Colleges in Hawaii have to rigorously enforce their codes of academic conduct if they want to maintain their reputation as legitimate institutions. However, doing so can subject innocent students to serious charges of misconduct when they have really done nothing wrong.
If you have been accused of academic misconduct in Hawaii, appointing a lawyer as your advisor for the upcoming misconduct investigation can be the best way to protect your rights and your professional future.
What is Academic Misconduct in Hawaii?
The exact rules and procedures for academic misconduct depend on the school. However, all colleges in Hawaii lay out several kinds of misconduct that are explicitly prohibited:
- Plagiarizing the work of others. Colleges want their students to do their own work, and to get credit only for their own efforts and ideas. Therefore, plagiarizing the work of others by claiming it for yourself can violate your college's code of academic conduct.
- Cheating. Using notes or other materials that have been prohibited from entering a testing environment would give you an unfair advantage over the others in the room, making it a common example of academic misconduct. However, if your professor is vague about what can be brought into a test, you can get in trouble for a simple misunderstanding.
- Being complicit in misconduct. Academic misconduct allegations are not just reserved for those students who have benefitted from plagiarism or cheating. If you knew of someone else's misconduct and either helped to cover it up or failed to report it, you can be accused of academic misconduct, as well.
- Altering or distributing documents or materials. Not all examples of academic misconduct happen in the classroom. Altering or destroying official school documents or materials – like your transcript or books in the library – or distributing upcoming exam materials can lead to accusations of academic misconduct in Hawaii.
Because schools want to prevent novel forms of academic misconduct from falling outside the definitions of what is prohibited, though, these rules are deliberately written in a vague fashion. This can lead to innocent students being accused of doing something they had no intention of doing.
Consequences of Academic Misconduct
The consequences of being found guilty of academic misconduct span a huge range. The most severe allegations can lead to you being expelled from school, while trivial or lesser offenses can be punished with only a warning.
However, even just a warning can have a grave impact on your professional future: It can put a mark on your academic record that interested employers, especially those hiring for sought-after positions, can frown upon.
Hawaii's Academic Misconduct Advisor
Joseph D. Lento is a student discipline defense attorney who can serve as your academic misconduct advisor if you have been accused of breaking your school's code of conduct in Hawaii. By guiding you through this incredibly difficult process, attorney Lento can protect your rights and ensure that your professional career does not start off on the wrong foot. Contact him online or by phone at 888-535-3686 for the assistance you need.
Hawaii colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's academic misconduct advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Argosy University Hawaii
- Brigham Young University Hawaii
- Chaminade University of Honolulu
- Hawaii Community College
- Hawaii Pacific University
- Heald College Honolulu
- Honolulu Community College
- Kapiolani Community College
- Kauai Community College
- Leeward Community College
- New Hope Christian College
- Remington College Honolulu Campus
- University of Hawaii at Hilo
- University of Hawaii at Manoa
- University of Hawaii Maui College
- University of Hawaii West Oahu
- University of Phoenix Hawaii Campus
- Windward Community College
It is an unfortunate reality that academic misconduct charges can upend an accused student's life if not properly addressed, and Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm have unparalleled experience passionately fighting for the future of his clients at colleges and universities in Hawaii 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 for students facing disciplinary cases in Hawaii and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Academic Misconduct Advisor Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
