You can't afford to take the threat of dismissal lightly at Pasco-Hernando State College. Dismissal means total separation from the college. It means giving up all the academic progress you've made to this point and leaving the community of friends you've built behind. It means having to deal with a transcript notation about your offense.
What does it mean to take the threat seriously? It means you can't try to handle your defense on your own. You need help—the very best help you can find. The Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team has worked with hundreds of students, protecting them from all types of charges. We know your rights, and we know how PHSC administrative and judicial systems work. Most important of all, we're always on your side, no matter what the situation might be.
To find out more about all we can do, call 888-535-3686 or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
Reasons for Dismissal from Pasco-Hernando State College
Let's start with the basics. Just what is it that can get you dismissed from Pasco-Hernando State College? After all, the very best way to avoid dismissal is to avoid getting into trouble in the first place.
- Academic Deficiencies: Perhaps the most straightforward way to wind up dismissed is simply to fail to keep your GPA up. According to the academic standing policy, a GPA below 2.0 means academic warnings, probation, and suspension. Fail to improve despite all these sanctions, and you can also wind up dismissed entirely.
- Academic Misconduct: Cheating, plagiarism, and other types of classroom dishonesty can also get you into serious trouble. First offenses aren't usually enough to result in dismissal. Get caught more than once, though, and dismissal is definitely a possibility.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Outside of class, your general, non-academic campus behavior is governed by PHSC's Code of Student Conduct. That policy outlaws behaviors like theft, trespassing, violence, and misuse of computer resources. Even a first offense can lead to dismissal if it is serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: These offenses are technically a form of disciplinary misconduct, but they are so serious that they are treated as a separate category of offense. PHSC's sexual misconduct policy is mandated by federal law (Title IX), and schools are encouraged to set harsh penalties. Dismissal is actually the most common sanction for those students found responsible for (guilty of) violations.
Misconduct Defenses
Colleges and universities are strict when it comes to setting up rules and regulations, and they can be almost draconian when it comes to assigning penalties. However, they cannot simply dismiss you without cause. When you are accused of misconduct, you are entitled to a presumption of innocence ("Not Responsible) and a number of additional due process protections.
- Cases begin with complaints. Anyone can make such a complaint against you, but PHSC must believe the complaint is credible before issuing a formal charge.
- If you're charged with an offense, the college must provide you with formal notice of those charges. That notice will explain the allegations and contain a list of your due process rights.
- PHSC cannot proceed against you without concrete evidence. This means the college must conduct some type of investigation. Even an academic misconduct allegation must be proven. Investigators usually start by meeting separately with the respondent (you, the accused) and any complainants (your accusers or alleged victims). In addition, they collect any physical evidence and interview witnesses.
- At the end of the investigation, investigators submit a written report summarizing their findings. The college then sets a time and date for a hearing and appoints one or more decision-makers to preside over this hearing.
- Both sides have the right to present their full cases at the hearing. You may offer arguments, introduce evidence, and call witnesses to testify. Additionally, you may raise questions for anyone testifying against you.
- Decision-makers are tasked with determining whether or not you are responsible for the offense. In doing this, they utilize a legal standard known as “preponderance of evidence.” According to this standard, you are guilty if they are more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt.
- Finally, you're allowed to appeal the hearing outcome if you feel you were treated unfairly by the process. However, you must have grounds for your appeal. In addition to procedural errors, you can file an appeal in cases where new evidence has arisen, or the sanction you've been assigned is unfair.
PHSC doesn't allow you to bring an attorney with you to most meetings and proceedings. The Lento Law Firm regards this as a serious denial of your due process rights. However, you should know that we can do an enormous amount even if we never step one foot on campus.
It's our job, for instance, to help you uncover evidence and map out your defensive arguments. We'll help you practice answering investigative questions. We'll coach you in presenting your case. Plus, we'll monitor everything that happens to ensure you're treated fairly from start to finish.
Dealing With Academic Dismissal
If you're facing an academic dismissal, processes and procedures are a bit different. Decisions are based on your GPA, and there's no need to conduct an investigation or hold a hearing to establish that fact. Instead, PHSC gives you several chances to improve and only dismisses you when you've consistently shown that you can't keep up academically.
Even in these cases, though, your Lento Law Firm can offer some powerful suggestions for keeping your academic progress on track and avoiding dismissal. For example,
- If you've been dealing with extenuating circumstances, such as a family emergency or a serious illness, you can petition the dean of the college for more time to improve.
- Low grades can be a sign of a learning disability, such as ADD or ADHD. Disability Services offers testing. If it turns out you do have such a disability, you can drop low grades from your GPA and retake those courses with appropriate accommodations in place.
- You can always try asking instructors for extra credit or makeup assignments. This can be particularly effective if your grade is already borderline.
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.
