The Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH) is considered one of the most innovative dentistry schools in the United States. The school's mission is devoted to community service and making sure that the underserved members of the population get the dental services they deserve. To further that end, the school requires that its students are fully aware that it is their responsibility to represent the school with honor via impeccable conduct.
If a student at the school becomes entangled in a situation where their record becomes tarnished via academic misconduct or by other means, they put the school's reputation at risk, not to mention the impact it will have on their own reputation. If you're facing allegations of misconduct or other issues that could put your academic career at risk, you want to make sure that you have an attorney-advisor on your side who can help defend you with the most vigorous defense possible.
Core Values Expected of Students
The school has a set of core values that it expects all of its students, staff, and administrators to abide by. They're expected to follow the Code of Academic Conduct and the Code of Behavioral Standards. Some of the standards in these codes include the following:
- Maintaining a respectful and collegial school environment
- A commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Commitment to public health principles and practice
- A commitment to caring for the school's social mission
- A commitment to ensuring that the student will behave in a way that is ethically, academically, and morally respectful
Code of Academic Conduct
The school has a Code of Academic Conduct that it expects all of its students to abide by. The school believes that the students are entering an extremely honorable profession and therefore need to hold themselves up to the highest standards.
Violators of that code will have their cases investigated by the school's Dean or by the designee. Some of the violations considered academic misconduct include the following.
- Cheating in any way on a test, including collaborating with other students to share answers, collaborating with other students without getting the instructor's permission, failing to properly cite their work and taking credit for another person's work, submitting someone else's work as your own, and many other examples.
- Failing to appear before the University if they've been called to give testimony about misconduct cases. It's also considered academic misconduct if they give false evidence or testimony during these cases.
- Misrepresenting themselves in order to gain admission into the University or to advance during their careers. They could also get into trouble if they help someone else do this.
- Misusing the University's tech or networking resources and they can get into serious trouble if they misuse the University's confidential materials. Confidential materials can include tests that have been given out yet, assignments that have already been given to other classes but not to an upcoming class, or any other type of similar misconduct.
Failure to abide by the Code of Academic Conduct and or the Code of Behavioral Standards can result in sanctions. Some of those sanctions include the following:
Reprimand
A reprimand is a letter issued to the student for misconduct that is considered relatively minor. Any faculty member can issue a reprimand through their department chairperson or an administrator.
Probation
Disciplinary probation is a written warning that lasts up to a year and is given when a student's behavior has been considered misconduct. It's a warning that more serious action will be taken if the misconduct continues.
Suspension
Suspension is when a student is suspended from the University. It's considered temporary and immediate, and the senior vice president of academic affairs, the Dean of the school, or the Saturn ethics Board will determine the length of the suspension.
Dismissal
Dismissal is essentially expulsion. It's a permanent separation from the institution, and it's usually initiated by the President, the Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Standard Ethics Board, or the Dean of the school. This dismissal may include notification that the student may or may not apply for readmission at a later date.
Misconduct Hearings
The Dean of the school or another designee will handle misconduct hearings and proceedings. They'll conduct an investigation to see if the allegations have any merit. At this stage, still, decide whether a hearing needs to happen or if mutual agreement on both sides can be reached. If a disposition can be reached, no further action is required. If a student admits that they've done something wrong, but there hasn't been any agreement regarding sanctions, other action may be taken, including having a hearing.
The school's University Standards and Ethics Board (SEB) will conduct a formal hearing. The chairperson of the SEB will send a written notice to the alleged offender no less than five days and no more than 15 days prior to the date of the proceedings. Hearings are usually conducted in private, and both the complainant and the accused student will be able to attend the full hearing. After the hearing has been done, the SEB will determine whether or not the student is guilty or not. The student will get notification of the results of the hearing in writing, and they will be allowed to appeal the decision within ten days upon receiving that official notification. The Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs will then rule on any appeal within five business days of receiving it, and their decision will be final.
Consequences of Dismissal or Expulsion
Dismissal or expulsion can come about as a result of anything from academic misconduct to poor academic performance.
Whether you are dismissed or expelled from school, the consequences to your life can be devastating.
Some of those consequences include the following:
- You will have lost all of your progress, so even if you're able to apply to another school or reapply at the school, you will have to start all over again. During the application process, you'll also be competing with people who don't have any black marks on their records.
- A negative mark may remain on your record far into the future. This may make it difficult for you to apply to other schools or even find work.
- You'll still be responsible for the debt you incurred during school. Just because you'd been asked to leave or forced to leave doesn't mean that you are no longer responsible for that debt. You'll still have to pay those loans off.
Attorney-Advisor for Dental Students
Dental schools work hard to maintain their stellar reputations. To this end, they can react strongly and swiftly to what they perceive as serious academic misconduct or poor academic performance. Their desire to maintain their schools' reputations often results in situations where students dealing with these issues are not given due process. They may be unfairly disciplined, and their entire lives are ruined.
Joseph D. Lento has worked for years helping students work their way through academic misconduct allegations and other academic issues. Don't go through the process alone. Call the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686 to see how we can help.
