You're smart; you're hard-working; you're disciplined. Otherwise, you wouldn't have made it into Washington University, St. Louis, in the first place. College isn't the same as high school, though, and while you may have demonstrated your prowess as a WUSTL applicant, you still have a lot to prove as a WUSTL student. The fact is Washington University is a tough school. It has high expectations when it comes to academics and high expectations when it comes to integrity, and personal behavior. In fact, each year, the school dismisses dozens of students.
Generally speaking, there are four reasons why Washington University might try to dismiss you: poor academic performance, academic misconduct, disciplinary misconduct, and sexual misconduct. You'll find out about all four of these below. Whatever type of dismissal you're facing, though, you're going to need help. As bright and capable as you may be, it's never a good idea to try and take on your university by yourself. So, you'll find information about doing that below as well.
Academic Performance Issues
Your first obligation as a student is to learn, and Washington University has an academic standing policy in place to make sure you do just that. For example, all students must maintain a 2.0 term and cumulative GPA in order to remain in “good” academic standing. In addition, you must complete at least 12 hours each term. Failure to meet these standards means Academic Probation. Continued failure to meet standards can mean dismissal.
There are no obvious means of defending yourself from this type of dismissal. However, there are some useful strategies that can help you avoid it. For example, you may be able to get additional probation time if you can demonstrate that extenuating circumstances caused your weak performance. Alternatively, it's sometimes possible to convince an instructor to reconsider your semester work or to assign extra credit or makeup assignments to help you raise your grade.
Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento knows all the options available to you and can help you decide which one is best for your particular situation. And should you be dismissed from the school, he can also help you put together a strong petition for readmission to the university.
Academic Misconduct
As you might expect, WUSTL frowns on activities like cheating and plagiarism. In addition, the Academic Integrity Policy forbids unauthorized collaboration, fabrication, and any other sort of “deceit” that might tend to give you an unfair advantage in completing your coursework.
A low-level violation usually results in a low-level sanction, like a lowered grade on the assignment or a lowered grade in the course. Such cases are generally handled by your instructor in conjunction with an Academic Integrity Officer (AIO) appointed by the Academic Integrity Committee (AIC).
However, more egregious violations and multiple offenses can result in probation, suspension, and even dismissal. These more serious cases are decided by a hearing before a four-member panel made up of two faculty and two students from the AIC. The hearing gives you an opportunity to defend yourself by offering evidence and calling witnesses. In addition, you and your instructor may ask each other questions and must answer questions posed by the panel.
Should the panel find you “Responsible for” (guilty of) a violation, the case is then turned over to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (OSCCS) and referred to a Student Conduct Board (SCB), which determines the appropriate sanction.
Should you lose your case, you also have the right to appeal the decision. Appeals must be filed within fourteen days of the end of the hearing and are reviewed by the chair of the SCB.
As even this brief description suggests, academic integrity cases can be extremely complex. This is one reason why you're always better off consulting an experienced student conduct attorney-advisor like Joseph D. Lento.
Disciplinary Misconduct
Beyond the classroom, you're held to another set of standards under the WUSTL Student Code of Conduct. This document forbids activities like disorderly behavior, firearms possession, and unauthorized entry into campus buildings. Any of these can earn you dismissal. Some rules, such as those related to assault, drug possession, and hazing, almost always result in dismissal.
As with academic misconduct violations, there is a well-defined, if complicated, process for defending yourself from disciplinary misconduct charges. These cases are overseen by the OSCCS and heard by a Student Conduct Board.
Again, you may present evidence and call witnesses. In these cases, you also have the right to be accompanied by an advisor of your choice, who can be an attorney. However, this individual may not speak for you, only confer quietly with you.
Finally, you have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. Again, you have just fourteen days to file such an appeal.
Sexual Misconduct
Sexual misconduct is technically a type of disciplinary misconduct. However, because such offenses aren't just subject to school policy but to federal law, they are treated differently, using a very specific set of rules and procedures as specified in Title IX of the 1972 education amendments.
First, these cases are overseen by a Title IX Coordinator. This individual appoints the Investigator, Decision Makers, and, if necessary, an Appeals Officer. All of these officials have been specially trained to deal with Title IX allegations.
In addition, because investigations and hearings are subject to government oversight, you generally have more due process rights than you do in other kinds of misconduct cases. For instance, the Investigator must submit a written summary of their findings, and you have the right to raise questions about this document and suggest revisions. You not only have the right to an attorney, but this attorney must perform all witness cross-examination at the hearing.
Once again, you also have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. In this case, though, grounds for appeal are strictly limited to
- Procedural irregularity
- New evidence
- Conflict of interest on the part of a Title IX official
- Sanctions that are inappropriate to the nature of the offense
Fighting for Your Future
Fighting dismissal of any type can seem like 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. That doesn't mean you should simply give up and accept your fate. You're never any worse off fighting and losing than you would be just giving up.
More importantly, you don't have to take on your school alone. Joseph D. Lento stands ready to help. Joseph D. Lento built his practice helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. He's dealt with everything from plagiarism allegations to rape charges. He knows how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; he knows how to formulate witness questions; he knows how to put together a water-tight appeal. 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 if 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.
