In Idaho, college students who have been accused of cheating, plagiarism, or other academic misconduct will undergo an investigation and hearing process that is supposed to authoritatively determine whether the allegations are correct or not. However, this does not always happen the way it should. Many academic misconduct hearings are rife with bias and other mismanagement that make a finding of guilt worthy of appeal.
Lodging this appeal can take the help of an academic appeal advisor like Joseph D. Lento.
Why Academic Misconduct Hearings are So Prone to Error
Every college in Idaho has its own procedure for investigating and determining an allegation of academic misconduct. Many of them, though, suffer from the same types of defect.
One of the most common is the makeup of the panels that hear an alleged case of academic misconduct. Most schools try making these panels diverse, in the thought that it makes them more legitimate if there are faculty members and students on the board, in addition to administrators. This legitimacy is an illusion, though, if the panel members are inexperienced at hearing the results of intensive factual investigations and defenses against those investigations. Inexperienced members of a hearing panel are far more likely to be swayed by appeals to their emotion rather than to hard evidence and are more likely to walk into the hearing with an opinion on your guilt or innocence.
How to Appeal from a Bad Outcome at the Hearing
Idaho college students who have been found in violation of their school's code of academic integrity or code of conduct at the hearing have a right to appeal the decision. However, this right can be difficult to invoke and is not always absolute.
In many cases, there are detailed instructions that need to be complied with to the letter in order for any appeal to even be considered. Following these instructions is not always easy, and can take the help of an attorney at academic appeal advisor like Joseph D. Lento to ensure it is done properly.
Additionally, many schools require appeals to fall into one of a small handful of categories in order to be heard at the appellate level. Making sure one of these boxes is checked can be tricky in some cases, and pointing to the evidence that supports your grounds for appeal is often essential. Checking more than one potential grounds for appeal is often wise, but frequently takes the help of an appeals advisor.
Joseph D. Lento: Idaho's Academic Appeal Advisor
If you go to school in Idaho and have been found in violation of your school's academic integrity policies, you should consider appealing the decision. Crafting an effective appeal document and planning the next steps to take, though, can be best done with the help of an appeals advisor like Joseph D. Lento. A student discipline defense lawyer by trade, attorney Lento can ensure you get the opportunity to present your case through a legitimate review or hearing. Contact him online or call his law office at (888) 535-3686.
- Boise Bible College
- Boise State University
- Brigham Young University–Idaho
- College of Idaho
- Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
- College of Southern Idaho
- College of Western Idaho
- College of Eastern Idaho
- Idaho State University
- Lewis–Clark State College
- McCall College
- New Saint Andrews College
- North Idaho College
- Northwest Nazarene University
- University of Idaho
Regrettably, an academic misconduct finding of responsibility can derail an accused student's academic and professional goals and some students and parents do not recognize this concern until it may be too late. If a student is found responsible for academic misconduct charges, in addition to the short-term consequences such academic and disciplinary sanctions, there will be long-term consequences. Internships, graduate school opportunities, and employment opportunities can all be adversely impacted by a finding of responsibility.
For these reasons and more, it is critical to properly address such concerns as early as possible in the disciplinary process. There are times, however, that it necessary to appeal an adverse outcome, and Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm have unparalleled experience passionately fighting for the futures of his clients at universities and colleges in Idaho and throughout the nation. He does not settle for the easiest outcome, and instead prioritizes his clients' needs and well-being. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as an academic misconduct advisor to students facing disciplinary cases in Idaho and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected at all stages of the academic misconduct disciplinary process, including the appeal stage - Contact National Academic Misconduct Advisor Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
