All colleges in Iowa have codes of conduct that prohibit forms of academic misconduct like plagiarism, forging official documents, and cheating on tests. They also lay out how allegations of these forms of misconduct will be investigated and heard. Accused students, though, are likely to find that the hearing process for misconduct allegations is not always fair. In these circumstances, innocent students can face the difficult decision of whether it is worth it to lodge an appeal and protest the finding that they committed academic misconduct.
Appeal advisor Joseph D. Lento can help.
Academic Misconduct Hearings Can Be Unfair
Colleges in Iowa try very hard to make it seem like everyone's interests are protected in an academic misconduct hearing. In many schools, some of the members of the hearing panel are other students. This is supposed to make accused students feel as if they are represented and that everything will be fair.
This is not the case. Inexperienced panel members of a misconduct hearing are easily swayed by emotional appeals and unreliable evidence, and often fail to notice when a witness has serious credibility issues. These problems can make the outcome of a misconduct hearing almost random, and with little regard for the truth of what happened. Even the most effective defense and the staunchest evidence of your innocence can end up being disregarded in the face of a story that is blatantly fabricated.
Your Right to Appeal
Thankfully, schools recognize that the outcome of an academic misconduct hearing can be incorrect, and give aggrieved students the right to appeal their case. However, these appeals are subject to numerous procedural complexities and requirements that make them difficult to get off the ground.
For example, many colleges in Iowa only allow appeals if there were specific problems at the lower misconduct hearing or in the time since the hearing has adjourned. In these cases, appeals can only work if, for example, new evidence has come to light or there are indications that the hearing was prejudicial or unfair in some way so severe that your rights to due process were impinged. Not only do appeals have to comply with these procedural requirements; they also have to be strong enough to win at the subsequent hearing if your case is to be reheard.
Academic appeals advisor Joseph D. Lento can ensure that the procedural hoops are jumped through, and your side of the story is completely encapsulated in the appeals documents so you have a strong case at the appellate level.
Joseph D. Lento: Iowa's Academic Appeals Advisor
If you go to college in Iowa and have lost at your misconduct hearing, your right to appeal the outcome is essential for the survival of your rights. Invoking that right is the best way to prevent this terrible situation from impacting your future and your entrance into the professional world, after graduation.
Call the law office of academic misconduct appeals advisor Joseph D. Lento at (888) 535-3686 or contact him online to get the legal guidance you need.
- AIB College of Business
- Allen College
- Briar Cliff University
- Brown Mackie College Quad Cities
- Buena Vista University
- Central College
- Clarke University
- Coe College
- Cornell College
- Des Moines Area Community College
- Divine Word College
- Dordt College
- Drake University
- Eastern Iowa Community College District
- Ellsworth Community College
- Emmaus Bible College
- Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary
- Graceland University Lamoni
- Grand View University
- Grinnell College
- Hamilton Technical College
- Hawkeye Community College
- Indian Hills Community College
- Iowa Central Community College
- Iowa Lakes Community College
- Iowa State University
- Iowa Wesleyan College
- Iowa Western Community College
- ITT Technical Institute Cedar Rapids
- ITT Technical Institute Clive
- Kaplan University Cedar Falls Campus
- Kaplan University Cedar Rapids Campus
- Kaplan University Council Bluffs Campus
- Kaplan University Davenport Campus
- Kaplan University Des Moines Campus
- Kaplan University Mason City Campus
- Kirkwood Community College
- Loras College
- Luther College
- Maharishi University of Management
- Marshalltown Community College
- Mercy College of Health Sciences
- Morningside College
- Mount Mercy University
- North Iowa Area Community College
- Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar
- Northwest Iowa Community College
- Northwestern College
- Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport
- Saint Ambrose University
- Simpson College
- Southeastern Community College
- Southwestern Community College
- St Luke's College
- University of Dubuque
- University of Iowa
- University of Northern Iowa
- University of Phoenix Des Moines Campus
- Upper Iowa University
- Vatterott College Des Moines
- Waldorf College
- Wartburg College
- Western Iowa Tech Community College
- William Penn University
Regrettably, an academic misconduct finding of responsibility can derail an accused student's academic and professional goals and some students and parents do not recognize this concern until it may be too late. If a student is found responsible for academic misconduct charges, in addition to the short-term consequences such academic and disciplinary sanctions, there will be long-term consequences. Internships, graduate school opportunities, and employment opportunities can all be adversely impacted by a finding of responsibility.
For these reasons and more, it is critical to properly address such concerns as early as possible in the disciplinary process. There are times, however, that it necessary to appeal an adverse outcome, and Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm have unparalleled experience passionately fighting for the futures of his clients at universities and colleges in Iowa and throughout the nation. He does not settle for the easiest outcome, and instead prioritizes his clients' needs and well-being. Joseph Lento is a licensed attorney in New Jersey and New York, is admitted as an attorney pro hac vice in state and federal court if needed when representing clients nationwide, and serves as an academic misconduct advisor to students facing disciplinary cases in Iowa and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected at all stages of the academic misconduct disciplinary process, including the appeal stage - Contact National Academic Misconduct Advisor Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
