Every Harvard University student knows both the value of the Harvard education they are pursuing and the time and tuition investment they are making. With its five-percent acceptance rate, top-flight faculty, enormous resources, and long history of famous graduates, Harvard University is among the world's premier educational institutions, if not the preeminent institution. One can hardly find a better school than Harvard from which to graduate. But as a corollary, one can also hardly find a worse school from which to suffer dismissal. Receiving the school's notice that your Harvard education is at risk, and facing a school disciplinary proceeding, can be incredibly daunting, not just because of all that you risk but also because of the peculiar academic administrative customs and procedures. National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento knows those customs and procedures because he has helped hundreds of students successfully avoid dismissal. Retain attorney advisor Lento now for your Harvard education's defense.
Reasons for Dismissal
Harvard University students, like students at other colleges and universities, can face dismissal on several grounds. Academic misconduct, otherwise known as cheating, is a concern at every school but especially schools of such high rank and rigor as Harvard. Those schools must protect their academic reputation. Harvard, like other schools, must also ensure that its students meet satisfactory academic progress requirements, including minimum grade-point averages and percentage of credits completed requirements. Harvard students whose grades are too low or who drop, fail, or leave incomplete too many courses can face dismissal for not meeting those SAP requirements that federal financial laws require. But Harvard students can also face dismissal for behavioral misconduct like fighting, illegal alcohol or drug use or possession, computer misuse, and trespassing or vandalism. And Harvard students, like students elsewhere, can face dismissal for sexual misconduct charges, whether Title IX or non-Title IX. Each of these kinds of charges can result in school suspension or dismissal, with potentially disastrous collateral consequences that, on their own, require skilled management. Don't run the risk of dismissal on your own. Get the premier representation of national Education Attorney Joseph D. Lento to preserve your premier Harvard education.
The Adjudication Process
Harvard University maintains a lengthy Student Handbook that sets forth the school's academic and personal conduct expectations, together with many of the procedures that the school will follow in determining disciplinary charges. You and your retained attorney advisor need to know and follow those procedures to successfully navigate your charges and avoid dismissal. The disciplinary procedures that Harvard follows depend on the type of misconduct. Harvard's separate Title IX procedures, for instance, have a more adversarial cast than the school's academic conduct and behavioral conduct disciplinary procedures stated within its Student Handbook. Harvard's graduate schools may also have their own procedures. While each of these procedures may differ, basic due process generally requires fair notice of the charges and a reasonable opportunity for a hearing at which to contest the charges. The procedures for your particular matter may thus be very like these procedures that Harvard's Administrative Board follows for social misconduct charges:
- The school notifies the accused student of the charges, requiring the student to respond with a written statement
- The school next shares the complainant's written statement with the accused student for comment and correction
- The school appoints a fact finder or subcommittee of fact finders to review the statements, inviting but not requiring the accused student to meet with the fact finder
- The fact finder or subcommittee decides whether to recommend charges based on the evidence presented or as solicited from additional witnesses
- The dean approves or rejects the recommended charges
- Approved charges go back to the fact finder or subcommittee for further investigation and written recommendation on the charges
- The accused student and complainant may comment on and correct the fact finder or subcommittee recommendation
- The full Administrative Board reviews the recommendation and comments or corrections at a meeting at which the accused student may make further presentation
- The full Administrative Board decides the charge on a majority vote
Decision Authorities
The outcome of your Harvard University disciplinary matter also depends on who decides the charges. Harvard's Student Handbook provides for three different boards to make decisions on undergraduate conduct, depending on the type of issue. An Administrative Board hears undergraduate petitions for exceptions to the university's administrative rules while also handling undergraduate disciplinary cases involving social misconduct. Harvard's Honor Council reviews all undergraduate disciplinary cases alleging violations of the university's Honor Code and academic dishonesty. A university Student-Faculty Judicial Board handles disciplinary cases for which the university has no clear governing policy or precedent. Harvard's Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct oversees all three boards to ensure that they follow the appropriate university procedures. Similar graduate school boards would hear charges involving graduate students. Don't leave your matter's outcome to chance. For the best outcome, retain premier Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento to invoke Harvard's protective procedures in your matter before the applicable board.
Appeals Process
Harvard University, like other colleges and universities, offers appeals from dismissal and other discipline decisions. The appeal rights and procedures may vary depending on the type of charge and whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student. But for example, Harvard's Student Handbook offers an appeal of a social misconduct dismissal or other discipline from the Administrative Board making that decision to the university's Faculty Council. Winning appeals require more than a simple letter stating the alleged error. Retain national Student Defense attorney advisor Joseph D. Lento for your appeal.
Alternatives to Dismissal
Don't give up hope, even if you have already exhausted all procedures trying to avoid dismissal from Harvard University. National Education Attorney-Advisor Joseph D. Lento has successfully negotiated reinstatement for many students through school oversight channels such as an Office of General Counsel, ombudsman's office, or risk management office. You may well have an alternative to dismissal. Retain Attorney-Advisor Lento and the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team not only for help with school procedures but also for the national reputation and relationships that can open doors to alternative special relief. Oversight officials know the risks of damaging public and regulator scrutiny and expensive litigation. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team can help you pursue litigation if necessary, but you may have other options short of litigation. Call 888.535.3686 or go online now to retain attorney advisor Lento.
