Boston University's Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine is one of the best dental schools in the country. The school prides itself on providing great dental care to the community that surrounds it and holds its students and staff to the highest standards. Its motto is: “We search for the truth and tell the truth at all times.” The school prides itself on adhering to that belief system from an academic level to a patient-treatment level, and it believes in addressing all disciplinary matters with honesty, openness, and consistency.
If you've been accused of academic misconduct or any type of misconduct at the Dental School, you may be wondering what your options are. You may be wondering how to defend yourself, especially if the evidence against you is flawed. Having an experienced attorney-advisor on your side who can help you with the process can make all of the difference. Your entire future is at stake, and you want to make sure that you are being represented and your rights are being protected.
Mission and Code of Ethics and Conduct
The school defines itself as having five core values: respect, truth, responsibility, fairness, and compassion.
Students at Boston University's school of dentistry must comply with the Dental School's Code of Ethics. The University expects that all students enrolled in the community behave in a manner that proves them to be upstanding members of the community. All members of the community are to be made aware that violations of the University's codes of conduct could result in sanctions that could have a severe, lasting impact on their lives.
If you're dealing with any type of disciplinary action from the Dental School, you could end up facing extremely serious consequences. Those consequences can range from being temporarily suspended to being fully expelled from the school. Expulsion can result in extreme difficulty for that student as they try to put the pieces of their life back together.
You need a legal advisor by your side who understands the nuances of the world of academic misconduct and knows what to do to ensure that you get the best defense possible.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct at Boston University Dental School is defined as anything from cheating on a test to passing off someone else's work as your own to failing to report cases of alleged academic misconduct or violation that you've been witness to.
The Dean of Students is responsible for the administration and implementation of the school's Code of Conduct. They will be responsible for investigating any allegation of academic or other types of misconduct at the school. They will refer matters regarding academic misconduct to the Dean of the Dental School. Any action taken will be subject to final review by the Provost. The Provost or their designated rep will review all allegations and make a final determination.
The rules for resolving misconduct allegations are as follows:
- The Dean of Students will investigate the allegations, interviewing the student against whom the allegations have been made. They will let the student know about the allegation.
- The Dean of Students may decide to close the case without any further investigation if no issue has been found, or they may decide to move ahead.
- They will notify the student in writing, apprising them of the allegations against them. They will then allow the student to meet with him or her. They can be accompanied by a rep from the University community or by a family member.
- The Dean will then present their findings to the student and allow the student to respond. If the student declines to meet with the Dean, that will not prevent the Dean from moving forward with action on the matter.
- After this, the Dean will make a finding on the matter, and they will most likely issue a sanction. If they've found the student guilty, they will alert the student as to any sanction and let the student know that they have a right to a hearing.
- The hearing will take place before a panel of the University Board on Student Conduct. The goal of this unit students is to complete the investigation within 45 days of the initial filing of the complaint.
It's important to note that the rules and procedures that people are used to seeing in courts of law are not applicable at these types of hearings. These hearings will have their findings based on common sense, the desire to find the truth, and a desire to make sure that everyone's rights are represented.
During the hearing, the student is allowed to introduce evidence and have witnesses testify on their behalf. The panel can ask the witnesses questions. The chairman of the hearing may decide to allow a witness to remain in the hearing room before and after they give their testimony in order to underscore fairness and truth and help ensure that all sides feel that they're getting a fair hearing. Students may bring an advisor to the meeting, but the advisor cannot participate directly in the hearing.
Having an experienced attorney-advisor by your side can help you best prepare for this meeting. They can give you advice that can help you present yourself in the best possible light.
Remediation and Withdrawal
The Dental School expects its students to maintain high academic standards in order to graduate. Failure to do so could result in the following:
- The student could be asked to repeat a grade, a semester, or an entire school year
- The student could be asked to go leave the school
- The student could be asked to go through the remediation process
Students at a minimum are expected to complete each marking period with no failing grade of “F,” no lower than a GPA of “2.0”, and no more than one “D.” Students who fail to meet this standard are given Remediation is the process where the school makes corrective action to help the student get better.
If you're going through the remediation process, there's a chance that you could still be asked to leave at the end of the process. This could put you in a terrible position since you'll lose all the progress you've made, you'll have to start dental school over again, and you'll still be responsible for any loans you took out for the program, no matter how long you were in the program. You'll also most likely have the fact that you were dismissed from the program added to your permanent record, marring your future educational and job prospects.
Attorney-Advisor for Dental Students
Dental school is the culmination of all of the studying you've done over the years. You don't want to lose it all because you didn't have the right support behind you when dealing with academic misconduct or other academic issues that can put your future at risk.
Joseph D. Lento has worked for years, helping students work their way through academic misconduct allegations and other academic issues. Don't go through the process alone. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 to see how we can help.
