Attending college or university in Idaho can be a pleasure and privilege. Idaho has several prestigious colleges and universities, including the University of Idaho, Boise State University, and Brigham Young University, among its fourteen schools of higher education. A dozen more nearby out-of-state colleges and universities attract Idaho college and university students. You can earn a valuable education in Idaho. The University of Idaho alone offers over eighty graduate degree programs, including in business, law, engineering, and education. Brigham Young University, for another example, offers over 100 degree programs, giving students the widest choice of careers. Several of Idaho's colleges and universities also offer great traditions based on their founding more than 100 years ago. And Idaho also has a reasonable cost of living, favorable weather, and beautiful natural areas, including special mountain towns and vistas.
Idaho College Code of Conduct Defense
Students attending Idaho colleges and universities have something special in hand, which is why national college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento of the Lento Law Firm offers his premier college conduct defense services to students attending colleges and universities in Idaho. Attorney Lento has successfully represented hundreds of students nationwide, helping to preserve their college or university education and career ambitions. Attorney Lento has the passion and commitment to see students persevere, succeed, and flourish. Trust an attorney who commits his nationwide practice to student defense. If you are an Idaho college or university student facing school misconduct charges, retain attorney Lento and the student conduct defense team at the Lento Law Firm. Your investment in your Idaho college or university education is worth protecting. Retain the best available college misconduct defense attorney advisor.
Idaho College and University Codes of Conduct
Idaho's fourteen colleges and universities all maintain student codes of conduct, just like colleges and universities in other states routinely do. Student codes of conduct are more than aspirational statements toward which schools hope their students aim. Idaho colleges and universities also enforce their student codes of conduct. Enforcement means that Idaho colleges and universities suspend and even expel students every term and every year for a wide range of different forms of misconduct. You didn't choose your Idaho college or university just to get charged with misconduct and face suspension or expulsion. If you face Idaho college misconduct charges, retain national college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento to help you defend and defeat those charges. See, for example, the various student conduct codes at these Idaho colleges and universities:
- The University of Idaho maintains a comprehensive Student Code of Conduct addressing academic dishonesty, sexual misconduct, and behavioral misconduct of other forms
- Boise State University maintains both a comprehensive Student Code of Conduct addressing academic and behavioral misconduct and a separate Title IX Policy addressing sexual misconduct
- Idaho State University maintains a Student Conduct Code addressing behavioral misconduct, an Academic Integrity and Dishonesty Policy, and a Policy on Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Non-Discrimination addressing sexual misconduct
Idaho College Code of Conduct Prohibitions
As the above example school policies suggest, Idaho college and university student codes of conduct prohibit three different categories of student misconduct: (1) behavioral misconduct; (2) Title IX or other sexual misconduct; and (3) academic misconduct. Idaho colleges and universities have the responsibility to regulate more than just what happens in the classroom. Idaho schools must also ensure that students behave safely and sensibly outside the classroom, in dormitories and dining halls, on recreation fields and other school property, and at school events off-campus. That behavioral conduct can include both sexual misconduct and non-sexual misconduct. National college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento defends students nationwide and at Idaho colleges and universities on all forms of academic and behavioral misconduct. Consider the following examples of conduct prohibitions at Idaho colleges and universities.
Academic Misconduct Charges at Idaho Colleges and Universities
Idaho colleges and universities prohibit both traditional and emerging forms of academic cheating and other forms of academic dishonesty. Idaho colleges and universities must preserve their academic integrity to satisfy accrediting agencies, student loan lenders, alumni, employers, and other constituencies. Schools, though, can make serious mistakes applying their academic codes. Schools sometimes charge and punish innocent student bystanders for academic dishonesty. Disciplinary officials can also mistake permitted academic performance for prohibited dishonesty. National college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento is available in Idaho to defend students against false, unfair, exaggerated, or unsupported allegations of academic dishonesty. Boise State University's Student Code of Conduct, for example, lists these categories of academic misconduct: cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, fabrication or falsification, and research misconduct. Idaho State University's Academic Integrity and Dishonesty Policy focuses on cheating and plagiarism. As another example of an Idaho school academic code, the University of Idaho's Student Code of Conduct prohibits these common forms of academic dishonesty:
- Cheating including using unauthorized assistance in, or having unauthorized materials while, taking quizzes, tests, examinations, or other assignments, copying another's quiz, test, examination, or other assignment, allowing another to copy from one's own quiz, test, examination, or other assignment, using sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments, acquiring tests or other academic material without instructor authorization, engaging in academic conduct the instructor prohibits, or engaging in other behavior that a reasonable person would consider to be cheating
- Plagiarismincluding paraphrasing or quoting the work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment, using materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials without prior authorization by the instructor, or engaging in other behavior that a reasonable person would consider plagiarism
- Furnishing false informationor false representations to university officials, instructors, offices, submitting false information, or concealing material information at the time of admission or readmission
- Forging, altering, or destroying university documents, records, or identification
- Violating intellectual property rightssuch as copyrights, trademarks, or patents
Behavioral Misconduct Charges at Idaho Colleges and Universities
Idaho's colleges and universities also publish student codes of conduct listing many different behaviors that qualify as sanctionable misconduct. Behavioral codes can implicate conduct that many students would not think was the school's business. For example, the University of Idaho's Student Code of Conduct prohibits misusing university property or resources, theft of university or student property, misuse of university computers, misuse of university keys or identification, tampering with fire alarms or equipment, weapons or explosives possession, harming or endangering another person on university property, hazing, disruption or obstruction of university activities, smoking or alcohol or drug possession or use in violation of law or school policies, and other violations of university policies. Boise State University's Student Code of Conduct prohibits the same behaviors plus bribery or extortion, disorderly conduct, fiscal misconduct, and unauthorized recording. Behavioral codes can be vague and ambiguous, giving discipline administrators too much latitude and allowing too much subjectivity in deciding what constitutes misconduct. Idaho State University's Student Conduct Code adds bullying, intimidation, invasion of privacy, and various forms of classroom disruption to its long list of prohibitions. National college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento has successfully defended students nationwide against vague, ambiguous, and overreaching behavioral misconduct charges. Attorney Lento is available in Idaho for students facing unfair behavioral misconduct charges.
Sexual Misconduct Charges at Idaho Colleges and Universities
Federal Title IX regulations require Idaho colleges and universities receiving federal funding to prohibit certain forms of sex discrimination. To satisfy those federal requirements, public and private Idaho colleges and universities adopt Title IX policies prohibiting sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual harassment of both the quid pro quo and hostile environment forms. Boise State University's Title IX Policy prohibits those forms of sexual misconduct. The University of Idaho's Student Code of Conduct includes the same Title IX sexual misconduct prohibitions. Like many other schools around the country, Idaho State University's Student Conduct Code adds non-Title IX sexual exploitation to its list of Title IX prohibitions. National college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento has successfully defended hundreds of students nationwide on college sexual misconduct charges and is available in Idaho for that defense representation.
Idaho College Code of Conduct Procedures
For example, the University of Idaho's Student Code of Conduct refers to the university's separate Disciplinary Process for Alleged Violations of Student Code of Conduct. That Disciplinary Process provides for complaints to go to the Dean of Students except in Title IX cases where complaints go to the Title IX coordinator. The Dean of Students may appoint an investigator to meet with and interview the complainant and accused student. The accused student gets to review and respond to the investigator's report. If the accused student does not agree to the investigator's conclusions and recommendations, and the recommendation is for suspension or expulsion, the matter goes before a Hearing Panel drawn from the Student Conduct Board. At that formal hearing, only the accused student and complainant may give statements unless the chair requests other witnesses to attend. Title IX cases grant the accused student additional rights, including the right to retain an attorney to cross-examine witnesses, all of whom must appear at the hearing for the Hearing Panel to consider their information.
Idaho State University's Student Conduct Code, for another local example, provides similar procedures but emphasizes early informal resolution. Idaho State University also grants the accused student greater rights to call witnesses and cross-examine witnesses at the formal hearing. Idaho State University's procedures also spell out the accused student's right to retain an attorney advisor to accompany the student to the hearing and advise the student there. Other Idaho colleges and universities offer similar procedures. Procedures can be the key to a successful defense of student misconduct charges. But you must have the skilled and experienced representation of a qualified school misconduct defense attorney advisor to put those procedures to their most effective work for you. Retain national college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento for your successful defense of Idaho college code of conduct charges.
Idaho College Code of Conduct Sanctions
Idaho colleges and universities provide for a wide range of sanctions for code of conduct violations. Idaho colleges and universities typically publish those sanctions in graduated form from lesser penalties to greater penalties. Idaho State University's Student Conduct Code is a good example, providing first for written warning, then probation, then loss of privileges, restitution, work assignments, all the way up to suspension, expulsion, and even degree revocation after graduation. Don't assume that schools routinely begin with the lesser sanctions except for repeat offenders. Instead, many school administrators turn first to suspension and only impose lesser sanctions if the student demonstrates mitigating evidence. The burden should, according to the codes, be on the school to prove misconduct, presuming the student's innocence. But failure to appear and advocate for dismissal of unfair, unsupported, or exaggerated charges will often result in the school accepting all allegations as true and imposing a serious sanction of suspension or even expulsion. Retain national college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento to make your case for dismissal of all charges and to present mitigating evidence and arguments for leniency in the event of any misconduct findings.
Appealing an Idaho Code of Conduct Finding
Idaho college and university student code of conduct procedures generally permit the accused student to take an appeal of an adverse decision suspending or expelling the student. Appeals, like formal hearings, benefit greatly from the skills and experience of a qualified college misconduct defense attorney. Retain national college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento to pursue and perfect your appeal. Under Idaho State University's Student Conduct Code, for example, grants the accused student an appeal to the Vice President for Student Affairs within five days of an adverse hearing decision. An Idaho State University student has grounds to appeal whenever the student can show that the school failed to give the student a reasonable opportunity to prepare to contest the charges. Under the University of Idaho's Disciplinary Process, appeals go to an Appeal Panel drawn from the Student Conduct Board. University of Idaho students, like students at other Idaho colleges and universities, must show one of the Disciplinary Process's enumerated appeal grounds. Those grounds, typical of appeal grounds at other schools, include:
- Procedural error in the investigation significantly impacting the hearing's outcome
- New information unavailable during the investigation or hearing that could substantially impact the original finding or sanction
- The sanctions imposed are substantially disproportionate to the severity of the violation
- The hearing panel did not base its decision on substantial information
Alternative Relief for Idaho College Code of Conduct Charges
Even if you have already exhausted your hearing and appeal procedures trying unsuccessfully to defend against Idaho college or university misconduct charges, you may have alternative relief available to you. National college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento has helped many students gain relief, even after they have lost all formal hearings and appeals. Idaho colleges and universities, like schools elsewhere, have informal oversight channels through offices of general counsel, ombuds offices, and similar offices and officials. Idaho colleges and universities also retain outside counsel to advise the schools on specific matters. Attorney Lento has the national network, relationships, and reputation to effectively reach, communicate, and negotiate with those oversight officials for alternative relief. Colleges and universities have an educational mission, not a disciplinary mission. Attorney Lento is often able to show the school that other options exist, short of suspension or expulsion, that better serve the interests of the school and the proper ambitions of the accused student. Oversight officials can also take a broader view of the school's risks and the available student remedies than disciplinary officials have the authority to consider.
College Conduct Defense Attorney Advisor for Idaho
If you face college code of conduct charges at an Idaho college or university, your best move is to retain a skilled, experienced, and qualified college conduct defense attorney. College code of conduct defense differs from court matters. Code of conduct proceedings are administrative rather than judicial. School disciplinary officials follow different rules and conventions. A local criminal attorney will not generally know school disciplinary law, rules, regulations, and customs and conventions. National college conduct defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento of the Lento Law Firm has premier skills and abundant experience from having successfully represented hundreds of college and university students nationwide. The Lento Law Firm student defense team also has the forensic skills and consulting experts to augment your defense. Attorney advisor Lento is available to help defend and defeat your college or university misconduct charges in Idaho. Attorney Lento is also available to pursue alternative avenues for relief through oversight channels, if you have already lost all formal hearings and appeals. Call 888.535.3686 or go online now.
