College can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life. You're making new friends, learning new skills, and defining yourself. With its Ivy League history and unique Open Curriculum approach to academics, Brown University offers one of the best opportunities in America to do all of that.
You're smart and capable: you're ready for Brown. We all make mistakes, though, and college students tend to make more than their fair share. Maybe you overslept before that crucial final exam in political science. Maybe you just couldn't wrap your brain around differential equations. Maybe you suffered an identity crisis sophomore year and decided you needed to start over with an new degree.
National Student Defense attorney-advisor, Joseph D. Lento, is committed to the idea that a single mistake or lapse in judgment shouldn't prevent you from pursuing your dreams. He's dedicated his career to helping make sure students just like you get a fair shake from their schools. If you're struggling with academic progress issues at Brown, don't wait to see what might happen. Contact Joseph D. Lento now to find out what he can do for you.
Academic Progression Requirements at Brown University
Here's the good news: Brown University takes an innovative approach to education. As part of this approach, the school doesn't keep track of grade point averages. That means you're free to focus on your studies without the stress of worrying about how you do on this or that test.
However, this approach doesn't mean your progress from term to term and year to year at Brown is guaranteed. The school does have a set of “standing” requirements you must meet in order to move forward. These have to do with how much course credit you earn each term.
There are four standing categories:
- Good: You are meeting progress standards.
- Academic Warning: You have fallen behind in meeting standards but can likely correct the problem.
- Serious Warning: You are having “serious” trouble meeting academic standards and are in danger of being suspended.
- Academic Suspension: You have fallen so far behind in meeting standards that you must take a mandated one-year break from Brown University.
Again, standards are based on how many credits you earn each term. During your first semester at Brown, for instance, you are expected to earn three credits in order to attain “good” standing. 2 credits result in an academic warning, one credit results in a serious warning and no credits result in academic suspension. Keep in mind that course failures and withdrawals count against this number.
Decision Processes at Brown University
All progress decisions at Brown are in the hands of the school's Committee on Academic Standing. This group, made up of four faculty members, three deans from the Office of the Dean of the College, and the school's registrar, meets at the end of every semester to review every student's academic record.
This means that all standing designations are ultimately subject to review. For example, you may petition the Committee to create an exception in your case if you have extenuating circumstances—a serious illness or a documented family issue—that have caused you to fall behind academically. Or, you might ask the Committee to suspend your registration rather than suspending you entirely so that you can stay at Brown if you develop an improvement plan and meet it.
Beyond appealing to the Committee itself, you have other options for responding to academic progress issues. In some cases, for instance, you may be able to negotiate with an instructor to reconsider their denial of course credit to you.
Whatever your particular situation, Joseph D. Lento understands the processes at Brown and knows exactly which options will work best for you. He can offer advice and support on any issue, from how to negotiate with professors to how to put together an appeals package to the Committee.
SAP Standards
Many students receive financial aid at Brown. If you're one of them, you may also be subject to what is known as SAP standards. Every college or university is required by the federal government to maintain an SAP, or Satisfactory Academic Progress, policy. In simple terms, these policies ensure that no student can take undue advantage of the federal financial aid system.
Brown's SAP standards are set by the school's financial aid office, and they mirror those of academic standing. That is, you must make sufficient progress from semester to semester in order to retain any federal aid.
Your progress is evaluated at the end of each year rather than each term, with decisions affecting your eligibility for aid the next year. Students who have been given serious warnings by the Dean of the College receive a warning from the financial aid office as well.
Should Brown decide to suspend you for a year, you obviously become ineligible for aid for that year. You become ineligible for aid upon your return as well, though. The financial aid office does have a process for reviewing any mitigating circumstances you may have, but this involves undertaking an extensive appeals process.
If you are in danger of losing your financial aid or have already lost your aid, contact Joseph D. Lento as soon as possible. Joseph D. Lento can help with such issues just as he can help with standing issues, but often there are time limitations on SAP decisions.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Many students feel they are on their own once they enroll in college. If they find themselves in trouble—especially academic trouble—they just assume they have to handle it by themselves. They don't know how to go about fighting the system, though. They're overwhelmed by bureaucracy, and in the end, they wind up simply accepting warning, suspension, dismissal, or the loss of financial aid, even when they may have better options.
The fact is, there are many ways to deal with academic issues. A bad semester doesn't have to mean the end of your career at Carnegie Mellon. 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.
