If you or a loved one is dealing with dismissal from an Oklahoma college or university, you're probably extremely worried. Don't panic. Get help from an expert attorney-advisor as soon as possible. You've done everything you can to do your best at school. You've worked hard, knowing that everything you put into it was going to help you achieve your goals in your future. An academic progression dismissal or an academic misconduct dismissal can throw your life into turmoil and turn it into complete chaos.
Don't let this situation ruin your future. Don't give up on your future or decide not to fight simply because the decision has already been handed down. It's never too late. Even if your school says that their decision is final, know that decisions have been overturned in the past. You need to have an experienced national academic attorney on your side in order to get things moving. Reach out to the Lento Law Firm so that you can get the help that you need now.
Academic Progress Dismissal
Public and private colleges and universities in Oklahoma have students that receive some type of federal loan. In order to continue getting these loans, students have to remain in good academic standing at the schools. The schools refer to this as students maintaining “satisfactory academic progress,” or SAP. In most cases, achieving satisfactory academic progress means maintaining a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average. If a student receiving federal loans falls below that average, they could lose access to their federal loans. Colleges and universities are literally prevented from giving federal loans to students who don't meet grade thresholds.
When a student is at risk of failing out due to their grades, their school may put them on a remediation program or put them on academic probation so that they have a chance to raise their grades and pass the course. If the student still does poorly after remediation or probation, they'll most likely be dismissed.
The problem with remediation and probation is that the final decision about whether or not a student has improved or not is purely a subjective one. Schools make decisions using rules that are not always applied fairly and evenly across the board. A student who gets dismissed from a school based on a specific type of academic criteria may get a completely different punishment from another student in the exact same situation.
In some of these cases, students may have had good reasons for failing. One student may be dealing with extremely difficult life circumstances that have negatively affected their ability to maintain a good GPA. Another student could be dealing with medical issues that affect their ability to show up to class, study, or retain information. There are a whole host of reasons that students may not be performing up to par, and simply dismissing them without taking all of their issues into account before giving them a chance to rectify seemingly hopeless situations can irrevocably harm their futures.
If you're in this situation, you may not realize that having extenuating circumstances in your life should and could make a difference in the outcome of your case. If you deal with an academic progress dismissal on your own, you won't know what to say in order to provide yourself with the best defense.
Joseph Lento and his firm have years of experience helping students in these very types of situations. They know exactly how to present their cases in a way that helps their clients present themselves in the best possible light, so they have a chance of saving their education.
Don't give up simply because you think it might be too late. It is possible to even challenge a dismissal, and the outcome is much more likely to go in your favor if you work with a national academic attorney-advisor who has experience with these types of cases.
Challenging Misconduct Dismissal
In addition to being dismissed for poor academic performance, students can also be dismissed from schools due to academic misconduct or any other type of misconduct. Public and private schools in Oklahoma must abide by federal guidelines laid out in Title IX, a law that was created to protect students in American schools from discrimination based on sex. Colleges and universities are required by law to make sure that they follow federal law by reacting swiftly to any types of infractions that violate Title IX.
Oklahoma college and university students found guilty of some sort of misconduct are usually punished through disciplinary action handed down by their schools. As is the case when dealing with academic progress issues, many colleges and universities apply an unequal hand when handing out punishment for misconduct.
Sometimes students who are actually innocent end up getting dismissed or expelled because the charges against them were based on mistaken information or exaggerated claims. This is often the outcome when investigations into the matter are rushed and incomplete.
In other cases, the schools may have received completely false information about the accused student, or they may have received information that was delivered with malicious intent. There are even instances where schools may not have received enough information to make a true determination of innocence or guilt, and the accused student lost because they couldn't provide a strong enough defense.
If you or a loved one is going through this right now, reach out to Joseph Lento and his team at the Lento Law Firm so that they can help you get your life back.
Consequences of Dismissal
Some people mistakenly believe that if they get dismissed by their college or university, they'll simply have to dust themselves off and head off to another school. The truth is that things will be much more difficult. There are several life-altering consequences that can come about as a result of being dismissed from a school. Some of those consequences include the following:
- A dismissal from your school will go on your permanent academic record. This negative mark can make it extremely difficult for you to apply to another school or program. You will be competing with people who don't have negative marks on their records, potentially making it extremely difficult for you to get accepted anywhere.
- A dismissal on your permanent record could make it really difficult for you to find employment. Employers may assume the worst about you, making it more unlikely that they'll bring you on board.
- You're still going to have to pay for any loans that you took out for college even though you're no longer in college. The loans will not go away simply because you're no longer there. You'll have to start paying them back as soon after you leave school, putting an extra level of pressure on you.
- You'll have to start your academic career over again. You won't receive credit for any of the classes that you've already taken at the university, even if you were close to getting your degree. This will set the clock back on you achieving your dreams, and you may end up losing hope.
Work With an Experienced Attorney
One of the main factors that makes it difficult for students to succeed when defending themselves against academic misconduct allegations or unsatisfactory academic progression issues is that they don't know how to defend themselves. They don't know what information to bring to prove their case, so they're unable to present themselves in the best light. This leaves them at a disadvantage when it comes time for the school to make a decision regarding their situation.
Joseph Lento and his team at the Lento Law Firm have years of experience representing students dealing with dismissals stemming from academic misconduct allegations or unsatisfactory academic progress. They know the nuances attached to dealing with these types of cases, and they're familiar with the administrations of many different schools. They know how to present their clients in the best possible light so that they have the best chance of coming out with a positive outcome.
If you find yourself in this situation, you need an experienced national academic attorney like Joseph Lento firm who can use his years of knowledge and experience to provide you with the best possible defense. This is not the time to try someone who doesn't have experience working with academic issues, and it's absolutely not the time to try and do it alone. There is too much at stake. Being dismissed from your college or university could derail all of your future plans.
Don't worry that it's already too late if you've already been dismissed. Joseph Lento and his firm prefer not to sue universities and colleges, but they will do so if they believe that their clients have been wronged and deserve an intensely rigorous defense.
Your future is too important, and there's so much at stake. Don't leave it to chance or inexperience. Reach out to the Lento firm today at 888-535-3686. Allow the team to review your case so that you have the best defense possible.
