Yesterday I went on a bit of a rant (triggered by yet another frustrating message from the university administration) about my college career, and I wanted to express my thanks to everyone who took the time to offer advice and encouragement. The comments made me feel a lot better, and I will certainly persevere in completing my undergraduate education and ultimately move on to better things. If time permits, I'm planning on writing at least one review article for submission to a technical journal this year (in addition to my work on my book), so I'm definitely not letting my current situation stop me from at least attempting to get involved in paleontology.
As for my situation here at RU, though, I seem to have only one option left; the office of the ombudsman (a purportedly impartial group that listens to student issues and tries to find resolutions to them). I'll be seeing them sometime after spring break to plead my case, and I hope they'll be able to at least offer some constructive suggestions if not help fix the problem. If not, then I'll stick it out on my current trajectory and should be finished about this time next year. Either way, I'll still keep writing and working, and I deeply appreciate the kind words from everyone who cared to comment.
Perseverance will get you further than actual knowledge. You can do it. Hang in there!