Good things can happen when you go back to school. Continuing Education (CE) programs can help you move up at work; they can help you get an entirely new job if you're looking for a change; they can give you a chance to exercise your brain again and prove to yourself that you're still just as smart as you always were.
You have to be ready to go back, though, and you have to know what to expect. Colleges and universities like Cal State Long Beach take their missions extremely seriously these days. They hold students—including CE students—to high standards, and they have little tolerance for mistakes.
That's OK. You're smart and capable, disciplined and determined. You wouldn't have signed up for this challenge otherwise. And high standards are a good thing: they force you to be your best.
There are high standards, though, and then there are unreasonable standards. You're not a typical student: you have a family, a job, and a mortgage to worry about. If your school is holding you accountable in ways that just don't seem fair, you can't be afraid to speak up, to push back, to demand your rights. Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team can help. They know the law; they know the Cal State Long Beach system; most importantly, they know what you're going through. They believe in what you're trying to accomplish, and they want to make sure you get there.
Going back to college isn't easy. Don't let the challenge daunt you, though. You can do it. Just don't forget that when you run into problems, you don't have to handle them all on your own. Joseph D. Lento and his team are on your side when you need them.
Academics
CE trouble usually comes in two flavors: academics and personal conduct.
First, you have to worry about academics, everything from mapping out your educational path to meeting your instructors' demands to navigating the CSULB Honor Code. Here's a brief overview of the kinds of academic roadblocks you can expect to encounter on your journey.
Educational Options
Your first job is to make careful, deliberate choices about what you want to get out of your CE program. The Cal State, Long Beach College of Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) offers a number of options.
- Open University: You could start by just taking a single course. Explore a topic and see if it interests you enough to take more classes or just flex your educational muscles a little for the fun of it. The Open University program at CSULB allows non-admitted students to take any course the school offers without having to worry about going through the formal admissions process. OU can also be great for professionals who need annual education hours to meet licensing requirements.
- Certification: Of course, you don't have to limit yourself to taking just one class. PaCE's certification programs let you dive more deeply into a subject by taking several classes. As a bonus, earning a certificate can pay big dividends for your career. PaCE offers certification in everything from Emergency Medical Technician training to Screenwriting Essentials.
- Bachelor's Degrees: If you started college some time ago but weren't able to finish, or earned an associate's degree but are looking to turn that into something more, you might consider one of PaCE's four BA and BS programs in Liberal Arts, Psychology, Engineering, or Nursing.
- Master's Degrees: If you already have a BA, a master's degree can greatly improve your earning potential. PaCE offers MAs in a range of subjects, from International Affairs to Dance.
All of PaCE's programs are designed to suit working students. Many, for instance, take place entirely online or involve Saturday seminars. You still have plenty of brick-and-mortar options to choose from, though, if that's what you prefer.
Educational Requirements
As you're making choices about which educational path to pursue, you'll want to consider what each one will demand of you. Obviously, the more you're willing to put into your education, the more potential you have to get out of it. Two years of classes is a serious undertaking, but you end up with a degree at the end of it. On the other hand, not everyone needs or wants a degree.
Classroom demands will differ as well, depending on your specific goals. If you're taking just one course through Open University, you won't need to worry about grades other than making sure you pass, and your grade point average won't matter. If, on the other hand, you're working towards certification, there may be GPA requirements. And, if you are after a degree, you'll definitely need to review Long Beach's academic standing requirements. Undergraduates must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in order to remain in good standing. For graduate students, the number is 3.0. Anything less can get you put on Academic Warning status, and if you should continue to struggle, you can be Disqualified entirely from attending the university.
No matter what your particular situation may be, you can be sure that your instructors will expect you to show up for class, complete all assignments, participate in class discussions, and do well on papers and exams.
Of course, your life is vastly different from a traditional college student's life. Their biggest worry is what the cafeteria is serving for lunch. You have to juggle studying with the demands of your career. Most faculty understand that you're under unique pressures, and you'll find they're willing to work with you. If you should run across those instructors and administrators who refuse to excuse an absence when your kids are sick or who just won't allow any flexibility in assignment due dates, remember that you can turn to Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team for help when you need it. They know your rights, and they're well-practiced in the art of negotiation.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
In addition to the academic standing policy, if you receive any type of financial aid at Cal State, Long Beach, you'll also need to pay attention to the SAP policy. The federal government requires all schools to develop a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to ensure that students can't take unfair advantage of the aid system. Basically, it's a set of criteria you must meet in order to remain eligible for financial assistance.
Schools are allowed to set their own criteria. CSULB has three.
- First, you must earn a minimum GPA. For undergraduates, that minimum is 2.0. If you're seeking certification, it is 2.5. If you're a graduate student, it is 3.0.
- All students receiving aid must also complete at least two-thirds of the classes they attempt. Failures and withdrawals count against this percentage.
- You must also complete your program within 150 percent of the published length of the program. If, for instance, your MA degree requires 60-course credits, you must finish it within 90 credits.
Of course, you don't have to be eligible for financial aid to remain a student at CSULB. You can continue to take courses as long as you meet academic standing requirements, assuming you can pay for classes out-of-pocket. Many students find it difficult to remain in school, though, once they've lost their aid packages.
CSULB offers an appeals process for students whose deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances. In addition, you can regain aid once you are again meeting SAP requirements. Any interruption in your funding, though, can put your education in jeopardy. CE students who stop before they've finished their programs generally have a hard time going back and finishing.
If you've lost your aid package or you're worried you might be in danger of losing it, it's important you act quickly. Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team know a number of useful strategies for handling SAP issues, but university deadlines are firm, and once you've been ruled ineligible, it may be impossible to restore your eligibility for the next term.
Academic Misconduct
There's another important aspect of academics at CSULB that can sometimes be a concern for CE students: academic integrity. Plagiarism and cheating can sometimes be a temptation for students who are trying to juggle the competing demands of education and career.
The university's Academic Integrity Policy forbids cheating, plagiarism, and anything else that might potentially give you an unfair advantage in completing your coursework. It also gives authority to instructors to charge students with violations, determine Responsibility, and assign classroom penalties. Those penalties can include
- Warnings
- Makeup assignments
- Educational assignments on the nature of academic integrity
- Lowered grades on assignments, up to a zero
- Lowered course grades up to an F
They must also report their findings to the Office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. This office has the authority to assign additional disciplinary sanctions for multiple and egregious violations, including:
- Probation
- Suspension
- Dismissal
Fortunately, you have the right to appeal your instructor's decisions and any sanctions the OSCED might impose. Unfortunately, appeals are closed-door affairs. You have no opportunity to address the panel of decision-makers; their decisions are based entirely on documentary evidence and your written statement of the facts.
Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team are skilled at filing appeals. They know exactly what academic integrity panels look for in terms of evidence, and they know how to make you look your best on paper.
Academics: What Could Go Wrong?
We hear it all the time: how is an Attorney-Advisor supposed to help me get through school? After all, Joseph D. Lento and his team can't help you study for an exam or write your term paper for you.
Here's what they can do, though:
- Help you write misconduct appeals
- Coach you in negotiation tactics
- Find out who you need to talk to when an academic issue arises
- Work with you to come up with a strong defense
- Help you gather evidence
- Make sure your rights are protected
College is often as much about navigating bureaucracy as it is about doing well on tests or figuring out how to use the library's research website. Attorneys are actually trained in navigating bureaucracy. And no one knows the ins and outs of an educational bureaucracy better than Attorney-Advisor Joseph D. Lento and his team.
Disciplinary Misconduct
Remember we said that there are two kinds of problems you can encounter as a CE student? Academics is one of them. Personal conduct is the other.
CE students sometimes have the mistaken impression that they're not held to the same set of campus rules as traditional students. The CSULB Regulations apply to you as well, though, and you can find yourself in just as much trouble for violating them as any 19-year-old undergraduate. Misbehavior such as theft, trespassing, and vandalism can garner serious sanctions up to and including dismissal from the CE program.
The Regulations also specifically mention violations of local, state, and federal law as a violation of school policy. That means a criminal conviction—even for something relatively minor like DUI or domestic battery—could put your academic progress in jeopardy. You can be suspended or dismissed, even if the incident took place off-campus.
Beyond the school's own rules, you're also subject to Title IX, a federal law that bars all forms of sexual harassment on college campuses. Cal State Long Beach is obligated to investigate all credible complaints, and the process can be complicated. Suspension is usually the minimum penalty, and dismissal is the most likely sanction.
Another common misconception among students is that online behaviors aren't covered under the Regulations. Many CE students take online classes. In fact, it's possible to earn your certificate or degree without ever stepping foot on campus. You can still be charged with Title IX sexual misconduct or with more general offenses like misuse of computer resources, though, even for strictly online behavior. In general, you want to use basic rules of etiquette any time you're in an online university environment.
- Act professionally.
- Treat others with respect.
- Avoid profanity and other types of socially-offensive language.
- Dress appropriately if others can see you.
- Avoid video conferences in front of inappropriate surroundings.
If you've been charged with misconduct, you have the right at Cal State Long Beach to defend yourself. The school must conduct a thorough investigation, and it must give you the opportunity to make your case at a hearing. Further, you have the right to submit evidence and call witnesses to testify on your behalf. You have the right to ask questions of any witnesses against you. You have a right to be presumed “Not Responsible” (innocent) until proven “Responsible” (guilty).
Perhaps your most important right, though, is the right to an advisor, someone, to help you prepare your case and to sit beside you in all meetings and proceedings. Even better, this advisor can be an attorney. That means from start to finish, Joseph D. Lento and his Student Defense Team can be on hand to keep you safe and make sure your rights are protected.
Joseph D. Lento: Continuing Education Student Attorney-Advisor
If you've been out of school for a few years, you need to know that things have changed in education.
- Cheating is on the rise, so professors are more hyper-vigilant.
- Academic expectations grow higher every year.
- In today's political climate, no school can afford to be seen as soft on discipline, and every school conducts rigorous investigations and doles out stiff penalties.
It's worth recognizing, though, that you've changed too. Sure, you care about passing your courses and getting your degree, but that's not the highest priority in your life anymore. You've got a partner, a mortgage, and kids to worry about. Satisfying your boss's demands is probably far more important to you than pleasing your professor.
Most continuing education faculty understand the particular kinds of stresses you're under, and most are willing to work with you to make your educational experience rewarding. If you should run into issues, though, it's important you know that there's help available.
Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team have helped hundreds of students just like you deal with school-based issues. They know the law as it applies to education, and they are practiced in dealing with faculty and administrators. Whatever problem you might be facing, from issues with technology to accusations of sexual misconduct, don't wait to see what will happen. If you're in trouble, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
