If you've been at the University of Northern Colorado for more than a minute, you know how hard college can be. It isn't just about tough professors either, though you'll certainly run into hardliners. Beyond the classroom, you're subject to dozens of rules and regulations, and keeping them all straight can be mind-boggling. Even the most upright, disciplined students sometimes fall afoul of university policies.
The thing is, universities have also gotten unreasonably strict about how they sanction misconduct. Even minor offenses now sometimes garner dismissal.
Don't let it happen to you. If you're in trouble and someone has mentioned the possibility of dismissal, make sure you have help on your side. The Lento Law Firm has represented hundreds of students over the years from all types of charges. Our Student Defense Team is committed to protecting your rights and ensuring you the best possible resolution to your case.
Don't wait to contact us, though. UNC is already building its case against you. You should be working on your defense. Call 888-535-3686 to get help, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
Reasons for Dismissal from the University of Northern Colorado
You can't hope to defend yourself without knowing exactly what you're accused of doing. Think your innocence will be enough? You, more than anyone, need a familiarity with UNC's rules since you really don't have any context for understanding the charges against you.
Basically, there are four reasons the university might try to dismiss you.
- Academic Deficiencies: As hard as it may be to believe, you can be dismissed simply for failing to keep your GPA up. Plenty of students who start at UNC don't manage to finish. The university's academic standing policy requires you to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0. Anything under that number means probation, and should you continue to struggle while on probation, you can ultimately face dismissal.
- Academic Misconduct: You're not just required to earn good grades at UNC; you're required to earn them honestly. The university's academic integrity policy lists fifteen separate offenses. The bottom line, though, is that any action you take that gives you an unfair advantage in earning your degree constitutes misconduct. First offenses are typically punished with classroom sanctions. Second and additional offenses are subject to dismissal.
- Disciplinary Misconduct: UNC's general campus misconduct policy is even more detailed than the academic misconduct policy. Here, you'll find strictures against things like underage drinking, theft, and assault. In contrast to the academic misconduct policy, even first violations can get you dismissed if they are serious enough.
- Sexual Misconduct: This is technically a form of disciplinary misconduct, but such offenses are usually treated separately. Partly, this is due to the serious nature of sexual misconduct. Additionally, however, offenses are subject to regulation under Title IX, a federal law. No surprise, then, that most Responsible (guilty) students wind up dismissed.
Misconduct Defenses
There are a lot of rules and regulations to worry about at UNC. The good news is there are also plenty of ways to defend yourself. In fact, if you've been accused of misconduct, you are entitled to a presumption of innocence (“Not Responsible”), to an investigation, and to defend yourself at a hearing.
- Anyone at the university can lodge a complaint against you—faculty, other students, administrators, staff, security officers. The university must then decide whether to pursue charges.
- If you are charged, you can expect to receive written notice of the charges. This notice will explain the allegations to you. It will also contain a list of all your due process rights as the accused.
- You can have an attorney accompany you to meetings and proceedings. An attorney cannot speak on your behalf, but they can help you answer questions and present your case.
- The university cannot find you Responsible without evidence. This means it must conduct some type of investigation. You have the right to meet with investigators and give your side of the story. You further have the right to submit evidence and suggest witnesses they should interview.
- Once the investigation is complete, investigators submit a summary of their findings back to the university. The university then sets a time and date for a hearing and appoints one or more decision-makers to preside over this hearing.
- The hearing is your best opportunity to make your case. You can introduce evidence and call witnesses to testify. You also get to question the prosecution's evidence and cross-examine any witnesses against you.
- Decision-makers then employ a legal standard known as “preponderance of the evidence” to determine your level of “Responsibility” (guilt). This standard requires them to find you guilty if they are more than fifty percent convinced you committed an offense.
- Your final due process right is the right to appeal the hearing outcome. This right does have limits, however. You must have specific grounds for your appeal, such as new evidence, an accusation of procedural error, or a complaint that the sanction is disproportionate to the offense.
All Northern Colorado cases follow this outline, no matter what the specific charge. Charges can impact the specific details of a case, though. For instance, only advisors may cross-examine witnesses in Title IX sexual misconduct cases.
Whatever the charges you're facing, you can trust that the Lento Law Firm attorney will be well-versed in all processes and procedures. They'll make sure you're fully prepared for whatever you may face, and they'll help you use the system to your best possible advantage.
Dealing With Academic Dismissal
There are ways to defend yourself from academic dismissals, too, but these are not as clear-cut as the strategies in misconduct cases.
- First, you can appeal an academic dismissal decision. Appeals are based strictly on extenuating circumstances, such as a serious illness or a family emergency, and there are no hearings. However, a successful appeal can earn you more time to improve your GPA.
- If you should discover you have a previously undiagnosed learning disability, you may be entitled to certain course accommodations, like extra time to complete assignments. You can also ask UNC to set your low grades aside and let you retake courses for replacement credit.
- If you have some skill with negotiation, it is sometimes possible to convince an instructor you deserve a higher grade. If, for instance, your final exam grade is especially high, you might try arguing that it warrants a higher course 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.
