If college were easy, everyone would have a degree. The truth is, graduating with a degree from Virginia Tech takes hard work and discipline. And, it's not just about making good grades. The school takes all types of misconduct seriously, for instance, and a violation of any one of the school's dozens of rules can be grounds for dismissal.
If you're facing dismissal for either academic or disciplinary reasons, you need to take the situation seriously. Dismissal is forever. Worse, you may find it difficult to find another school to accept you with an expulsion on your record. Put simply, your academic career could be over.
Part of taking the situation seriously is not trying to take on this fight by yourself. You need professional help from someone who knows the law and who understands your school and how it operates. You need Attorney-advisor Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team. Below, you'll find basic information on how to defend yourself from dismissal. There's no replacement, though, for having qualified representation from Joseph D. Lento and his team by your side.
Reasons for Dismissal at Virginia Tech
Let's start at the beginning. What exactly can get you dismissed from Virginia Tech?
- Academic Deficiencies: You came to VT to be a student, and that should be your first priority. The school maintains a strict academic standing policy. Should your cumulative GPA fall below 2.0, you can wind up on probation. Continue to struggle while on probation, and you can be dismissed entirely.
- Academic Misconduct: Virginia Tech doesn't just expect you to excel as a student. The school expects you to do so honestly. The Academic Integrity policy prohibits any action that might potentially give you an unfair advantage in completing your coursework. This means plagiarism. It also means cheating. Minor violations are usually punished with course sanctions—a lowered grade on the assignment, for example, or a lowered grade in the course. Serious and repeat offenses, though, can result in dismissal.
- Disciplinary misconduct: Where the Academic Integrity policy governs your classroom behaviors, the Student Code of Conduct governs all your other activities. It includes strictures against things like underage drinking, theft, and misuse of computer resources. Here again, serious and repeat offenses typically lead to dismissal.
- Sexual misconduct: Sexual misconduct is a form of disciplinary misconduct. In fact, information about this offense is included in the Student Code of Conduct. However, such offenses are among the most serious a college student can commit. In addition, they are subject to Title IX, a federal law. As a result, VT treats them as their own special type of violation.
Defending Yourself from Misconduct Charges
Knowing what you might be accused of is a good start. Next, though, you need to know what the process is for defending yourself. There are some important differences in how cases work based on the specific type of accusation you're facing. However, the general outline of the process is the same in its broad outlines.
- Cases begin with a complaint made to the appropriate administrative office. Academic misconduct, for instance, is reported to the school's Honor Council. Disciplinary misconduct is reported to the Office of Student Conduct. Sexual misconduct complaints are filed with the Title IX Coordinator.
- Assuming the school moves forward with the case, it will initiate investigative procedures.
- You have a number of important rights throughout the process. Among these, you are entitled to notification of any charges against you. You're also entitled to an advisor, someone to accompany you to meetings and proceedings.
- As part of the investigation, investigators typically meet separately with both parties. In addition, they interview witnesses and collect any physical evidence.
- At the conclusion of the investigation, investigators submit a written summary of their findings. Once the administrative office receives this report, it sets a time and date for your hearing.
- At the hearing, you make your full case to a panel of specially selected decision makers. This is your chance to offer arguments, present evidence, and call witnesses. Of course, the Complainant (your accuser) has the right to do the same.
- Cases are decided using a legal principle known as “preponderance of the evidence.” According to this principle, decision makers must find you Responsible (guilty) if they believe it is “more likely than not” that you committed an offense.
- Finally, you have a limited right to appeal the hearing outcome, should you lose your case. Grounds for appeal include
- Procedural violations
- The discovery of new evidence
- A sanction that is disproportionate to the offense
Again, small procedural differences can make a big difference. For example, while you can choose an attorney as your advisor in sexual and disciplinary misconduct cases, your advisor in academic misconduct cases must be a member of the VT community.
No matter what kind of charges you're facing, Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team can help. Even if they can't accompany you to hearings, they can be crucial to preparing your defense. They know how to put together a strong defense strategy; they're experienced in gathering evidence and coming up with questions for witnesses. Most importantly, they can monitor your case and make sure you're being treated fairly and afforded all the rights you deserve.
Academic Dismissals
Unfortunately, you can't defend yourself against a dismissal for academic deficiencies at VT as easily as you can against academic misconduct allegations. The school assumes that your GPA is a matter of fact and not open to debate.
Luckily, even in these cases, Joseph D. Lento and his Education Law Team know a number of valuable strategies for protecting you. For example,
- If your low GPA is the result of extenuating circumstances, like a serious illness or a family crisis, you can try appealing to the academic dean for more time to improve.
- You can also try negotiating directly with faculty. Many are open to strong arguments. Maybe you passed the final exam, for instance, and believe this should entitle you to a passing grade in the course.
- If you discover you have an undiagnosed learning disability, you may be able to drop low course grades and retake the courses without penalty.
No matter what your particular situation, Joseph D. Lento and his team can work with you to come up with a plan for moving forward and help you put that plan into action.
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 Joseph D. Lento law firm was built on helping students just like you handle all types of misconduct charges. They know how to negotiate with faculty and administrators; they know how to interview witnesses; they know how to put together water-tight appeals. To find out more about exactly what Joseph D. Lento and his team can do for you, contact the Lento Law Firm today, at 888-555-3686, or use our automated online form.
