You've been charged with some sort of serious offense at SCAD. Or you're struggling to keep your GPA up. Someone has mentioned the possibility of dismissal, and now you're a little nervous. Maybe more than a little. What do you do?
First, you don't panic. You can handle whatever the situation might be. You do need to take things seriously. Dismissal doesn't just mean leaving SCAD. That's bad enough, but you'll also have a transcript notation about your offense following you around. It's not easy finding another school to accept you once you've already been dismissed from one. But while the situation is undeniably serious, it's also true that, with the right sort of help, you can make it through this challenge.
The Lento Law Firm offers the right sort of help. Our Student Defense Team is focused on helping college and university students defend themselves. We've helped hundreds of students just like you respond to charges ranging from simple cheating to sexual assault. We know SCAD policies and how the college's administrative and judicial systems work. We'll protect your rights no matter the circumstances and make sure you get the best possible resolution to your case.
Before we can do any of that, though, you have to contact us. Call 888-535-3686 today, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
Reasons for Dismissal from Savannah College of Art and Design
Let's start simple. Just what is it you've been accused of doing? That can make an enormous difference in how you defend yourself.
There are basically just four reasons SCAD can decide to dismiss you:
- Academic Deficiencies: Grades matter. Of course, they do. You don't have to be overly anxious about them—one bad grade isn't going to put your college career at risk. However, a term GPA below 2.0 can mean a warning or academic probation. Continue to struggle at that point, and dismissal is a possibility.
- Academic Misconduct: Just as important as keeping your grades up is earning your grades honestly. SCAD's academic integrity policy specifically mentions four offenses: cheating, plagiarism, submitting the same work in different classes, and submitting work you didn't actually produce. The truth is, though, that any hint of classroom dishonesty can get you into trouble. Again, a first offense won't usually lead to dismissal. A second offense could, though.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Your non-academic behavior is governed by SCAD's Code of Student Conduct (see college policies). As you might expect, the code outlaws things like violence, disorderly conduct, and theft. Penalties here tend to be more severe than those for a low GPA or academic misconduct, and dismissal is always a possibility for a serious offense.
- Sexual Misconduct: This category of offense almost always leads to dismissal. SCAD policy follows federal law (Title IX). The college investigates all credible complaints and issues harsh penalties to anyone found Responsible (guilty).
Misconduct Defenses
If it's misconduct you've been accused of committing, you defend yourself by making use of SCAD's judicial system. Under that system, you're considered innocent ("Not Responsible") until proven guilty ("Responsible"). You are entitled to an investigation and to make your case at a formal hearing.
- Anyone at the college can accuse you of misconduct—other students, instructors, administrators, staff, and campus security. This is one reason it can be difficult to defend yourself: an accusation can come from anywhere at any time.
- You'll know you've been charged with an offense because SCAD issues you a Notice of the Charges. This notice will outline the allegations and explain all of your due process rights under school policy.
- Once you've received Notice of the Charges, the college will conduct an investigation. You have the right to give your side of the story, to submit evidence, and to suggest witnesses.
- Investigations can be short—academic misconduct allegations don't usually take more than a few days to investigate. They can also be long—sexual misconduct allegations can sometimes take up to six months. Once your investigation is complete, though, investigators submit a written report of their findings. You have the right to view this document.
- The investigative report serves as the foundation of the case against you. You then have a chance to respond to this document at a full hearing. At the hearing, you may introduce evidence and call witnesses to testify. You may also raise questions for any witnesses against you.
- One or more trained, unbiased decision-makers will ultimately determine whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) the offense. To do this, they use a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” This standard requires them to find you Responsible if they are more than fifty percent convinced of your guilt.
- You have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. However, this right is not absolute. You must have appropriate “grounds” for appeal. This usually means something like the discovery of new evidence, a procedural error, or a disproportionate sanction.
This general outline applies to all SCAD judicial cases. However, cases can differ depending on the exact nature of the charges. You may or may not be allowed to bring an attorney with you to meetings and proceedings, for example.
Keep in mind, though, that you always have the right to consult a Lento Law Firm attorney about your case. No one can interfere with that right. Even if we cannot speak for you or conduct cross-examination on your behalf, we can play a crucial role in preparing your defense, uncovering evidence, and making sure you're ready to answer questions. Most of all, we'll monitor the case to ensure SCAD respects your rights at every step of the process.
Dealing With Academic Dismissal
If you're facing an academic dismissal, you'll need to take other approaches to defending yourself. There is no formal appeals process, for instance, if your GPA has fallen too far and remained there too long.
However, there certainly are strategies for dealing with this type of dismissal, and the Lento Law Firm attorney can help show you how to use them. For instance,
- If you've been dealing with extenuating circumstances, such as a death in the family or a long-term illness, your attorney can help you file an informal appeal with the college dean. It is sometimes possible to get extra time to improve.
- If you should discover you have a disability, your attorney can petition the college to drop low scores from your GPA while you get tested. Then, you can retake those courses once proper accommodations are in place.
- You always have the option to ask an instructor for makeup or extra credit work. This can be an easy way to improve your GPA, especially if your grades are 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.
