College is about getting yourself to class every day, about learning to study and find answers for yourself, and about acquiring self-discipline. If you’ve been at Maryville University of St. Louis for more than a minute, you already know these things. Here’s something it often takes students a lot longer to figure out—college is also about learning to navigate a complex bureaucratic system.
In fact, learning how to deal with bureaucracy can actually improve your grade point. Think about it—if you don’t know who to talk to when you need to miss class to attend a funeral, you can lose points on a quiz or an exam. If you don’t know what to do when a professor is treating you unfairly, you could wind up failing a course. And if you don’t know where to go if you think you might have a learning disability, you’re likely to struggle in all of your classes.
The LLF National Law Firm’s Education Law Team was founded to help students make sense of their colleges and universities. We know how Maryville University of St. Louis operates, and we can show you tips and tricks for keeping your GPA up.
If you’re struggling to meet the university’s rigorous academic standards, you owe it to yourself to find out how we can help. Call 888-535-3686 today to find out more, or take a little time now and tell us what kind of problem you’re facing.
Academic Progress Standards at Maryville University of St. Louis
We see it all the time—students who didn’t realize there were academic standards at their university until they wound up in some sort of academic distress. Maryville University of St. Louis doesn’t advertise its academic progress policy, but if you run afoul of it, you can be sure there are consequences. Here’s what you need to know.
- Good Standing: Your primary goal while you’re at Maryville University of St. Louis should be to remain in good standing. What does that mean? This means that you need to maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average. As long as you do that, you’re considered to be making satisfactory progress toward your degree.
- Academic Probation: The university won’t dismiss you just because of a bad grade or two. In fact, even if your GPA does fall below 2.0, you still have a chance to improve. When that happens, you’re placed on academic probation for a semester. There are no extra requirements while on probation other than to return to good standing. You have just one semester to do that, though.
- Continued Suspension: If you cannot raise your GPA back above 2.0 after a semester on probation, Maryville University of St. Louis suspends you for a minimum of one year. Suspension means complete separation from the university. You cannot register for classes, and you may need to begin repaying student loans.
You can apply for readmission to the university after serving your suspension. However, your return is not automatic. You must be able to demonstrate you are capable of college-level work and that you are committed to your academic improvement.
The university also offers an “academic bankruptcy” option to students who have been away from school for at least two years. This option allows you to drop Ds and Fs from your GPA and retake those courses.
Dealing With Academic Sanctions
Many of our clients don’t contact us until they’ve already reached the point of suspension. If that’s the case, your LLF National Law Firm attorney can help you to file your readmission petition. We know what readmission committees look for in these documents. We can help you put together the best possible evidence of your academic ability and work with you to draft the document itself.
If you contact us before this point, though, we may be able to help you avoid suspension altogether. We can show you how to use administrative policies to your advantage. For example,
- It is always worth visiting with the dean of your college and asking directly for more time to improve. University policy gives you just one semester of probation, but extenuating circumstances or a clear record of improvement can be strong arguments for exceptions to the policy.
- If you struggle in all or most of your classes, you could have an undiagnosed learning disability. You are entitled to testing and, if you have such a disability, to course accommodations where necessary. Further, you can ask the university to drop low grades from your GPA and let you retake those courses.
- Instructors have the authority to accuse you of cheating and plagiarism and to set penalties as they see fit. However, there is a process for appealing their decisions. Even if you did make a mistake, it’s often worthwhile appealing the severity of a punishment.
- You can always ask instructors for extra credit and makeup work. Completing an extra lab assignment or rewriting a paper is sometimes enough to raise an F to a D or a B to an A.
- You can try negotiating with faculty on other grounds as well. For instance, even if you’ve failed a class, you might try arguing that your improvement justifies a passing grade.
- You deserve fair treatment in the classroom. You have rights as a student. Any time you feel you’re being mistreated, you should report this to your instructor’s department head.
Your LLF National Law Firm attorney will meet with you and go over your entire academic situation. Then, we’ll offer practical suggestions on protecting yourself from academic sanctions. We’ll work with you to outline a plan, and we’ll help you to implement that plan. We can draft appeals on your behalf, coach you in negotiating with faculty, or simply figure out who you need to talk to when you have a problem. We’re always on your side and committed to your success.
What Can the LLF National Law Firm Do For You?
Your Maryville University of St. Louis 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 LLF National 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.