When you signed up for college, you thought academics would be your biggest concern. And, without question, your GPA matters. The University of San Antonio will certainly send you home if you're struggling in your classes. There are so many other things to worry about at college, though. In fact, you can find yourself dismissed for dozens of different policy violations, everything from hazing to plagiarizing a paper.
Luckily, there's help available out there, no matter what type of dismissal you might be facing. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team knows how the University of San Antonio operates. They know all the rules and procedures; they know exactly who to talk to when you have a problem; they know how to use the system to your advantage. If you're in trouble, and someone has mentioned the possibility of dismissal, you owe it to yourself to find out what the Lento Law Firm and their Student Defense Team can do for you.
Reasons for Dismissal at the University of Texas, San Antonio
There are actually so many reasons UT San Antonio can dismiss you that we don't have the room to list them all here. The good news is they can all be grouped into four basic categories. Know these, and you should be able to avoid most problems.
- Academic Deficiencies: You're a student, and your grades matter. The UTSA academic standing policy requires you to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0. Anything below that number and the school will place you on probation. Continue to struggle, and you can wind up dismissed.
- Academic Misconduct: Students who are having trouble meeting the standing policy sometimes try to take shortcuts to get their grades up. The thing is, academic dishonesty, like cheating and plagiarism, can get you expelled as quickly as low grades can.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Being a university student isn't just about going to class. Outside of classes, your behavior is governed by the UTSA Student Code of Conduct. Any violation can potentially result in dismissal. Some violations—such as hazing, weapons possession, and assault—are almost always punished with dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses almost always result in dismissal as well. Sexual misconduct is actually subject to federal law under Title IX, and colleges and universities take violations extremely seriously.
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
Dismissal from UTSA is never automatic. Just because you've been accused of making a mistake doesn't mean you'll necessarily be expelled. You have the right to defend yourself.
When it comes to misconduct charges, whether those charges concern academic, disciplinary, or sexual misconduct, the basic outline of the process looks like this:
- Cases begin with an accusation lodged either with Student Conduct and Community Standards or, in the case of Title IX sexual misconduct allegations, the school's designated Title IX Coordinator.
- You have a number of due process rights. For instance, you have the right to be presumed “Not Responsible” (innocent), the right to review all evidence against you and the right to notification of all meetings and proceedings. One of the most important of these rights is the right to an advisor, who may be an attorney.
- If the school finds the accusation against you credible, it will open an investigation. Investigators usually start by interviewing both sides of the case. In addition, they'll collect any physical evidence and speak with potential witnesses.
- Once the investigation is complete, investigators submit their findings to the university. The university sets a time and date for a hearing and appoints a Hearing Officer to preside over proceedings.
- At the hearing, you have the right to make your full case, including submitting evidence and calling witnesses. You may also ask questions of witnesses against you. Of course, the Complainant has these same rights.
- The Hearing Officer decides whether or not you are Responsible for a violation using a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” Basically, they must find you Responsible if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed the offense.
- Finally, you have the right to appeal the hearing outcome if
- You should uncover new evidence that has a bearing on the case
- A procedural error impacted the case
- An investigator or hearing officer had a conflict of interest
- The sanction imposed is inappropriate
While this general outline applies to all cases, you should know that there are minor differences in how different types of allegations are handled. For example, in Title IX cases, you and the Complainant have the right to cross-examine one another.
Given how complex university judicial cases can be, you don't want to try to handle one on your own. The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team is well-versed in all of the University of Texas, San Antonio procedures and can work with you to build a strong defense no matter what the charges.
Academic Dismissals
Dismissals for academic deficiencies are treated somewhat differently from misconduct dismissals. Academic dismissals are based almost exclusively on GPA, and that doesn't normally need to be investigated. In fact, the decision may be in the hands of a computer.
Luckily, there are options for dealing with this type of dismissal as well. For example,
- You can try negotiating with your instructors. If you have a compelling argument, you might be able to convince them to look at your work with fresh eyes once the semester is over.
- Extenuating circumstances can be grounds for more time to improve. If you've been ill during the semester or had to deal with a family emergency, you can appeal to the dean of your school or college.
- Some faculty are open to assigning makeup or extra credit work. An extra lab assignment or a short essay could be enough to raise your GPA and save you from dismissal.
Here again, the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team has helped hundreds of students, and they know all the strategies available to you. They can help you choose a plan that's right for your particular situation and work with you to put that plan into action.
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 the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can do for you, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
