Academic misconduct, integrity, dishonesty and honor code violation. Colleges and universities in Virginia use different terms for allegations involving a student's academics. Regardless of the term used, academic misconduct charges are serious, with significant potential consequences. If found responsible, an appeal may be the last opportunity to resolve the case. Students and parents may not realize that professional help is needed as early as possible in the disciplinary process. Students and parents are often poorly informed by the school as to how to best address such accusations, and it is only after a finding of responsibility that they realize an attorney advisor's help is needed.
If found responsible the case can potentially still be rectified, especially if you have the right to appeal. Colleges and universities of Virginia often have similar allowable grounds for an appeal, but your school's appeals processes must be closely followed. Common appeal grounds can include procedural error or defect. For example, did the school follow the necessary steps in the code of conduct process? Was the student properly notified of the charges of the process? Were there other due process issues? These are common issues which can lead to an unfair outcome.
Disproportionate or excessive sanction. For example, will the sanction be on the student's academic transcripts or disciplinary records, thereby affecting graduate school admissions? Can it be asserted that the sanction is excessive in light of the circumstances of the case in the student's goals? Was the student suspended or expelled? Such sanctions are fundamentally severe and may not be appropriate to the case. New evidence. For example, did the school base its finding upon unfair information presented by the professor? Did the school rely on flawed reports such as a plagiarism checker or reports involving online cheating?
Can new information be presented which provides an alternative explanation for the alleged misconduct? Some schools will decide an appeal based on the written appeal and others will convene a hearing. Appeal deadlines are often short and it is important that immediate action be taken. An experienced attorney advisor can help you present the strongest possible appeal and they should involved as soon as possible.
Virginia colleges and universities where Joseph D. Lento can help as your or your student's academic misconduct advisor during the appeals process, in addition to during investigations and hearings, include, but are not limited to, the following schools:
- Advanced Technology Institute
- Argosy University Washington D.C.
- Averett University
- Averett University Non Traditional Programs
- Aviation Institute of Maintenance Chesapeake
- Aviation Institute of Maintenance Manassas
- Bethel College
- Blue Ridge Community College
- Bluefield College
- Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
- Bridgewater College
- Bryant & Stratton College Hampton
- Bryant and Stratton College Richmond
- Bryant and Stratton College Virginia Beach
- Central Virginia Community College
- Centura College Chesapeake
- Centura College Newport News
- Centura College Norfolk
- Centura College Richmond Main
- Centura College Richmond Westend
- Centura College Virginia Beach
- Chamberlain College of Nursing
- Christopher Newport University
- College of William and Mary
- Dabney S Lancaster Community College
- Danville Community College
- DeVry University Virginia
- Eastern Mennonite University
- Eastern Shore Community College
- ECPI University
- Emory and Henry College
- Everest College Arlington
- Everest College Chesapeake
- Everest College McLean
- Everest College Newport News
- Ferrum College
- Fortis College Norfolk
- Fortis College Richmond
- George Mason University
- Germanna Community College
- Hampden Sydney College
- Hampton University
- Hollins University
- ITT Technical Institute Chantilly
- ITT Technical Institute Norfolk
- ITT Technical Institute Richmond
- ITT Technical Institute Salem
- ITT Technical Institute Springfield
- J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
- James Madison University
- Jefferson College of Health Sciences
- John Tyler Community College
- Liberty University
- Longwood University
- Lord Fairfax Community College
- Lynchburg College
- Mary Baldwin College
- Marymount University
- Miller Motte Technical College Lynchburg
- Mountain Empire Community College
- National College Salem
- New River Community College
- Norfolk State University
- Northern Virginia Community College
- Old Dominion University
- Patrick Henry Community College
- Paul D Camp Community College
- Piedmont Virginia Community College
- Potomac College Herndon
- Radford University
- Randolph College
- Randolph Macon College
- Rappahannock Community College
- Regent University
- Richard Bland College of the College of William and Mary
- Roanoke College
- Saint Pauls College
- Sanford Brown College Tysons Corner
- Shenandoah University
- Skyline College Roanoke
- South University Richmond
- South University Virginia Beach
- Southeast Culinary & Hospitality College
- Southern Virginia University
- Southside Virginia Community College
- Southwest Virginia Community College
- Stratford University
- Sweet Briar College
- The Art Institute of Virginia Beach
- The Art Institute of Washington
- The Art Institute of Washington Northern Virginia
- The University of Virginia's College at Wise
- Thomas Nelson Community College
- Tidewater Community College
- University of Management and Technology (The)
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Phoenix Northern Virginia Campus
- University of Phoenix Richmond Campus
- University of Richmond
- University of Virginia Main Campus
- Virginia College
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Highlands Community College
- Virginia Intermont College
- Virginia Military Institute
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Virginia State University
- Virginia Union University
- Virginia University of Lynchburg
- Virginia Wesleyan College
- Virginia Western Community College
- Washington and Lee University
- Westwood College Annandale
- Westwood College Arlington Ballston
- Wytheville Community College
If you're a student or the parent of a student at a school in Virginia, you must understand that academic misconduct allegations are serious.
Whatever term your college or university uses – academic misconduct, integrity, dishonesty, an honor code violation – you must respond to the allegations carefully and defend as best as possible, preferably as early as possible in the college disciplinary process.
Whether you did nothing wrong or instead had a lapse of judgement and made a poor decision, the potential consequences both in the short and long-term can be significant and severe. Present academic standing, scholarships, extracurricular activities, internships, graduate and professional school candidacy, and professional employment opportunities can all be diminished or altogether lost if an academic case is not successfully resolved.
If, however, you made the mistake of trying to defend against the charges on your own or with someone not suited to the task, all is not lost – especially if you can appeal the decision, finding of responsibility, and/or sanctions. If this was the case, now is the opportunity to take the necessary action and attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm can help. The Lento Law Firm has unparalleled experience with academic misconduct cases and they have helped thousands of students across the country facing similar issues.
Joseph Lento fights nationwide on behalf of his clients and he never throws in the towel. He is a licensed attorney in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 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 advisor for students and families seeking to appeal academic misconduct cases in Virginia and throughout the nation. Make certain your or your student's interests are protected at any stage of the university disciplinary process - Contact National Academic Misconduct Attorney Joseph D. Lento today at 888-535-3686.
