If you've found this page, you're here for only one reason. You're struggling to keep your grades up. That's OK. It happens to the best of us. Maybe college is just a bit harder than you were expecting. Maybe you're dealing with a personal crisis, and academics just isn't your priority right now. Maybe you've come across an instructor who just seems to have it out for you.
Whatever the source of the problem, the Lento Law Firm can help. Attorneys helping you solve a GPA issue? We know that seems counter-intuitive at first. The thing is, though, earning good grades is often as much about learning how to navigate your school's bureaucracy as it is about studying and going to class. Do you know who to talk to, for instance, if your personal crisis means you need to miss class? Do you know how to explain the situation?
We do. No one knows bureaucracy like lawyers, and no one knows educational bureaucracy better than the lawyers who make up the Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team. We've helped hundreds of students get back on track and make it to graduation. What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or use the firm's automated online form.
Academic Progression at Towson University
If you haven't already, you need to check out Towson University's academic standing policy. That policy describes exactly what you need to do to make steady progress toward your degree. Perhaps more importantly, it also explains what happens when you aren't making steady progress. There are consequences when you struggle academically, and you want to do everything you can to avoid them.
- Good Standing: Good standing is pretty simple at Towson. You need to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average based on how many hours you've completed. If you are relatively new, with under 30 hours, you need a 1.75 to be in Good standing. If you've got more hours than that, you need a 2.0.
- Academic Warning: The first time your GPA falls below 2.0, Towson University issues you an Academic Warning. As part of this warning, the Office of Academic Advising, Retention, and Completion assigns you a program of academic support. Your main job when you're on Warning status, though, is to return to Good standing. If you cannot do that by the end of the spring semester, you face more serious consequences. In addition, you should know that Warnings are indicated on your transcript, but once you've graduated, you can request the registrar remove these notations.
- Academic Suspension: If your GPA remains low after the spring semester, you are then suspended for the following fall semester. You can remain at Towson, provided you participate in an Academic Renewal Program. Alternatively, you can spend the semester away from the university and apply for readmission. In either case, Suspension is permanently noted on your transcript.
- Academic Probation: When you return from Suspension, Towson places you on Academic Probation. You then have 24 credit units to return to Good standing. You must receive additional advising, and you may register for no more than 13 units a semester. Again, Probation is included on your transcript.
- Academic Dismissal: Finally, if you cannot return to Good standing during the Probation period, you face Dismissal from the university. You can reapply to the school after a year away, but you must provide an explanation of what led to the dismissal, a description of the changes you have made, and a plan for achieving success. Return is not guaranteed.
Dealing With Academic Standing Decisions
The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team can help no matter what your current standing. Even if you've already been suspended or dismissed, we can work with you to complete readmission paperwork. We know what application committees look for and how to make you look your very best on paper.
You are always better off avoiding dismissal in the first place if you possibly can. Luckily, the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know a number of useful strategies for doing this as well. Unfortunately, Towson University doesn't offer any formal mechanism for appealing an Academic Warning, but we know some informal ways to keep your GPA up.
- If your low GPA is the result of extenuating circumstances—a family emergency, for instance, or a serious health-care crisis—you can appeal directly to the dean of your school or college. You can sometimes get more time to improve before you face a serious sanction.
- A low GPA can be a sign of a learning disability. Disability Services will work with you to offer a diagnosis and to get you course accommodations. You may be entitled, for example, to extra time to complete assignments, access to technology during an exam, or a note-taker. Then, you can petition Towson to drop low grades from your GPA and let you retake those courses with appropriate accommodations in place.
- Each academic department at Towson offers a grade appeals process if you feel your grades are lower than they should be. If you should experience any classroom mistreatment, you should report that directly to the instructor's department head.
- Your instructors have the right to lower your grades if they believe you've cheated or committed some other form of academic misconduct. However, you can challenge their decisions to their department head or, failing that, to the university's Student Appeals Committee.
- Some instructors are willing to assign extra credit and make-up work, especially to students with borderline grades. You may need to take an Incomplete in order to finish this work, but an “I” doesn't count against your GPA the way a “D” or an “F” does.
- Faculty are also sometimes open to more general grade negotiation. If, for instance, your final exam grade was higher than your course grade, you might ask your instructor to use it as your course grade.
There are plenty of additional ways to handle low grades, but it's not always easy to know which solution is right for your particular situation. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm will sit down with you and determine the very best path you should take. Then, they'll work with you to put a plan into place, whether that means helping you draft an appeal, finding out who you need to talk to, or coaching you in the fine art of negotiating with professors.
What Can the Lento Law Firm Do for You?
Your Towson University diploma is more than just a piece of paper. It's your avenue to a successful career, and if it's under threat, you can't afford to try and handle the problem by yourself. The Lento Law Firm's Education Law Team knows the law. We also know how the Towson University system works. Before you reach the point of suspension or dismissal, call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form to find out how we can help.
