No one promised that college would be easy. College courses are almost universally more difficult than high school courses, and most university professors make even the most curmudgeonly high school teachers seem like teddy bears.
The other thing is that you're on your own for the first time, and the University of Northern Colorado can be tricky to navigate. What are you supposed to do if one of your instructors just doesn't seem to like you? Where do you go if you think you might have a learning disability? And what's the process for proving that the week of class you missed was because you wound up snowed in during your Spring Break skiing adventure?
If you're struggling to meet UNC progress requirements, the Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team may be able to help. No, we can't take your exams for you. And our days of writing term papers are long over. What we can do, though, is help you deal with the bureaucratic red tape that plagues most college students' lives. It turns out that knowing how to work the system can be as important to your GPA as mastering differential equations.
To find out more about what we can do, call 888-535-3686 today, or take a little time now and tell us what kind of problem you're facing.
Academic Progress Standards at the University of Northern Colorado
Most college students assume making it to graduation is all about earning good grades. It's true that if you manage to get As and Bs in most of your courses, you're not going to have much trouble at UNC. What happens if your grades dip a little lower, though?
Remember we said that college is about navigating the bureaucracy? It turns out even your academic progress is subject to a “system,” and it's not always easy to understand how that system operates.
- Good Standing: Your goal is always to remain in good standing. Good standing means “acceptable progress.” How do you stay in good standing? You keep your cumulative grade point average at 2.0 or above. Simple enough, right?
- Academic Probation: It's when your GPA falls below that 2.0 number that things get complicated. And let's face it, we all have those semesters. A GPA below 2.0 means academic probation. This is just what it sounds like—the university could suspend you for failing to meet academic standards, but it is giving you one last chance to improve. In fact, you have a full 24 hours of credit work to get yourself back to good standing. After that, probation turns into an actual suspension. Note, too, that you can be immediately suspended if your GPA should fall below 1.0.
- Academic Suspension: If you cannot pull your GPA up after a 24-hour probationary period, UNC then suspends you for a period of one semester. You can return after that point, but to do so, you must be able to show potential for academic improvement. Usually, that means completing hours at another educational institution and earning a satisfactory GPA while doing it.
Finally, UNC allows students only one suspension. If you continue to struggle upon returning to the university, you face permanent dismissal.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
If you're at the point of suspension, you should know that UNC offers students with extenuating circumstances the opportunity for immediate reinstatement. Your appeal must describe the nature of your circumstances and provide concrete documentary evidence. The Lento Law Firm attorney can help you with this process. The Lento Law Firm attorneys are also well-versed in how to submit reinstatement petitions following a suspension.
Of course, you're always better off if you can avoid reaching the point of suspension in the first place. The Lento Law Firm attorney can help here as well. They know lots of useful strategies for using the system to keep your GPA high. For example,
- If you find yourself struggling in most of your classes, you could have a learning disability. You are entitled to free testing and course accommodations if necessary. You can also ask the university to set your low grades aside. Then, you can retake courses once appropriate accommodations are in place.
- Instructors have enormous authority in the classroom. They can, for example, unilaterally decide you've committed some form of academic dishonesty and lower your course grade. They can even fail you outright if they so choose. However, you have the right to appeal your instructor's decisions through Student Code of Conduct procedures.
- You should report any other type of classroom mistreatment to your instructor's department head. This will establish a paper trail you can use to file a formal grade appeal once the semester is over.
- You can sometimes convince faculty to offer extra credit or makeup assignments, especially if your grade is already borderline. You may have to take an Incomplete in the meantime, but an "I" doesn't count against your GPA the way a "D" or an "F" does.
- Some faculty will negotiate on other grounds as well. If your final exam score was particularly high, for example, you might ask an instructor to use that as your course grade.
Your advisor may not suggest these kinds of options to you. In fact, they may not even know about some of them. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm have been working with students for a number of years, and along the way, they've picked up a lot of tips and tricks. Whatever your situation, they can offer useful suggestions, and they'll work with you to put a plan into action.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do For You?
Your University of Northern Colorado 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 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.
