Emory Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing is highly regarded among prospective nursing students, and graduates are incredibly sought after by employers in the healthcare field. As such, the prestigious university holds its students to high academic and professional standards.
Unfortunately, any accusation of misconduct or academic misstep can significantly derail your career path. Moreover, the sanctions that follow such events can be unreasonably harsh and permanent.
If you find yourself facing student issues at Emory School of Nursing, you deserve the peace of mind of having the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team behind you. They have many years of experience negotiating within the school bureaucracy to reach the best possible outcome.
Student Conduct
The Emory School of Nursing Student Handbook divides the code of conduct into two distinct categories:
- Code of Academic Conduct
- Code of Professional Conduct
Each code has its own expectations for student conduct and outlines distinct procedures and appeals processes that follow an accusation. All violations, whether they fall under the academic or professional code, are addressed by the Honor Council.
Code of Academic Conduct
As an Emory School of Nursing student, you are required to attest that any work you submit is strictly your own and that you are not aware of any violations of the code. In any disciplinary proceedings, the university assumes that all students are aware of what actions are considered misconduct. Academic misconduct, as viewed by the university, is behavior that “is offensive to the integrity and honesty of members of the academic community.” Examples of such offenses include:
- Cheating
- Plagiarism/Self Plagiarism
- Use of electronic device
- Testing Policy
- Falsifying Data
- Falsification and Forgery of School or University Documents
- Facilitating Academic Dishonesty
- Providing False Information
Code of Professional Conduct
The university specifically uses this code when dealing with issues that are non-academic. This code “protect[s] and preserve[s] the quality of the educational environment, campus community, and health care setting.”
Since graduates of Emory School of Nursing are presumed to become nurses who will care for patients, the code of professional conduct also includes ethical standards that are commonplace in healthcare facilities:
- Honesty
- Maintenance of Patient Confidentiality
- Professional Communication and Demeanor
- Respect for the Rights of Others
- Personal Accountability
- Concern for the Welfare of Patients
- Responsibility to Duty
The code also details prohibited conduct, including:
- Illegal activities such as assault, theft, arson, and sexual misconduct
- Possession or distribution of controlled substances or weapons
- Destruction of property
- Public intoxication
- Lewd behavior, harassment, threats of violence
- Failure to inform the university of arrests, criminal charges, or positive results of drug tests
- Disrupting school functions and services
Depending on the severity of the situation, the Emory School of Nursing can dismiss students for violating the professional code of conduct.
The Honor Council
The Honor Council is the body within the Emory School of Nursing that validates allegations of academic or professional misconduct. The council is made up of seven students who are in good academic standing and exhibit strong moral behavior. The students work together with three faculty members.
Upon reasonable belief that a student has committed misconduct, the student and the reporting faculty member can come to an informal resolution and submit a form to the honor council chair. However, if this resolution cannot be reached or the infraction is of a higher degree, it is brought to the Associate Dean for Education.
The Associate Dean for Education then decides whether the violation requires the Honor Council process. If they decide to move forward, the Honor Council designates both a student and faculty member from the committee to perform preliminary investigations. After gathering sufficient evidence, the entire council will continue with one of the following procedures:
- Accept the informational resolution
- Investigation and recommendation for dismissal of charge
- Investigation and recommendation for a full hearing
- Administrative hearing
The Honor Council will notify the student of their decision within 10 days. If the decision involves a hearing, the notice will come at least five days prior and contain all of the necessary details of the hearing.
During this closed hearing, the only people who can accompany the student are faculty or staff members of the Emory School of Nursing. After the hearing, the council deliberates in private and presents a decision, reached by majority vote, to the Dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.
The Dean then has the following sanctions at their disposal:
- Verbal reprimand with no documentation on the student's record
- Written reprimand on the student's record
- A failing grade on any relevant exam, assignment, or permanent transcript for the course
- Additional assignments or mandated community service
- Probation
- Required restitution
- Suspension
- Dismissal
Appeals
The Emory School of Nursing's Academic Grievance and Appeals Committee is responsible for hearing all appeals. Appeals must include evidence of either a “violation, misinterpretation, or inequitable application of a School of Nursing policy or procedure” or “a violation of the student's academic rights as defined by Emory University Equal Opportunity and Discriminatory Harassment Policy.”
The appeals must be submitted in writing five days before the end of the semester. The committee can choose to uphold the proposed sanctions or propose alternate recommendations. The new proposal is then reviewed by the Dean, where they can choose to:
- Accept the recommendation
- Modify and accept the recommendation
- Reject the recommendation while proposing a new solution
How the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team Can Help
Although legal council may not be present during closed hearings, this does not mean you cannot have the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team in your corner. In fact, having a dedicated team that is fighting for you is crucial to achieving the best possible outcome for your education and for your career. Contact the Lento Law Firm's experienced team today by calling 888-535-3686 or filling out this brief form.
