Academic Suspension appeal...help please!

Not sure what the curriculum summary is, but I remember you had to get it before e-mailing the dean. I am glad you have an appointment this week so you don’t have to stress too long.

Are they making an appointment for you with the psychiatrist? Is that what they are going to call you about?

Your talk with the psychiatrist will be a little tainted if you want help from him or her for the appeal. Would you be seeing this MD without the appeal? Hoping you can set it up so this is a person you can see regularly, even if monthly, so that if you get depressed you have both medication and support.

Again, good luck!

I want to see the psychiatrist w/o the appeal. However I just spoke to Financial Aid and he told me that I should file an SAP appeal, but it will be most likely denied, and he didn’t even know my situation. I’m feeling so hopeless. And yes they are making an appt with the psychiatrist. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Anyone have any advice/tips on my meeting tomorrow? How should I prepare and go about it?

What is an SAP appeal?

Have you ever tried meds in the past? A psychiatrist mainly prescribes meds these days and often they do wonders.

You are prepared for the meeting. Just make sure you know that a denial is not the end of the world. You are suspended and not dismissed. If the dean wants to consider your appeal, have a concise list of what you will do to avoid trouble next year. If the dean wants to maintain the suspension, he/she will tell you the requirements for returning but have some concrete ideas on what you might want to do to meet them (community or other college, job, etc.)

It will work out. Your fate does not depend on this meeting’s outcome, so just be prepared to be flexible and hopeful. let us know what happens!

@compmom. Its an appeal for the financial aid. And no I haven’t, because I never thought I had issues. I filled out paperwork so I can be seen by the psychiatrist, and when i was filling it out, I know its not right to self diagnose, but i legitimately thought I might have anxiety disorder/adult ADHD. I know, you are right, but in as much as i try to tell myself everything will be OK, I literally cannot see beyond tomorrow. It’s weird. I’m trying to calm myself down, but nothing is working. I have made an Academic Plan list to supplement the other documents that I will bring with me tomorrow.

So the point is that if you go on academic suspension, you will be ineligible for financial aid?

Also, you should be working with your college’s student disabilities office. And as others said, make sure you actually give specific (HIPAA-protected) details, not “personal issues” but at the very least what they are and in list format if possible.

I also agree that this is not the end of the world either way - if you get off academic suspension, but you aren’t able to get back on track due to untreated mental illness, all you will achieve is being more in debt. You need to be sure of what your status is at the college, and what you need to do to change it. You aren’t expelled, but if you can’t attend without FA, that’s as good as being expelled.

(note that also some students plan to take summer courses to get rid of bad grades, not sure if anyone mentioned this to you)

(another note - you WILL need to give someone details - nothing upsets professors and administrators more than a student who wants special consideration but will not reveal details to the appropriate administrator or counselor. I’vee been told by a student “I can’t tell them why, I’m a very private person” - well, then you can’t get any accommodations for your medical or mental condition if you can’t tell the college what is going on. Do you really want to share that much with them?)

@rhandco. I am, but I have to see the campus psychiatrist. And there isn’t one at my school right now. But if I can do that, w/o going to the psych, then I will just go to the disabilites office

Our college counseling center has two psychologists on staff and several counselors. They also have a 24/7 helpline.

They used to offer a lot of free services, but they are referring to another college’s training program for some testing and intensive therapy like CBT etc.

To me, the disability office is where to start, because you are asking for accommodations, which would only be allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although the Dean of Students might be aware of ADA compliance, the office of student disability services must be.

Think of it this way - if you had a crisis during the semester, as an accommodation they could give you a medical withdrawal. But now you are asking for a medical withdrawal, or an incomplete, after the fact, because otherwise you would be on academic suspension.

If you have a GPA that puts you in the academic suspension range, you go on academic suspension. Accommodations under ADA are the only way to avoid that, according to law. Otherwise, they would have no reason to approve any request for “help” due to medical issues.

I suggest looking up “medical withdrawal” and “leave of absence” and “maintaining registration” for your college. They might not be the exact terms, but I think that is where your request is going.

@rhandco I understand. I don’t know that we even have a 24/7 hotline. And they now they’re looking for someone to fill the position. I will go to disability services tomorrow, and tell them. After I do that, then i will go to my dean.

so far my dean is 30 mins late.

Hey guys, just wanted to update you. Unfortunately I did not get back in. I am sad, but thinking it over, I think this is what I need, which is a semester break at a community college. My dean made a guideline for me to follow, and told me which classes i need to take. He told what i needed to do, and upon successful completion, I will be able to go back to my four year college.

Good luck to you.

I am so glad you have a plan now and that you are in agreement with it. I am impressed with your dean. Good luck!

This is what many of us thought would happen, and I am glad you can accept it and see that it actually provides you with a way back that may work out better in the long run than winning the appeal. Also, many of us have had kids who left school for one reason or another and did community college for awhile. This can be a time to really give yourself a solid launch, and to get any help you may need. Good luck!

It sounds like the Dean really wants to make it work for you even though he felt you needed to attend community college. Good luck.