Advice on Academic Dismissal appeal

Parent Cafe
1

If anyone has been on an appeals committee or anyone who has an opinion please let me know what you think.

I was dismissed from my program for failing a course. I’m gonna appeal the dismissal and I want to be as honest as possible in my appeal. I don’t have any extenuating circumstances because the reason I failed is because I miscalculated my average on my midterm before the final exam. The whole class got a 12% curve and 5 questions removed. The email we received didn’t specify if the mark we got already included the 5 removed questions and the 12% curve. The email said “5 questions were given and 12% added to the mark you see there”

For example, if the exam was out of 100 and I got 60%, after seeing the email, I would add 12 (72%) and make the test out of 95(75%) instead of a 100. If I had not changed the mark I got, I would’ve dropped the course entirely because I would be failing.

This is one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I went weeks thinking I was doing fine in the course. I don’t want to blame the professor for being vague because it’s my fault. I should’ve went and reviewed my exam and clarified with her, especially because I was borderline failing but I didn’t. I should’ve communicated with my classmates and made sure but like an idiot, I just assumed this is what the email meant. Nothing can be done now. In the future, I will make sure to review my mark after each exam with every professor and make sure to meet with my academic advisor, plan out my studying so that I’m never in this position again.

Do you think if I explained this to the appeals committee, they would be lenient? Would you?

2

I’m confused as to why you were dismissed for failing just one class… were you already on academic probation? In my experience (husband was an academic who yes, served on committees deciding similar issues) schools want their students to succeed, and often forgive a mistake. However, if you have had issues with your academic standing in the past, and have now failed a course even though you were told to keep up a certain GPA, then you may have exceeded the number of mistakes you’re allowed to make.

3

Let’s see if I understand you- you thought you were failing the class. So instead of trying to fix things- i.e. NOT fail the class, you did a bunch of calculations which showed that mysteriously you were NOT failing the class. You thought you were borderline failing- but instead of going to see the professor to figure out what you are missing, what you haven’t been understanding in the class, you figured “hey, I’m passing according to my calculations!” So then you took the final, and instead of acing it , to bring up your average to passing, you did poorly on the final. So now you know you really did flunk the class-- just as you suspected.

I think your best shot is to tell the appeals committee that you are going to take a semester off to work, and hope to be reinstated next Fall after you’ve had a chance to figure out how important school is to you in your life, and how you are prepared to make every effort to do well. The reason you failed is NOT because you miscalculated your average before the final. The reason you failed is that you didn’t do the work required to pass. The smoke screen is your calculation, the dropped marks, etc. That’s not why you failed.

How did you do on all your other courses and what is your overall GPA ignoring this latest class??? Are you tracking to do well other than this one course?

4

I failed a course in my first semester and was placed on academic probation. Failing a course while on academic probation is grounds for dismissal, which is what happened this semester. Apologies for not adding that information.

And @blossom , those were not my calculations. That was a curve given to the whole class. Based on the email, I assumed it had to be added to the mark I received. While in reality, it was already added to the mark I received. So now I thought since I was passing going into this final exam I would be ok but this miscalculation cost me dearly. The passing grade is 70% which complicates things. You are right, my mistake was not asking my professor or someone in the class to clarify and getting help instead of assuming based on the email.

5

@katliamom

There are some undergrad majors where ONE failed class will get you dismissed from that program. My major (speech pathology) was a major like that. You could NOT get any F grades in courses in the major, and you couldn’t get more than two C grades. Either would get you dismissed from the program. And it could be the last semester of your senior year…didn’t matter.

There was no appealing this without some very significant extenuating circumstance.

To the OP…good luck. Perhaps discuss this with your academic advisor first.

6

I took 3 other courses this semester and did alright. All B’s. I failed a course in my first semester and was placed on academic probation. Failing a course while on academic probation is grounds for dismissal, which is what happened this semester. I apologize for not adding that information.

The whole class was given a curve. Based on that email, I added the percentage of the curve to the mark I received, while actually, it was already added to the mark I received. This was my mistake. So I thought since I was passing going into this final exam I would be ok but this miscalculation cost me dearly. I did well on the final, I got an 87, but the passing grade being 70%, it wasn’t enough.

You are right, my mistake was not talking to the professor to clarify and ask for help.

7

Thanks for the additional info. I think you should appeal the dismissal because they worst that can happen is the situation you’re in now. I personally like how you take responsibility for your situation and I would hope your university will too. Good luck: be contrite but honest, humble and genuine. Fingers crossed it works!

8

@katliamom I am hoping for the same. Thank you. If it isn’t too much to ask, would your husband be able to comment on this situation and my chances? My reasoning for failure is not sympathetic or extenuating, it was a horrible mistake.

9

From my perspective, I’m seeing a misunderstanding of the “horrible mistake” you made. Miscalculating your grade
was not the mistake. Rather, the mistake was not studying and not learning the material.

If I were the committee, I would not reinstate someone who thought that they should do the barest minimum to pass a course, and who misperceived what that bare minimum was.

10

@MysteriousShock – there are too many variables here for anyone to give you your “chances.” The school, the program, your past grades, your professor’s take on the situation, etc.

11

This is ridiculous. There is being honest, and then there is shooting yourself in the foot unnecessarily.

No one ever mentions in their college application that they volunteered x hours because it was required to be admitted. Everyone implies that they volunteered out of the goodness of their hearts, or even because they are passionate about helping the underprivileged. Some kids are! But not everyone who applies to college, or at least not to the amount considered necessary.

Unless you actually want to be dismissed, do not bare your soul to reveal that you really feel you were unsuccessful at gaming the system. As others have said, no one knows how a committee will react in a specific situation, but it is reasonable to assume that they might consider a heartfelt declaration that you would have dropped the class entirely rather than put in the work to succeed to be not entirely convincing of your academic dedication.

You can be entirely honest in saying that you misunderstood the email, that the professor changing the scope and curve of the test led you to think that you were doing much better than you actually were, that you did not understand that you were actually on track to fail, that you did work hard to do well in the final exam (because you do say you did well, so I assume you did put in work, just not enough to make up for the bad grade you had received earlier), that you did not know you had to go above and beyond to save your grade because you didn’t actually know how bad your grade was. (I am assuming your grade had been salvageable if your final test had been even better).

You do not have to tell them that, hypothetically, if you had known your correct grade, you would rather have dropped the class. You didn’t know it, so that situation didn’t come up.

You can tell them, honestly, that you understand now what you should have done: clarify the situation, find out what you needed to do to pass, and then do it. That being on academic probation, you should have been more proactive bla bla bla (as you should have been!). That, considering you did well on the final exam, you have shown you do have what it takes now to pass the class and that you are asking for another chance.

12

When did you find out that you made this calculation mistake? Did you know the minimum grade needed on the final to salvage the mid-term? Was it possible to pass?

If it was mathematically impossible to pass due to the midterm, regardless of grades for the remainder of the class, you should talk to someone asap. Perhaps a dean. It is reasonable to drop a class where not only are you “on track” for failure but failure is certain.

That said, if it was mathematically possible to pass the class despite the midterm, with reasonable grades (that is, not A+'s since it seems you fall in the B range even with hard work), then you have no case.

It is hard for us to tell if this is a matter of ability- no offense, but that can include things like time management that can be helped. Or if this is a matter of you watching video games, socializing, abusing a substance, sleeping too much, countless possibilities. We don’t know you. You certainly sound honest :slight_smile:

I imagine you have lost federal financial aid which will follow you to other schools, I believe, so find out how that can be addressed.

How do you feel about leaving for a time and working? I think you could ask the school if you could take a leave, or ask them what the criteria would be for readmission. Do classes at community college and do well.

Or work and take some time to regroup.

I understand your frustration in that you would have dropped the class and not had this situation if you had done the math correctly based on a conversation with the professor. I think it all hinges on whether or not it was possible for you to pass regardless of that midterm grade.

If you didn’t do the work to get the grades needed to pass despite the midterm, then you need to accept the consequence.

If on the other hand you did the work and got decent grades but the midterm still caused a failure, talk to a dean or someone in administration about how you would have dropped the class if you had known failing was inevitable (with knowledge of the more accurate grade for the midterm.)

Good luck. Just know you will be okay no matter what happens :slight_smile: Eventually you will be able to let it go.

13

Were your grades in this course heavily weighted? Some professors have only a few assignments and each is worth a hefty percent of the final grade. Others have courses where you can do well all semester but if you don’t score a certain percentage on the final it’s an automatic fail. Those type of courses are tough.

I think successful appeals generally explain briefly why you struggled in the class and what concrete steps you’re taking to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Whether or not you have the basis for a successful appeal depends on the type of course it is and what you’re majoring in. A student in English or history has perhaps more leeway than someone entering the health field. What course was this? Is it a requirement of your major or an elective?

I agree that the reason for failing isn’t because you miscalculated the grade. That’s the reason you didn’t drop the course. The reason you failed the course is because you didn’t understand the material. Why did you, and apparently everyone else, struggle so much with the midterm? Did you go to office hours? I think your appeal has to focus on why you struggled with the material and what you can do in the future to make sure you understand it.

14

OP’s explanation doesn’t make sense to me. Not mathematically and not in creating the impression he’s a hardworking kid who deserves another (third?) chance.

Why weren’t you worried when first put on probation? You’re wanting to tell them you thought you’d squeak by. And with what, a C minus? You never confirmed your grade before going into the final?

Sorry, but this is what makes parents worry about maturity and judgment.

What is truly your best option? It may be a break.

15

You did well on the final. THAT is your appeal. You improved in the class and ended quite well and you can confidently say that it won’t happen again. So, please, they should reconsider. I think a school interested in your success (and they all are) would consider that improvement in the class heavily.

16

A 12**%** curve would make a 60 into a 67.2. Below the required 70.

17

CCtoAlaska- where did you read the OP did well on the final?

18

I agree with the other posters that your appeal should be based on what you would do differently to ensure you don’t fail another class.

Dropping the class, if you had known you hadn’t passed the midterm, doesn’t adequately excuse not working hard for the remainder of the year.

Did you go to tutoring? Study sessions? Office hours?

I definitely would rethink how you approach this appeal.

19

What was your final grade in the class? If the 87 brought it to within a point or two of 70 that’s a different situation than ending with a grade in the low 60’s.

20

@blossom the OP said they got an 87 in the final. If the final was comprehensive, that is a good basis for arguing that they can be successful if they tighten up their study habits.