If you've been at College Station for a minute or two, you already know the school takes academics pretty seriously. TAMU courses are tough, and professors can be incredibly demanding.
You want to be at a serious school. What good is a degree from a school that just gives diplomas away? That said, a demanding curriculum can be stressful. You may worry, for instance, about what might happen to you if you should suffer a serious illness and be unable to attend class or how you might recover if you had to go home for a few weeks to deal with a family emergency. Those kinds of situations can quickly tank a GPA, and then you're facing academic probation or worse.
What do you do if you find yourself in one of these situations or if you're just generally struggling to meet TAMU's academic progress requirements? You contact Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team. They know how the A&M system works and can help you better navigate it. They also know what you're up against and want to do everything they can to make sure you are treated fairly and get every opportunity to earn your degree.
Academic Progression at Texas A&M
Like all colleges and universities, Texas A&M maintains an academic standing policy designed to keep you on track academically. That policy is relatively clear when it comes to identifying what constitutes adequate progress or “good” standing. Maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and earn a 2.0 term GPA every semester, and you should have no problems. (Your particular program might also keep track of your cumulative GPA in your major courses.)
Unfortunately, it's not quite as clear what happens if you're not meeting these standards. The policy does list four possible results:
- Warning: As you might assume, warnings aren't particularly serious. They're designed to let you know that you're struggling and to “warn” you of greater consequences if you don't improve.
- Scholastic Probation: More serious than a warning, probation generally means that you have a limited amount of time in which to raise your GPA, or you risk a more permanent sanction.
- Program Dismissal: If you cannot improve while on probation, you are then subject to dismissal from your academic program. This necessarily means applying to another program or leaving the university entirely.
- University Suspension: Finally, the worst-case scenario is that you are suspended from the university, usually for a specified length of time. Returning to TAMU requires an application for readmission, and there is no guarantee that your application will approved. In such cases, the suspension becomes permanent dismissal.
What's unclear is how the school administers these various sanctions. The specific wording is that a student “may” receive any one of these sanctions “after review by the student's academic dean or designee,” but there are no specifics in terms of what specific circumstances might qualify you for a given status.
The policy's information on probation is equally vague. A student is placed on probation when “analysis of the deficiency indicates that a continuation is in the best interest of the student and the university.” Further, “The record made by a student while on probation determines whether he or she shall be cleared to register as a regular student, be granted a continuation on probation or be suspended by the university for scholastic deficiency.”
This sort of vague language can make you even more anxious if you're already worried about meeting standing requirements.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
The bad news when it comes to a standing academic policy like TAMU's is that should you fall below the 2.0 standard, the school can theoretically do anything with you that it likes. That is, whether you are warned, placed on probation, or suspended is ultimately based on someone's subjective opinion of what they think is best for you. This is one reason why it can be so important to have an attorney by your side if you are facing any type of academic standing issue. You need someone who can make sure you are treated fairly throughout the process.
The good news, though, is that decisions aren't simply made by a computer. A real human being takes account not just of your GPA but of all your coursework before determining the best outcome for your particular situation. Not only does this mean you're more likely to get the benefit of the doubt, but you always have the option of petitioning this person directly, giving a human voice to your particular situation. You're far more likely to convince an actual person that you deserve another chance than you are to convince a computer.
In addition, should you be suspended, you have the right to appeal your case to the University Academic Appeals Panel. This ensures that no single individual can dismiss you without sufficient cause.
Of course, Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Team are well-versed in campus judicial processes. They know exactly how hearing procedures work at Texas A&M and can help you develop arguments, collect evidence, and develop questions for witnesses. They may even be able to accompany you to the hearing.
In addition, though, Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team know a number of less formal ways to forestall a negative academic sanction. For instance,
- If your deficiencies are the result of any extenuating circumstances, you should bring these to your dean's attention. You may be entitled to additional time to improve.
- Likewise, you should report any unfair treatment in the classroom to your dean. This can be cause for a grade revision.
- Of course, you can always try negotiating directly with instructors. Many are open to compelling arguments, like the idea that your unusually high final exam score might merit a higher grade in the course.
- A few faculty will assign extra credit or makeup work, particularly if your grade is already borderline.
- If your low grade is the result of an academic misconduct allegation, you have the right to appeal your instructor's decisions.
- It sometimes happens that an instructor makes an error in recording your grades or in calculating them. If this is the case, you can usually petition for a grade change if you can provide documentary evidence of your actual scores.
The bottom line is that Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team can help you no matter what situation you may be dealing with. They know how to put together a strategy and will work with you to execute it.
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.
