You know all about Pitzer College's high expectations for premed students. The thing is, medical schools only accept the very brightest, most hard-working applicants, and Pitzer wants to do everything it can to mold you into a winning candidate. That's why you take the toughest classes taught by the most demanding faculty.
Premed students don't always realize that their conduct is under just as much scrutiny as their classroom performance. Obviously, we all want the very smartest doctors working on us. But we also want to know that our doctors are ethical, that they have impeccable personal values, and that their professionalism is above reproach. So, Pitzer also has high expectations of your conduct. And when it comes to medical school, your conduct record can be just as crucial as your GPA.
In short, you can't afford to take any misconduct allegation lightly. One black mark on your record could mean the end of your career in medicine. You've worked too hard to get to this point to let that happen.
The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm can help. Our Student Defense Team was founded to protect student rights. We want you to succeed. The world needs more caring, compassionate, capable doctors. And we're committed to the idea that you should have every opportunity to succeed. Whether you're the victim of a misunderstanding or you made an honest mistake, we're on your side, and we'll fight tooth and nail to get you the best possible resolution to your case.
What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or take a few minutes right now and tell us a little about your situation.
Misconduct at Pitzer College
Let's start with the basics. There are three types of misconduct offenses at Pitzer College. Staying out of trouble means understanding all three.
- Academic Misconduct: Pitzer—and whatever medical school you hope to enter—expects you to earn your degree honestly. The very first “proscribed conduct” in the college's Code of Conduct is Academic Dishonesty. Cheating and plagiarism are, of course, serious offenses. Any action that could potentially give you an unfair advantage in completing your degree can get you into trouble, though.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: The Code of Conduct goes on to include numerous non-academic offenses as well, such as hazing, drug use, underage drinking, assault, theft, and misuse of computer resources. These can get you into just as much trouble as cheating and plagiarism, if not more.
- Sexual Misconduct: Technically, sexually-based offenses are a type of general disciplinary misconduct. However, the federal government requires schools to police sexual discrimination and harassment, and so Pitzer maintains a separate policy for how to deal with these offenses, a policy based on Title IX guidelines.
Understanding these three categories of offense can help you avoid making mistakes, and it's important for preparing a defense. You must know exactly what you've been accused of doing if you're going to properly defend yourself.
Know this, though: in the bigger picture, the exact nature of the charges doesn't matter. Any offense, big or small, can keep you out of medical school. Even a warning for cheating is a serious matter if it should be included in your permanent record. We've already said it, but it bears repeating. You must take every allegation seriously. That means carefully building your defense, it means preparing an air-tight case, and it means seeking out the best help you can find. The Lento Law Firm is the premier firm in the country when it comes to student defense, and no one gives you a better chance of salvaging your academic career.
Misconduct Procedures
What does a defense look like? The good news is that Pitzer College provides you with a number of due process rights, including the right to a presumption of “Not Responsible” (innocence). The bad news is that processes and procedures can be complex and difficult to navigate, and it's not always easy to know how to use your rights effectively.
Here's what you can expect.
- Cases begin with complaints. Someone from the campus community accuses you of misconduct, and the college must then decide whether the accusations are credible enough to initiate a formal investigation.
- If you're under investigation, Pitzer must serve you with a Notice of the Charges. This Notice offers an important starting point for building your defense. It explains the allegations and identifies your accuser. It also lists out all of your due process rights.
- Investigators typically start by separately interviewing the Respondent (you) and the Complainant (your accuser). In addition, though, they'll talk to all witnesses and collect physical evidence.
- Investigators compile all of their findings into a written summary. Once they've submitted this to the college, Pitzer then sets a time and date for a formal hearing and appoints one or more decision-makers to preside over the proceedings.
- At the hearing, both sides have the opportunity to make their respective cases. You may introduce evidence and call witnesses to testify. You may also raise questions for any witnesses against you.
- Decision-makers then deliberate on your level of responsibility. They employ a legal standard known as "preponderance of the evidence." This standard is far less strict than "beyond a reasonable doubt" and actually requires decision-makers to find you Responsible if they are more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt.
- You can appeal the hearing outcome. However, appeals must be based on issues of fairness, such as a procedural error. And should you win your appeal, you must then re-present your case at a new hearing.
Except in Title IX cases, Pitzer prohibits you from bringing an attorney with you to meetings and proceedings. In fact, the Code of Conduct even contains language that suggests you cannot “consult with” an attorney. This is absolutely not true. A Lento Law Firm attorney cannot sit with you during your hearing, but they can play a vital role in helping you build and execute your defense.
Your Lento Law Firm attorney can work with you to develop your central arguments. They'll help you uncover evidence, draft documents, come up with questions for witnesses, develop answers to questions you might be asked, and coach you in delivering your presentation. Beyond this, they'll keep an eye on your due process rights and make sure you're treated fairly at every step of the way.
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 Pitzer College judicial system, you have to worry about whether sanctions appear on your permanent record. Even if you are eventually cleared of wrongdoing, you have to worry about who might find out about the allegations and whether those allegations might interfere with med school recommendation letters. 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.
