The threat of dismissal is serious business. Dismissal in and of itself can be traumatic. It means giving up all the progress you've made at CUNY City College. It means leaving friends behind, uprooting yourself from a place where you've grown comfortable, and starting over. If no one's mentioned it to you yet, though, you should know that dismissal also includes a transcript notation about the nature of your offense. In most cases, that will keep you from enrolling at another college or university. The bottom line is you could be facing the end of your academic career altogether.
In fact, the situation is serious enough that you can't afford to try and handle it by yourself. At the first sign of trouble, it's essential you contact the Lento Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team is focused on protecting student rights. We've helped hundreds of students defend themselves from all types of charges. We know the law, and we know how CCNY operates.
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 CUNY City College
There are actually so many different reasons CUNY City College can dismiss you that we can't list them all here. That's one reason it's so hard to protect yourself as a student. Here's what we can tell you: there are really only four categories of offense. Know these, and you can probably avoid most trouble.
- Academic Deficiencies: It won't surprise you to learn that you can be dismissed for a low GPA. After all, being a student is your job. A GPA below 2.0 means probation. Continue to struggle while on probation, though, and you can also be dismissed.
- Academic Misconduct: In addition to the academic standing policy, you are also subject to an Academic Integrity Policy. This policy governs how you complete your coursework. Any sort of dishonesty is explicitly prohibited, including cheating and plagiarism. You may be able to survive a first offense. If you're found Responsible for a second offense, though, dismissal is a real possibility.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Like all CUNY schools, City College is governed by a system-wide Student Code of Conduct. This code contains all the rules and regulations related to your non-academic behavior, things like underage drinking, weapons possession, and hazing. Even a first offense can result in dismissal if it's serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: These offenses, which include anything from simple verbal harassment to stalking, dating violence, and rape, are among the most serious offenses with which you can be charged. The most common penalty in sexual misconduct cases is dismissal. You should also know that such offenses are governed by Title IX, a federal law, and subject to very specific investigative and adjudicative procedures.
Misconduct Defenses
CUNY City College can't just dismiss you without cause. Even if you've been charged with a misconduct offense, even if it's a serious offense, the school must give you due process. You're entitled to be presumed "Not Responsible" (innocent), you're entitled to an investigation, and you're entitled to defend yourself at a full and formal hearing.
- Any member of the college community can accuse you of misconduct. However, the college must conduct a preliminary investigation before deciding whether to charge you formally.
- If you are charged, CCNY must provide you with Notice of the Charges. As part of that notice, the school tells you who made the accusation and describes the allegations. In addition, the notice should apprise you of all your due process rights.
- You are then entitled to a full investigation. Even if you only stand accused of academic dishonesty, your instructor must collect some physical evidence—past examples of your writing, for instance—to prove their case against you.
- As part of the investigation, you have the right to give your side of the story. Of course, you should also expect investigators to interview the Complainant (your accuser) and any other witnesses.
- At the conclusion of the investigation, investigators submit a written summary of their findings. You have the right to review this document, and in some cases, you have the right to suggest changes to it.
- You then have the right to present a full defense at a hearing before trained, unbiased decision-makers. You may offer up arguments for your innocence, introduce evidence, and call witnesses to testify. You may also cross-examine witnesses against you.
- CCNY cases aren't decided using the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard. However, decision-makers must be more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt before they can find you Responsible for an offense.
- You have the right to appeal the hearing outcome, though there are limits to this right. Generally, appeals must be based on factors influencing the fairness of your hearing, such as procedural errors or the discovery of previously unknown evidence.
CCNY is relatively unique among colleges and universities in that it not only gives you the right to hire an attorney to help you with your case, but it also allows for representation by an attorney.
You want to take full advantage of this right, though, by hiring someone from the Lento Law Firm. The Lento Law Firm was specifically founded to help students defend themselves. We've been doing that for a number of years and have helped hundreds of clients. No one in the country knows education law the way we do, and no one in the country is as familiar with campus judicial procedures.
Academic Dismissals
Defending yourself from an academic dismissal is less straightforward. CCNY does not offer any formal appeals process. Luckily, your Lento Law Firm attorney is well-versed in all the many informal options open to you. For example:
- If you've experienced extenuating circumstances, such as a serious illness or family crisis, you can try appealing to the dean of the college for more time to improve.
- Students with learning disabilities are often entitled to course accommodations. If you should discover you have such a disability, you can ask the college to drop low grades from your transcript and allow you to retake those courses once accommodations are in place.
- Some faculty are open to negotiating grades. If, for instance, you showed improvement over the course of a semester, you might try arguing that this improvement warrants a passing grade, even if your individual scores don't add up to that.
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.
