There are all sorts of ways to deal with a slumping GPA. You can try studying more, visiting with professors during office hours, or joining study groups. Here's one strategy that may not have occurred to you, though: learning to better navigate the Penn State World Campus system.
Grades can have as much to do with bureaucracy as studying. You have to know who to contact if you need to miss class to attend a funeral; you have to know what to do about an instructor who just doesn't seem to like you; you have to know where to go if you think you might have a learning disability.
You're busy. You don't have time for red tape. The attorneys at the LLF Law Firm do. Our Education Law Team was specifically founded to help students deal with the often-maddening aspects of life as a college student. And, as it turns out, when you deal with these problems effectively, it can have a direct impact on your grades.
We get into all of this below. For now, though, you need to know that, whatever your situation, the LLF Law Firm is on your side and ready to help. Call 888-535-3686 to find out what we can do for you, or take a little time now and tell us what kind of problem you're facing.
Academic Progress Standards at Penn State World Campus
Staying out of academic trouble at Penn State World Campus is relatively straightforward, at least on paper. All you need to do is meet the basic requirements of the university's academic standing policy. That policy explains what you need to do to stay in good standing, and it defines exactly what happens to you if you should struggle.
Here are the basics:
- Good Standing: The key to good standing—making steady progress toward your degree—is to keep your cumulative grade point average at 2.0 or above.
- Academic Warning: A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 is issued an academic warning. While on academic warning, Penn State World Campus places a hold on their registration, and they are required to meet with an advisor to lift this hold. However, they may continue to enroll so long as they earn a minimum 2.0-term GPA.
- Academic Suspension: Should a student fail to meet the term GPA minimum of 2.0 while on warning status, they are then suspended from the university for a period of two semesters (summer semesters are counted as part of this two-semester minimum). To return to Penn State World Campus, they must apply for re-enrollment, and when they return, they return on warning status.
- Academic Dismissal: Finally, a student who fails to meet the minimum 2.0 term GPA during their first warning semester after suspension is dismissed entirely. Dismissals last for a period of at least four years.
Keep in mind that dismissal includes a transcript notation about the nature of a student's academic deficiencies. This often means other schools will be unwilling to accept them.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
LLF Law Firm attorneys are highly experienced at filing suspension and dismissal petitions for students looking to return to school. They can help guide you through the entire process and make sure your materials are complete and compelling.
However, you are always better off if you can avoid reaching the point of suspension in the first place. As it turns out, there are a number of informal strategies for keeping your GPA up that rely on using the Penn State World Campus system to your advantage. For example,
- Extenuating circumstances can be grounds for more time to improve your grades. If you're experiencing such circumstances, you should file an appeal with the dean of your particular college.
- If you feel an instructor is mistreating you or that you aren't receiving the grades you deserve, you should contact the instructor's department head. This will lay the groundwork for filing a formal grade appeal or grievance.
- Instructors have the authority to lower your grades if they feel you've committed academic misconduct such as cheating or plagiarism. However, Penn State World Campus maintains a process for appealing these actions. Even if you did make a mistake, you can appeal the severity of the sanction.
- Learning disabilities entitle you to classroom accommodations in some courses. If you think you might have such a disability, your LLF Law Firm attorney can help you to get tested. They can also petition Penn State World Campus to let you retake courses without penalty.
- Some faculty are open to the possibility of grade negotiation if you have a compelling argument to make. For instance, if your final exam grade was especially high, you might try asking your instructor to use it in place of your course grade.
- Faculty are also sometimes willing to assign students makeup or extra credit work. If your grade is borderline, this can be an easy way to make sure your GPA remains in the safe zone.
The attorneys at the LLF Law Firm know all the options for protecting you from academic sanctions like warning status, suspension, and dismissal. They'll work with you to identify the best approaches to salvaging your GPA and will help you to put those into action, whether that means helping you file an official appeal, coaching you in negotiating with faculty, or simply identifying who you should contact to deal with a problem.
What Can the LLF Law Firm Do For You?
Your Penn State University World Campus diploma is far more than just a piece of paper. It's your avenue to a successful career. If it's under threat for any reason, you can't afford to try and handle the problem by yourself. University processes and procedures can be complex and difficult to navigate, and often, you will find the system is stacked against you. You need the very best help you can get, someone who is in your corner and ready to fight on your behalf.
The LLF Law Firm's Education Law Team has helped hundreds of students, just like you, respond to academic progress issues and make it to graduation. What can we do for you? To find out, call us today at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.
