You worked hard to get into Washington University. You paid attention in classes; you studied; you did your homework. You deserve to be proud of your accomplishments. You're not done yet, though. Getting into WUSTL isn't the same as graduating. To do that, you have to continue going to classes and study even harder than before.
Of course, sooner or later, we all struggle with a class or two. Or, life intervenes and we get distracted from our studies. It happens to even the smartest, most dedicated students. It shouldn't undo all the hard work you've put in up to now.
National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento is committed to making sure it doesn't. He can't take your classes for you, but he can help you navigate the often complex world of university bureaucracy. Sometimes, that's as important to stay on track as passing an exam or writing a paper. If you're struggling to meet academic progress standards at the University of Washington, St. Louis, you owe it to yourself to see how Joseph D. Lento can help.
Academic Progression Requirements at University of Washington, St. Louis
The key to graduating from WUSTL is steady progress from course to course, term to term, year to year. To help you make that progress, the school maintains several academic standards. As long as you are meeting these standards, you are considered to be in “good academic standing.”
- 2.0 grade point average each term
- 12 hours of completed credit each term
- 2.0 cumulative GPA
Should you fall short of any one of these standards, you can find yourself on Academic Probation or worse. Every college at the Washington University sets its own particular approach to dealing with academic progress issues, but most of them work much like the College of Arts and Sciences.
First, you are placed in Academic Warning status if
- Your semester or cumulative GPA falls between 2.0 and 2.5 and you complete fewer than 12 hours in a semester
- You receive a D or an F in a course
- Your semester and cumulative GPA is above 2.0 but you have two Incompletes
- You earn lower than a C- in College Writing
- You have two or more grades of Incomplete in a single semester
You are placed on Academic Probation status if
- You receive Ds and Fs in more than one course in a semester
- You accumulate two unresolved Incompletes in a semester
- Your semester GPA is lower than 2.0 and you earn fewer than 12 credits in a semester
- You do not earn the minimum required grade in a major course
- While on Warning status you receive a D, F, or I
- While on Warning status you do not satisfy requirements to return to Good Academic Standing
Finally, you are given Academic Time Away (suspension) if
- You earn Ds, Fs, and Is for the majority of your work in a semester
- While on Probation, you receive more than two grades of D, F, or I in a semester
- While on Probation, you do not meet the requirements to return to Good Academic Standing
- You have three or more unresolved Incompletes
Time Away is meant to be just that: an opportunity to reflect on your mistakes and to map out a plan for academic success. WUSTL does have a process for gaining readmission after time away. However, your return is not guaranteed and involves meeting specific conditions set for you by your college.
Fighting Dismissal
Unfortunately, there are no formal means of challenging academic progress decisions. That's because they're generally a matter of numbers—your GPA, what grades you received in a given semester, and how many courses you completed.
However, there are ways to deal with the threat of Warning, Probation, and Suspension status.
- Grade Appeals: If you don't believe your instructor has graded your work fairly, you have the right to file a formal grade appeal with the department head, the college head, or the school's Grievance Committee.
- Instructor Complaints: If you feel you have been mistreated in some other way by an instructor, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the department head, college head, or Grievance Committee.
- If you have had extenuating circumstances that have hindered your academic progress, you can appeal to the head of your college for additional time on probation.
- You can try negotiating with faculty directly. Faculty can and do make mistakes, and sometimes raising your GPA is as easy as asking an instructor to recalculate your semester scores. Alternatively, you might ask a professor to reconsider your work or to take into account your improvement over a semester. Some instructors are even willing to assign extra credit or makeup work to raise your grade.
These and other options can help you hang on to your status at Washington University, but the school may not make you aware of them. Joseph D. Lento will. Joseph D. Lento has helped hundreds of university students fight for their rights. He knows the procedures, and he's a seasoned negotiator.
SAP Standards
Standing requirements may not be your only academic concern at Washington University. If you receive federal financial aid, you are also subject to SAP or Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. By law, the Financial Aid office at WUSTL is required to maintain an SAP policy in order to prevent students from taking unfair advantage of the financial aid system.
WUSTL uses three criteria to determine aid eligibility under SAP.
- You must maintain at least a C average in your chosen program of study or a higher GPA if your program of study requires it.
- You must complete at least 67 percent of the courses you attempt.
- You must complete your degree within 150 percent of the allotted time frame. For example, if your degree requires 120 credits, you must complete it within 180 credits.
The Financial Aid Office reviews SAP at the end of the Spring semester. Should you fail to meet any of the requirements, you become ineligible for federal aid until such time as you are again meeting standards.
You can formally appeal this decision if you believe you have extenuating circumstances that led to your situation. Successful appeals result in one additional semester of aid under probationary status.
Of course, losing financial aid isn't the same as being dismissed from school. You can continue taking courses as long as you want. However, most students find it difficult to finish their degrees, once they've lost this source of funding. If you're concerned about your financial aid, this is yet another way in which Joseph D. Lento may be able to help.
Premier Education Attorney-Advisor
Many students mistakenly believe that 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. That's just not true. There are many ways to deal with academic issues, and Joseph D. Lento can guide you through all of them. Joseph D. Lento knows how the WUSTL system works, and he can offer suggestions for how to use it to your advantage. If you are facing probation, dismissal, or loss of financial aid, Joseph D. Lento may be able to help. To find out more, contact the Lento Law Firm Team today, at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
