Academic disqualification. Because of disqualification, many students have lost the opportunity to pursue their education. What this means in short is that San Diego State University has disqualified students because of poor academic performance.

Most students will have to wait a year before they are able to file a petition explaining why they performed so poorly. One year is a very long time, and I would ask the Academic Senate to reconsider this time span. Some students may need a year to evaluate their priorities, yet others will need only to receive the disqualification letter to instantly change their lives and priorities.

I should know; I was given the opportunity to return right away. Had I been told to take a year off and not been able to prove to myself that I could do it at SDSU’s level, I don’t know where I would be today.

SDSU has changed its Academic Disqualification Policy since I began classes here in 1991. It is tough for students to make mistakes and be able to prove themselves again. I was able to file a petition for re-admittance and was given a second chance the following semester.

A student who would be willing to give up his fraternity, his job and even friends to prove that an education meant something to him should be given a shot faster than one year. I was given that chance and am concerned that others may not be.

Many things can happen in a year. However, in that year, the student must prove that he or she can successfully complete college-level work and get at least a “B” average. This means students must remember what brought them to SDSU.

Most students come here for the pursuit of an education. And for some strange reason, it has become a pattern that students are forgetting their priorities and dreams and wasting them away.

So what can be done for individuals who are disqualified? If students have lower-division courses left to take, they can sign up at the closest community college. It’s cheaper than SDSU, and after they prove themselves, their chances for re-admittance are fair.

If students don’t have any lower-division units left to complete, they have a couple of options. Individuals who are disqualified must first understand that they have to prove themselves academically. SDSU will have no choice but to turn away their petition if the students’ grades haven’t improved.

Students can begin another major at a community college and successfully complete lower-division courses or enroll in SDSU Extended Studies Open University to directly affect their current SDSU grade-point average. This is a new policy.

The one downside to this is that financial aid does not cover the expenses. If students choose to follow what was mentioned previously, they are making an effort to show SDSU that they care and deserve a second chance. By working hard, students will get a second chance at their education.

But should SDSU make all students jump through hoop after hoop to be given a second chance? That academic disqualification letter stings. It can make you feel like dirt. It can also make you feel alone, not worthy of companionship and even as if you are an embarrassment to your family.

All of the pride that you had in yourself is gone and the only constant in your life (school) has dismissed you.

These were the things that went through my head when I got that letter.

SDSU needs to look at what it is doing. I was lucky to be given an opportunity to prove myself right away. I knew I could do it, and I wanted a shot to prove it. If I had not been given that shot right away, how could I have pride in what I do?

People make mistakes, and when students come to college, they do some really stupid things.

Is this policy for the students or for the staff? Look at the message it sends to students. I felt that message, and I do not know what I would have done if SDSU told me to come back in a year to prove to it what I could prove to it right now. I knew that I could be academically successful; I just lost my priorities temporarily. It took me 30 seconds to read about my disqualification and half a second to know that I had really messed up.

If you know of someone or you yourself have been disqualified, remember that an education itself does not make people who they are. A salary is not an accurate measure of your worth in life either. It is perseverance and hard work that establish a name and a reputation for someone. And it is your experiences that distinguish you from others.

Take this disappointing time in your life and turn it around. Show everyone who bet against you that you can succeed no matter how that letter made you feel.

I am writing this in hope that students who do not get a second chance right away will continue to work toward their dreams. If SDSU had slammed the door in my face, would I have graduated? Would I have gone to graduate school? Would I teach undergraduate classes that I once attended? And would I currently work for SDSU?

To be honest, I don’t know. But a very special person (who is probably reading this) saw something in me and gave me a chance.

Every year I remember her for that and thank her in my mind a million times. My hard work and determination did not go unnoticed and my dreams did not end because of her advice and mentoring.

If you are academically disqualified, ask for help. Listen to what advice SDSU gives you, but most importantly, understand that there is no one or nothing to blame but yourself.

It is you who got yourself disqualified. You have chosen to party, take too many units or not study; no one forced you.

In order for students to grow, they must accept responsibility for their actions. Once they do, they’ll open eyes and turn heads because that quality is the first step to success.

How many people lost the opportunity to educate themselves last semester? I know of three individuals, and they are the reason I write. They had dreams, goals and hopes to make their families proud. Now their hearts ache, their pride is weakened and their hopes are drained. These individuals need SDSU now more than they ever have, but according to the new policy, they are not worthy for another year.

These individuals will graduate one day, and they will be able to say they overcame a system that is betting against those who make mistakes.

Sean Kaufman is a public health graduate student and writes a biweekly column for The Daily Aztec. His e-mail address

is skaufman@mail.sdsu.edu.