It's not easy getting into college. It takes brains, hard work, and persistence. You should be proud to have been accepted at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. You can't rest on your laurels now, though. There's still a lot of work to do. Graduation is far from a sure thing, and there are lots of reasons why you could find yourself dismissed over the next four years, including academic misconduct, disciplinary misconduct, sexual misconduct, and poor academic performance.
No matter what type of dismissal you might be facing, National Student Defense attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento is here to help. Joseph D. Lento built his career making sure students are treated fairly and that they get every possible chance at a bright future. A mistake shouldn't cost you your college degree. Joseph D. Lento wants to make sure it doesn't.
Academic Misconduct
No college or university wants to develop a reputation for cheating. It should come as no surprise, then, that a school with the University of Illinois' reputation would have strict policies in place to limit all forms of academic misconduct. Those policies specifically prohibit cheating, plagiarism, fabrication, and bribes, but any attempt to gain an unfair advantage in completing your coursework could lead to dismissal.
Classroom instructors typically deal with minor infractions, but egregious and multiple violations—violations that could potentially be punished with dismissal—are subject to a complex appeals process.
- If an instructor recommends you be dismissed from the university, the Department Head, or Executive Officer (EO), must decide whether or not to support the recommendation.
- If the EO supports the recommendation, they must forward their decision to the Dean of the college or Appeals Manager. This official must then appoint an Appeal Committee, made up of at least two faculty and at least one student, to determine whether or not dismissal is warranted.
- Meanwhile, you have the right to appeal your instructor's findings yourself if
- Your instructor did not follow the proper procedure
- Your instructor had a bias or conflict of interest
- The recommended sanction is disproportionate to the offense
- New evidence arises
- The Appeal Committee considers your appeal of the findings at the same time, it considers the question of dismissal.
- Finally, if the Appeal Committee denies your appeal and also recommends dismissal, the question of dismissal is forwarded once more, this time to a three-member Senate Committee on Student Discipline. This committee must be made up of at least one faculty member and one student.
You should also keep in mind that all judicial cases at the University of Illinois—including academic misconduct cases—are decided using a legal standard known as “Preponderance of Evidence.” According to this standard, decision-makers must find you Responsible (guilty) if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense.
In addition, you should know that you have the right in all cases to be accompanied to meetings and hearings by an advisor of your choice. This advisor can be an attorney.
Disciplinary Misconduct
The University of Illinois also has Rules of Conduct that govern non-academic behaviors or behaviors that occur outside the classroom. These rules cover everything from property damage to hazing. Serious violations, such as drug possession and assault, are almost always punished with dismissal, but any misconduct can potentially lead to expulsion. You can also be expelled for breaking any federal, state, or local law, even if your actions take place off campus.
Disciplinary cases are handled by the Office for Student Conflict Resolution and are subject to their own investigative and adjudicative processes.
- Complaints are initially investigated by a Case Coordinator (CC).
- The CC must decide whether or not the charges might warrant dismissal. If so, then the case is forwarded to the Senate Subcommittee on Undergraduate Discipline.
- The CC then continues its investigation.
- Ultimately, the investigative report becomes the foundation of a hearing before a panel chosen from the subcommittee.
- At the hearing, you may make arguments, submit evidence, and call witnesses. You may propose questions for witnesses, though those questions must be asked by panel members.
- Finally, should you lose your case, you can also appeal to the Director of the Office for Student Conflict Resolution if
- You can show a procedural irregularity occurred
- You can produce new evidence not available at the hearing
- You can show an official had a conflict of interest or bias
- You can demonstrate that the sanction is disproportionate to the nature of the offense.
Sexual Misconduct
Sexual misconduct is a very particular form of disciplinary misconduct that is subject to its own rules and procedures. That's because such misconduct isn't just subject to school policy but to federal law. Title IX of the 1972 education amendments requires all schools to take all credible accusations seriously, and it prescribes how such cases must proceed. Suspension is normally the minimum penalty in such cases. Expulsion is the most likely sanction.
Cases work very much like ordinary disciplinary misconduct cases. However, they are handled by the school's Title IX Coordinator, who appoints investigators, decision-makers, and appeals officers.
In addition, you have some rights under Title IX that you don't have in other types of cases. For instance, you have the right to review the Investigator's report and suggest revisions. You also have the right to cross-examine the Complainant and any witnesses against you, and all cross-examination must be conducted by your advisor.
Academic Performance Issues
Finally, you can also be dismissed from the University of Illinois simply for failing to meet academic expectations. Under the school's Academic Standing Policy, you can be placed on probation if your term or cumulative GPA should fall below 2.0 or if you should complete fewer than 12 hours in a given semester. You can be dismissed if you fail to improve while on probation.
There are no formal procedures for contesting academic dismissal over performance issues. That does not mean, however, that there is no way to do so. You can appeal, for instance, to your college dean if you have extenuating circumstances that have kept you from meeting standards. You might also try working with faculty directly, asking a professor to reconsider your work, for instance, or for an instructor to offer extra credit assignments to help bring up your grades.
Fighting for Your Future
Fighting dismissal of any type can seem like a daunting prospect. You have to develop a defense strategy, collect evidence, and talk to witnesses. All of this takes time and energy that, as a student, you just don't have. That doesn't mean you should simply give up and accept your fate. You're never any worse off fighting and losing than you would be just giving up.
More importantly, you don't have to take on your school alone. Joseph D. Lento stands ready to help. Joseph D. Lento built his career helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. He's dealt with everything from plagiarism allegations to rape charges. He knows how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; he knows how to formulate witness questions; he knows how to put together a water-tight appeal. Most importantly, no matter what problem you're facing, Joseph D. Lento is on your side and will fight hard to get you the very best possible resolution to your case.
If you or your child is facing dismissal or have already been dismissed, Joseph D. Lento may be able to help. Contact the Lento Law Firm today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
