College can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life, but no one ever said it would be easy.
College doesn't just prepare you for a successful career. It's a chance to make new friends, establish your independence, and find out who you really are. It's easy to make mistakes along the way, though, and the wrong misstep can put all of that in jeopardy. Syracuse University expels dozens of students every year, and if you want to reap all the rewards of education, you have to make sure you're not one of them.
How do you do that? You start by finding out all you can right now about why the school might dismiss you. This will help you avoid trouble in the first place. Then, you educate yourself about how the judicial processes at SU operate, so you'll know what to do if trouble should find you anyway. Last but not least, you research how to get help if you're facing dismissal, because taking on your school is tough, and you don't want to try and do it alone.
It turns out there are a ton of reasons Syracuse might try to dismiss you. For the most part, though, they can be divided into four easy-to-understand categories: academic misconduct, disciplinary misconduct, sexual misconduct, and academic performance.
Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct, as the name implies, refers to behaviors associated with earning your degree. The policy at Syracuse University mentions four “Expectations”:
- Credit your sources
- Do your own work
- Communicate honestly
- Support academic integrity
In broad terms, though, your goal should be to avoid any activity that could potentially give you an unfair advantage in completing your coursework.
The most serious types of offenses—known as “Level 3” offenses, can get you dismissed from the university. However, you have the right to defend yourself if you've been accused and to protest any sanction you feel is too harsh. Here's a rough outline of what that process looks like.
- Most cases are resolved by your school or college's Academic Integrity Committee (AIC). This committee is made up of faculty, administrators, and students.
- The school should notify you you are under investigation before it proceeds with an initial evaluation of the facts and evidence.
- If the offense is serious enough that you could be expelled, you are entitled to present your side of the situation at a formal hearing before the AIC. You may submit evidence and call witnesses to testify on your behalf.
- You have the right to a “support person” to help you prepare for and present your case, and you have the right to select an attorney to fill this role.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, decision-makers use a legal standard known as “preponderance of evidence” to determine whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) a violation. According to this standard, you are responsible if it seems “more likely than not” that you committed an offense.
- Finally, you have the right to appeal the hearing outcome to a Center for Learning and Student Success appeals panel. Appeals must be filed within seven business days of notification of the outcome, and grounds are limited to new evidence or a procedural error.
Disciplinary Misconduct
Just as your behavior in class is subject to review, so is your behavior outside of class. And, just as Syracuse's academic misconduct policy covers academic issues, the school's Student Conduct System Handbook covers “disciplinary” issues. Here again, there is a wide range of prohibitions, from drug use to assault, and any violation can potentially result in dismissal from the university. However, you have the right to respond to charges and to fight any attempt to dismiss you.
For the most part, investigations and hearings work the same way academic misconduct investigations and hearings work. There are, however, some subtle but important differences.
- Disciplinary misconduct cases are handled by the office of Community Standards.
- The case isn't just subject to “review” but to a full investigation undertaken by a Student Conduct Investigator.
- As in academic misconduct cases, you are entitled to defend yourself at a formal hearing. This means you can present evidence, call witnesses, and—through the hearing panel—ask questions of the Complainant and any witnesses against you.
- One key difference from academic integrity cases: you are not allowed to bring an attorney with you to meetings and hearing proceedings. You can, of course, consult with an attorney, but they may not accompany you. Instead, you choose a procedural advisor who must be a member of the SU community.
- Decisions are again based on the preponderance of evidence standards.
- Appeals must be filed within 1 day of notification of the outcome, and grounds for appeal include new evidence, procedural error, error in policy interpretation, and inappropriate sanctions.
Sexual Misconduct
Though technically a form of disciplinary misconduct, sexually-based offenses are treated separately under Syracuse's sexual misconduct policy. These offenses are generally more serious than any other kind of misconduct and are frequently punished with dismissal. In addition, they are sometimes subject to federal law under Title IX, and the school is required to use a very specific set of investigative and adjudicative procedures.
Again, there are many similarities between sexual misconduct and other kinds of misconduct cases. For instance, Title IX charges are subject to an investigation and a hearing. You are allowed to present a full defense. You have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. There are important differences as well, though.
- Cases are under the jurisdiction of your school's Title IX Coordinator. This person appoints specially trained investigators, decision-makers, and appeals officials.
- Title IX entitles you to choose an attorney as your support person.
- You have the right to raise questions about the Investigative Report before the start of the hearing.
- At the hearing, all cross-examination must be conducted by support persons.
- You must file any appeal of the hearing outcome within 5 days, and grounds for appeal include new evidence, procedural error, conflict of interest on the part of an official, errors in policy interpretation, and inappropriate sanctions.
Academic Performance Issues
Finally, you can also be dismissed from Syracuse for failing to meet the school's academic expectations. The university has a strict academic standing policy that requires all students to complete at least 12 credits each semester and earns a minimum 2.0 grade point average while doing so. In addition, you must maintain a cumulative GPA above 2.0. Failure to meet any of these standards means academic probation. Failure to meet them while on academic probation means suspension and potentially permanent dismissal.
These kinds of dismissals can sometimes be more difficult to challenge since they are based on objective facts—GPA and credits. However, you do have options in these cases. Decisions are made by your school or college, and you can, for example, appeal directly to your dean, particularly if your deficiencies were caused by extenuating circumstances. Alternatively, you can approach individual faculty members directly and ask them to reconsider your work or to assign you extra credit to help raise your grades. In fact, even if you are suspended, there is a petition process that potentially gains your readmission to the university.
Fighting for Your Future
Fighting dismissal of any type can be a daunting prospect. You have to develop a defense strategy, collect evidence, and talk to witnesses. All of this takes time and energy that, as a student, you just don't have. You can also expect that faculty and administrators are going to line up against you. Generally speaking, a school closes ranks when it decides to accuse a student of wrongdoing. This should never prevent you from trying, though. You're never any worse off fighting and losing than you would be just giving up. And it's important you know that you don't have to do it all alone.
National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento stands ready to help. Joseph D. Lento built his career 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, how to formulate witness questions, and how to put together water-tight appeals. Most importantly, no matter what problem you're facing, Joseph D. Lento is on your side and will fight hard to get you the very best possible resolution to your case.
If you or your child is facing dismissal or have already been dismissed, Joseph D. Lento may be able to help. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
