College is hard. Need proof? Palomar College dismisses dozens of students every year. Those dismissals aren't just for grades, either. Sure, you need to keep your GPA up, but you can also be dismissed for things like plagiarism, trespassing, and stalking.
What do you do if it's happened to you? If someone has accused you of violating a school policy and the school has started talking about dismissal?
You contact the Lento Law Firm. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team has experience dealing with all types of college issues, from simple harassment to complicated cheating schemes. We're always on your side. We're committed to ensuring you're treated fairly and that you get every possible chance to earn your degree. To find out more, call us today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
Reasons for Dismissal from Palomar College
First things first: just what is it that can get you into trouble at Palomar College? What are the offenses that lead to dismissal?
- Poor Academic Performance: You came to Palomar to be a student, and the college will hold you to that. In fact, there's a clear academic standing policy that sets academic standards you must meet. According to that policy, you need to maintain a cumulative grade point average of no less than 2.0. If your GPA should fall, Palomar places you on probation. If you should continue to struggle while on probation, you can also find yourself dismissed entirely.
- Academic Misconduct: While you're earning your degree, Palomar expects you to hold to the highest principles of academic integrity. Any form of dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and all forms of misrepresentation, can result in course penalties like lowered grades. Commit academic misconduct more than once, and you could also face dismissal.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Outside of the classroom, your conduct at Palomar is governed by the college's Standards of Student Conduct. This policy prohibits things like underage drinking, hazing, and weapons possession. Even a first offense can result in dismissal if the violation is serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: Finally, like all colleges and universities, Palomar is required by the federal government to abide by Title IX restrictions on sexual discrimination and harassment. Anything from simple verbal harassment to stalking, dating violence, and rape can lead to an allegation, and schools are encouraged to assign harsh sanctions. The minimum penalty in these cases is usually suspension, but dismissal is far more likely.
Misconduct Procedures
The good news is that Palomar can't simply dismiss you without cause. In fact, even if you've been accused of an offense, you have the right to defend yourself. If the charge relates to misconduct—academic, disciplinary, or sexual—the school will perform a thorough investigation and let you make your case at a formal hearing. Here's how those processes typically work.
- Cases begin with an allegation. The alleged victim is usually referred to as the Complainant, though the college sometimes serves this role. As the accused, you're referred to as the Respondent. Rather than “guilt” or “innocence,” what's at issue is whether you are “Responsible” for an offense.
- Palomar must provide you with a Notice of the Charges any time you are under investigation. This notice includes details about the allegation and a list of your due process rights.
- The first stage in a case is an investigative hearing. This is your first opportunity to give your side of the story. You may provide a written statement, and you may bring any evidence with you to the hearing.
- A Hearing Officer oversees proceedings at the investigative hearing and ultimately decides whether you should be found Responsible. In making this decision, they use a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” Far less strict than “beyond a reasonable doubt,” “preponderance of the evidence” requires they find you Responsible if they are more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt.
- If you are found Responsible during the investigative hearing, you can then appeal through a more formal hearing.
- As part of the appeal hearing, you are allowed to present your full case, including making arguments, submitting evidence, calling witnesses to testify, and cross-examining any witnesses against you. Importantly, you may also hire an attorney to represent you. This means someone from the Lento Law Firm can be on hand to protect your rights and speak on your behalf.
- This time, a panel of decision-makers decides whether you are Responsible for an offense. However, the standard applied is once again “preponderance of the evidence.”
While your Lento Law Firm attorney can't accompany you to the investigative hearing, you should know that they can represent you from the very moment you are charged or even before. Long before an appeal hearing, they can help you build your defense strategy, gather evidence, identify witnesses, and draft documents. They'll coordinate all aspects of your defense and make sure you're treated fairly every step of the way.
Academic Dismissal Cases
Academic dismissal cases don't involve investigations or hearings. Most of the time, in fact, decisions are automatic. They're based on your GPA, and they're not open to debate.
You can appeal a dismissal for academic cause if you can show that extenuating circumstances led to your deficiencies.
What do you do, though, if you can't explain your low-grade point with a family emergency or a serious illness? Luckily, the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team knows a number of less formal strategies for protecting you from academic sanctions. For example,
- Many instructors offer makeup or extra credit assignments to students with borderline grades. A paper rewrite or an extra lab assignment might be all you need to stave off dismissal.
- If you should discover you have an undiagnosed learning disability, you can ask the school to drop low grades from your GPA and allow you to retake those courses with accommodations in place.
- Classroom mistreatment can also be grounds for a grade revision. If you believe your instructor is treating you unfairly, you should report that immediately to their department head.
While there are no clear procedures to follow in most academic dismissal cases, the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm can help you come up with a plan to protect yourself, and they'll stand beside you as you put that plan into action.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, you should have a clear sense of why you need the help of an attorney to fight dismissal decisions. 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.
The Lento Law Firm was built to help students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. The firm's Student Defense Team has dealt with everything from plagiarism allegations to rape charges. They know how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; they know how to interview witnesses; they know how to put together water-tight appeals.
To find out more about what the Lento Law Firm can do for you, contact the firm today at 888-535-3686. Or use our automated online form.
