You cannot afford to take the threat of dismissal from your university lightly. Whatever charges you're facing, dismissal means permanent separation from SIU - Carbondale and a black mark on your transcript that will usually keep you from enrolling anywhere else. You must fight, and you must fight smart.
That means you don't want to ever try to take on the university by yourself. You need the best help you can get, someone who not only has experience defending students but who understands SIU - Carbondale rules and regulations and how to use campus judicial procedures to protect you.
The Lento Law Firm is the top firm in the country when it comes to defending students. Our Student Defense Team attorneys know what you're facing, and we're committed to getting you the best possible resolution to your case.
What can we do for you? Call 888-535-3686 to find out, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
Reasons for Dismissal from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
If you're in trouble at SIU - Carbondale, if someone has mentioned the possibility of dismissal to you, you're likely facing one of four issues.
- Academic Deficiencies: It could be that you're simply struggling to keep your GPA up. The SIU - Carbondale's academic standing policy requires you to maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. You won't be dismissed the moment yours falls below that number, but if you struggle consistently, dismissal is one possible outcome.
- Academic Misconduct: Alternatively, you might be facing an allegation of academic misconduct, like cheating or plagiarism. In fact, academic integrity is the first entry in the SIU - Carbondale's Student Code of Conduct. As with grades, one infraction isn't going to result in dismissal. Multiple infractions, though, can certainly get you dismissed.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Of course, the Code of Conduct goes on to include a long list of non-academic offenses as well. You're prohibited from drinking if you're under 21, for example, from possessing firearms on campus grounds, and from theft of property. Even first offenses can result in dismissal if the offense is serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: Sexually-based offenses are technically a type of disciplinary misconduct, and you'll find information about these offenses in the Code of Conduct. However, they are also subject to regulation under the federal Title IX statute. As a result, SIU - Carbondale maintains a separate policy specifically focused on sexual misconduct. Note that most students who are found responsible wind up dismissed from the university.
Misconduct Defenses
You know the rules, but what do you do if you should find yourself accused of an offense? If it is a misconduct offense, you build your defense.
SIU - Carbondale policies provide you with due process. You are innocent until proven guilty (Not Responsible until proven Responsible). The university must have concrete evidence in order to impose a punishment on you, and you have the right to challenge that evidence at a formal hearing.
Here's a more detailed description of SIU - Carbondale's judicial procedures
- Cases usually begin when someone lodges a complaint against you. That person is referred to as the Complainant. As the accused, you are referred to as the Respondent. At issue is whether or not you are Responsible for an offense.
- Assuming the university decides to move forward with an investigation, it will provide you with official notice of the charges. As the name implies, this document should describe the allegations against you. It should also make you aware of all your due process rights.
- You must represent yourself at investigative meetings and at the hearing. However, you can bring an advisor with you, and that advisor can be an attorney. This means someone from the Lento Law Firm can be on hand to help you respond to questions and present your defense.
- You'll face an investigation. Investigators usually begin by separately interviewing the Complainant and Respondent. They are also tasked with uncovering any physical evidence, and they'll speak with any witnesses to the incident.
- At the conclusion of the investigation, investigators submit a written report summarizing their findings. The university then sets a time and date for a hearing and selects one or more decision-makers to preside over the case.
- At the hearing, you'll present arguments for your innocence and support those arguments with evidence, including witness testimony. Of course, the other side gets the chance to do the same, but you both have a right to challenge one another's evidence.
- The standard of Responsibility, or guilt, at SIU - Carbondale is "preponderance of the evidence." A preponderance means that decision-makers must find you guilty if they believe it is "more likely than not" that you committed the offense.
- SIU - Carbondale also offers students the opportunity to appeal hearing outcomes. You must have grounds for an appeal, though, such as a procedural error, new evidence to present, or an argument that the sanction is disproportionate to the offense.
This is just a basic outline of the judicial process at SIU - Carbondale. Cases can be far more complex depending on the exact nature of the charges. For example, if you've been accused of Title IX sexual misconduct, you need to prepare questions for the Complainant, and you need to be ready to answer questions from the Complainant.
Whatever your particular situation, your Lento Law Firm attorney will be well-versed in all rules and procedures. They'll make sure you're fully prepared for any eventuality, and they'll show you how to use the judicial system to your best advantage.
Dealing With Academic Dismissal
There is one type of dismissal that doesn't involve investigations and hearings. There's simply no need for such procedures in academic dismissals.
Even in these instances, though, your Lento Law Firm attorney can show you how to use the SIU - Carbondale system to protect yourself. There are many ways to keep your GPA out of the danger zone, for instance.
- Extenuating circumstances may be grounds for avoiding dismissal. If you've been dealing with a family emergency or a serious illness, you can appeal directly to the dean of your school or college for more time to improve.
- Likewise, a learning disability such as ADD or ADHD can afford you the right to special consideration. If you discover you have such a condition, you can ask SIU - Carbondale to drop low grades from your transcript. Then, you can retake those courses for replacement credit.
- If you feel an instructor is mistreating you, you should report this immediately to that instructor's department head. You are entitled to a fair grade.
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.
