Look, you know the drill. Your undergraduate institution prohibited academic misconduct; your high school prohibited academic misconduct. Probably, your elementary school prohibited academic misconduct. Of course, the Sidney Kimmel Medical College prohibits academic misconduct, and rightly so. There can be no shortcuts to becoming a doctor.
The thing is, we all make mistakes, even medical students. And you may not even have made a mistake. Misunderstandings happen. False allegations happen. So, how do you protect your future when you find yourself accused of cheating, plagiarism, or general misrepresentation?
You make sure you have help. SKMC provides every student with the right to due process. There are procedures in place for investigations and hearings in academic misconduct allegations. Those procedures aren't always easy to navigate, though, and when you're taking on an academic institution, you don't want to do it alone.
No matter what your particular situation, you can count on the LLF Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team knows the SKMC judicial system, and we're experienced in helping students navigate it. We're always on your side and ready to use every resource at our disposal to get you the best possible resolution to your case.
We've helped hundreds of students fight charges their schools have leveled against them. We can help you to do the same. Call 888-535-3686 to find what we can do, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
The Rules of Academic Misconduct
The SKMC student handbook doesn't bother to delineate the various academic misconduct violations that can get you into trouble. You're expected to know the rules. Instead, it offers a broad reminder about the College's expectations:
“We seek to enhance our knowledge of medicine and achieve excellence in our time spent at Jefferson but not at the cost of honesty, integrity and trust, all integral aspects to the development of a physician.”
However, the Thomas Jefferson University Academic Integrity Policy specifically mentions:
- Bribery
- Cheating
- Denying Access to Materials
- Fabrication
- Use of Artificial Intelligence
- Identity Misrepresentation
- Plagiarism
- Unauthorized Use of Sources
SKMC takes such policy violations especially seriously. While most undergraduate institutions punish first offenses with in-class sanctions like lowered assignment grades, a first offense at the Medical College can mean dismissal. There are no unimportant courses in medical school, and as a society, we hold doctors to the very highest standards of ethical values.
You've put too much into your career, and you have too many prospects in front of you to take an allegation of academic misconduct lightly. When your future is on the line, you can't afford to try to handle the situation yourself or let a local attorney take over your case. You need the best legal representation you can find, someone who understands what's at stake and who is experienced at helping student clients defend themselves. You need someone from the LLF Law Firm.
Academic Misconduct Defense
The good news is that, whatever the specific charges against you, SKMC provides you with due process protections. That starts with a presumption of innocence. To overcome that presumption and find you responsible for (guilty of) an offense, the College must have a preponderance of evidence, and it must afford you the opportunity to refute that evidence at a hearing. The Student Handbook outlines the process.
- Reports of academic integrity violations are made to a Community Standards Officer (CSO) and ultimately referred to a Community Standards Board (CSB). However, Officers must also apprise the Vice Dean of Student Affairs and the Professional Conduct Committee of any allegations.
- You are always entitled to notification of any charges against you. This notification should outline the allegations and include a complete list of your due process rights.
- The school may initiate some type of investigation. In addition, you'll be asked to participate in an administrative hearing with the CSO to discuss the situation.
- Should the CSO determine there are sufficient grounds, they will refer the case to a CSB for a formal hearing.
- At the hearing, you should be afforded the opportunity to argue for your innocence or otherwise explain your actions. As part of the process, you have the right to present physical evidence and to call witnesses to testify. In addition, you may raise questions about any evidence being used against you, including witness testimony.
- The standard of responsibility (guilt) at SKMC is “preponderance of the evidence.” While this is not as strict a standard as “beyond a reasonable doubt,” it does require decision-makers to believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed the offense.
- Further, you have the right to appeal a responsible outcome if you can show that you were denied the right to present your defense in a fair manner. Grounds for appeal typically include procedural errors, new evidence, or a disproportionate sanction.
The SKMC Handbook doesn't specifically grant you the right to an advisor, but Thomas Jefferson University policies do. In addition, you're entitled to choose an attorney to serve in this role. Beyond accompanying you to meetings and hearings, the LLF Law Firm attorney can be instrumental in putting together your defense. It's their job, for instance, to gather evidence of your innocence, to outline your strongest arguments, and to draft your hearing presentation.
Your attorney's most important responsibility is to monitor your case, start to finish, and ensure you are treated fairly.
The LLF Law Firm is on Your Side
The LLF Law Firm knows what's at stake in a way other firms just don't. The attorneys who make up our Student Defense Team have dedicated their lives to ensuring schools treat students fairly, and they care about your future. No one else has the knowledge of campus justice that they do. No one else can show you how to use the system to your advantage.
If you're being forced to fight for your educational future, don't try to handle the situation yourself, and don't trust your case to a local attorney. Find out more about what the LLF Law Firm can do by calling 888-535-3686, or take time right now to fill out our online questionnaire.
