DownEast, I know what you are saying and it is good to stay within the rules. Rules are not made to be broken, however, I would exercise personal compassion and judgement if merited and would accept the consequencies if it became a problem.
If I was convinced the student gave it all he had and fell short by a point or two, I feel sure I would try to help the student make the grade, regardless of whether he was an SA or a regular student.
I do not like to use personal experiences, but I will at this time. I had little difficulty reading something and retaining it long enough to pass tests. I just did not have to study to make good grades.
My son came along and would try as hard as he could to study and make good grades, but he could not. It became evident later in high school, he had a visual problem with reading.
He could hear something orally and not forget it, but he had great difficulty with learning from reading. He really tried hard, but it was extremely difficult for him.
Over the years, he has learned to cope with the problem and make allowances for it, but it was hard in school.
Is it fair that a student who tries extremely hard and comes within a point or two of passing a course be discarded, when another student does not have to try and makes a passing grade?
For those reasons, I would be willing to help a student that I know in my heart is really trying. I would not consider it breaking a rule, but being compassionate to help a fellow human when it is merited.
If a rule is to help a person fine, if it tends to inadvertantly harm others, it appears to me it is up to the one who uses the rules to make allowances for any disadvantages it may bring to some.
Don't get me wrong, I am not saying to help those across the board when they are a point or two short, only those that are giving it their all.
By the way, I was mostly referring to the students for this quarter. I had heard some of the SAs from the last quarter were cutting classes. I would not help any student cutting classes or was not trying.
Father Time