Students enrolled in degree-awarding programs do not plan on committing misconduct during their academic careers, but sometimes, mistakes happen. Even young adults of good character can find themselves in front of school disciplinary boards, threatened with suspension or expulsion. Academic rigors, the transition into campus life, and experiencing life outside parental purview can affect a student's ability to juggle tasks and adhere to a college or university code of conduct.
Disciplinary boards will put students through complex, fast-paced investigation and hearing phases. If a student is not prepared with a coherent, cohesive argument for themselves and the alleged misconduct, grievance proceedings can quickly separate them from their studies, effectively ending their opportunity to obtain a degree. While the disciplinary process at New Hampshire institutions of higher education can be overwhelming, that does not mean a path to relief is unavailable.
Many students and their parents do not retain professional assistance until school administration officials hand down severe punitive measures. Regardless, addressing the situation is possible. College dismissal advisor Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm can ensure that students in New Hampshire are protected against hard-line school disciplinary boards and can remain focused on their studies.
Appealing Disciplinary Sanctions
The code of conduct at any New Hampshire college or university will list the various charges—academic misconduct, non-academic misconduct, Title IX violations— for which a disciplinary board can suspend or expel a student found responsible for allegations. Codes of conduct will also include the guidelines by which a school's decision can be challenged via an appeal. Generally, a limited number of situations fulfill the requirements to file an appeal.
Most institutions of higher education in New Hampshire and elsewhere explain in their codes of conduct the few circumstances under which appeals are allowed. The University of New Hampshire details that students can file requests for appeals for the following reasons:
- Excessive penalties: The sanctions imposed on the student are not appropriate for the charges considered after determining responsibility.
- New evidence emerges: In matters appealed on the grounds of new evidence, such evidence must have been unavailable or undiscoverable during the hearing process.
- Lack of due process: The adjudicatory process failed to conform to the prescribed procedures outlined in the school's code of conduct. The accused party was not given a reasonable opportunity to prepare and present their argument before the disciplinary board.
Colleges and universities allow little time after the administration has confirmed their determination of responsibility regarding the misconduct charges for a student to appeal suspension or expulsion. Typically, the timeframe is between two and ten days, but it varies from school to school. Franklin Pierce University, for example, gives students five business days upon written notification of the disciplinary board's decision to file an appeal.
Once the school's appellate body concludes its review, it can do the following:
- Affirm the finding
- Deny the appeal
- Modify the consequences
- Remand the matter to the disciplinary board to reopen the case
- Reverse the finding
Once a decision has been made, it cannot be revered. Students experiencing the end of their academic careers may become inundated with fear. They may believe there is nothing to fight for and depart the school. They may also be asking themselves:
- Do these punishments fit the charge?
- Has new evidence emerged?
- How can infringements on due process be proven?
Students are not prepared to navigate these situations. Moreover, if students are suspended or expelled, they will be banned from campus even though the appellate period remains active. Therefore, they need a professional to help them with their last chance for defense.
Separation From Studies
Sanctioning authorities may impose punitive measures on students for failing to achieve "satisfactory academic progress" (SAP). At Dartmouth College, if a student does not maintain a 67 percent completion rate among their course load, they begin a short path towards suspension from the school through a semester of probation and the loss of financial aid eligibility. At Southern New Hampshire University, a student can be temporarily dismissed from the school pending formal grievance procedures through its exclusion policy, which is not appealable.
Just because your New Hampshire college or university has left you hanging out to dry, that does not mean you should give up. Do not let them ruin your academic career and future opportunities with unfair discipline; fight back with a solid defense. Institutions of higher education in New Hampshire sometimes err in applying disciplinary policies like suspension or expulsion. They place sanctions on unjustly punished students because they failed to consider extenuating circumstances.
Some unfortunate but relatively common life events that may affect student performance that can be used to lessen disciplinary outcomes are:
- Death of a family member or close friend
- Hard transition to campus life and course loads
- Injury or illness of an immediate family member
- Trauma that impaired a student's emotional or physical health
Wholesome students focused on their studies are at risk of losing their academic and career goals unless the school's sanctions are effectively challenged. Students and their parents must remember that the college grievance process is not a courtroom. Therefore, a school is not constitutionally bound to protect and uphold student due process when addressing alleged misconduct.
These are reasons why you need a professional college dismissal advisor like Joseph D. Lento on your side. He understands when disciplinary boards go too far and how to negotiate with college administration officials for a better outcome for student clients, preserving their chances of gaining the education they desire. They have prudent, practical experience defending students against harsh disciplinary sanctions in New Hampshire and across the country.
What Are The Consequences of Suspension or Expulsion?
When a New Hampshire student faces suspension or expulsion for lack of academic progress or misconduct allegations, a separation from school ends their opportunity to complete their degree, but it can also prohibit a student's transfer to or enrollment in other schools. For example, a student suspended from Granite State College will be banned from the school and any off-campus activities during their term of separation.
Some institutions of higher education may not allow students with a suspension or an expulsion on their record to matriculate. For instance, any student expelled from Saint Anselm College will be ineligible for readmission. Considering schools require prospective students to disclose other colleges and universities they attended, a suspension or expulsion can mean they will be less attractive as potential pupils to admissions personnel.
Terms of separation can also impact a student's financial aid. If a student must reimburse the government for any unearned portion of federal financial aid, it will cause long-lasting economic consequences. This could terminate opportunities like:
- Applying for home loans
- Maintaining good standing with credit reporting agencies
- Obtaining educational scholarships
Yet, severe disciplinary action can follow former students long after leaving campus. Those with a suspension or expulsion on their record must also disclose any imposed sanctions on various forms like:
- Counseling licenses
- Federal clearances
- Financial certifications
- Law enforcement applications
- Municipal internships
- Student transfer applications
What Can Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Do For You?
Local New Hampshire lawyers typically start off their defense of a student's academic career by threatening high-dollar lawsuits against the school. While a formal suit is a possible course of action, aggressive strategies like litigation are rarely the correct means of redress.
Inexperienced lawyers may also rely on their work defending clients before a judge or in front of a jury in a court of law, but courtroom competency does not often translate into the finesse needed to negotiate with school administration officials for a more positive outcome for the student. Beware of advertising ploys that seek to persuade you that the local litigator knows the players in the game. You may lose your opportunity for a much-needed college degree just because you did not know where to turn when the grievance process left you suspended or expelled.
The goal for students focused on their studies is prompt, private, negotiated relief from suspension or expulsion, not engage the school in legal proceedings. During the complex proceedings, such a pathway could leave you out of school for months or even years. You must contact college dismissal advisor Joseph D. Lento immediately to preserve your academic and professional future.
Instead of utilizing aggressive means, Joseph D. Lento can broker beneficial resolutions on behalf of the suspended or expelled student with the school's Office of General Counsel (OGC). He relies on the relationships he and his team have built with representatives with schools' internal OGC and those retained by the school from outside firms.
Lento and his team know how to speak with school administration officials so they can understand more positive options that serve both the student and the institution far better than suspension, expulsion, or other harsh punitive measures. For advice from a proven college dismissal advisor defending students in New Hampshire and throughout the U.S., call 888-535-3686 to discuss how Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm can defend you or seek relief through the online consultation form. Your academic and professional future depend on it.
