You got into Colorado State, and that's a significant accomplishment. Getting in isn't the same as graduating, though. CSU doesn't give degrees away, and making it to the finish line can be tough. How tough? CSU dismisses dozens of students every year for everything from low grades to plagiarism to stalking.
How do you make sure you're not one of them?
- First, you have to know what to avoid. Just what is it that can get you dismissed from Colorado State, and what can you do to keep yourself out of trouble?
- Of course, sometimes trouble finds you despite your best efforts. So you also want to educate yourself about CSU's judicial processes.
- Last but certainly not least, you need to know who to turn to when you run into trouble. It's no easy task defending yourself from misconduct charges or convincing a university you deserve to continue when your GPA is a bit low. You need all the help you can get. The Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team is on your side. They know the law, they know how the Colorado State system works, and they're ready to put what they know to work for you.
Reasons for Dismissal at Colorado State University
Let's start by examining just what it is that can get you dismissed from Colorado State.
- Academic Deficiencies: Your high school was obligated to give you an education. Your university? Not so much. If you can't keep up academically, you can be placed on probation and, eventually, dismissed altogether.
- Academic Misconduct: Of course, CSU expects you to earn your degree honestly. The Academic Integrity policy prohibits any action that might give you an unfair advantage as a student. That includes cheating, plagiarism, falsification, or helping anyone else to commit academic misconduct. Serious and repeat offenses can definitely lead to dismissal.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Colorado State also expects you to be a responsible member of the university community. To make sure you live up to that expectation, it maintains a strict Student Conduct Code. That Code regulates everything from where it's OK to smoke to how you should behave during demonstrations. Ultimately, any violation can potentially result in dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses almost always result in dismissal. Such offenses are actually governed by federal law. Schools are required to investigate all credible allegations, and they can be harsh when it comes to punishments.
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
When it comes to misconduct charges, Colorado State gives you a number of important due process rights, including the right to defend yourself at a hearing. Here's how the process works, generally.
- Cases begin when someone lodges a complaint against you, either with Student Conduct Services or, in the case of Title IX offenses, the Title IX Coordinator.
- If the school decides to open an investigation, it will provide you with Notice of the Charges. This document details the allegation and explains your due process rights.
- Among your rights, you are allowed to choose an advisor to accompany you to meetings and proceedings. This advisor can be an attorney.
- As part of the investigation, investigators meet separately with both parties. In addition, they interview witnesses and collect any physical evidence. The investigative findings become the foundation for the next phase of the case, a formal hearing.
- At the hearing, you have the opportunity to make arguments, submit evidence, and call witnesses. You may also ask questions of witnesses against you. Of course, a university hearing isn't a criminal case, and you should expect formal rules of evidence or witness examination to apply.
- Another important difference from court cases is the standard of guilt. Cases are decided by a Hearing Officer. That official doesn't have to find you Responsible (guilty) “beyond a reasonable doubt.” If they are more than fifty percent convinced you committed an offense, they must find you Responsible.
- Finally, you also have the right to appeal the verdict, at least in certain circumstances. These include
- Allegations of unfair treatment
- Insufficient evidence to prove Responsibility
- An Inappropriate sanction
- New information that has a bearing on the case
While this outline applies to all misconduct cases, there are some subtle but important differences in how different types of cases unfold. For example, in sexual misconduct cases, all witness questions are asked by advisors. In other kinds of cases, the Hearing Officer presiding over the case asks all questions. You can trust the Lento Law Firm and their Education Law Team to be familiar with all of Colorado State's rules and procedures, though, and to help you navigate the process from start to finish.
Academic Dismissals
You may have noticed that there's been no mention yet of how to defend yourself from academic-based dismissals. That's because these cases work considerably differently from misconduct dismissals. These dismissals are based on fact—your GPA—and that's not normally open to debate. There's no need for an investigation or a hearing.
That doesn't mean you don't have options. For example,
- Some faculty are open to grade negotiation. You need a strong argument and good communication skills, but you can sometimes convince a professor to take a fresh look at your work from a semester.
- CSU offers an appeals process for students whose dismissals might have been caused by extenuating circumstances. If an illness or a family emergency caused you to struggle during the semester, you might be entitled to more time to improve.
- It could be your low GPA is related to an undiagnosed learning disability. If you should discover you have one, you can request to drop your low grades and retake those courses with accommodations.
Here again, you can trust Joseph D. Lento and his team to know all the options and to help you choose the one that's right for your particular situation.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, you probably have a clear sense of why you need the help of an attorney-advisor to fight dismissal decisions. Campus judicial procedures can be complex and difficult to navigate, and the full weight of your school will likely be against you.
You need someone watching over your shoulder, making certain you're treated fairly and that you get the justice you deserve.
The Lento Law Firm was built on helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. They know how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; they know how to interview witnesses; they know how to put together water-tight appeals. To find out more about exactly what the Lento Law Firm and their team can do for you, contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
