As a medical student at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, you spend virtually all your time worried about your coursework, and rightly so. Courses are tough, and instructors are even tougher. In between mastering the basics of physiology and histology, though, spare a thought for your personal conduct.
Of course, you want to keep your grades up, but a low grade—even a course failure—wouldn’t destroy your future. At worst, you might wind up completing a remediation plan or repeating a year. Get caught cheating or manipulating lab results, though, and your career is over before it even begins.
If you’ve been charged with some type of academic misconduct offense, you cannot afford to take the situation lightly. You need to respond immediately and forcefully. Your very best hope of surviving such a charge is to contact the LLF National Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team understands what’s at stake, and we have the background and experience to protect your rights. We’ve helped hundreds of students defend themselves from school misconduct charges, and whatever your situation, we’re on your side and ready to help.
You need to contact us as soon as possible, though. Medical schools often move quickly, and you can be sure the SLUSOM is already building its case. You should be building your defense. To find out how we can help, call 888-535-3686 today, or take a few minutes right now and fill out one of our online forms.
The Basics of Academic Misconduct
The School of Medicine at Saint Louis University doesn’t offer its own academic integrity policy, relying instead on general university guidelines. Those guidelines specifically mention
- Falsification
- Plagiarism
- Cheating
- Sabotage
- Collusion
More broadly, though, you’re expected to avoid any action that could give you an unfair advantage in completing your coursework or your degree.
And while the SOM doesn’t maintain its own academic integrity policy, don’t let that fool you into thinking that it takes misconduct lightly. Ethics and professionalism are cornerstones of the medical profession, and medical schools expect you to live up to the highest expectations. So, where undergraduate institutions typically punish first offenses with in-class sanctions like lower grades, SLUSOM could very well dismiss you over a single instance of cheating.
There’s no coming back from med school dismissal. It’s hard enough getting into a program in the first place. Once you have a black mark on your record, other schools aren’t going to touch you. That’s why it’s so important you have an LLF National Law Firm attorney on your side, protecting your rights and looking out for your interests. We can make sure SLUSOM treats you fairly and that you get the best possible resolution to your case.
Disciplinary Procedures at SLUSOM
The good news is that the School of Medicine can’t simply dismiss you over an allegation of academic misconduct. You are always entitled to due process. That starts with the presumption of innocence (“not responsible”). The school must give you the benefit of the doubt. Only a preponderance of evidence can lead to a “responsible” (guilty) finding, and you have the right to respond to that evidence at a formal hearing.
Processes and procedures can be complex, though, and difficult to navigate. It helps to have an LLF National Law Firm attorney to guide you through them.
- Just as the School of Medicine adopts SLU definitions of integrity, it also employs investigation and adjudication procedures. However, university decisions are ultimately reviewed by the SOM’s Student Progress Committee, which imposes its own sanctions.
- If an instructor believes you’ve committed an offense, their first responsibility is to gather evidence. They cannot proceed without a preponderance of evidence. In other words, they must believe it is “more likely than not” that you violated policy.
- Next, your instructor must communicate their suspicions to you and give you an opportunity to respond. Only at this point is the case forwarded to the Director of Academic Integrity (DAI).
- You always have the opportunity to admit responsibility and accept a sanction. Again, though, the most likely sanction in academic misconduct cases is dismissal. You are almost always better off fighting charges.
- The DAI sets a hearing before a three-member Academic Hearing Panel. At the hearing, you may offer any evidence of your innocence, including witness testimony. Remember, though, that you have the presumption of innocence. Your most important task is to raise questions about the evidence being used against you.
- The standard of responsibility in SLU cases is preponderance of the evidence, and the panel cannot find you responsible unless the university has met that burden.
- You have the right to appeal the hearing outcome. However, you must have sufficient grounds for doing so. That usually means a procedural error, a new piece of evidence, or a disproportionate sanction.
- If you’re found not responsible, your case is at an end. If you’re found responsible, the Student Progress Committee then considers what sanction to apply.
Importantly, Saint Louis University gives you the right to an advisor any time you’re facing a misconduct charge. Your LLF National Law Firm attorney cannot “represent” you the way they would in a criminal trial. However, they can prepare you to represent yourself. They’ll work with you, for instance, to identify evidence of your innocence and review the evidence being used against you. They’ll make sure you’re ready for any meetings with your instructor or the DAI. They’ll help you draft a hearing presentation and give you practice in presenting it. Of course, they’ll also monitor everything that happens and make sure that the SLU and the SOM respect your due process rights at every step of the way.
The LLF National Law Firm is Always on Your Side
The LLF National Law Firm knows what’s at stake in a way other firms just don’t. The attorneys who make up our Student Defense Team have dedicated their lives to ensuring schools treat students fairly, and they care about your future. No one else has the knowledge of campus justice we do. No one else can show you how to use the system to your advantage.
If you’re being forced to fight for your educational future, don’t try to handle the situation yourself, and don’t trust your case to a local attorney. Find out more about what the LLF National Law Firm can do by calling 888-535-3686, or take time right now to fill out our online questionnaire.