If you're facing dismissal at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, the situation is serious. All the work you've put into your education up to this point is in jeopardy. Worse, your future is on the line. It's almost impossible to find another school to take you once you've been dismissed from one university, and you know what the job market looks like these days for workers without a college degree.
What do you do?
First and foremost, you don't panic. Just because someone has mentioned dismissal to you doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen. The University of North Carolina, Charlotte, can't simply expel you. You have due process rights, and you're entitled to defend yourself.
Second, you contact the Lento Law Firm's Student Defense Team. You can fight dismissal, and you can win, but it's no easy task. You're going to need help. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm have spent years helping students just like you salvage their academic careers. They know your rights; they know how the University of North Carolina works, and they're ready to put what they know to work for you.
Reasons for Dismissal at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Let's start with the basics: just what is it that can get you dismissed from UNC, Charlotte?
- Academic Deficiencies: It probably won't come as a surprise to you that you can be dismissed for academic deficiencies. After all, you came to UNC, Charlotte, to be a student. The school's Academic Standing policy requires you to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. Anything below that number, and you can be placed on Probation. Continue to struggle, and you can be dismissed.
- Academic Misconduct: The pressure to meet the Standing policy leads some students to take shortcuts. That's not a good idea. Cheating and plagiarism can get you into just as much trouble as a low GPA. Under the school's Code of Student Academic Integrity, serious and multiple offenses can also get you dismissed.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: Where the Code of Academic Integrity governs your classroom behavior, the Code of Student Responsibility governs your broader campus behavior. Any rule violation, from trespassing to tampering with fire safety equipment, can get you dismissed. Some violations, such as weapons possession or drug usage, almost always result in dismissal.
- Sexual Misconduct: This is yet another type of offense that is most often punished with dismissal. Most sexually-based offenses are subject to federal regulation under Title IX, and schools take allegations extremely seriously.
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
As we mentioned before, you're entitled to defend yourself from any attempt to dismiss you. If you've been accused of committing some form of misconduct, that usually means an investigation and a hearing.
- Most cases begin with a complaint. The school's first task is to determine whether or not that complaint is credible and actionable. If it is, the school will typically initiate an investigation.
- Any time you are under investigation, you are entitled to a written Notice of the Charges. This notice should provide you with details about the allegation and a list of your due process rights.
- Among your rights, UNCC allows you to select an advisor to accompany you to all meetings and proceedings, and this advisor can be an attorney. That means someone from the Lento Law Firm can work with you from the moment you're charged.
- You can expect investigators to meet with you and get your side of the story. They'll meet with the Complainant (your accuser) as well. In addition, they'll talk to any witnesses and collect any physical evidence.
- Ultimately, investigators compile their findings in a written report. Once they've submitted this to the university, the university then sets a time and date for a hearing. In addition, it selects one or more decision makers to preside over the case.
- At the hearing, both sides get to make their cases. This means you can submit evidence and call witnesses. You can also ask questions of any witnesses against you.
- At the end of the hearing, decision makers must decide whether or not you are Responsible for (guilty of) an offense. To do this, they use a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence.” Far less strict than “beyond a reasonable doubt,” this standard requires them to find you Responsible if they are more than fifty percent convinced you committed the offense.
- A finding of Responsible isn't necessarily the end of your case. You have the right to appeal under two circumstances:
- A violation of your due process rights
- A deviation from the school's established procedures
You should know that cases can differ depending on the specific nature of the charges. For example, in Title IX sexual misconduct cases, only advisors are allowed to conduct cross-examinations. You need a defense strategy that's tailor-made to your particular situation. The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm have helped hundreds of students, and they know what to do no matter what the charges might be.
Academic Dismissals
Dismissals for academic deficiencies can sometimes be trickier to deal with than misconduct dismissals. That's because they're not normally subject to review. Your GPA is your GPA, and it's either high enough to meet Standing requirements or it's not.
UNCC does allow you to appeal academic dismissals if you have extenuating circumstances that led to your low grades.
What do you do, though, if you don't have a serious illness or a family emergency to point to as an excuse? The attorneys at the Lento Law Firm know a number of less formal strategies for dealing with these dismissals as well. For instance,
- A learning disability may entitle you to course accommodations such as extra time to complete assignments. If you should discover you have a learning disability, you can petition the school to drop your low grades from your GPA and allow you to retake those courses with accommodations in place.
- You can always try negotiating with your professors. If, for example, your grade is borderline, you could ask for makeup or extra credit work.
- You should never suffer mistreatment in the classroom. You should bring any mistreatment to the attention of your instructor's department chair. You may be entitled to some form of grade relief.
Fighting for Your Future
By this point, you probably have a clear sense of why you need the help of an attorney-advisor to fight dismissal decisions. Campus judicial procedures can be complex and difficult to navigate, and the full weight of your school will likely be against you.
You need someone watching over your shoulder, making certain you're treated fairly and that you get the justice you deserve.
The Lento Law Firm was built on helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. We know how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; we know how to interview witnesses; we know how to put together water-tight appeals. To find out more about exactly what the Lento Law Firm can do for you, contact us today at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
