If you've found yourself here, it likely means you're in trouble at Cleveland State. Either your grades have slipped, or you've been accused of an offense, and someone at some point has mentioned the possibility of dismissal to you. You know just how serious the situation is, and you're looking for help.
This is the place to get it. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team is dedicated to student rights and to making sure students like you have every possible chance to succeed. We don't believe a mistake—or even two or three mistakes—should stand in the way of earning your degree. We know the law, and we know Cleveland State processes and procedures.
What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 today to find out, or take a few minutes right now and fill out an online form.
Reasons for Dismissal from Cleveland State University
Let's start by going over the several reasons why you might be facing dismissal from CSU. Any time you're defending yourself, you need to understand the allegations against you. That's especially true if you are entirely innocent of the charges.
There are basically four categories of offense at CSU that can get you dismissed.
- Academic Deficiencies: Your “job” at CSU is “student.” No surprise, then, that you're expected to do that job and do it well. The academic standing policy requires you to maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA. Anything lower means sanctions, and if you can't improve once you've been sanctioned, you can also be dismissed outright.
- Academic Misconduct: The pressure of a strict academic standing policy sometimes leads students to try academic shortcuts. However, the academic misconduct policy at CSU is just as rigid as the standing policy. A first offense probably isn't enough to get you dismissed. Get caught more than once, though, and dismissal could be your fate.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: You are also subject to CSU's Student Code of Conduct. That policy covers non-academic behavior, things like trespassing, misuse of computer resources, violence, and theft. Theoretically, any violation of the Code can result in dismissal if the charge is serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexual misconduct is a type of disciplinary misconduct, but it is generally treated as its own category of offense. At least in part, that's because it's not just contrary to CSU policy but also contrary to federal law (Title IX). Dismissal is actually the most common penalty in these cases.
Misconduct Defenses
If you've been charged with a misconduct offense, you have several due process rights. As a starting point, the university must presume you are innocent (“Not Responsible”) until you're proven guilty (“Responsible”). The only way it can do that is to conduct an investigation and allow you to defend yourself at a hearing.
- Anyone can accuse you of misconduct—an instructor, an administrator, campus staff, or another student. However, the university will only pursue allegations that are credible and actionable.
- If you've been charged, you'll receive a Notice of the Charges. This will outline the allegations and apprise you of your several due process rights.
- Investigators typically begin by separately interviewing both sides of the case. This means you'll have a chance from the beginning to give your side of the story. In addition, investigators will talk with any other witnesses to the event and collect any physical evidence.
- Once the investigation is complete, investigators submit a written summary of their findings. At this point, the university sets a time and date for a hearing and appoints one or more decision-makers to preside over the proceedings.
- Hearings work like criminal cases you may have seen on television in that both sides get a chance to present arguments and back those arguments up with evidence, including witness testimony. You also have the right to raise questions about the other side's evidence, including cross-examining their witnesses.
- One important difference between campus hearings and actual criminal cases is that decision-makers don't have to be certain of their guilt "beyond a reasonable doubt." If they feel it is "more likely than not" that you committed an offense, they can find you Responsible (guilty).
- You can appeal a Responsible verdict. However, you must have sufficient “grounds” in order to do so. Cleveland State limits grounds to
- Whether or not appropriate procedures were followed
- Whether or not the facts were interpreted correctly
- Whether or not the facts actually support the verdict
- Whether or not the sanction is appropriate to the offense
Cleveland State allows you to choose an advisor to help you prepare your case and to accompany you to official proceedings. In most cases, however, this advisor must be someone from the campus community (Title IX cases are important exceptions).
Don't let this dissuade you from hiring the Lento Law Firm to represent you. The fact is, the Lento Law Firm attorney will do far more for you than simply sit beside you during hearings. They will work with you to develop your defense strategy, help you to gather and organize evidence, suggest questions for witnesses, draft documents, and even coach you in presenting your case.
More important than anything else, the Lento Law Firm attorney will monitor your case and make sure you are treated fairly. They know how to deal with colleges and universities that deny students their rights.
Academic Dismissals
If you're facing an academic dismissal, the process is considerably different. These dismissals are based almost exclusively on GPA, so there's no investigation and no hearing. Fighting such dismissals means relying on informal strategies. Luckily, the Lento Law Firm attorneys are well-versed in all the possibilities. For example,
- Extenuating circumstances, such as a serious illness or a family emergency, can be grounds for more time to improve. In such cases, you should contact the dean of your school or college and let them know what's happening.
- If you should discover you have an undiagnosed learning disability, you can ask the university to set aside your low grades. This will prevent dismissal while you retake courses. This time around, you'll have appropriate accommodations in place.
- You always have the option of asking instructors for extra credit or makeup work. Some offer such opportunities; others don't. It never hurts to ask, though, since this can be an easy way to keep your GPA above the 2.0 mark.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, it should be abundantly clear why trying to defend yourself from dismissal is always a dangerous proposition. It's no easy task taking on a university, and the stakes are incredibly high. Luckily, you don't have to go it alone. The Lento Law Firm was built to help students. Our Student Defense Team can also be fierce when it comes to protecting our clients, and we're not afraid of faculty and administrators.
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.
