If you're a Middle Tennessee State student in trouble and someone has mentioned the possibility of dismissal to you, the very first thing you need to know is that the situation is serious. Dismissal is bad enough. It means leaving your school and giving up all the progress you've made to this point. But dismissal always includes a transcript notation about the nature of your dismissal. That can make it virtually impossible to find another college or university to accept you.
An accusation is just that, though, an accusation. You have the right to defend yourself and to fight for your educational future. We can help.
The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team was built to help students defend themselves. We know the law, and we know how the Middle Tennessee system works. Whether you've been accused of cheating or someone's leveled an allegation of stalking against you, we'll stand beside you, work with you to navigate the system, and ensure you get the very best possible resolution to your case.
To find out more about just what we can do, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or fill out our automated online questionnaire.
Reasons for Dismissal from Middle Tennessee State University
There's no bureaucracy quite like a university bureaucracy. There's a rule for everything, and breaking any of them can get you into serious hot water. However, there are really only four categories of offense that can lead to dismissal.
- Poor Academic Performance: It's probably fairly obvious, but it's worth repeating anyway—your job as a student is to go to class and study. To make sure you do that, MTSU maintains a strict academic standing policy. If either your cumulative or term GPAs fall below 2.0, the university places you on probation. Continue to struggle while on probation, and you can face worse consequences, including dismissal.
- Academic Misconduct: Like every other college and university, MTSU expects you to earn your degree honestly. And again, it has a set of rules to make sure you do. Cheating, plagiarism, and any other act that might potentially give you an unfair advantage in the classroom are explicitly forbidden. As with grades, one mistake is not going to cost you your spot at MTSU. The university frequently punishes multiple offenders with dismissal, though.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: MTSU's Student Code of Conduct governs how you behave outside the classroom. It includes strictures against everything from underage drinking to posting pornography in public places. Even a first-time offense can result in dismissal if it's serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses are almost always punished with dismissal. Such misconduct is barred by federal law under Title IX, and schools are required to investigate all credible complaints.
Misconduct Procedures
Again, Middle Tennessee can't simply dismiss you just because you've been accused of misconduct. Under school policy, you are entitled to defend yourself, and you are entitled to several due process rights to help you do that.
- Cases begin when someone makes a complaint against you, either to the Director of Academic Integrity, the Student Conduct Office, or the Title IX Coordinator.
- If you have been formally charged with an offense, the university sends you an official Notice of the Charges. This document should provide details about the allegation and a list of your rights as the Respondent (accused).
- In all cases, you have the right to an advisor. This advisor can be an attorney, which means someone from the Lento Law Firm can be at your side from the moment you're charged until you exhaust your final appeal.
- Investigators typically start by interviewing both sides of the case. In addition, they collect any physical evidence and talk to all relevant witnesses.
- Investigators collect their findings into a written summary, which they submit to the university. The school then sets a time and date for a hearing.
- At the hearing, both sides get the opportunity to make their cases. You may offer opening and closing arguments, submit evidence, and call witnesses to testify. Here again, your advisor may accompany you, though they may not speak on your behalf.
- Middle Tennessee cases are decided using a legal standard known as "preponderance of the evidence." This standard is far less rigorous than the one you may know better—"beyond a reasonable doubt." According to the "preponderance" standard, decision-makers must find you guilty if they believe you "more likely than not" committed the offense.
- Finally, you also have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. You may not appeal simply because you disagree, though. Grounds for appeal include things like a procedural error or the discovery of new evidence.
All misconduct cases at MTSU follow this general outline. There are some small but important differences between different types of cases, though. For example, in Title IX sexual misconduct cases, only advisors may cross-examine witnesses. In all other cases, hearing officers ask all questions.
Regardless of the charges against you, you can count on the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm to guide you through the entire process. We know all of MTSU's judicial procedures, and we can help you use them to your advantage.
Academic Dismissal Cases
Academic dismissal cases are unique in that there's no investigation and no hearing. Decisions are based almost exclusively on your GPA, and the university doesn't regard that as a debatable issue.
However, the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know a number of strategies for defending you from these types of dismissals as well. For instance,
- Middle Tennessee offers an appeals process for students with extenuating circumstances. If your academic deficiencies are the result of a serious illness, for instance, or a family emergency, you can ask the university for more time to improve your grades. Your Lento Law Firm attorney can help you gather evidence and draft your appeal.
- A low GPA can be a sign of a learning disability. If you should discover you have such a disability, you can ask the university to set aside your low grades and allow you to retake those courses with proper accommodations in place.
- You can always ask an instructor for extra credit or makeup work. If your grade is borderline, a paper revision could be all you need to avoid academic dismissal.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, it should be abundantly clear why trying to defend yourself from dismissal is always a dangerous proposition. It's no easy task taking on a university, and the stakes are incredibly high. Luckily, you don't have to do it alone. The Lento Law Firm was built to help students. Our Student Defense Team can also be fierce when it comes to protecting our clients, and we're not afraid of faculty and administrators.
Let us help you fight for your academic future. To find out more, contact the firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, use our automated online form.
