College these days is serious business. Don't believe us? The Chicago School of Professional Psychology dismisses dozens of students every year for everything from low GPAs to plagiarism, to dating violence.
Want to make sure you're not one of them? Improve your knowledge base.
- Start by finding out all you can about TCSPP's rules. Obviously, when you know what can get you into trouble, you'll have a better chance of avoiding mistakes.
- Next, learn about TCSPP's judicial procedures. What happens if, despite your best efforts, you wind up accused of misconduct? You need to know how to defend yourself.
- Finally, and maybe most importantly, investigate how to get help if you need it. It's no easy task taking on your college, and you don't want to try to do it all on your own. Luckily, attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team are here to help. They know the law; they know the TCSPP system; they're committed to making sure you're treated fairly.
Reasons for Dismissal at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The list of things that can get you dismissed from TCSPP is long—too long, in fact, to list here. For the most part, though, all the various infractions at the school can be divided into four categories. Know these, and you should be prepared for whatever may come.
- Academic Deficiencies: First and foremost, you are a student. That comes with its own set of expectations and responsibilities. TCSPP's academic standing policy, for example, requires you to maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. Should you fall below that number, you can wind up on probation, suspended, or, ultimately, dismissed.
- Academic Misconduct: TCSPP also has an extensive list of Student Rights and Responsibilities. One of the first items on this list is Academic Ethics, Integrity, and Responsibility. In simple terms, you're prohibited from committing any act which could potentially gain you an unfair advantage in completing your coursework. That includes cheating, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, and fabrication. First-time offenses generally garner classroom sanctions, like a lowered grade on the assignment or a lowered grade in the course. Repeat offenses, though, are often sanctioned with dismissal.
- Disciplinary misconduct: Beyond the classroom, the Student Code of Conduct regulates your general behavior on campus, things like disorderly conduct, weapons possession, and property damage. Any violation can result in dismissal.
- Sexual misconduct: Sexually-based misconduct almost always results in dismissal. In fact, most allegations are handled through a separate policy, and offenses are regulated by federal law under Title IX.
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
Defending yourself from misconduct charges can be a complicated process, and that process can vary depending on what specific type of charges you face. In general, though, here's what you can expect.
- Cases typically begin with a complaint. According to the school's disciplinary procedures, academic and disciplinary referrals are made to a Student Affairs Committee and can only be made by your Department Chair, Associate Department Chair, or Assistant Department Chair. Sexual misconduct referrals are normally under the purview of the Title IX Coordinator.
- The SAC or Title IX Coordinator must provide you with Notice of the Charges against you. You have the right to respond to these charges in writing. You further have the right to a support person, someone, to help you prepare your case and to accompany you to all meetings and proceedings.
- The SAC or an appointed Title IX official holds a formal hearing into the charges. Though hearings involve two sides and a decision maker, they aren't court cases. For instance, you have no right to call witnesses or to present new evidence once the hearing has begun.
- The hearing begins with a presentation of the referral by the referring party. You then have the opportunity to respond to the referral.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, decision-makers determine whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) a violation. TCSPP does not specify how SAC decisions are made, but most college and university judicial bodies employ a standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” According to this standard, they must find you Responsible if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense. Obviously, this is a far less strict standard than the one you may be used to—beyond a reasonable doubt.
- You do have the right to appeal the hearing outcome but only under limited conditions. These include
- New evidence
- Evidence of a procedural error
- New arguments that could not be made at the time of the hearing
While all cases follow this general outline, there are some significant differences, especially when it comes to how Title IX sexual misconduct cases proceed. For instance, these cases involve a significant investigation before the hearing. In addition, you are allowed to choose an attorney as a support person in these cases. In academic and disciplinary misconduct cases, your support person must be a member of the TCSPP community. You are also allowed to submit evidence during the hearing and examine and cross-examine witnesses.
Whatever type of charges you're facing, Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team can be vital to your chances of success. They know all the rules and procedures at TCSPP and can help you make sense of the charges against you and the process involved in defending yourself. Even if an attorney cannot accompany you to your hearing, they can provide crucial help in formulating your overall strategy. They can work with you to collect evidence, assist you in drafting documents, and prepare you to present your side of the case.
Academic Dismissals
Academic dismissals at TCSPP work quite differently from misconduct dismissals. Generally speaking, such dismissals aren't subject to challenge. That's because they are based on objective facts, including your GPA and your course completion percentage. In addition, dismissal doesn't happen automatically. Instead, there's a process of warnings and probation, and you have multiple opportunities to improve before you are dismissed.
However, it can be useful to know some strategies for responding to the threat of academic dismissal. Joseph D. Lento and his team know a number of these and can work with you to decide which is best in your particular situation.
- If you're dealing with extenuating circumstances, like a long-term illness or a family emergency, you can try appealing to the dean of your particular school. You may be able to convince them to give you more time to improve.
- Learning disabilities are often grounds for course accommodation. You may be entitled, for example, to extra time to complete assignments. If your instructor doesn't give you these accommodations, you can protest to your campus Disability Services office.
- You can also try negotiating directly with instructors. If you have a compelling argument, you can sometimes get them to reconsider your course grades.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, you probably 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 likely be against you.
You need someone watching over your shoulder, making certain you're treated fairly and that you get the justice you deserve.
The Lento Law Firm was built on helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct 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 exactly 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.
