There is no more serious sanction UNC Wilmington can assign you than dismissal. Dismissal means total separation from the university. It can also mean the end of your academic career altogether. Dismissal always comes with a transcript notation about your offense, and that is usually enough to keep other colleges and universities from admitting you.
Of course, UNC Wilmington can't simply dismiss you. You have the right to due process—usually an investigation and a hearing. You don't want to go through those processes alone, though. There's simply too much at stake. You need someone from the Lento Law Firm beside you. Our Student Defense Team was founded to help protect student rights. We've dealt with every type of dismissal and helped hundreds of students to get their academic careers back on track.
How can we help you? Call 888-535-3686 today to find out, or take a few minutes right now and fill out an online form.
Reasons for Dismissal from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington
As we mentioned, UNC Wilmington can't dismiss you without cause. There are an awful lot of rules and regulations to keep track of, though, more, in fact, than we can list here. What we can do is give you the four major categories of offense. Know these, and you should be able to avoid most kinds of trouble.
- Academic Deficiencies: It won't come as a surprise to you that you can wind up dismissed for a low GPA. After all, you came to UNC Wilmington to study. Of course, everyone's grades dip from time to time. One D or F isn't enough to get kicked out. If you should struggle consistently, though, you can eventually reach the point of dismissal.
- Academic Misconduct: The UNC Wilmington Honor Code prohibits cheating and plagiarism, of course, including all forms of digital cheating and plagiarism. Using ChatGPT to write your term paper may not get you dismissed the first time you try it. Get caught more than once, though, and dismissal becomes a very real possibility.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: It isn't just your coursework that can get you into trouble. UNC Wilmington is a community, and you're held to certain standards of community behavior. These are collected in the university's Code of Student Conduct. The Code deals with offenses such as hazing, trespassing, vandalism, theft, and disorderly conduct. In this case, even a first offense can lead to dismissal if it is serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: Dismissal is actually the most common sanction in sexual misconduct cases. Offenses are subject to federal law under Title IX, and schools are required to investigate most complaints and encouraged to issue harsh sanctions.
Misconduct Defenses
If your dismissal case has to do with misconduct of any type—academic, disciplinary, or sexual—you are entitled to mount a full defense. You are presumed Not Responsible (innocent) until you are proven Responsible, and you have a number of important rights to protect you as you defend yourself.
- Cases begin with a complaint. Anyone can make a complaint against you, but the university must decide whether the allegations are credible and actionable before it can officially charge you with a dismissable offense.
- You are entitled to Notice of any charges against you. That notice must identify your accuser (the Complainant) and explain the accusations. It should also include a complete list of your rights as the accused (the Respondent).
- You can select an advisor to accompany you to meetings and hearings. Your Lento Law Firm attorney can be on hand from the moment you are charged. They cannot speak for you, but they can offer advice in every situation.
- You are entitled to an investigation. The university cannot prosecute you without evidence. As part of the investigation, you have the right to give your side of the story. Of course, investigators will also speak to the Complainants and any other relevant witnesses, and they'll collect any physical evidence. You have the right to review all this evidence, though.
- Once the investigation is complete, investigators submit their findings, and the university sets a time and date for a hearing.
- At the hearing, you may face a single administrator or a panel of decision-makers. In any case, you have the right to introduce evidence and call witnesses to testify. You also have the right to question any of the university's evidence and to raise questions for witnesses against you.
- UNC Wilmington doesn't have to prove its case "beyond a reasonable doubt." The standard is somewhat less strict—"preponderance of the evidence." Even so, decision-makers must be more than fifty percent convinced you committed an offense.
- Finally, even if you should lose your case, you have the right to appeal. You must have grounds for appeal—a violation of your rights, for example, or the discovery of new evidence. However, these circumstances are more common than you might think.
This general outline applies to all cases, but it's important you recognize that cases can differ in small but important ways depending on the nature of the charges against you. For instance, in Title IX sexual misconduct cases—and only Title IX sexual misconduct cases—advisors must ask all witness questions. These differences can affect how you prepare your defense. You can count on your Lento Law Firm attorney, though, to be familiar with all UNC Wilmington administrative and judicial procedures. We're on your side. We know the system, and we know how to use it to your best benefit.
Academic Dismissal Cases
You have due process rights in academic dismissal cases as well, but the process itself is significantly different than the one you face if you're charged with misconduct. There's no investigation, for instance, and no hearing.
Academic dismissals are based on your GPA, and there's really no debating that. However, UNC Wilmington gives you several chances to improve before you face dismissal.
If you have reached the point of academic dismissal, your Lento Law Firm attorney can still offer some useful strategies for salvaging your academic career. For instance,
- If your academic deficiencies are the result of extenuating circumstances, we can help you file a direct appeal with the dean of your school or college. This can give you more time to improve.
- Your Lento Law Firm attorney can also help you get tested for learning disabilities. These may entitle you to certain classroom accommodations, like extra time to complete assignments. A disability can also be grounds for dropping low grades from your GPA.
- If you feel you've been mistreated in the classroom, we can help you file a complaint with the instructor's department head. You may be entitled to some form of grade improvement.
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.
