The University of Tennessee is a great school, and you should be proud of having made it in. It would be nice if, at this point, you could stop and enjoy that accomplishment for a little while.
No such luck. Things only get harder from here. It's not just that you've got to go to class and study. You've also got to worry about staying out of trouble, and that's sometimes easier said than done. In fact, the University of Tennessee dismisses dozens of students every year for everything from low GPA to plagiarism to trespassing.
College is tough. You don't have to handle it all on your own, though. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is here to help. We've established ourselves as the preeminent law firm in the country for representing students. We didn't get that reputation by letting universities walk all over our clients. We know your rights. We know the UT system and how to use it to your advantage. And we're ready to use what we know to protect your educational future.
Reasons for Dismissal from the University of Tennessee
If someone has mentioned the possibility that you'll be dismissed from UT, it's probably for one of four reasons.
- Academic Deficiencies: First, you can be dismissed for failing to perform to academic standards. The UT Standing policy requires you to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA and that you consistently earn at least a 2.0 each term. If you can't do that, you can find yourself on Probation and, potentially, dismissed.
- Academic Misconduct: Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic misconduct can get you dismissed as well. First offenses are usually punished with classroom sanctions like lower grades. Second offenses, though, are treated as dismissable offenses.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Your general campus behavior is under just as much scrutiny as your classroom conduct. UT's Student Code of Conduct contains prohibitions against everything from underage drinking to hazing. Any violation can potentially result in dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses are so serious that a Responsible (guilty) finding almost always results in dismissal. In addition to being violations of school policy, these offenses are also violations of federal law (Title IX).
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
A misconduct allegation does not have to be a death sentence. Before the University of Tennessee can dismiss you, it must thoroughly investigate the allegation and provide you with the opportunity to defend yourself at a formal hearing. Here's what those processes look like.
- Most cases begin when someone lodges a complaint against you, either with Student Conduct and Community Standards (SCCS) or, in the case of Title IX accusations, the school's Title IX Coordinator.
- If the school decides to open an investigation into your conduct, it first provides you with a Notice of the Charges. This notice includes details of the allegation and a list of your rights.
- Among your rights, you are entitled to choose an advisor, someone to help you prepare your case and to sit beside you during meetings and hearings and offer advice. This advisor can be an attorney, which means someone from the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can represent you from the very moment you are charged.
- Investigations can vary in length depending on the charges. You can expect, though, that you'll have an opportunity to give your side of the story. In addition, investigators collect physical evidence and talk to any potential witnesses.
- Investigators compile their findings into a written document. Once the university receives this document, it sets a time and date for a hearing and appoints one or more Decision Makers to preside over this hearing.
- The hearing is your opportunity to make your case in full. You may debate evidence, call witnesses, and ask questions of any witnesses against you. Of course, the Complainant (your accuser) has these same rights.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, Decision Makers must determine whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) an offense. To do this, they use a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” According to this standard, they must find you Responsible if they are more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt.
- A Responsible finding isn't necessarily the end of your case. You can appeal the hearing outcome under certain conditions, including
- The discovery of new information
- An unreasonable sanction
- A procedural error
- Bias on the part of a Decision Maker
You should keep in mind that while this general outline applies to all cases, rules and procedures can differ in small but important ways depending on the nature of the charges against you. For instance, academic and disciplinary cases are heard by a Student Conduct Board made up of seven voting members, including students, faculty, and administrators. Title IX cases, in contrast, are decided by a single Hearing Officer appointed by the Title IX Coordinator.
No matter what your situation, though, you can count on the attorneys at the Lento Law Firm to know all the particulars of the UT judicial system. They've represented hundreds of students and know how to ensure you are treated fairly and that you have the best possible outcome to your case.
Academic Dismissals
Academic dismissals don't work like misconduct dismissals. That's because they're based on facts—your cumulative and term GPAs—and facts don't normally warrant an investigation or a hearing.
The University of Tennessee does offer an appeals process for students who have been dismissed for academic reasons. However, you must be able to show that extenuating circumstances, such as a hospitalization or a family emergency, led to your deficiencies.
What do you do if you can't point to a crisis as the cause of your low GPA? It turns out there are some other possibilities when it comes to avoiding academic sanctions.
- Some faculty are willing to assign makeup and extra credit work. You may have to ask in order to find out, but if they're willing to work with you, an extra lab assignment or an essay rewrite could be enough to avoid dismissal.
- Most learning disabilities entitle you to classroom accommodations like extra time to complete assignments or access to educational technology. If you should discover you have such a disability, you can not only petition for accommodations but ask UT to drop your low grades and allow you to retake those courses.
- You should never suffer mistreatment in the classroom. If you feel you're being treated unfairly, you should bring this to the attention of your instructor's department head. You may be entitled to some form of grade relief.
As with misconduct dismissals, you can count on the Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm to know all the many strategies for avoiding academic dismissals, to help you come up with a plan, and to work with you to implement that plan.
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 Student Defense Team was built on helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. We know how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; we know how to interview witnesses; we know how to put together water-tight appeals. To find out more about exactly what the Lento Law Firm can do for you, contact us today at 888-535-3686, or use our automated online form.
