Academic misconduct, integrity, dishonesty, and honor code violation. Colleges and universities in Florida use different terms for allegations involving a student's academics. Regardless of the term used, academic misconduct charges are serious with significant potential consequences. If found responsible, an appeal maybe the last opportunity to resolve the case.
Students and parents may not realize that professional help is needed as early as possible in the disciplinary process. Students and parents are often poorly informed by the school as to how to best address such accusations, and it is only after finding of responsibility that they realize an attorney advisor's help is needed. If found responsible, the situation can potentially still be rectified, especially if you have the right to appeal. Colleges and universities in Florida often allow similar grounds for an appeal, but your school's appeal process must be closely followed.
Common appeal grounds include procedural error or defect, for example, did the school follow the necessary steps in the code of conduct process? Was the student properly notified of the charges? Were there other due process issues? These are common issues, which can lead to an unfair outcome.
Disproportionate or excessive sanction, for example, will the sanction be on the student's academic transcripts or disciplinary records thereby affecting graduate school admissions? Can it be asserted that the sanction is excessive in light of the circumstances of the case and the student's goals? Was the student suspended or expelled? Such sanctions are fundamentally severe and may not be appropriate to the case.
New evidence, for example, did the school base its finding on unfair information presented by the professor? Did the school rely on flawed reports such as a plagiarism checker, or reports involving computer coding? Can new information be presented which provides an alternative explanation for the alleged misconduct?
Some schools will decide an appeal based on the written appeal and others will convene a hearing. Appeal deadlines are short, and immediate action must be taken. An experienced attorney advisor will help you present the strongest possible appeal, and they should be involved as soon as possible.
Florida colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's academic misconduct advisor during the appeals process, in addition to during investigations and hearings, include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Acupuncture and Massage College
- AI Miami International University of Art and Design
- American InterContinental University South Florida
- Argosy University Sarasota
- Argosy University Tampa
- Ave Maria University
- Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology
- Barry University
- Beacon College
- Bethune Cookman University
- Brevard Community College
- Broward College
- Brown Mackie College Miami
- Carlos Albizu University Miami
- CBT College Cutler Bay
- Centura Institute
- Chamberlain College of Nursing Florida
- Chipola College
- City College Altamonte Springs
- City College Fort Lauderdale
- City College Gainesville
- City College Miami
- College of Business and Technology Flagler
- College of Business and Technology Hialeah
- College of Business and Technology Kendall
- College of Central Florida
- Daytona State College
- DeVry University Florida
- Digital Media Arts College
- Eckerd College
- Edison State College
- Edward Waters College
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach
- Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide
- Everest Institute Fort Lauderdale
- Everest Institute Hialeah
- Everest Institute Kendall
- Everest Institute North Miami
- Everest University Brandon
- Everest University Jacksonville
- Everest University Lakeland
- Everest University Largo
- Everest University Melbourne
- Everest University North Orlando
- Everest University Orange Park
- Everest University Pompano Beach
- Everest University South Orlando
- Everest University Tampa
- Everglades University
- Flagler College St Augustine
- Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Career College Clearwater
- Florida Career College Miami
- Florida Christian College
- Florida College
- Florida Gateway College
- Florida Gulf Coast University
- Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Florida International University
- Florida Keys Community College
- Florida Memorial University
- Florida National College Main Campus
- Florida Southern College
- Florida State College at Jacksonville
- Florida State University
- Fortis College
- Fortis College Largo
- Fortis College Miami
- Fortis College Tampa
- Fortis College Winter Park
- Fortis Institute Pensacola
- Full Sail University
- Golf Academy of America Altamonte Springs
- Gulf Coast State College
- Herzing University Winter Park
- Hillsborough Community College
- Hobe Sound Bible College
- Hodges University
- Indian River State College
- International Academy of Design and Technology Online
- International Academy of Design and Technology Orlando
- International Academy of Design and Technology Tampa
- ITT Technical Institute Fort Lauderdale
- ITT Technical Institute Fort Myers
- ITT Technical Institute Jacksonville
- ITT Technical Institute Lake Mary
- ITT Technical Institute Miami
- ITT Technical Institute Orlando
- ITT Technical Institute St. Petersburg
- ITT Technical Institute Tallahassee
- ITT Technical Institute Tampa
- ITT Technical Institute University Park
- Jacksonville University
- Johnson & Wales University North Miami
- Jones College Jacksonville
- Jose Maria Vargas University
- Keiser University
- Key College
- Lake Sumter Community College
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami
- Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Orlando
- Lincoln College of Technology West Palm Beach
- Lynn University
- Medvance Institute Fort Lauderdale
- Medvance Institute Miami
- Medvance Institute West Palm
- Miami Ad School Miami Beach
- Miami Dade College
- Millennia Atlantic University
- New College of Florida
- North Florida Community College
- Northwest Florida State College
- Northwood University Florida
- Nova Southeastern University
- Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach
- Palm Beach State College
- Pasco Hernando Community College
- Pensacola State College
- Polk State College
- Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Miami Campus
- Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico Orlando
- Remington College
- Remington College Tampa Campus
- Ringling College of Art and Design
- Rollins College
- Saint John Vianney College Seminary
- Saint Johns River State College
- Saint Leo University
- Saint Thomas University
- Sanford Brown Institute Ft Lauderdale
- Sanford Brown Institute Jacksonville
- Sanford Brown Institute Orlando
- Sanford Brown Institute Tampa
- Santa Fe College
- Schiller International University
- Seminole State College of Florida
- South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary
- South Florida Community College
- South University Tampa
- South University West Palm Beach
- Southeastern College
- Southeastern College
- Southeastern University
- Southwest Florida College
- St Petersburg College
- State College of Florida Manatee Sarasota
- Stenotype Institute of Jacksonville Inc. Jacksonville
- Stenotype Institute of Jacksonville Inc. Orlando
- Stetson University
- Tallahassee Community College
- Talmudic College of Florida
- Taylor College
- The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale
- The Baptist College of Florida
- The University of Tampa
- The University of West Florida
- Trinity Baptist College
- Trinity College of Florida
- Trinity International University Florida
- University of Central Florida
- University of Florida
- University of Fort Lauderdale
- University of Miami
- University of North Florida
- University of Phoenix Central Florida Campus
- University of Phoenix North Florida Campus
- University of Phoenix South Florida Campus
- University of Phoenix West Florida Campus
- University of South Florida Main Campus
- University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus
- Valencia College
- Virginia College Jacksonville
- Virginia College Pensacola
- Warner University
- Webber International University
- Yeshivah Gedolah Rabbinical College
If you're a student or the parent of a student at a school in Florida, you must understand that academic misconduct allegations are serious.
Whatever term your college or university uses – academic misconduct, integrity, dishonesty, an honor code violation – you must respond to the allegations carefully and defend as best as possible, preferably as early as possible in the college disciplinary process.
Whether you did nothing wrong or instead had a lapse of judgement and made a poor decision, the potential consequences both in the short and long-term can be significant and severe. Present academic standing, scholarships, extracurricular activities, internships, graduate and professional school candidacy, and professional employment opportunities can all be diminished or altogether lost if an academic case is not successfully resolved.
If, however, you made the mistake of trying to defend against the charges on your own or with someone not suited to the task, all is not lost – especially if you can appeal the decision, finding of responsibility, and/or sanctions. If this was the case, now is the opportunity to take the necessary action and attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm can help. The Lento Law Firm has unparalleled experience with academic misconduct cases and they have helped thousands of students across the country facing similar issues.
Joseph Lento fights nationwide on behalf of his clients and he never throws in the towel. He is a licensed attorney in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 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 advisor for students and families seeking to appeal academic misconduct cases in Florida and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected at any stage of the university disciplinary process - Contact National Academic Misconduct Advisor Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
