Colleges in Washington maintain their reputation by rigorously enforcing their codes of academic conduct. Unfortunately, because those very codes are so poorly defined, innocent students can get caught up in trouble for doing nothing wrong.
If you appoint an attorney to be your advisor during an investigation of academic misconduct, you can tell your school that you mean to defend your rights, drastically improving your chances of beating the allegations you are facing.
Academic Misconduct in Washington
Washington colleges and universities lay out the rules of academic conduct in their student handbooks, which are typically accessible online. While every college has its own set of rules, though, they all have one thing in common: The definition of academic misconduct is deliberately left very broad, so it can include as-yet-unforeseen attempts by students to gain an advantage over their compatriots. This includes the following conduct.
- Plagiarism. In order to keep students from piggybacking off the ideas of others, Washington colleges prohibit the act of plagiarism on graded assignments. However, what constitutes plagiarism is so vague that students can be accused of doing it completely by accident.
- Cheating on a test. Washington schools also frown upon students using prohibited materials during an exam or hiring someone else to take the test, for them.
- Altering official documents. Not all academic violations occur in the classroom. If you alter official records from your college, like your transcript, you can face allegations of academic misconduct. You can also be accused if you knowingly lie on school documents, too.
- Destroying or stealing materials. Another example of a serious incident of academic misconduct is stealing and distributing, or simply destroying, academic material. This includes books in the library as well as upcoming tests and answer keys.
- Complicity. Academic misconduct is not always confined to the student who most benefits from the incident. If you knew or should have known of the misconduct but failed to report it, or if you actively tried to cover it up, then you can also be accused of misconduct, as well.
Unfortunately, even these common examples of academic misconduct are poorly defined. As a result, innocent students are often accused of violating the rules, even when they have done nothing different.
Penalties for Academic Misconduct
If you are found to have committed academic misconduct in Washington, the penalties you can face will depend on the severity of the violation. Major violations can get you expelled from college. Minor violations, while much less severe, can still lead to a blemish on your academic record that makes it far more difficult for you to get a job after you graduate.
Academic Misconduct Advisor Joseph D. Lento
Joseph D. Lento is a student discipline defense attorney who can be your advisor if you have been accused of academic misconduct in the state of Washington. With his legal help, you can defend against the allegations and protect your future and your rights. Contact him online if you want to make sure that these groundless accusations do not impact your future career.
Washington colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's academic misconduct advisor during investigations, hearings, and appeals include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Antioch University Seattle
- Argosy University Seattle
- Bates Technical College
- Bellevue College
- Bellingham Technical College
- Big Bend Community College
- Cascadia Community College
- Central Washington University
- Centralia College
- City University of Seattle
- Clark College
- Clover Park Technical College
- Columbia Basin College
- Cornish College of the Arts
- DeVry University Washington
- DigiPen Institute of Technology
- Eastern Washington University
- Edmonds Community College
- Everest College Bremerton
- Everest College Everett
- Everest College Tacoma
- Everest College Vancouver
- Everett Community College
- Faith Evangelical College & Seminary
- Gonzaga University
- Grays Harbor College
- Green River Community College
- Heritage University
- Highline Community College
- International Academy of Design and Technology Seattle
- ITT Technical Institute Everett
- ITT Technical Institute Seattle
- ITT Technical Institute Spokane Valley
- Lake Washington Institute of Technology
- Lower Columbia College
- Northwest Aviation College
- Northwest College of Art
- Northwest Indian College
- Northwest School of Wooden Boat Building
- Northwest University
- Olympic College
- Pacific Lutheran University
- Peninsula College
- Pierce College at Fort Steilacoom
- Pierce College at Puyallup
- Renton Technical College
- Saint Martin's University
- Seattle Community College Central Campus
- Seattle Community College North Campus
- Seattle Community College South Campus
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
- Shoreline Community College
- Skagit Valley College
- South Puget Sound Community College
- Spokane Community College
- Spokane Falls Community College
- Tacoma Community College
- The Art Institute of Seattle
- The Evergreen State College
- Trinity Lutheran College
- University of Phoenix Western Washington Campus
- University of Puget Sound
- University of Washington Bothell Campus
- University of Washington Seattle Campus
- University of Washington Tacoma Campus
- Walla Walla Community College
- Walla Walla University
- Washington State University
- Wenatchee Valley College
- Western Washington University
- Whatcom Community College
- Whitman College
- Whitworth University
- Yakima Valley Community College
It is an unfortunate reality that academic misconduct charges can upend an accused student's life if not properly addressed, and Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm have unparalleled experience passionately fighting for the future of his clients at colleges and universities in Washington 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 for students facing disciplinary cases in Washington and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected - Contact National Academic Misconduct Advisor Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
