You know all about the academic requirements for med school. You know you've got to take some pretty tough courses, and no matter how tough they may be, you still need to keep your GPA up. You know that you've got to spend your free time on useful extracurriculars. You know you need to get some shadowing experience. You know you've got to prep for the MCAT.
We see it time and again, though: smart, gifted, dedicated students who wind up undone because of a disciplinary misconduct charge. These charges can happen to anyone. You don't have to be guilty. You could be the victim of a simple misunderstanding. You could be falsely accused. Or maybe you did make a mistake, and you're willing to serve your sanction, but now Union College wants to include your mistake on your transcript as well, and that feels like a more severe penalty than you deserve.
If a misconduct allegation is threatening to derail your path to an MD, you can't take it lightly. You must contact the Lento Law Firm immediately. Our Student Defense Team knows how much is at stake. We're on your side, and we'll do whatever we can to safeguard your future. That's not just an empty promise. We back it up with knowledge and experience. We are the premier student defense firm in the country, and no one gives you a better chance at keeping your record clean.
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 Union College
Students, even premed students, sometimes wind up in trouble simply because they don't know Union College's rules and regulations. After all, there are a lot of them. It's easy to get confused, make a mistake, and run afoul of the system. One thing that can help is to recognize that while there are dozens of disciplinary offenses, all of them can be grouped into three basic categories.
- Academic Misconduct: This type of offense has to do with how you conduct yourself in class and how you go about completing your coursework. It probably won't come as a surprise to you that cheating and plagiarism are counter to the Union College Honor Code. More broadly, you want to avoid any action that could potentially give you an unfair advantage in earning your degree.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Non-academic misbehavior can get you into just as much trouble as academic misbehavior if not more. A first offense for cheating usually means a lowered grade on the assignment. Get caught with drugs, and you could be suspended or dismissed, even for a first offense. The Student Code of Conduct contains a complete list of offenses, but the simplest way to stay out of trouble is to avoid any action that could do harm to the college or another member of the college community.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses are so serious that they are treated as their own category of misconduct. In addition, you should know that the Union College sexual misconduct policy is dictated by Title IX, a federal law. The US government requires schools to investigate all credible complaints, and it pushes colleges and universities to utilize stiff penalties.
Sanctions at Union College range from warnings to dismissal and even degree revocation. As we suggested earlier, though, the real question any time you're facing a misconduct charge is whether or not a record of your offense will appear on your transcript. Medical schools take misconduct very seriously. You can probably get away with a low grade in OChem, but if you've been found Responsible for (guilty of) stalking, you're probably going to need to find a different career path.
Take all allegations seriously. Be prepared to fight for your future. And make sure you have help in that fight from the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team.
Misconduct Procedures
No matter how careful you may be to avoid trouble at Union College, you may not be able to prevent trouble from finding you. In addition to knowing the rules then, you also need to know how the college's judicial processes work. You don't want to be fighting blind.
- Cases typically begin with a complaint. Anyone may lodge a complaint against you—an instructor, an administrator, another student, or some other member of the campus community.
- The university will only pursue a complaint if it believes that the complaint is both credible and actionable. Further, if it does decide to open a formal investigation, it must let you know. You'll receive a written Notice of the Charges. That Notice should explain the allegations, identify your accuser, and include a list of your due process rights.
- Investigators usually begin by asking you to give your side of the story. They'll also talk to the Complainant (your accuser) and any witnesses. Finally, they'll collect any relevant physical evidence.
- Investigators are tasked with creating a summary of their findings. Once they have submitted this summary, Union College will set a time and date for a hearing. This hearing may take place in front of one decision-maker, or you may face a panel of three to five decision-makers.
- The hearing is your opportunity to argue for your innocence or to explain your behavior. You can introduce evidence, and you can call witnesses to testify. You also have the right to raise questions for any witnesses testifying against you.
- All misconduct cases at Union College are decided using a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” Unlike “beyond a reasonable doubt,” this standard requires you to be found guilty (“Responsible”) if decision-makers are more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt.
- Even if you should lose your hearing, you may still be able to clear your name through appeal. Grounds for appeal, though, are limited to things like unfair procedures, the discovery of new evidence, and a disproportionate sanction.
Because the government sets guidelines for Title IX cases, Union College must allow you to select any attorney to accompany you to meetings and hearings. In all other cases, however, Union College bars you from choosing an attorney.
The Lento Law Firm feels this is a violation of your due process rights. However, you should know that we don't have to be at your side during proceedings to make a difference in your case. In fact, most of what we do has to do with preparing you to defend yourself. We work with you to develop a defense strategy, help you identify and organize evidence, suggest questions for witnesses, draft documents, and coach you on how to present your own case. Most importantly, though, when a school tries to limit your due process rights, you need someone with a judicial background to monitor the process and make sure you're treated fairly.
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 Union 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.
