You're here because you're desperate. You're struggling to meet the College of Staten Island's academic progression standards, and you're worried about a potential sanction, or you've already been assigned a sanction. You've tried all the usual methods of raising your GPA—studying harder, visiting with professors—but so far, none of it has worked. You're not sure exactly how a law firm is supposed to help you, but at this point, you've got nothing to lose.
We get it. A law firm as a fix for academic deficiencies is sometimes a hard sell. So, let's start with the basics.
Sometimes, academic success has to do with knowing how to navigate the university system—who to talk to when you have a problem and what you should say. Turns out, navigating bureaucratic systems is what attorneys do best. And no attorneys know more about educational bureaucracy than the ones at the Lento Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team can show you at least a dozen different ways to use the Staten Island system to keep your GPA up.
So now you know: you did come to the right place. You still have to contact us if you want help, though. Call 888-535-3686, or take a little time now and tell us what kind of problem you're facing.
Academic Progress Standards at the College of Staten Island
What does "academic progress" actually mean? Is it just about passing exams and getting your papers done before the night before they're due?
Sort of. There's also a more concrete definition, though. The College of Staten Island maintains what's known as an “academic standing” policy. That policy tells you everything you need to know in order to stay out of academic trouble.
- Good Standing: Your academic goal should always be to stay in “good” standing. This means keeping your cumulative grade point at 2.0 or better. As long as you do that, you're making steady progress towards your degree.
- Academic Warning: The college recognizes that freshmen sometimes struggle their first year, so if your GPA should fall below 2.0, you'll receive a warning. Once you've accumulated 24 hours, though, warnings become probation.
- Academic Probation: Probation means you are one step from dismissal. If you're a sophomore, junior, or senior, State Island places you on probation the moment your GPA falls below that 2.0 number. The good news is that you can remain on probation as long as necessary, but only if you can keep your term GPA above 2.5.
- Academic Dismissal: Finally, if you can't manage a 2.5-term GPA while on probation, you then face complete dismissal from the College of Staten Island.
While it may technically be possible to return to the college following a dismissal, the school's academic standing policy makes no mention of any sort of formal process for doing so. In other words, any dismissal could well be permanent.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
In fact, the College of Staten Island doesn't offer any formal process for dealing with any type of academic sanction. Such sanctions are based almost entirely on your grade point average, and administrators don't regard your GPA as a matter of debate.
However, there are some informal strategies for avoiding the threat of a sanction, ways to keep your GPA up, and ensuring you never have to worry about a dismissal in the first place. For example,
- If your deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances—a family emergency, for instance, or a serious illness—you can try appealing directly to the dean of students. Such circumstances are often grounds for additional time to improve.
- You always have the right to appeal a grade if you feel you've been treated unfairly. Report any classroom mistreatment immediately to your instructor's department head. This will establish a foundation for your case.
- Low grades can sometimes result from academic misconduct allegations. Your instructors have the authority to lower your course grades if they believe you've cheated or committed some form of plagiarism. However, you can challenge their allegations to the Academic Integrity Committee. In fact, even if you admit to the offenses, you can appeal the severity of the sanctions.
- Consistently low grades could indicate you have an undiagnosed learning disability like ADD or ADHD. Disability Services can get you tested. They'll also work to get any accommodations you may need. Finally, you can also petition State Island to drop low grades from your GPA and let you retake those courses for replacement credit.
- You can try negotiating with faculty. A compelling argument can sometimes be grounds for raising a grade. For instance, if you aced the cumulative final exam, you could argue that this demonstrates you mastered the course material and deserve a higher course grade.
- You can also ask instructors for makeup or extra credit work. If your grade is borderline in a course, this can be a quick way to pull your GPA up.
No strategy is going to work in every situation. You can count on your Lento Law Firm attorney to go over your academic background and make a recommendation that is targeted to your individual success. They'll also work with you to implement those recommendations, whether that means uncovering evidence of your academic ability, drafting an appeal on your behalf, or getting you in touch with the right administrative office.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do for You?
Your College of State Island 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. College 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 Lento 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.
