They don't give diplomas away at Illinois of Institute of Technology. You have to earn your degree through hard work, discipline, and perseverance. That's a good thing. No one wants to graduate from a school with a reputation for low standards.
High expectations are one thing, though. Unreasonable expectations are another. None of us is perfect. Most of us have those classes or semesters where we struggle. Maybe we don't see eye-to-eye with a professor. Maybe we're going through some personal crisis that makes it hard to concentrate on coursework. Whatever the specific problem, it shouldn't put your chance at earning a degree in jeopardy.
National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team want to make sure it doesn't. They know how your school operates; they know how the system works; they know who to talk to and what to say if you're struggling academically. You might be surprised by the idea that a law firm could help you with academic issues. You owe it to yourself, though, to find out just what the Lento Law Firm can do for you.
Academic Progression at Illinois Institute of Technology
What does it take to succeed academically at IIT? The school's academic standing policy lists three criteria for remaining in “good” standing.
- First, you must keep your cumulative grade point average above 2.0.
- In addition, you must keep your major GPA above 2.0.
- You must earn at least a 1.85 GPA each term.
- Finally, you must complete—not attempt, but actually complete—at least 12 hours each term.
IIT reviews student progress at the end of every semester. What happens if you can't meet one or all of these criteria?
- Academic Probation: The first consequence is academic probation. While on academic probation, you cannot register for more than 15 hours; you cannot hold an elected or appointed office in a student organization; you cannot participate in the school's Coop program. The more important concern when you're placed on probation, though, is raising your numbers high enough to get off probation. If you can't do that within two semesters, you then face suspension.
- Academic Suspension: This is a serious sanction at Illinois Tech and can easily become permanent dismissal. That is, you can appeal your suspension to the Academic Standing Committee, but to be successful, you must provide “substantial academic and other new evidence not available at the time of suspension.” Otherwise, you may not be allowed to return.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
It can be difficult to challenge standing decisions at Illinois Tech. Such decisions are based entirely on objective criteria—your GPAs and how many courses you've completed each term. That makes it hard to argue that the school somehow made a mistake in placing you on probation or suspending you.
That said, there are ways to deal with the threat of an academic sanction. Options include
- Petitioning the academic dean for more time to improve. This can be a useful approach, particularly if your deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances, like a long-term illness.
- Discovering a recording error or miscalculation. Professors make grade book errors more often than you might think. If you're keeping up with your own grades, though, it's usually an easy matter to get them to submit a grade change form.
- Complaining about classroom mistreatment. If you feel an instructor is treating you unfairly, you always have the right to protest that treatment either to the instructor's department head or to the academic dean.
- Overturning a misconduct allegation. Your low grade in a class could be the result of an academic misconduct accusation and sanction. Here again, you have the right to appeal your instructor's decisions to an academic disciplinary committee.
- Negotiating with faculty. Some instructors are open to revising grades if you have a compelling argument to offer. For instance, maybe you feel your progress over the course of a semester warrants additional consideration. Or perhaps your final exam score demonstrates you mastered the material more than your final grade reflects.
- Asking for extra credit. You can also ask an instructor for extra credit or makeup assignments, especially if you lack only a few points to reach a higher grade.
Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team know all about how to take advantage of these and other options. They've worked with hundreds of students to respond to academic-based sanctions. They know how to formulate a plan and how to put it into action, whether that means working with you to write an appeal, helping you gather compelling evidence, or coaching you in negotiation tactics. And, if worse comes to worst, they also have plenty of experience filing readmission petitions to the Academic Standing Committee. They know the most compelling arguments and how to put you in the best possible light.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor, Joseph D. Lento
Students sometimes ask: how exactly is an attorney-advisor supposed to help me with academic issues? It's a fair question. 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.
As the information on this page suggests, 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 Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team. That Team was assembled specifically to handle student conduct and academic progress issues.
Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm 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.
