For second-semester freshman John Kilian, being back in the swing of things at SIUC is much better than the life he had less than a year ago.

Kilian, 24, of Warrenville, said he began his first semester at SIUC on a not-so-focused start. He said he enjoyed the good life at college, attending class on a regular basis at first. But once his first test came back with a poor grade, he said he felt it was useless for him to go back to class and make an attempt to do better.

My first semester grades were an A, a D and two F’s, Kilian said. Then, my second semester grades were a D and three F’s. Before I knew it, I was suspended.

Advertisement

Kilian said he found himself managing the Burger King in his home town.

I enjoyed my job at first because I was making good money there, Kilian said. But then I realized after a few years at Burger King I didn’t want to make a career out of it, so I decided to head back to school.

Other students like Tim Kopp, a sophomore in pre-major from Arlington Heights, who did not meet the academic requirements of the University, chose the academic route and attended two junior colleges during his suspension.

While I was in junior college, I felt like I was killing time until I got back into a more serious school like SIUC, Kopp said.

Lee Persons, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said students on probation who fall below a GPA of 2.0 must leave SIUC for two semesters to explore junior college or a job.

We keep a record of what the students did during the course of the suspension by asking them to write a readmission letter to the University, Persons said. Some of the students we readmit get back on track to get a degree, others don’t.

Persons said students who want to return to SIUC have to be reviewed by any academic unit.

Advertisement*

Kyle Perkins, associate vice president of Academic Affairs, said students who receive another chance at SIUC undergo advisement to learn the skills and background knowledge required by their majors.

Many of these students change their mind about their previous major and decide to major in something else, he said.

Persons said the rate for students who are suspended from SIUC is very low.

According to a study conducted by SIUC in1990, about 10 percent of SIUC students who were suspended returned to SIUC and made progress, Persons said.

Kilian said that is exactly what he did. He said he enjoyed every class his first semester back and received straight B’s.

Most students who flunk out should not be stereotyped as being stupid, Persons said. Many of these students underwent relationship problems, were sick, had a death in the family or partied a little too much.

Dr. Don Mullison, staff psychologist for the SIUC Counseling Center, said students who are on the verge of failing out have the opportunity to get help at the Counseling Center in Woody Hall.

It’s a place where students can explore their problems and take a look at all of the issues, Mullison said. We give them emotional support and problem solving.

Mullison said sometimes the Counseling Center acts as a referral source to places such as the Wellness Center, which provides a relaxation course for those who are stressed out from problems.

Some other resources on campus include the Career Development Center and the Center for Basic Skills, Mullison said. I think all of these places can provide strategies for succeeding academically and overall planning.