It takes discipline, hard work, and perseverance to get into a school like Boston University, to say nothing of a good deal of smarts. You made it, though. That's the good news.
The bad news is, getting accepted into BU isn't the end of all that discipline, hard work, and perseverance. It will take you at least four years to graduate, and along the way, you're going to have to survive some pretty rigorous courses taught by some pretty challenging professors. There are lots of reasons you can wind up dismissed from BU, but one of the simplest is for failing to meet academic standards.
National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento doesn't want that to happen to you.
You might be surprised by the idea that a lawyer can help with academics. After all, you're a student, not a burglar. It turns out, though, that most university decisions involve interpreting complicated rules and procedures. Who handles complicated rules and procedures better than lawyers? In fact, Joseph D. Lento isn't just any lawyer. He built his career helping students navigate the often-maddening bureaucracy of higher education. If anyone can help you fight dismissal, it's Joseph D. Lento.
Academic Progression Requirements at Boston University
Success at Boston University is all about maintaining “good academic standing” over the course of four years. Failing to do so puts you at risk of probation, suspension, and, ultimately, dismissal.
There are three requirements for good academic standing, all reasonably straightforward.
- First, you must complete—not attempt, but complete—at least 12 hours of course credit each semester. In other words, failed courses and withdrawals count against this number.
- In addition, you must earn at least a 2.0 GPI each semester. GPI, or grade point index, basically reflects your term GPA: the number of grade points you received during a semester divided by the number of credits you attempted.
- Finally, you must also maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
BU reviews your progress at the end of every semester. Should you fall short of any one of these three standards, you are placed on academic probation the following semester. Meeting these standards again will automatically put you back in good standing. However, should you continue to struggle academically during your probationary semester, you can be given an additional probationary semester, temporarily suspended from the school, or dismissed altogether.
Failure to meet academic standards for two straight probationary semesters means automatic suspension or dismissal.
Many schools and colleges at BU issue requirements during a suspension period, such as taking courses at another institution, working full-time, or completing volunteer hours. Failure to meet these requirements also usually results in permanent dismissal.
Decision Processes
For the most part, decisions about academic standing are automatic, based on the numbers. That is, either you complete enough hours and earn a high enough GPI and GPA, or you don't. However, the policy on academic standing does provide some room for exceptions. So, for example, it is possible to receive a second semester of probation after the first if your college feels you are making sufficient progress. Likewise, it is possible to appeal a suspension and—if you are suspended—to negotiate the specific terms of that suspension. These options depend on the policies of your specific school or college. In the College of Arts and Sciences, for example, all decisions are in the hands of the Academic Standards Committee.
Leaving aside these direct approaches to appealing progress issues, you should also keep in mind that there are other ways to deal with such issues as well. Faculty can and do make mistakes, for instance, and retaining good academic standing is sometimes as simple as getting an instructor to recalculate your semester scores. Some professors are willing to reconsider the quality of your work or to offer you extra credit assignments to help you raise your course grade. In other instances, you may be able to convince an instructor to issue you an Incomplete if you had extenuating circumstances that kept you from finishing your assignments.
Joseph D. Lento knows all the options open to you, and he knows which ones will work best in your particular situation. He can coach you in negotiating with an instructor, help you draft a formal appeal, or advise you on how to gain reinstatement after a suspension. Joseph D. Lento knows the BU system, and he's ready to put that knowledge to work for you.
SAP Standards
Should you receive federal financial aid at Boston University, you need to be aware of yet another set of academic standards. The federal government mandates that all colleges and universities maintain a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Such policies set the conditions upon which students may continue to receive federal dollars and are used to ensure no one abuses the aid system.
BU's Office of Financial Assistance reviews SAP at the end of each academic year, using the following three criteria as a guide:
- Credits completed: You must complete at least 12 credits each term.
- Completion percentage: You must complete at least 75 percent of the credits you attempt each semester.
- You must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
Students who fail to meet these SAP criteria become immediately and permanently ineligible for federal aid. It is possible to appeal the loss of aid if you have extenuating circumstances that may have caused your academic deficiencies. Successful appeals mean an additional semester of aid under probation. The appeals process is complicated, though, and success is never guaranteed.
You may still be able to continue as a student at BU even if you've lost your financial aid. Most students, though, find it difficult to continue without some kind of monetary support. If you're facing the loss of aid, or even if you've already been told you've lost your aid, Joseph D. Lento may be able to help. Joseph D. Lento has experience working with university administrators, and he knows how to use the system to your advantage.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Students often feel they have to handle all their own problems once they enroll in college, and if they find themselves in trouble—especially academic trouble—it's up to them to find a way out of it. Of course, they don't have any background in fighting university decisions, and so they often wind up simply accepting probation, suspension, dismissal, or the loss of financial aid.
The fact is, there are many ways to deal with these academic issues. A bad semester doesn't have to mean the end of your career at BU. Joseph D. Lento has represented hundreds of students just like you in academic progress cases. He knows the processes, and he can offer suggestions for how to use them to your advantage. If you or your child is facing dismissal, or even if you have already been dismissed, you owe it to yourself to learn about what options might be available to you. To find out more, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
