There's a lot to be said for going back to school. Continuing your education can have many practical benefits. You might find yourself moving up at work. Or, maybe you're looking to improve your resume enough to start an entirely new career. There are deeper rewards as well, though. Pursuing a Continuing Education (CE) certificate or degree is a chance to expand your base of knowledge, to grow as a person, to prove to yourself and everyone else that your mind is sharper than ever.
CE is not an easy road. College never is, but you face some challenges the average college student couldn't even imagine. You've got to study and show up for class, just like everyone else, but you have to do those things while balancing obligations to your family, a career, and a mortgage.
K State's Global Campus is designed to make things as easy as possible for you, with distance learning courses that let you fit coursework into your busy schedule. And you'll find that most instructors will do what they can to make your experience a productive one. Of course, there are always those faculty, though. You know the ones: the ones so rigid they'd never consider extending a due date, even if you've got sick kids at home. What do you do when you run into them?
You contact the Lento Law Firm. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm understand exactly what you're up against. They believe in what you're doing, and they want to make sure you succeed. Any time you have a problem, they're ready and willing to step in and help you solve it. How? They know the law as it applies to education. They also know how the Kansas State CE program works. They know who to talk to when you run into trouble and what to say. And what they know is always at your disposal.
So whether you're struggling to meet academic standing requirements, you're responding to a plagiarism allegation, or you just need a day off from class so you can finish that big project at work, you owe it to yourself to find out what the Lento Law Firm can do for you. To find out more, dial 888-535-3686, or use the automated online form.
Academics
The most basic challenge of returning to school, but one that can often be the most difficult, is simply getting yourself back into that “student” mindset. You're out of practice when it comes to writing papers and studying for exams. And you may find that things have changed a bit since the last time you were enrolled. As a starting point, then, let's consider what sort of classroom issues CE students tend to face.
Educational Options
Your first problem, of course, is deciding what educational path you want to take. Kansas State University offers a wide variety of CE options.
- Certification: You can earn both undergraduate and graduate certification in subjects ranging from Community Health to Space Systems and Operations. Most require 12 to 15 hours of coursework, and in most cases, that coursework takes place entirely online.
- Minors: Obtaining a minor in a subject like Bakery Science or Gerontology can be an easy way to buttress the bachelor's or master's degree you already have. Again, most programs require around 15 hours of coursework.
- Microcredentials: If you're looking for a fast way to move up at work, you might go for a microcredential. Kansas State offers programs in topics as diverse as Grant Writing and Medical Ethics, and these programs can be completed in a few weeks or months.
- Degrees: If you're looking to earn a degree, the university offers Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and even Doctoral options. Of course, a degree takes significantly longer to complete than a certificate, but degrees come with significantly more rewards as well rather than semesters.
- CE Credits: Finally, many of Kansas State's departments offer courses specifically geared towards professionals who need regular CE credits. If you're a vet, a teacher, or a nurse, you may be required to take courses in order to maintain your license. K State gives you the flexibility to choose exactly which courses are going to be most useful in your career.
Educational Requirements
Of course, deciding what you want to study is only the beginning. You also need to consider how you're going to meet Kansas State's academic requirements. These will differ depending on your specific academic goals.
No matter what those goals are, grades will be important to you. Even if you're just taking a single course to fulfill your licensing obligations, you're not going to get credit unless you pass, and many state agencies require you to earn at least a C. That means meeting the instructor's high expectations, going to class regularly, keeping up with assignments, and studying hard before exams.
If you're looking to earn a degree, though, you may have an additional set of standards to meet. The Kansas State Academic Standing policy requires undergraduates maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0. For graduate students, the number is 3.0. Should your GPA fall below these numbers, you are placed on Academic Warning. Should you continue to struggle while on Warning status, you can then be dismissed entirely from the university.
We said it before, but it bears repeating: you aren't the average student. It's no easy task trying to meet minimum grade requirements while being a good parent, a good partner, and a good employee. Again, most faculty recognize the pressures you're under and will do whatever they can to help you succeed. If you should run into a professor or an administrator, though, who seems unwilling to work with you, the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm may be able to help. They're experienced at negotiating with faculty, and they can be fierce when it comes to defending your rights.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Financial Aid Policy
If you receive any type of financial aid, there's yet another academic policy you need to be aware of. All colleges and universities are required by the federal government to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies. These set minimum standards students must meet in order to retain financial aid.
The Kansas State SAP policy includes three criteria.
- First, you must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA in line with academic standing requirements—2.0 for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduate students.
- Next, you must “successfully” complete at least two-thirds of the courses you attempt. Withdrawals count against this percentage just as course failures do.
- Finally, you must earn your degree within 150 percent of the required coursework. If, for example, an MA requires 30 hours, you must finish in at least 45 hours.
As with academic standing, KSU doesn't automatically rescind your aid package the moment your GPA falls below the 2.0 or 3.0 number. Instead, you're issued a Warning and given a probationary semester to improve. In addition, the school offers an appeals process for students with extenuating circumstances. There are no guarantees that your appeal will be approved, however, and once you lose your financial aid, it can be difficult to get it back.
The moment you've lost your aid, then, it's important you contact the Lento Law Firm. In fact, you should call the firm any time you think your grades might be dropping. The attorneys at the firm can help, but there are often strict time limits on filing paperwork.
Academic Misconduct
While you're thinking through how you'll meet KSU's academic expectations, keep in mind that the university also maintains an Academic Dishonesty policy. Violations, such as cheating and plagiarism, can get you into more trouble than a low GPA, and the policy applies to CE students just as much as to traditional undergraduates.
Most first offenses are handled within the context of the course. That is, instructors have the authority to determine whether or not you've committed misconduct and to assign sanctions as they see fit. Course sanctions can include
- Oral or written warnings
- Makeup assignments or rewrites
- Extra assignments on the nature of academic integrity
- Lowered grades on assignments, up to a zero
- Lowered course grades, up to an F
However, KSU requires faculty to report all violations of the Dishonesty policy to the Honor and Integrity System Director. Multiple and especially egregious offenses can receive additional penalties, including
- Probation
- Suspension
- Dismissal
The fact you've been accused of academic dishonesty doesn't necessarily mean that you're guilty of having committed academic dishonesty. Fortunately, you always have the option of challenging your instructor's allegations.
Challenges are heard by members of the school's Honor Council, and you have the right to submit evidence, to call witnesses to testify, and to cross-examine any witnesses against you.
You never want to go into an academic misconduct hearing alone, though. Rules and procedures can be complex, and universities tend to close ranks behind professors who accuse students. Luckily, you don't have to mount a defense by yourself. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm can work with you to develop your arguments, help you gather and organize evidence, and even give you practice in presenting your case.
Academics: What Could Go Wrong?
It may never have occurred to you that a lawyer might be able to help with academic issues. After all, you're not being accused of shoplifting; you're writing research papers and trying to pass tests.
Making it through a CE program isn't just about papers and tests, though. Higher education is a system, and finding success means understanding that system and learning how to use it to your best advantage. Lawyers are specifically trained in how to work in systems, and the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm work primarily with educational systems.
What can a Lento Law Firm attorney do for you?
- Coach you in negotiating with faculty and administrators
- Help you draft misconduct appeals
- Find out who you need to talk to about a specific problem
- Work with you to craft a strong defense when you need one
- Help you gather evidence to support your case
- Ensure your rights are protected
The Lento Law Firm is here for you, whatever problem you're facing. You can't get help, though, unless you call 888-535-3686.
Disciplinary Misconduct
It would be nice if all you had to worry about while earning your CE certificate or degree was academics. The fact is, academics can be the least of your worries. In most cases, Kansas State gives you a number of opportunities to improve when you're struggling with your coursework. A single accusation of disciplinary misconduct, though, can be enough to get you immediately expelled.
Like any other KSU student, you're responsible for following the university's Student Code of Conduct. That Code contains rules about general campus behavior and includes prohibitions against everything from tampering with fire safety equipment to assaulting another student. True, many of these rules won't apply to you. It's unlikely, for instance, that you'll be charged with underage drinking. And if you take your courses entirely online, you don't need to worry about trespassing or vandalism charges.
There are some rules, though, that you'll want to give special attention.
- The Code of Conduct specifically mentions violations of local, state, and federal law. That means you can be sanctioned—even dismissed—for something as minor as a DUI or a domestic violence charge.
- All college and university students are subject to the federal government's Title IX legislation. Title IX bars sexual discrimination and harassment, including misconduct such as stalking, dating violence, and rape. The minimum sanction in such cases is typically suspension. The most common sanction is dismissal.
- Online activities are subject to the same strict rules as activities IRL (in real life). If you post a harassing comment in an online classroom forum, you should expect a Title IX investigation. In general, you want to be careful when it comes to online behavior. Best practices include
- Acting professionally
- Treating others with respect
- Avoiding profanity and other types of socially offensive language
- Dressing appropriately if others can see you
- Avoiding video chat in inappropriate surroundings.
As with academic misconduct, an allegation of disciplinary misconduct doesn't necessarily mean you've committed an offense. You could be perfectly innocent. You always have the right at Kansas State University to defend yourself. As part of the campus judicial process, you also have a number of important due process rights, including the right to a presumption of “Not Responsible” (innocence), the right to review all evidence against you, and the right to advanced notification of all meetings and proceedings.
By far, the most important of these rights is the right to an advisor, someone to help you prepare your case but also to offer advice throughout the investigation and hearing. Crucially, this advisor can be an attorney. That means someone from the Lento Law Firm can be on hand to make sure you don't make any missteps.
The Lento Law Firm: Help for Continuing Education Students
If you've been out of school for a few years, you need to know that things have changed in education.
- Cheating is on the rise, so professors are more hyper-vigilant.
- Academic expectations grow higher every year.
- In today's political climate, no school can afford to be seen as soft on discipline, and every school conducts rigorous investigations and doles out stiff penalties.
Of course, you're different too. Earning straight As likely isn't your first priority anymore. These days, you're more worried about whether it's your spouse's turn to take out the garbage or years, whether your kids want peanut butter or ham and cheese in their lunch boxes, and making sure your expense report at work is in on time.
Most continuing education faculty understand the particular kinds of stresses you're under, and most are willing to work with you to make your educational experience rewarding. If you should run into issues, though, it's important you know that there's help available.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense team has helped hundreds of students just like you deal with school-based issues. Lento Law Firm attorneys know the law as it applies to education. They also know how your school operates. Most important of all, they have experience helping students deal with all types of issues. They can help you as well. Contact the Lento Law Firm today, at 888-535-3686, or use our automated online form.
