You got into UC, San Diego. That took smarts, hard work, and perseverance. Getting in, though, doesn't guarantee a degree. College isn't like high school, and no matter how smart, hard-working, and dedicated you may be, you'll probably find it's a tougher challenge. Courses at UCSD are rigorous, professors are demanding, and you're trying to learn how to adult for the first time in your life. You wouldn't be the first student to stumble.
Stumbling is one thing; losing your spot at UCSD because you can't keep up is another. National Student Defense attorney-advisor, Joseph D. Lento, wants to make sure that doesn't happen to you. No, he can't take classes for you. He's a lawyer, not a tutor. Often, though, academic progress issues are as much about knowing how to navigate the system as they are about how much time you spend studying. If you find yourself struggling to move forward despite your best efforts, it may be time to ask Joseph D. Lento what he can do to help.
Academic Progression Requirements at the University of California, San Diego
Successfully completing a degree at UC, San Diego is a matter of making steady progress through four years.
What is steady progress? To remain in “good academic standing,” at UCSD, you must meet two important requirements.
- First, you must complete—not attempt, but complete—at least 36 hours in any given three-semester period.
- Second, you must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
Should you fail to meet either of these requirements, you are immediately placed on “academic probation.” Probation offers you an opportunity to improve your grades, and it can last up to two semesters. However, if you continue to struggle to pass classes and meet that 2.0 number, you can also be dismissed from the university entirely. In addition, you can be dismissed any time if your term GPA falls below 1.5, even without being offered a probationary period.
UC, San Diego does not offer a path to reinstatement, and dismissal includes a transcript notation about your academic struggles. In short, you don't want to get to the point of dismissal. Before that happens, it's important you contact Joseph D. Lento to find out what he may be able to do for you.
Fighting Dismissal
Students facing dismissal often assume they have no options. Issues of academic standing are a matter of numbers—courses completed and GPA. Their numbers aren't high enough, so they just give up and accept what they think is inevitable.
The fact is that there are several options for responding to the threat of dismissal.
- As the academic standing policy notes, “disqualification” (dismissals) is ultimately at the “discretion of the faculty of the student's college.” This suggests there is room for negotiation if you are in danger of dismissal. Often, for instance, you may be eligible for additional probation time if you can demonstrate that extenuating circumstances led to your academic distress. Likewise, if you can show you're making significant improvements, your college may be willing to give you more time to meet standards.
- UC, San Diego has a formal process for appealing grades. If you feel an instructor has treated you unfairly, you may be able to convince an appeals board to raise your grade. That can sometimes be enough to avoid probation and dismissal.
- You can also try negotiating with your instructors directly. That is, you might ask them to re-calculate your scores, to reconsider the quality of your work, or to give you a chance to make up points through extra credit assignments.
Joseph D. Lento can explain these and other options that may be available to you and help you decide which approaches will work best in your particular situation. In addition, he can offer advice on how to approach faculty and administration, help you gather evidence to back up your claims, and give you practice in negotiation skills.
SAP Standards
If you receive federal financial aid, you are subject to another set of academic standards. The government requires all schools maintain what's known as an SAP, or Satisfactory Academic Progress, policy. Such policies are meant to ensure no student can abuse the financial a. Such policies are meant to ensure no student can abuse the financial aid system by signing up for courses they don't take or prolonging their degree unnecessarily.
The SAP policy at UC, San Diego has three criteria.
- You must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- You must successfully complete a percentage of your courses:
- First year students must complete at least 30 percent of their courses.
- Second year students must complete at least 50 percent of their courses.
- Third- and fourth-year students must complete at least 66 percent of their courses.
- You must complete your degree within 258 attempted credits.
UCSD does not provide a probationary period for SAP. That is, should you fail to meet any one of these three criteria, you become ineligible to receive federal aid.
You can appeal the loss of aid, if you can demonstrate that mitigating factors caused you to struggle academically. This can gain you one additional semester of aid while you work to improve. However, the process is complicated and there is no guarantee of success.
Of course, losing financial aid isn't the same thing as being dismissed from the university. As long as you're meeting academic standing requirements you can continue at the school indefinitely. Many students find it hard to finish their degrees, though, without financial support. If you're worried about losing aid or have already lost it, contact Joseph D. Lento to see how he may be able to help.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Students often feel they have to handle all their own problems once they enroll in college, that if they find themselves in trouble—especially academic trouble—it's up to them to find a way out of it. Now that you've read this, you know better. You know there are many ways to deal with academic issues and that there's someone out there ready to help you.
Joseph D. Lento has represented hundreds of students just like you in academic progress cases. He knows the processes, and he can offer suggestions for how to use them to your advantage. If you or your child is facing dismissal, or even if you have already been dismissed, you owe it to yourself to learn about what options might be available to you. To find out more, contact the Lento Law Firm Team today, at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
