No one makes it through college completely unscathed. We all make mistakes, but college students tend to make more than their fair share. It’s all that new adulting you’re trying to figure out. The real question isn’t whether you can avoid a mistake but rather how you will handle it when you make one.

Colleges and universities have almost no tolerance for disciplinary misconduct these days. One serious offense can be enough to get you dismissed from Santa Fe College, and even lesser offenses can have long-term consequences for your future career.

You cannot afford to take any charge lightly, and you cannot afford to try to handle an investigation and a hearing on your own. You need the best help you can find. You need the LLF National Law Firm on your side. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights. We know exactly what you’re up against, and we can show you how to use SFC processes and procedures to your benefit. Most importantly, we’re always on your side and ready to fight so you get the best possible resolution to your case.

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

The SFC Code of Conduct

Building a strong defense starts with understanding the charges against you. You can’t possibly prove your innocence if you don’t know what it is you’re supposed to have done.

If you’ve been charged with misconduct at Santa Fe College, it means someone has accused you of violating the school’s Code of Conduct. The Code includes all the rules and regulations you’re expected to follow as a student. It’s a long list, including everything from trespassing to misuse of computer resources. There are offenses, though, and then there are Offenses—Code violations so serious that they almost always result in suspension or dismissal. Here are the five you need to avoid at all costs.

  • Abuse: Physical violence is always going to get you in trouble, whether you’re at SFC or in a Walmart. SFC doesn’t just prohibit physical violence, though. It lumps together all types of “abuse”—physical, verbal, written, and visual. This means that posting an unkind remark on someone’s Instagram is treated just as seriously as a fistfight in the cafeteria.
  • Weapons Possession: As a further protection for the campus, SFC also prohibits all weapons possession. This applies to virtually any object you might use as a weapon, including firearms, stun guns, explosive devices, and box cutters. Note that such items are barred even from college parking lots.
  • Hazing: Any organizational activity that puts another person at risk of physical, psychological, or emotional harm can lead to serious sanctions for you and for your organization.
  • Sexual Misconduct: SFC is required under Title IX, a federal statute, to prevent sexual discrimination and harassment on campus. This applies to all types of sexually-based misconduct, from simple verbal harassment to stalking, dating violence, and rape.
  • Drug Use and Possession: Finally, you are also prohibited from use, possession, and distribution of illegal drugs and from misuse of prescription drugs or any other mind-altering substance.

Keep in mind that any offense can mean trouble, no matter how minor, if it shows up on your transcript. You’ll carry that transcript around for the rest of your life. It’s your key to every job. Only employers typically take a dim view of misconduct. Even a warning for vandalism could be enough to damage your career prospects.

Investigations and Hearings

No one ever wants to be charged with a disciplinary misconduct offense. Investigations and hearings are no fun, particularly if you’re trying to attend classes while they’re happening. However, these procedures are actually to your benefit. “Due process” means that SFC can’t simply charge you with an offense and dismiss you. It must presume you innocent (“not responsible”). It needs evidence to proceed against you, and it must give you an opportunity to respond to that evidence.

Here’s what you can expect.

  • SFC maintains a Conduct Officer who responds to all disciplinary misconduct complaints. Note that a complaint is not the same as a charge. This officer must believe a complaint is credible before issuing a formal charge.
  • You’ll receive notice of the charges you’re facing. This notice not only alerts you to the fact that someone has accused you of misconduct but also provides you with important information for building your defense. It must, for instance, include the name of your accuser, an explanation of the complaint, and a list of all your due process rights.
  • As part of any investigation, you have the right to give your side of the story, to submit evidence, and to suggest witnesses for investigators to interview. In addition, you’re allowed to review every piece of evidence that investigators uncover.
  • All of that evidence then lays the groundwork for a hearing before either the Student Conduct Officer or a Student Conduct Board. In either case, you are entitled to present evidence, including witness testimony, and to raise questions about any evidence being used against you.
  • The standard of responsibility (guilt) at SFC is “preponderance of the evidence.” According to this standard, you are responsible for an offense if it seems “more likely than not” that you committed the offense.
  • You also have the right to appeal your case if you’re found “responsible.” However, appeals must be based on very specific grounds. Normally, you must be able to show that you were denied a fair opportunity to present your defense.

You naturally consider SFC your home. It’s where you attend classes, it’s where you eat, and it’s where you sleep at night. Under ordinary circumstances, the college is your ally. You’re not under ordinary circumstances anymore. Once you’re facing a misconduct charge, it’s the college’s job to pursue justice wherever it leads.

Make sure you have someone who is on your side in this situation. Trust the LLF National Law Firm to protect your interests and fight for your rights.

Don’t Wait to Respond to Charges

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 university 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.

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