Long ago, somewhere back in the mists of time, you could do the bare minimum at college and still wind up with a respectable C average. You could flood the dean's office, and the worst that might happen was a stern lecture. Don't believe us? Watch Animal House sometime.
Those days are long gone. College today is serious business. Professors are demanding, and administrators have absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever. Given this state of affairs, you shouldn't be surprised by the fact that a school like the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley dismisses dozens of students every year.
What do you do if you're in trouble?
You contact the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team. The Lento Law Firm Team is dedicated to the proposition that you deserve fair treatment and that a mistake, or even two or three, shouldn't cost you your shot at a degree. And the firm's attorneys are ready to put their money where their mouth is. They know education law; they know how your school operates, and they've helped hundreds of students just like you to get the justice they deserve.
Reasons for Dismissal from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Maybe we mentioned this before: college is tough these days. How tough? There's a very long list of offenses that can get you dismissed. How do you avoid all of them? For the most part, they can be grouped into four categories. Learn these, and you should be able to stay out of most trouble.
- Academic Deficiencies: You came to UTRGV to get an education, and the university intends to hold you to that. The way it does that is by maintaining rigorous academic standing requirements. Anything below a 2.0 GPA will get you put on probation, and a term GPA below 2.0 while you're on probation will get you dismissed.
- Academic Misconduct: UTRGV also maintains a strict Academic Integrity policy. One instance of cheating or a single plagiarized passage in a paper probably isn't enough to get you dismissed. When it comes to second offenses, though, dismissal is always a possibility.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Any violation of the Student Conduct Code can result in dismissal, even a first offense. In fact, many offenses, like hazing, drug usage, and weapons possession, are almost always punished with dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses are usually punished with dismissal as well. Such misconduct isn't just a violation of school policy but of Title IX, a federal law. Schools are required by this law to investigate all credible allegations, and they can be severe in assigning sanctions.
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
Knowing what can get you into trouble at UT Rio Grande Valley is a good start to staying out of trouble. Sometimes, though, trouble comes looking for you despite your best efforts. When it does, you need to know how to go about defending yourself. If you've been accused of misconduct, you'll face an investigation and a hearing. Here's how those processes work.
- Cases usually begin with an allegation made either to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities or, in the case of a Title IX sexual misconduct offense, to the school's Title IX Coordinator.
- The first thing that happens if you've been charged is that you'll receive Notification of the Charges. This document should provide details of the allegation as well as a list of all your due process rights.
- Next, the school initiates an investigation. Throughout the process, you have the right to an advisor, someone to accompany you to meetings and hearings. This advisor can be an attorney. That means from the very beginning of the investigation, someone from the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team can be by your side to help you answer questions and make sure your rights are protected.
- Investigators typically begin by meeting separately with both sides in the case. This is your first chance to give your side of the story. In addition, investigators go on to collect physical evidence and interview any witnesses.
- Once the investigation is complete, investigators submit a written summary of their findings. This serves as the foundational document of the hearing that follows.
- The hearing is your opportunity to make your full case. You get to debate evidence, call witnesses, and ask questions of witnesses against you. Of course, the other side in the case will have the chance to do the same.
- Once the hearing is complete, 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. Far less strict than “beyond a reasonable doubt,” this standard requires they find you Responsible if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense.
- Even if you should lose the hearing, your case isn't necessarily over. You have the right to appeal the hearing outcome, but only under certain conditions, including a procedural irregularity, a conflict of interest on the part of an investigator or hearing officer, the discovery of new evidence, or a sanction that doesn't fit the violation.
Academic Dismissals
It can be trickier to appeal an academic dismissal than to defend against a misconduct dismissal. When it comes to academics, UTRGV gives students several chances to improve. You aren't dismissed just for failing a class. Your GPA has to fall low enough to get put on probation, and then your term GPA must fall below 2.0 as well. By the time you've reached dismissal, the school feels that, in most cases anyway, the matter should no longer be open for debate.
Nevertheless, there are ways to handle this type of dismissal. For example,
- If your deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances, you can petition the dean of your school or college for additional time to improve before dismissal is imposed.
- You can also try negotiating directly with faculty. Some professors, for instance, are willing to assign makeup and extra credit assignments. Others may be willing to reconsider your work once the semester is over and they have more time to focus on it.
- A learning disability is grounds for course accommodations. If you didn't receive those accommodations—even if you didn't realize you needed them at the time—you can appeal to retake those courses without penalty.
In academic dismissal cases, in particular, it's not always easy to know what options are out there or which one of them is best for your particular situation. The Student Defense Team at the Lento Law Firm have the background and experience to help you develop a defense plan and will 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 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 Team can do for you, contact us today at 888-535-3686 or use our automated online form.
