ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RETENTION POLICIES
Canon 5 of the Code of Professional Responsibility states: “A lawyer shall keep abreast of legal developments, participate in continuing legal education programs, support efforts to achieve high standards in law schools as well as in the practical training of law students, and assist in disseminating the law and jurisprudence (underscoring ours).” This duty is imposed upon all legal practitioners; but the mandate of the Code to support efforts to achieve high standards in law schools can be more appreciated by those who possess the passion in teaching law in educational institutions.
Thus, from time to time our College of Law makes and enforces policies aimed at achieving this lofty goal. Apart from recruiting members of the legal profession who are recognized in their respective fields to teach in our beloved institution, our College ensures that only those who will meet the grade requirements will be permitted to remain in the school. To achieve this goal, the College decides that the retention policies should be in place.
The following are the retention policies that the College implements and strictly enforces:
- Low QPI. A law student must obtain a QPI of 2.75 or higher in order to be retained and be allowed to continue in the Juris Doctor program.
- Two-Flunk Rule. A law student who obtained a DROPPED or FAILED grade twice in the same law subject shall be dropped from the rolls and can no longer continue in the Juris Doctor program.
- Three-Strike Rule. A law student who obtained a DROPPED or FAILED grade in at least three subjects in a semester shall be dropped from the rolls and can no longer continue in the Juris Doctor program.
The strict enforcement of our College’s retention policies is not meant to unduly put a hardship on our students. Rather, this is in keeping with the College’s mission to deliver quality education. By enforcing these policies, it is expected that the students will strive and exert more efforts to study and prove themselves that they deserve to be admitted as members of the bar.