College gets tougher and tougher every year. Classes get more challenging; professors get more demanding. In today's wired environment, you're under almost constant surveillance, and in today's political environment, the slightest misstep can lead to harsh sanctions. It should come as no surprise then that schools like North Carolina State dismiss dozens of students every semester.
How do you make sure you're not one of them?
- First, you find out everything you can about the rules. What exactly can get you dismissed, and how do you avoid making a mistake?
- Second, you learn what you can about your school's judicial processes. How do you defend yourself if you're facing dismissal?
- Last but not least, make sure you know how to contact Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team. You can and should fight for your academic future, but taking on a university is no simple matter, and you should never try to do it alone.
Reasons for Dismissal at North Carolina State University
First things first: what do you have to worry about as an NCSU student? It turns out, a lot. In fact, the school maintains so many rules that we couldn't possibly list them all here. For simplicity's sake, though, most of them can be grouped into four categories.
- Academic Performance: You came to NC State to earn a degree, and that's just what the school expects you to do. The academic standing policy requires you to keep a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Anything below that number means an “Academic Warning,” and if you can't improve while on an academic warning, you risk dismissal.
- Academic Misconduct: NCSU takes classroom dishonesty seriously. The academic misconduct policy focuses particularly on cheating, plagiarism, and destruction of educational materials, but any action that might give you an unfair advantage as a student qualifies. Minor offenses are usually handled with classroom sanctions like a lowered course grade. Repeat and serious offenses, though, can earn you dismissal.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Your non-academic behaviors are subject to rules the same way your academic behaviors are. The Student Code of Conduct offers guidance on everything from computer use to fire safety. Any policy violation can get you dismissed. Some, though, like hazing and drug possession, are almost always punished with dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses are typically punished with dismissal as well. Not only are such offenses violations of school policy, but under Title IX, they're against federal law.
Misconduct Procedures
Knowing the rules and how to avoid trouble is a good beginning. What do you do, though, when trouble comes looking for you? If you're looking at misconduct charges, defending yourself means knowing how the judicial processes work at NCSU. Different types of allegations are handled by different university departments, but for the most part, the procedures are the same in all cases.
- Cases start with an accusation made by a Complainant (accuser). Academic and Disciplinary misconduct accusations are handled by the Office of Student Conduct. Sexual misconduct accusations are dealt with by the Title IX Coordinator.
- In disciplinary and sexual misconduct cases, you have the right to be accompanied to meetings and proceedings by an advisor, and this advisor may be an attorney. Note that even though you may not bring an advisor with you to academic misconduct meetings, you always have the right to consult an attorney.
- NCSU will initiate some form of investigation. In simple cases, such as allegations of plagiarism, this may involve meetings with both sides. Other cases can be more complex, though. Sexual misconduct investigations, for example, usually require the collection of physical evidence and the solicitation of witness testimony.
- After the investigation, the school holds a formal hearing into the matter. You have the right to make arguments, present evidence, and call witnesses to testify on your behalf. In disciplinary cases, the hearing panel asks questions, but you may suggest those questions. At sexual misconduct hearings, advisors conduct examination and cross-examination.
- The final decision in the case is made using a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” Basically, this standard requires decision-makers to find you Responsible (guilty) if they feel you “more than likely” committed the offense.
- Finally, it is possible to appeal the hearing outcome, but only under certain conditions. Grounds for appeal are limited to procedural errors, the discovery of new evidence, or a finding that violates substantive standards.
While there are some differences in how the three misconduct processes work, Joseph D. Lento and his team are experienced working with all the various judicial procedures at NC State and can advise you on exactly how to navigate the process, no matter the charges.
Academic Dismissal Cases
Academic dismissals are significantly different than misconduct dismissals, mostly because the criteria aren't subjective. No one has to decide if your grade point is below 2.0 or not. Likewise, no one has to decide what the penalties are for a low GPA. As a result, there's only one formal process for challenging an academic dismissal: you can appeal that dismissal. Success is based on whether the school believes you can raise your grade point to a 2.0 in a reasonable amount of time and is calculated using a formula.
However, there are also some informal ways to deal with the threat of academic dismissal. If your academic deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances, for instance— an illness or a family emergency—you may be able to get more time on probation. Alternatively, you can try negotiating directly with faculty for higher grades. Higher grades mean a higher GPA, and sometimes professors are open to arguments like “a high final exam score merits a passing grade.”
As with misconduct dismissals, Joseph D. Lento and his team know all the options for salvaging your academic career. They can help you put together a plan and help you put that plan into action, whether that involves coaching you in negotiation tactics or working with you to draft a strong appeal.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, you should have a clear sense of why you need the help of an attorney-advisor to fight dismissal decisions. Campus judicial procedures can be complex and difficult to navigate, and the full weight of your school will be against you. Plus, it's no exaggeration to say that your entire future is on the line. You need someone watching over your shoulder, making certain you're treated fairly and that you get the justice you deserve.
The Joseph D. Lento law firm was built on helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team have dealt with every sort of charge. They know how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; they know how to interview witnesses; they know how to put together water-tight appeals. Most importantly, no matter what problem you're facing, they are on your side and will do everything in their power to get you the very best possible resolution to your case.
To find out more about what Joseph D. Lento and his team can do for you, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form to tell us about your case.
