You made it into Emory: congratulations! That's no small accomplishment. You had to excel in all your classes; you spent months studying for the SATs; you missed so many parties. If there was any justice in the world, you'd be able to take it easy now, work through your college classes at your own pace, earn your degree, and go on to a successful career.
Unfortunately, things don't work like that. Getting into Emory was just the beginning. Now you have to prove yourself all over again, course after course, semester after semester, for at least another four years. And you have to do it while learning how this whole adulting thing works.
The fact is, very few students make it out completely unscathed. You're going to struggle to get to that 8 AM class on time. You're going to oversleep and miss a final. You're going to fail an exam or maybe even a whole class.
Those mistakes don't have to cost you your place at Emory, though. National Student Defense attorney-advisor, Joseph D. Lento, is on your side and ready to help. He can't take your classes for you, but if you're facing dismissal, he can help you negotiate for higher grades, put together evidence of your ability, or just navigate the morass that is university bureaucracy. College can be tough, but don't give up. You don't have to do it all on your own.
Academic Progression Requirements at Emory University
The key to success at Emory University is staying in “good academic standing.” What does that mean? At Emory, it primarily means maintaining term and cumulative grade point averages of at least 2.0. Failure to do so can garner an Academic Warning or Academic Probation.
You can fall out of good standing for other reasons as well, though. For instance, you can be given a warning if you accumulate more than three Incompletes on your transcript. You can also be given a warning if you have a GPA higher than 3.3 and you're more than three credits short of promotion to the next year. In fact, the Emory Academic Standing Policy notes that a dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies can put you on probation “at their discretion and irrespective of grades” if they don't think you're performing up to your potential.
Warnings and probation can come with extra academic assignments, like a review of academic policies and resources or extra time with an advisor. The larger concern, though, is making sure you meet standards on probation. If you can't, you face at least temporary “exclusion” from the university. Exclusions generally last for one term, and you are required to apply for readmission.
Should you fail to meet good standing requirements after readmission, you are normally dismissed from Emory for good.
Fighting Dismissal
Students facing dismissal sometimes assume they have no options; that dismissal is simply a matter of whether or not they've got the GPA. To some extent, that is true. There are steps you can take to forestall dismissal, though, if you're struggling to meet requirements during probation.
- The dean in the Office of Undergraduate Studies or the Committee on Academic Standards may have some discretion to allow you more time to improve, particularly if you are dealing with extenuating circumstances that have kept you from succeeding academically.
- If you feel an instructor has mistreated you, you can report their conduct to the department chair or to a dean. It is sometimes the case that faculty assign grades below what students actually deserve.
- You might also try negotiating with an instructor directly. Ask them if they can re-calculate your scores or reconsider the quality of your work from the semester. Some professors are even willing to assign extra credit or makeup work to help you raise your grade.
These and other options are available to you, but Emory likely won't tell you about them. Joseph D. Lento will. Not only can he let you know which approaches are open to you, but he can help you decide which are best in your particular situation. In addition, he can work with you on negotiating tactics, help you to build a portfolio of evidence to back your arguments, and even give you practice in meeting with faculty and administrators.
SAP Standards
There's another set of academic standards you need to know about if you receive federal financial aid as a student at Emory. The government requires all colleges and universities to develop a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Such policies ensure that no one can become a permanent student living indefinitely off federal dollars.
SAP criteria at Emory depend on which college you're attending.
- Oxford College students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0.
- Emory College students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.5 for their freshman year and 2.0 every year after.
- Goizueta Business School students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0
- Nell Hodgson School of Nursing students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0
In addition, all students must complete at least two-thirds of the courses they attempt and must finish their degree with 150 percent of the published number of courses for the program. Thus, if your degree requires 120 credits, the maximum number of credits you can attempt and still receive aid is 180.
The Office of Financial Aid performs SAP reviews annually at the end of the Spring semester. Ordinarily, students who fail to meet these criteria become ineligible for aid. There is an appeals process, however, for students who may have mitigating circumstances. Successful appeals are granted one probationary semester to improve.
Losing financial aid isn't the same as being dismissed from Emory. You can still continue at the school and still graduate with your degree. Many students have trouble doing this, though, once they've lost their financial support. Joseph D. Lento doesn't just have experience with academic standing issues. He also knows how to deal with SAP policies. If you're facing the loss of your grant money, you owe it to yourself to find out what Joseph D. Lento can do for you.
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. The truth is that there are many ways to deal with academic issues.
There's also someone out there ready to help you. 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 Team today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
