It's not easy making the transition from high school to college. Plenty of students don't survive it. Either they struggle in the beginning to adapt to tougher coursework and life away from home, or they lose focus somewhere along the way and simply burn out. Academic standards at Southern Miss are tough, and once you find yourself on probation, you can get caught in a cycle that ultimately leads to dismissal.
How do you protect yourself from this fate? At the very first sign of trouble, you contact the Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team. How is an attorney supposed to help with academics? You might be surprised.
College success isn't just about smarts and discipline. It's also about learning to navigate the university system. It's about knowing who to call when you need to miss class, how to deal with a professor who just doesn't seem to like you, and where to go if you think you might have a learning disability. No one is better at dealing with systems than lawyers, and no lawyers are better equipped to handle educational systems than the ones at the Lento Law Firm.
Whatever your situation, we're on your side and ready to help. Call 888-535-3686 to find out what we can do for you, or take a little time now and tell us what kind of problem you're facing.
Academic Progress Standards at Southern Miss
If you want to keep your grades up and stay out of trouble at Southern Miss, your very first job is to understand the university's academic standing policy. This policy sets the minimum standards you must meet in order to make steady progress toward your degree. It also includes strict sanctions you face any time you aren't making that progress.
- Good Standing: This is the goal. As long as you remain in good standing, you have nothing to worry about academically. To do that, you need to keep your cumulative grade point average at 2.0 or above.
- Academic Probation: This occurs when your GPA falls below that magic 2.0 mark. As part of probation, you must meet with an advisor and map out a plan for success. Otherwise, however, your primary goal is to return to good standing. You can take as long as you need to do that, provided you earn a minimum 2.0-term GPA.
- Continued Probation: If your cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 after one semester on probation, you're assigned a second semester of probation. Even if your term GPA doesn't meet that 2.0 mark, you are still entitled to this second semester. After that, you can remain on probation only as long as your term GPA is satisfactory.
- Academic Suspension: If both your cumulative and term GPA are below 2.0 for more than two semesters, Southern Miss then suspends you for at least one semester. Most students are required to go through a readmission process. Should you return to the university, you must earn a 2.0-term GPA during your first term back in order to regain probation status. At that point, your goal is once again to return to good standing.
It is also possible, however, that Southern Miss can reject your readmission package. In that case, you are essentially dismissed entirely from the university. You can reapply in two years, but this involves voiding your previous coursework and starting over.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
If you've reached the point of suspension or dismissal, the Lento Law Firm attorney can help you file a readmission package or an appeal. They know what readmissions committees look for and can ensure that you look your very best on paper.
If, however, you've been assigned probation, or you're simply worried about the prospect of probation and worse sanctions, the Lento Law Firm can offer a number of useful strategies designed to keep your GPA in the safe zone.
- If your academic deficiencies are related to extenuating circumstances, like a serious illness or a family emergency, you can petition the dean of your school or college for more time to improve.
- You are entitled to fair treatment in the classroom. If you feel an instructor is mistreating you in any way, or you think you deserve higher grades than the ones you're getting, you should report that immediately to your instructor's department head. This will lay the groundwork for a potential grade appeal or grievance.
- If your instructor has accused you of academic misconduct, such as cheating or plagiarism, it's important you defend yourself. Such accusations are grounds for lowered grades on assignments and lower course grades. However, Southern Miss does maintain a clear process for appealing such outcomes.
- Many students have learning disabilities and don't realize it. If you consistently earn low grades, it is worth visiting with Disability Services and getting tested. A disability may entitle you to classroom accommodations. You can also petition Southern Miss to drop low grades from your GPA and allow you to retake courses without penalty.
- You always have the right to ask instructors for extra credit or makeup assignments. Of course, they have the right to refuse, but it could be that a single lab assignment or a paper rewrite could be enough to prevent probation or worse sanctions.
- Some faculty are also open to the possibility of direct grade negotiation. If, for example, you've shown improvement over the semester, you can ask an instructor to pass you even if your individual scores don't add up to a passing grade.
The Lento Law Firm attorney can help you to put one of these or other strategies into place to help you get your grades and your GPA up. First and foremost, though, they'll sit down with you and review your entire situation. Every student is different, and you need a solution that's tailored to your personality, your background, and your experiences. The Lento Law Firm wants you to succeed, and that requires coming up with a plan that's just for you.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do For You?
Your University of Southern Mississippi 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—especially those involving the Financial Aid Office—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 and financial aid 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.
