Nova Southeast University takes disciplinary misconduct seriously. You found that out the hard way. Whether or not you were actually responsible for your offense, you’ve been found responsible for an offense and assigned a sanction. If you’re here, you’re probably facing either suspension or dismissal.

The good news is that NSU policy grants you the right to appeal your case, and that can garner you a new hearing. The bad news is that an appeal is by no means an easy procedure. It’s simple enough, and the steps are relatively straightforward. But if you’re going to have any hope of success, you’re going to need to change your entire approach to your case. That can be difficult.

You don’t have to file this appeal alone, though. The LLF National Law Firm is on your side and ready to help. Our Student Defense Team knows what you’re up against, and we’ll use every resource at our disposal to ensure you get the best possible outcome. Whatever the charges, whatever the specifics of your situation, we’re on your side.

It is important you contact us quickly, though. You have just five business days to file your appeal, and there’s a lot to do in that time. Call the LLF National Law Firm today at 888-535-3686, or use our online questionnaire to tell us more about your situation.

Filing Your Appeal at NSU

How basic is the appeals process? There are essentially just three steps.

  • You write the appeal.
  • You file your appeal with the Office of Student Conduct, making sure to get it turned in within that five-day deadline.
  • You wait for up to thirty days for the Vice President of Student Affairs to render their decision.

You could do all of this in your sleep except for the bit about writing the appeal. Let’s talk about that next.

The Appeals Document

As a starting point, it is important to remember that an appeal is not a hearing. You will not have a chance to present your case in person. You won’t be allowed to ask questions of witnesses. You can’t clear up confusing points. You can’t use your physical presence to help influence the decision-maker. That’s a lot of pressure to put on words on paper.

The nature of your case has changed as well. To this point, you’ve been arguing that you’re innocent. You can’t do that anymore. Why not? Because you’ve already been found “responsible” (guilty). That confuses some people. What’s the point of presenting an argument at all if you must accept that you’ve been found guilty?

An appeal is a very specific judicial procedure designed to serve as a check on the process. At issue is whether you were allowed a fair chance to defend yourself. An appeal can’t undo your responsible verdict. If you can prove you were mistreated by the process, though, you can earn a new chance to argue your innocence. That’s the goal.

In this context, there are only three possible arguments you can make.

  • You can argue that you were hampered during the hearing because you didn’t have all the evidence. Now that new evidence has come to light, you deserve the chance to present it.
  • You can argue that the university failed to follow its own procedures. As a result, you weren’t able to present your full defense.
  • You can argue that the sanction imposed in the case is inappropriate to the nature of your offense.

As though these circumstances weren’t challenging enough, you also bear the “burden” in the case. In any disciplinary misconduct case, the accuser always has the responsibility of providing evidence. Remember, you were “innocent until proven guilty.” You didn’t actually need to present evidence at the original hearing. All you needed to do was poke holes in the NSU’s case.

This time around, you’re the accuser. The university has the presumption of innocence, and you have the burden of coming up with enough evidence to overcome that presumption. This is always the weaker position.

In fact, some students don’t bother to file an appeal at all. They assume the odds are stacked against them and there’s no point in fighting on. NSU is counting on you to feel this way. However, there’s every possibility that you can win your appeal. The odds are more in your favor than you think. The reason is simple. Again, appeals are about correcting mistakes—flaws in the system. It turns out that colleges and universities make lots of mistakes when it comes to dispensing justice. They’re just not set up for it. Administrators aren’t trained in judicial procedures, and what training they do have is often incorrect. When they make mistakes, you have the right to demand justice.

We can help you do that. The LLF National Law Firm was founded to protect student rights. We know what makes for the strongest arguments in an appeal. We know what counts as the best evidence. We can ensure your case is airtight and fully supported.

Another Option

The Vice President of Student Affairs’ decision on your appeal is final. Sort of. There actually is one option open to you, even if you lose your appeal

Like every other school, NSU has an Office of General Counsel. The OGC is made up of attorneys who provide the university with advice on all legal matters. The OGC probably helped design NSU’s disciplinary system. It keeps the university from violating the law. It helps the university avoid costly lawsuits.

The LLF National Law Firm maintains strong relationships with OGC around the country. It’s necessary to do our job of protecting students. When all else fails, we may be able to use our relationships to instigate direct negotiations with NSU’s administration. These negotiations occur outside the normal disciplinary system, and they can result in lighter sanctions, expunged records, and sometimes even overturned “responsible” verdicts.

Only we can offer this option, though, because only we work so extensively in the field of student defense.

Keep Fighting

Whether you’re entirely innocent or simply looking to get fair treatment from Nova Southeastern University, you owe it to yourself to continue the fight. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is here and ready to help. We’ll guide you through the entire appeals process, make sure you put forward your very strongest arguments, and guarantee the university respects your rights.

As we said in the beginning, though, you cannot afford to wait. There are deadlines for filing your appeal. Get started now. Contact the LLF National Law Firm at 888-535-3686 or use our online form.

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