Hi everyone, I did really poorly as an engineering major my first semester at Cornell.
I recieved an email saying this:
Our review of your academic performance from this past semester indicates that you have not met the criteria for good academic standing in the College of Engineering, nor have you made satisfactory progress toward your engineering degree. This email serves as formal notice that CASPAC is requiring you to take a leave of absence for a period of one semester to give you an opportunity to address the deficiencies in your academic performance and to re-examine your goals and priorities.
If you wish to appeal the decision of CASPAC, please complete the attached Appeal Form (an editable pdf) and email it back to either myself or the Engineering Advising mailbox at adv_engineering@cornell.edu. This appeal process is time-sensitive with a deadline.
Has anyone appealed this sort of academic standing notice before? Do you think that if I appeal and have good reasons, I will be able to return when I was supposed to at Cornell? Please help I am terrified.
Don’t know about appeal success. But FWIW I do recall that a friend of D2s took a leave for academic reasons.
He did come back and he did finish. So it isn’t necessarily the end of the world.
I myself had a friend there who struggled there, and never stopped struggling. He had a miserable four years.
I think he’s happy now that he stuck it out . But myself, I don’t think it should be that tough.
If you do wind up taking the leave, suggest do exactly what they suggest:
“address the deficiencies in your academic performance and to re-examine your goals and priorities”.
Counseling may help you figure things out.
Maybe you need better study/work habits.
Maybe you need a less mathematical major, or an easier school.
If you take the next semester math & physics at a community college, maybe that can help reduce the amount that you are falling behind academically, and also boost your GPA… Which might help if you decide to transfer someplace.
A friend of one of my kids had that happen as well. The student went to a local CC for a year, then returned to Cornell but in a different major. Last I heard, the kid was doing well working in a neuroscience lab researching.
It would depend on what the “good reasons” are. If you spent too much time partying that won’t work. If you have documented medical reasons it may work.
A son of my friend had the same deal…they went to a local state college for the semester and decided that was a better environment for them. They have graduated and are now working at the company that makes robots for Amazon.
Academic Appeal:
Sometimes it is due to mental health issues…depression/anxiety, etc.
Were you medically diagnosed with depression? If not, have you seen or will you see a doctor? If so, then you may be able to get a retroactive medical withdrawal.
Have you seen a doctor? Is your depression under control? What evidence do you have?
Can you appeal your dismissal?
A successful appeal must do several things:
show that you understand what went wrong
show that you take responsibility for the academic failures
show that you have a plan for future academic success
in a broad sense, show that you are being honest with yourself and the committee
Some of this is general, and some specific to your situation.
search this topic on CC and you will see many other posts on academic appeals
Make sure your letter states what the issue was that caused you to have academic difficulties
Did you talk to your professors/dean of students about the issue?
Did you make use of the many resources your school has? if not, why not?
Find out what those resources are…e.g. counseling center, talking to professors, talking to your adviser, withdrawing from class, talking to dean, maybe taking incompletes,
State how you would use those in the future
How are you addressing what caused the issue? Have you addressed the depression?
Think about if you should continue at college, or take a break.
Think about if you should continue at a community college, to be close to your family
How is your college funded? Will that continue?
In general, keep in mind what the college wants…they want students who can succeed. They need to know that you understand what the issue was, know now the resources that you can use, how the problems is resolved so you will not have academic issues in the future.
So for cornell, it seems as though you may need to show success at another university before you can return.