Whether you need help gathering evidence of your academic ability or coaching in the art of negotiation, they'll help you put together a plan for success and work with you to put that plan into action.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor, Joseph D. Lento
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 attorney-advisor 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.
