Purdue is a storied university with a reputation for academic excellence. Classes there are tough, and professors are demanding. You want that in a university. It means the degree you'll receive in the end will be worth something. Of course, it also means that earning that degree won't be easy. Purdue maintains strict academic progress standards, and if you fail to meet them, you can find yourself on probation or dropped from school entirely.
Most of us struggle at some point in getting our education. Maybe for you, it's one of your first semesters when you're still adjusting to life away from home. Maybe it happens later when you're putting in extra work to try and get ready for graduation. Maybe you just can't seem to get past calculus. Whatever it is, Joseph D. Lento wants to make sure it doesn't keep you from earning your degree and going on to a successful career.
Joseph D. Lento is an attorney who built his career defending university students and making sure they're treated fairly. He and his Education Law Team know the rules at Purdue, they know how to talk to faculty and administrators, and they're ready to put that knowledge to work for you.
Academic Progression at Purdue University
First things first: what defines academic progress at Purdue, and what happens if you happen to hit a rough patch in your studies?
PU's academic standing policy requires you to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and to earn at least a 2.0 GPA during both the spring and fall semesters every year.
The school reviews your progress at the end of every semester, and failure to meet either of these marks means you'll spend the next semester on probationary status. There are no restrictions when you're on probation; rather, it is a warning that you need to work harder on your coursework.
However, if you fail to heed that warning and don't manage to raise your cumulative or term GPAs above 2.0, you are then dropped from the university.
The first time you are dropped, you must remain away from school for at least one semester—spring or fall, depending on when you were dropped. The second time you are dropped, you must remain away for an entire academic year. PU does offer a process for readmission. However, your return is not guaranteed. You must go through a rigorous application process, and among other requirements, you must complete at least 12 hours of coursework at a regionally accredited institution—24 if you're trying to return after a second drop.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
As the Purdue Readmission Policy notes, “there is no appeal process for academic dismissal.”
That doesn't mean you don't have options when it comes to challenging issues of academic standing. For one thing, the school does allow for “exceptions” if your struggles are the result of extenuating circumstances, such as a serious health crisis or a family emergency.
In addition, there are a number of less formal ways to address academic sanctions.
- Faculty can and do make mistakes when it comes to recording, calculating, and reporting grades. Sometimes, raising your GPA may be as simple as asking an instructor to check their math. For this reason, it's always a good idea to keep records of all your work and the grades you receive for it.
- It's certainly not the norm, but you may very well encounter an instructor at some point who treats you unfairly. You should always report such mistreatment to either the instructor's department head or the dean of your school or college. It could be that you deserve higher scores than your received.
- If your grade is the result of a finding of academic misconduct, you can appeal that finding or the severity of the sanction to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR).
- You must be careful in how you go about it, but you can also approach faculty directly and ask them to reconsider your work from the semester. If, for instance, you did well on your final exam, you might be able to argue that you mastered the course material well enough to deserve a passing grade. Likewise, you can ask instructors to take into account your total progress over the course of a semester.
- Faculty are sometimes open to the possibility of extra credit assignments. This is especially true if your grade is already borderline. You might have to accept an Incomplete (I) while you work through these assignments, but an I might be enough to avoid probation or a drop.
Joseph D. Lento knows about these and other options and can help you decide which will work best in your particular situation. He'll also help you put your plan into action. He is experienced at asking for academic exceptions if that's what's called for, or he can help you come up with a strategy for negotiating with your professors and coach you on how to approach them. Finally, if the worst should happen and you should be dropped from the university, he's also familiar with the readmission process and can work with you to gather evidence of your ability and draft a persuasive appeal.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor, Joseph D. Lento
You might reasonably ask: how can an attorney help me with academics? After all, it's not like they can take classes for you.
The fact is, succeeding at 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. He built his practice handling student conduct and academic progress issues.
More important than anything else, Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law 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.
