How to Appeal a Suspension
Begin long before it's a sure thing!
1. If you are on probation and you receive one or more mid-term warnings, or if you are a first-year student and your mid-term grades suggest the possibility of a final average below 1.5, start talking to your advisor about what to do in case of suspension. Why? If you are suspended, you will need a letter (or at least a phone call) of support from your advisor, and perhaps other professors, coaches, or administrators. These people can be very hard to contact after the semester is over. You want to start EARLY, so that these potential allies will have witnessed your sincere efforts to improve.
2. You should also talk to the Coordinator of Academic Achievement (x5604), Associate Dean for Academic Advising (x5964), and the Registrar. These people have a lot of experience with appeals, and are the best ones to answer questions or address concerns.
3. You will be in the best position to appeal if you:
a. followed the stipulations of your probation letter, if you received one (such as visiting the Academic Achievement Office and attending workshops),
b. can show that you were working on improving, and
c. can document that extenuating circumstances prevented you from meeting the minimum academic requirements.
4. When you receive a notice of suspension, it will arrive by FedEx as soon after grades have been calculated as is practicable. After the fall semester, this is usually the first week of January. After the spring semester, this is usually the last week in May. After Summerterm, this is usually the 2nd week in August. All appeal materials are due within a week of when the notice was sent.
5. You will need to submit a letter of appeal yourself. This is the most important component of your appeal. In that letter, you should describe: a) whatever has prevented you from performing up to the standards of St. Lawrence; b) what you have done to address those problems; c) why a year away from St. Lawrence right now to re-evaluate your values, priorities, and academic behavior would not be the best strategy to resolve those problems; and d) what you will do in the future to improve your academic standing.
It is important that you are specific, and it is important that you take responsibility for your own academic life. The Academic Standing Committee is not looking for students to suspend. It is looking for students who are aware of their problems, willing to confront and resolve them, and aware of exactly what steps they must take to succeed in that endeavor.
Further, suspension is not intended as a punishment. It is intended as a message to you that time away from school might allow you to reconsider your values, priorities, and academic behavior. Your letter, therefore, should not be about why you shouldn't be punished. It should be about why returning to St. Lawrence in the next term would be a more productive strategy than spending a year elsewhere.
You can either FedEx or FAX your letter to the Registrar. The deadline by which it must be received will be included in the notice of suspension. FAX number: 315-229-7424.
6. You will need letters of support. (See item number 1 at the top of the page.) Any testimony from anyone other than the student should be relevant to the appeal, explaining the deficiency and/or describing steps the student has taken to attempt to resolve problems. The most important letter of support is from your advisor. After that, other professors. And then coaches, SLU administrators or staff (such as deans, counselors, Special Needs, HEOP, etc.), and finally, parents. Make sure you ask each person to attest only to that information they have access to. In other words, your parents probably can't say much about your present academic situation, just as your advisor probably can't comment on your home life.
If you have waited until after the semester to contact faculty and staff, you will have a hard time locating them. Many leave town, many go abroad, and many others do not check their office voicemail or email (especially during winter break).
If you can reach noone, it is best to leave voicemails and emails with specific information: your name, your number, when you called, that you are appealing a suspension, and that you would be very grateful if so-and-so could write to the registrar (email is OK) on your behalf. It would be a good idea to remind them of why they might want to write on your behalf; professors--especially FYP advisors--have a very heavy advising load, and might not recall particular meetings. It is unlikely they would recall something you said after class one day, without a reminder. It is also a good idea not to direct your anger at your professors. They did not "give" you a grade; you earned it. Punch a pillow, shout at the wind, and then speak to your advisor or professor with civility.
7. You will be notified of your suspension by FedEx and, if the location warrants, by phone. The Academic Standing Committee meets for one day to decide all appeals, and ordinarily you will be contacted the following day. If your appeal is denied, you can make a further appeal to the Dean of Academic Affairs, but only if significant new information is to be presented.
Questions? Call Lynette Sumpter, Coordinator of Academic Achievement, at 315-229-5604, or email: lsumpter@stlawu.edu
or the Registrar's Office: 315-229-5267, Carolyn Filippi: cfilippi@stlawu.edu
Finally, remember that the worst-case scenario is that you are away from St. Lawrence for one year. You may feel devastated right now (or angry or frustrated or depressed, or all of the above and more), but in time you will most likely be thankful that you had a little time to re-orient yourself. Most students who return from suspension really do improve their academic performance considerably.
