A former student is suing Texas A&M University in response to misleading academic advising she received.
Jennifer Temple, who entered Texas A&M as a freshman in fall 2007, said the advice of her adviser damaged her grade point ratio and hindered her efforts to continue her education.
During her freshman semester, Temple was enrolled in both a calculus course and a computer programming course. Temple said her instructors had difficulty speaking English and were hard to understand. As the semester progressed, her grades dropped, and she considered Q-dropping the two courses.
Temple visited with Sofia Fuentes, an academic adviser in the Department of General Academics, who advised her against Q-dropping. Fuentes instead said accepting a grade of an "F" or a "D" and using a First Year Grade Exclusion. According to the suit filed by Temple, Fuentes said this was the best option because using a Q-drop would put her at risk to lose her position on her parents' healthcare plan.
"Having no reason to doubt Ms. Fuentes' guidance, [Ms. Temple] quit attending classes, as advised, so that she would be eligible to exercise the grade exclusion policy," the suit said.
With a First Year Grade Exclusion, courses that receive a grade of either "D" or "F" are not included in the grade point ratio calculation. However, this system is restricted to the Texas A&M University System and not universally accepted.
When Temple later applied to attend the University of Texas, she was rejected based on the lower GPR calculation that included the two freshman semester classes. With a Q-drop, record of the courses and grades would have been removed from Temple's transcript.
The suit was filed against Texas A&M and Fuentes, as well as the associate dean for the Department of General Academics, the dean of the Department of General Academics, the associate provost for Undergraduate Programs and the interim president.
Texas A&M filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit due to procedural and legal defects, and Temple and her attorney Gaines West are in the process of responding to the motion.
"Because my client's claims have been reported widely in the press, I continue to hear from a number of students who say they have had similar experiences at A&M," West said. "A&M, up to now, claims no responsibility in this cascading series of events which has led many, including Ms. Temple, to take actions that were prompted by an instructor who could not speak English, followed by an adviser who gives bad advice."
A representative for the University said it was Texas A&M's practice to decline to comment regarding ongoing litigation.
If the motion to dismiss is ruled against, the case will go to a jury trial in Houston.
