You spend all your time worrying over your GPA. That’s fair. After all, you’re here to earn a degree, and you can’t do that by failing classes. Keep in mind, though, that low grades usually mean academic probation. PU will typically work with you to get you back on track academically. Commit the wrong sort of disciplinary misconduct, though, and you could be looking for a new school.

Any time you’re facing an allegation of wrongdoing, it’s important you take the situation seriously. The best way to do that? Make sure you have the right help on your side.

No one better protects students than the LLF National Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team understands exactly what you’re up against, and we have the experience of having represented hundreds of students, defending them from all types of misconduct allegations. We know the system, and we can show you how to use school policies to your best advantage.

How can we help you? Call 888-535-3686 today to find out, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.

The Rules and Regulations

If you’re going to stay out of trouble at PU, you need to know exactly what’s expected of you. You’ll find a complete list of the rules and regulations in the Student Handbook, under “Guiding Principles of Conduct.” Those principles include everything from “don’t gamble on campus” to “don’t consume alcohol unless you’re over 21.” Every one of these is important, but some violations come with more serious sanctions than others. There are five offenses that almost always result in either suspension or dismissal.

  • Violence and Injuries: Any physical harm you do is going to get you into trouble. Note, too, that you can be charged with causing “mental injury.” Your words matter.
  • Weapons Possession: The Handbook treats Weapons possession as its own category of offense. The prohibition extends to firearms, explosives, incendiary devices, and any other item that can be used to inflict harm. In addition, PU bars all “toy and imitation” weapons.
  • Sexual Misconduct: Title IX—a federal law—bars all sexual discrimination and harassment on college campuses. This means PU, like all other schools, must investigate all credible complaints of sexual misconduct. In addition, the government pressures schools to impose harsh penalties on those found “responsible for” (guilty of) such offenses.
  • Hazing: Any action you take as part of organizational initiation that endangers a person’s physical, mental, or emotional health is a violation of PU’s anti-hazing policies.
  • Drug Use and Possession: Finally, it won’t surprise you to learn that PU prohibits all illegal drug use, possession, sale, and distribution. In fact, you can be charged just for being in the presence of drugs.

Suspension and dismissal can both mean the end of your opportunity to earn a degree—at any school. Even if you’re allowed to return to PU, you’ll likely have to finish school without financial aid. The thing is, though, that even minor sanctions can be serious if your offense shows up on your transcript. Scholarship committees, graduate school registrars, and HR departments all take a dim view of misconduct.

In fact, we cannot say it strongly enough: the moment you’re charged with an offense—the moment you think an offense might be coming—it’s crucial you contact the LLF National Law Firm. We can help you begin building your defense immediately, and we can ensure that PU treats you fairly throughout the process.

Disciplinary Procedures

Just what is the disciplinary process at PU? The good news is that you have a number of important rights. For example, you’re entitled to a presumption of innocence. Only a “preponderance of evidence” can overcome this presumption. Here’s what else you can expect.

  • Any time the university receives a complaint, it must determine whether that complaint is “credible” and “actionable.” Only then will it assign a Case Resolution Facilitator to oversee an investigation.
  • If you’re under investigation, you’ll receive formal notice of the charges you’re facing. This notice must describe the nature of the allegations and include a full list of your due process rights.
  • As part of any investigation, you have the right to give evidence to investigators. You can also suggest witnesses for them to interview. And, along the way, they must allow you to review any evidence they uncover.
  • An investigation, on its own, can’t determine that you are responsible for an offense. Only a hearing can do that. At the hearing, you have the right to offer your own evidence, including physical materials and witness testimony. More importantly, you are entitled to raise questions about any evidence being used against you.
  • Decision-makers don’t have to find you guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt” to punish you. However, they must believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense. This legal standard is known as “preponderance of the evidence.”
  • Of course, if the university denies any of your due process rights during this process, you are entitled to file an appeal. Typically, this means the university committed some procedural error, you’ve discovered some new piece of evidence, or the proposed sanction is disproportionate to the offense.

Knowing how the process works and knowing your rights isn’t the same as knowing how to effectively navigate the disciplinary system. Trust your case to someone with experience. The LLF National Law Firm can help you with all aspects of your defense, from digging up evidence and talking with investigators to preparing a hearing presentation and filing any necessary appeals. Most importantly, though, we’re on your side, no matter what, and we treat protecting your rights as a sacred responsibility.

Trust the LLF National Law Firm

Handling your own disciplinary misconduct case puts your entire future at risk. Make sure you have a professional on your side, someone who not only knows how to construct a strong defense but who has experience helping student clients defend themselves from college charges. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team will make sure you’re fully prepared to defend yourself. They’ll protect your rights. They’ll help you get the very best possible resolution to your case.

Sometimes, you have to fight for your educational future. We can help. To find out more, contact the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, fill out our online questionnaire.

Pace University

Tell About Your Case

How a Cell Phone Policy Violation Can Escalate Into a Serious Disciplinary Issue

The cell phone bans sweeping the country’s K-12 schools in the last few years may sound good on paper—and educators overwhelmingly support them—but what do you do if what began as confiscation of your child’s phone has escalated into significant disciplinary action? The Student Defense Team at the LLF National […]

Taking a School District in WA to Court to Protect Students’ Title IX Rights

The LLF National Law Firm’s Education Law Team will be suing a school district in Washington state for its failure to meet its Title IX reporting obligations in the case of an elementary school student who claims they were bullied and sexually assaulted. The student, a third grader, now suffers […]

Questions About AI Use at One University Reflect Broader Concerns

A report from Montreal’s Concordia University that looks at student AI use over the 2025–2026 school year shows us a microcosm of the broader trends at work not just in Canada, but in the U.S. as well. Here’s what we’re seeing in the report: Students are using AI in their schoolwork — […]

Special Education Oversight, Office of Civil Rights Leave DOE; Critics on Both Sides Weigh In

In a move designed to “peel back the layers of federal bureaucracy,” as Education Secretary Linda McMahon puts it, the Trump administration is relocating oversight of programs for special education and civil rights enforcement: Special education programs administration is moving from the Department of Education (DOE) to Health and Human […]