Need ideas and support. Son dismissed from college.

Parents Forum
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<p>I am frantic. We just got the information that my freshman boy has been academically dismissed. </p>

<p>We have 48 hrs to appeal and I would like your input.</p>

<p>He has a 1.91 GPA after 3 semesters. He had a 1.5 first trimester, 1.8 cum after second trimester, and now a 1.91 cum. Not enough to keep him in good standing.</p>

<p>The details: He is ADHD. He is enrolled in a difficult college. He was accepted into the engineering program He quickly changed his major to computer science which is still in the engineering school. His first trimester, he had calculus, 2 engineering classes, one english class and a computer science class-disaster. After the 2nd trimester, he asked to be transferred to the business school but they said he had to get his GPA up first to make the transfer. So, he needed to get a 2.5 this trimester to get his GPA to a 2.0. He got a 2.3 so now his cum is 1.91. </p>

<p>THIS TRMESTER He got an A, a B+, a B- and two D's. The D in English occurred because he failed an essay that counted a lot toward his grade. He always went to class and all his other grades were good. He got a D in computer science because two HW assigments (30% of his grade) did not get into the system(done online) so he got zeros. Of course this is his fault because he should have checked to see that they were received. He contacted the professor who directed the TA to accept those assignments. This would likely bring his grade in the class to a "C" or "B". This would also bring him cum to a 2.0. The TA is not responding!!!! The Professor can't find him!!! So the professor said he could appeal the grade if he feels it was calculated incorrectly. </p>

<p>The other issue is that to appeal, we have to appeal to the school of engineering which is the part of the university that he is enrolled and his grades in that dept are bad! </p>

<p>1.Should he appeal the CS grade? (the prof was doing him a favor by telling the TA to accept those assignments.I'm afraid if we do an official appeal it will be rejected) </p>

<p>2.Should in his appeal to the engineering school, should we tell them that we just want to get him back in the college to transfer depts? They will quickly see that he is not Engineering material. </p>

<p>3.Should he mention his ADD?</p>

<p>I am not even sure we want to send him back to this college but we would like to get the dismissal removed. </p>

<p>His biggest problem is that he does not keep on top of exactly where he is in a class. He came home truly thinking he had all grades C and above. He thought he had a B in computer science.</p>

<p>thank you and please help.</p>

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<p>I’m so sorry that you all are going through this. Personally if it were me, I’d appeal to have the leaving of that college reflected as a withdrawal as opposed to a dismissal, although the GPA hurdle will still be there for any future colleges. Did he have a probationary period?</p>

<p>Oh, I would not bring up the ADD at all unless he was working with the disabilities office and unless the professors knew it. After the fact talking about it sounds like everyone is digging for an excuse. YMMV.</p>

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<p>I’m not experienced in dealing with ADD or academic appeals at all, but…</p>

<p>If your son is documented to have this condition, did he have an IEP or whatever it is called in HS? Was this known to the college going in? Did he have any support from the college, and if so, did he take advantage of it? Does he take medication, or does he need to take medication? Does/did he have accommodations?</p>

<p>I see no reason not to mention the ADD in the appeal. What do you have to lose? Even if he didn’t disclose, you/he can explain that he wanted to go it alone, but now realizes that that was a mistake, and that going forward he will actively seek out support.</p>

<p>If the professor said to go ahead and appeal the grade if he couldn’t contact the TA in time to change it before the hearing, then do so. Again, what do you have to lose? If that grade is brought up to a C or B, his grades this trimester are actually pretty good, with the exception of the remaining D, of course.</p>

<p>At the very least, you can try to come out of this with some plan for reentry that has the college’s blessing: a year or term at a CC with an agreed-upon GPA, for example.</p>

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<p>Thank you for responding momofthree. </p>

<p>I am not sure if they have the appeal you suggested as an option. If he doesn’t get reinstated, we will defintely work on that.</p>

<p>This is so difficult.</p>

<p>One Update - He spoke with his advisor and she said that if he requests a transfer to a different department (business) that it will increase his changes of being reinstated. </p>

<p>His Computer science TA finally responded and said that they cannot change the grade but will work with him on an appeal.</p>

<p>We are going to begin the process to get reinstated.</p>

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<p>Sorry, but I think he has made a very common mistake: underestimating his ability to do college level work. Freshman year is tough to begin with, but trying to take on TWO engineering classes, plus calculus, an english AND a CS class is simply too much. That set up problems right from the beginning. 5 classes in the first trimester at a school that runs quarterly is just crazy. Don’t blame it on his ADD, but on his advisor. Not sure what his second semester was like, but again he took FIVE classes in the spring. No wonder he wanted to change his major. No wonder he’s failing. </p>

<p>I have a son who goes to a school that runs on a quarterly system and he has told me they need special permission to take more than four.</p>

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<p>Good luck to your S. </p>

<p>I hope getting the grade changed is enough to cause the dismissal to be rescinded. It is strange to me that your S would even need to formally appeal this–in my university, profs can change grades after the fact to correct mistakes by filling out a form. The dept chair and dean need to sign off on it, but it isn’t that big of deal and is done all the time. If the prof told the TA to count the grades, and the TA didn’t do it, this falls in the category of mistake. Also, it is the profs responsibility to ensure the grading is done correctly, whether or not the TA is around.</p>

<p>If the grade change isn’t sufficient and your S is filing an appeal to be reinstated in spite of low grades–
I’ve served on committees that make decisions about student appeals. It is important to give the committee some reason to think that if the appeal is granted, the student will be successful in the future. So you want to identify what went wrong (briefly) and then make a case that the situation will be different in the future. So, in this case, I think stating a plan to change majors is a good idea. (I’ve seen cases where appeals were granted contingent on a change of major) Bringing up the ADD might help if there is some reason that it will be less of a problem in the future, otherwise, it will undermine the case that the student will be successful if given another chance.</p>

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<p>What motherboard said. Present a plan that involves getting out of the engineering school. Believe me, he’s not the first kid they’ve seen that couldn’t handle engineering. He’s also close enough to a 2.0 that you’re not asking for a Hail Mary. </p>

<p>As for the ADD? I’d go with not mentioning it. One, if he used services, those services were provided to level the playing field. If he couldn’t compete on that leveled playing field, you are killing your own argument (or at least not making it stronger than the original argument of wrong major). If he didn’t provide documentation to the disabilities office, it looks like an excuse. If he did provide documentation but then didn’t use services for 3 trimesters, well, that doesn’t look good either. If you really think he’ll be fine with a new major, leave it out of the appeal.</p>

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<p>Hugs to you. Please be aware that you are not the first mom to go through this by a long shot, and this is really common in engineering majors. I am surprised they are acting like they are inventing the wheel because this happens so often with that major. </p>

<p>If his ADD is truly an issue that he not been able to manage away on his own, living at home and commuting with some parental help in scheduling and other behaviorial issues might be the better way to go. My friend struggled greatly in making her gifted, anorexic daughter commute to college, but now 14 years after the fact, it’s pretty clear that it was necessary. These young adult years are turbulent enough on emotional, psychological, behaviorial bases even without a true problem in the pictures. Most do settle down and can then focus on the issues at hand and give them the attention they need. Young adults are so often self destructive, that it is difficult to get them to deal with their “handicaps”; many times they won’t even acknowledge them. Time is all your side many times in these sort of things, so do take it.</p>

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<p>{hugs} and a big glass of your favorite beverage. I am so sorry. re: 48 hours to appeal – gosh that’s not much time – can you post your situation (anonymously if you want) on the school’s forum here on CC (if they have one)? Maybe someone has gone through this and knows what you should do.</p>

<p>If the dismissal sticks, what do they put on his transcript? Why wasn’t there any warning when the first trimester grades were low? Can you reach out to his advisor for any suggestions?</p>

<p>So sorry. Hang in there.</p>

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<p>Sorry for your son’s problems. Im sure its quite common for student to struggle in engineering classes & pre-requisites - so I am sure they have seen this before. </p>

<p>Im not that knowledgable about ADD. To my admittedly unknowledgable & redneck way of thinking, it sounds like an excuse that every parent of a struggling student on this forum provides (and one which Appeal’s boards often hear). With that said it could be valid, in which case steps should be taken to improve. </p>

<p>But oftentimes lower classmen struggle due to a combination of study skills and course difficulty (likely major contributing factors in this case). Realize that business majors, although not a notoriously difficult, still require good study skills & writing skills. The D in english is a bad sign - especially if your son was truly giving it his all (or perhaps he’s been partying a bit too much) and wants to be a business major now.</p>

<p>To whoever said it above, I think it is unfair to blame the advisor. It is the student’s job (who is an adult) to keep on top of things. And based on the OP’s post, the advisor was giving good advise when asked. It is likely that the advisor and his/her office have numerous resources that could have (and still can) help - but the student has to reach out and/or listen. </p>

<p>With everything you’ve said, I’m sure that the appeals board will rule in your son’s favor. So try not to worry too much! The TA willing to help you in the appeal is a great sign. </p>

<p>Its not the end of the world! You’ll all likely be laughing about this with your son 10 years from now when he is wildly succesful.</p>

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<p>He is not ADHD, he HAS adhd. Write a letter pointing out how much he has improved and how he is trying to transfer to a different school where he will have more success. And consider medication. If they won’t transfer him to the business school, can he at least switch to the liberal arts or undeclared section?</p>

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<p>Ideas I’ve read so far are good, I am posting to offer support. I did something like this in college - and had no ADHD or engineering reasons for it as your S does, just a boyfriend at another college and an inability to make it to early morning classes. I was asked to take a semester off from my Ivy-level college due to a 1.8. I took it and later decided to transfer, though I could have returned. </p>

<p>My parents were devastated. It took them about a year to get over it.</p>

<p>But almost 30 years on, all is well with me, and all will be well for your S too I am sure, no matter what happens. So…hugs :)</p>

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<p>Most important, a hug to you and your son. </p>

<p>In this case, a grade appeal seems like a good move. In general, his grades are going up, which is a good sign. Definitely mention the ADHD but don’t make it a “card.”</p>

<p>If he isn’t working with whatever the Disabilities Office is called on his campus, he needs to be - and now. Your appeal letter might include some specific plans for meeting with a counselor, checking with tutoring etc in order to get that support network going. (These may be required by the school upon reinstatement anyway, so including them makes him look proactive.) What strategies worked in HS that helped him get admitted to this competitive school? And how can he reproduce those using the resources available to him on campus?</p>

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<p>While there are some similarities between high school and college, I believe that college is a whole new ball game…how teachers grade, the weight grade-wise that is placed on tests, papers and quizzes, etc. The biggest skill that kids need, that they often don’t learn or don’t need in high school, is the ability to reach out and take advantage of resources that are available to them. Too often kids see writing centers, study groups and the such as ‘beneath them’ or unneeded and for the most part they haven’t needed them in K-12. Too often kids are not used to reaching out to teachers because again they haven’t needed to do these sorts of things. Kids are not used to “picking” their courseloads to maximize balance and needed study time…in K-12 college prep they power through a pretty prescribed list of classes…in order. ADD or ADHD or not, many times the kids that struggle the most as freshman are those kids that have NEVER struggled. For many that had to fight for every A in high school they have learned how to approach teachers, have learned to ask for help and all those sorts of things. I think the OP has a grasp on what some of the problems were…the trick will be to be able for the student to articulate what lessons have been learned and how the student will “change” things (other than the major…remember the Op’s son got a D in English because he didn’t understand the weight that would be accorded a writing project.) I don’t know about English but in many business classes you live and die on two papers and a project and maybe some sort of ‘test’ or two if it’s a quant oriented class like micro-econ or financial accounting etc. Good luck OP, spend the time trying to fix the grade issues but more importantly your son will need to convince the appeal committee that changing his major will “fix the problems.”</p>

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<p>Just to clarify…the diagnosis of ADHD in itself, does automatically entitle any student to accommodations not available to every student. The diagnosed disorder must “substantially limit” the students ability to learn. If the student did well enough to gain admission to a “difficult” college, it is doubtful that the ADHD substantially limited their learning in high school.</p>

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<p>Oh, I’m so sorry for you both…this is a terribly panic-stricken time, isn’t it? And a deadline only makes it worse.</p>

<p>Hug your son. Mine also has ADD, newly dx, and boy do I hear the “I thought I had a C” part. High school is structured in such a way that it creates failsafes and accountability that don’t happen in college. So the ADD student who seems on top of things has a terrible shock when the roof caves in at college. There’s too much to keep track of, too much to remember (online classes! we just did this LAST WEEK – forgot to submit the assignment) and once they are overwhelmed, forget it.</p>

<p>I would mention the ADD as it gives context. It’s not an excuse, it’s context. People who don’t have students with ADD are very quick to dismiss its effects but even if your son isn’t getting accomodations, it doesn’t mean his learning disability doesn’t impact him.</p>

<p>Anyway. Push the appeal, save what you can, move to another department. Keep his spirits up and remind him that not all who wander are lost. Breathe.</p>

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<p>momofthreeboys managed to make the point I wanted to make in a deleted paragraph more eloquently than I would have done. It may be that those “strategies” in HS were being handled by guidance counselors/parents rather than the kid himself. It could be helpful for him to be shown explicitly what goes on “behind the curtain” so that he can take on those responsibilities himself. In my experience, this is true of almost all new college students - they don’t “get” weighted averages and they tend to be over-optimistic about their grades because profs don’t track them down if something isn’t submitted - but ADHD kids may need a little extra hand-holding in this area.</p>

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<p>I am sorry that you and your son are going through this difficult time. What I am about to write may be difficult for you to read so I apologize in advance if it hurts your feelings. That is not my intention.</p>

<p>Perhaps he is not college material. Not everyone has to graduate from college. My father is not a college graduate and he is my hero.</p>

<p>Your son has been in school for three trimesters. He has not been able to maintain a C average for three trimesters. This is not one D. It is a D average for three straight trimesters</p>

<p>Appeal the dismissal. But I would think long and hard about whether you think he can successfully complete college. If you think he can you need to help him obtain the study skills he needs to be successful.</p>

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<p>I don’t have much to add, except that I know that this is a difficult time for all of you.</p>

<p>A year or so at community college might be just what he needs to get back on track. </p>

<p>Hugs to you.</p>

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<p>Wow! Thank you so much for all your responses and especially for your understanding! I think so many of you have a good grasp on how ridiculous this program has been for him. </p>

<p>You all have had great advice. He has definitely been diagnosed with ADHD and takes medication for it. I do think it has influenced his situation but I think some of you are right that it should not be mentioned in the appeal. I have a feeling that the school will say that nothing about his ADHD will change in the future and that he will continue to do badly. I do think he was not taking his meds everyday once he got to college so that did not help the situation. He got through high school because he was on medication everyday and it was enough to help him function pretty normally. </p>

<p>For the poster that said he is not college material. I definitely disagree with that for my son, He has a D average largely because of the program he is in. He has had almost all math, science, computer science, and engineering courses. Unfortunately this school requires the classes that he took. He did not have the option of taking general classes. It’s a set program. We know now that this was all a mistake. He would definitely have been better off in a school that would allow an undecided major where he could just take general classes. It also is a tall order to bring up such a low GPA in just one trimester.</p>

<p>I do not think we are going to be successful in getting any grades changed so we are going to just pursue the reinstatement and the change to the business school. As I said before, I don’t know that he should stay at this school but we would like to have the option. Ir may be better for him to attend community college for a couple of semesters/years to mature some and prove himself.</p>

<p>You have all given good pointers on how he needs to present his argument for the appeal and we will use them. </p>

<p>I do think his biggest problem is doing everything he needs to do and keeping on top of it all. I see this with the English class that he should never have gotten a “D” in. This is what life requires and he needs to learn the necessary skills. If he has stayed more diligent, he would not be in this situation. It is also so frustrating because he knew he was on probation and still did not get every assignment in on time. One grade higher in only one class would have gotten him off probation. </p>

<p>I’m sure I have not answered every response but thank you again. I will keep updating you.</p>