Getting on Academic Probation and Suspension
What Caused it, and What You Can Do to Fix it
Issue date: 4/29/09 Section: Features
Many students also get into trouble academically because of the freedom they have in college. A Longwood junior, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, "Campus life is harder, not being able to really do as much. Just because, if you're on academic probation, you're frankly not allowed to have fun, unless you want to go out and get drunk at a frat party, which is counterproductive."
McWee said, "I think students drink harder than [previous generations] did. I never saw people trying to down 12 bottles of beer - that makes it harder to be an academic student. I think that freshmen in particular get caught up in that in the first few weeks, and then you're in the hole." He also said students sometimes begin drinking on Wednesday or Thursday each week. In previous years, students would only drink on Saturdays, and he believes times have shifted.
However, there are ways to get off of academic probation, and things to change if you are on academic suspension. Rebecca Sturgill, the director of the learning center, teaches a class for students who have been readmitted from suspension or are on probation. This class has no credit value, but is meant to help students change their habits and become better aware of academic life. "When [students] are readmitted, we kind of had two choices. We could bring them in and let them be, or we could try to do something to help focus them and give them a face to help answer questions, provide them with some background," she said. The class teaches students how to create balance between academics and social life, in a way that the student is still able to enjoy their time at Longwood. "We talk about time management, and I don't preach studying 24/7. It's like a diet. You can't do that. If somebody tells you not to eat anything, just drink water, you can stick to that for a day and then you're off it. If somebody is screaming at you to study all the time, all the time, all the time, and don't do anything else, you can't stick to that either. They need to learn how to balance the fun pieces of their life."
McWee said, "I think students drink harder than [previous generations] did. I never saw people trying to down 12 bottles of beer - that makes it harder to be an academic student. I think that freshmen in particular get caught up in that in the first few weeks, and then you're in the hole." He also said students sometimes begin drinking on Wednesday or Thursday each week. In previous years, students would only drink on Saturdays, and he believes times have shifted.
However, there are ways to get off of academic probation, and things to change if you are on academic suspension. Rebecca Sturgill, the director of the learning center, teaches a class for students who have been readmitted from suspension or are on probation. This class has no credit value, but is meant to help students change their habits and become better aware of academic life. "When [students] are readmitted, we kind of had two choices. We could bring them in and let them be, or we could try to do something to help focus them and give them a face to help answer questions, provide them with some background," she said. The class teaches students how to create balance between academics and social life, in a way that the student is still able to enjoy their time at Longwood. "We talk about time management, and I don't preach studying 24/7. It's like a diet. You can't do that. If somebody tells you not to eat anything, just drink water, you can stick to that for a day and then you're off it. If somebody is screaming at you to study all the time, all the time, all the time, and don't do anything else, you can't stick to that either. They need to learn how to balance the fun pieces of their life."
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