Your mother says you're special, and you are. Signing up for premed sets you apart from other students at Middlebury College. You've agreed to take a schedule of courses that is harder than most. You spend your free time shadowing healthcare professionals and studying for the MCAT. You wouldn't do all of that unless you had a genuine commitment to serve others and to look out for the common good.
When it comes to the rules at Middlebury, though, you're just like every other undergraduate. You're subject to the same academic integrity policy, the same Standards of Conduct, and the same Title IX Sexual Misconduct policy. The only difference is that you have more to lose. A violation can cost you a shot at med school.
If you're facing a charge of misconduct for any reason, you need to know that the Lento Law Firm is always on your side. We believe what you're doing is important, and we want to help you reach your dreams. We know what the law has to say about education. We also know how Middlebury College's judicial rules and procedures work. And we're ready to use those rules and procedures to protect your rights and get you a just resolution to your case.
To find out more, call 888-535-3686, or take a few minutes right now and tell us a little about your situation.
Misconduct at Middlebury College
As a starting point, let's make sure you're clear on just what can get you into trouble at Middlebury. There are three distinct types of misconduct.
- Academic Misconduct: This type of offense has to do with how you complete your coursework. It includes things like cheating, plagiarism, and falsifying data, but any sort of classroom dishonesty qualifies.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: It isn't just your classroom conduct that matters. As part of a community, you're held to a set of rules known generally as the Standards of Conduct. These include prohibitions against things like hazing, drug use, underage drinking, theft, and weapons possession.
- Sexual Misconduct: These are among the most serious offenses any student can commit or be accused of committing. Sexual misconduct is governed by federal law under Title IX. Colleges and universities are required to investigate all credible complaints and are encouraged to punish offenders with harsh sanctions up to and including dismissal.
As you might expect, different types of offenses can result in different types of sanctions. Minor plagiarism, for example, might be punished with a classroom sanction, like a lowered score on the assignment. Drug possession might result in suspension or dismissal. As a premed pre-med student, though, you need to know that every offense and every punishment puts your future at risk. Medical schools take disciplinary misconduct as seriously as they take academic misconduct, if not more so. Even a warning for a relatively minor offense is still a black mark on your record that you can't afford. You must take all allegations seriously, and taking them seriously means having a Lento Law Firm attorney at your side from the moment you are charged.
Misconduct Procedures
So, what do you do if you're accused of some form of misconduct?
First, don't panic. An accusation is not the same as a finding of “Responsible” (guilty). You are entitled to a number of important due process rights. Middlebury must conduct some form of investigation, for instance, and allow you to argue for your innocence at a formal hearing. You are “Not Responsible” (innocent) until proven Responsible. You have the right to review all evidence in the case.
Here's a basic overview of what you can expect.
- An accusation can arise from virtually anywhere: instructors, other students, administrators, staff. Accusations are handled, though, by one of two departments. Academic and disciplinary misconduct is subject to investigation and adjudication by Middlebury's Judicial Board. Title IX sexual misconduct allegations are dealt with by the school's designated Title IX Coordinator.
- You can expect the college to conduct some form of investigation. If an instructor has accused you of cheating, this investigation may be relatively informal. Title IX investigations, on the other hand, usually involve the collection of physical evidence and witness interviews.
- Once the investigation is complete, the college sets a time and date for a hearing. The hearing is your opportunity to argue for your innocence or to offer up an explanation for your behavior. You may introduce evidence and call witnesses. You may also raise questions about any evidence against you and cross-examine the school's witnesses.
- All Middlebury cases are decided based on a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” Unlike “beyond a reasonable doubt,” this standard only requires decision-makers to be convinced that you “more likely than not” committed an offense.
- Finally, you also have the right to appeal the outcome of your hearing. However, grounds for appeal are generally limited to issues like the discovery of new evidence, a procedural error, and a sanction that doesn't seem to fit the offense.
This outline applies to all cases at Middlebury, but cases can differ from one another depending on the nature of the charges. One key difference, for instance, between disciplinary misconduct cases and sexual misconduct cases is that the latter affords you the right to an attorney.
Whether or not you can bring your Lento Law Firm attorney with you to the hearing, though, certainly you need a Lento Law Firm attorney on your side. Their responsibilities go well beyond sitting beside you as you examine and cross-examine witnesses. Your Lento Law Firm attorney will map out your entire defense, help you find and organize evidence, suggest questions for witnesses, and even coach you in presentation techniques. Their most important job, though, is to monitor your case and make sure Middlebury College doesn't violate any of your due process rights.
Fighting for Your Future
Fighting a misconduct charge is never an easy proposition for anyone. As a pre-med student, though, you face special challenges. Beyond the complexities of the Middlebury College judicial system, you have to worry about whether sanctions are recorded in your record. You have to worry about who might find out about the allegations and whether those allegations might interfere with recommendation letters, even if they're proven false. You have to keep a close watch on social media and make sure your reputation doesn't suffer online. It's an enormous amount of work to have to deal with on your own.
That's why the minute you suspect you might be in trouble, it's vital that you contact the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. We can negotiate with faculty and administrators if that's what's called for, but we can also be fierce in defending our clients.
Let us help you fight for your academic future. To find out more, contact the firm today at 888-535-3686. Or, fill out our online questionnaire.
