College can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life. It's a chance to make new friends, establish your independence, and prepare for your future. It's not an easy path, though. Purdue holds all students to the highest standards both inside and outside of the classroom, and if you can't live up to these standards, you could find yourself looking for another school or heading onto the job market without a college degree.
Success at Purdue starts with knowing the rules. You need to understand exactly what can get you dismissed and how to avoid making mistakes. It's just as important that you know how to defend yourself should you wind up accused of making one. And, perhaps most important of all, you need to know how to get help defending yourself. It's no easy task challenging faculty and administrators, and you don't want to try to take on that task all alone.
National Student Defense Attorney-Advisor Joseph D. Lento is here to help. He knows the system at Purdue, and he knows how to use it to your benefit. If you're facing dismissal for any reason, he and his Education Law Team are on your side. They stand ready to defend your rights and make sure you are treated fairly.
Reasons for Dismissal at Purdue University
There are actually dozens of reasons why Purdue University might try to dismiss you. However, most of them can be grouped into four basic categories.
- Academic Performance: First, you're expected to perform well as a student. PU has an academic standing policy that requires you to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and additionally to earn a 2.0 GPA every term. If you fall short of that number, you can find yourself on probation or even dropped from school entirely.
- Academic Misconduct: Attending Purdue isn't just about earning a degree but about demonstrating honor and integrity while you do so. That begins with your classroom behavior. The school prohibits all forms of dishonesty, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, collusion, and multiple submissions. Repeat and particularly serious violations can get you expelled.
- Non-academic Misconduct: You're held to high standards outside of the classroom as well. In addition to academic misconduct, the Code of Conduct at Purdue also contains strictures against things like forgery, unauthorized entry, weapons possession, and underage drinking. Any offense can potentially lead to dismissal, but some—like hazing and drug possession—almost always result in dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: This is another offense that is almost always punished with expulsion. In fact, sexual misconduct isn't just a violation of school policy but—under Title IX—of federal law. That's why even though it is technically a form of disciplinary misconduct, it is treated as its own category of offense.
Misconduct Procedures
No matter what type of misconduct charges you are facing, you have the right to defend yourself, especially if you're facing the possibility of dismissal. In general, here's what you can expect the process of defending yourself to look like.
- Cases typically begin with an accusation made either to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities or—in the case of sexual misconduct—to the Title IX Coordinator.
- Throughout the process, you have the right to an advisor, and this advisor may be an attorney. Advisors may not speak on your behalf, but they may accompany you to all meetings and proceedings and offer advice.
- A Conduct Officer or Title IX Investigator is assigned to conduct a thorough investigation. They meet separately with both sides in the case, collect any physical evidence, and interview any witnesses.
- The investigation lays the foundation for a formal hearing before either the Community Standings Board (CSB) or a Title IX Hearing Officer.
- Both sides have the right to present their full case at the hearing. This includes making arguments, submitting evidence, and calling witnesses.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, decision-makers use a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence” to determine whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) an offense. This standard requires they find you Responsible if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you violated policy.
- Finally, you also have the right to appeal the hearing outcome under certain conditions. These include new evidence, procedural error, or inappropriate sanction.
While this general outline is applicable in all misconduct cases, there are some important differences in how Title IX sexual misconduct cases, in particular, are handled.
- First, these cases are under the purview of the school's designated Title IX Coordinator, who appoints specially trained Title IX Investigators, Title IX Hearing Officers, and Title IX Appeals Officers.
- Investigations must be undertaken in an unbiased way, and, in fact, you are entitled to review the Investigative Report and suggest revisions before the hearing begins.
- At the hearing, you have the right to cross-examine any witnesses against you.
Academic Dismissal Cases
Dismissals for academic deficiencies are treated differently than those for misconduct. For one thing, they are usually based on objective criteria—your GPA. Thus, Purdue offers no formal means of challenging dismissal decisions.
However, there are still some options for dealing with these types of dismissals. If, for example, your deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances, like a family emergency or a serious illness, you can appeal to your school or college dean for an exception. This will allow you to remain at Purdue for an additional probationary semester. You can also approach faculty directly and try to negotiate for a higher grade. Some professors, for instance, are open to arguments that progress over the course of a semester should merit a passing grade, even if your scores aren't quite high enough. Others may be willing to assign extra credit if your grade is borderline.
Finally, if you should be dismissed, you can eventually apply for readmission. For a first drop, you can apply after a single semester away. For a second drop, you can apply after a full year away.
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. 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.
Joseph D. Lento built his practice helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. He and his Education Law Team have 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. 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 can do for you, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686 or use our automated online form.
