If you are a student at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Virginia, you’ve worked hard to get to where you are – and have much more work ahead of you before you finish your schooling, clinical work, and residency. While, of course, you’re fortunate to have achieved your goals so far, you also know that it is important to focus on what VCOM requires of you as a member of its medical school.

That’s why if you are notified that you have been accused of any form of academic, professional, or other type of misconduct, you need to take it seriously. Even if what you’re being accused of seems relatively minor, repeated incidents will likely be treated by VCOM as grounds for suspension or even expulsion. And if you’re facing allegations of serious misconduct, you, of course, need a strong defense. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team can help. Our experienced attorneys are ready to learn about the accusations you’re facing and to explain how we can help. Call us at  888.535.3686, or fill out  our contact form to learn more.

Common Reasons for Dismissal

VCOM’s College Catalog and Student Handbook is a comprehensive collection of policies and procedures that apply to many aspects of student life at all of the VCOM campuses, including the one in Blacksburg, Virginia. It lists some of the types of misconduct that can be grounds for a disciplinary investigation and possible sanctions for any VCOM student. These include:

Violations of VCOM’s General Professional and Ethical Policies

  • Failing to respect the academic freedom of other students to express their viewpoints
  • Engaging in impermissible sexual relationships, including with patients, faculty, or staff
  • Not following VCOM’s extensive personal care and dress code standards
  • Violating VCOM’s social media policies
  • Engaging in cyberbullying
  • Failing to follow VCOM’s professionalism standards
  • Not following school standards and legal requirements related to patient medical records
  • Failing to report an arrest or criminal charge while a student at VCOM
  • Engaging in illegal drug use or alcohol abuse while a student or while acting in a clinical role
  • Discriminating against, harassing, or acting in a violent manner towards any other student or colleague, including sexual harassment

Violations of VCOM’s Honor Code of Conduct

  • Cheating
  • Plagiarism
  • Falsifying information in any VCOM-related context
  • Engaging in disruptive behavior
  • Discriminating on the basis of age, gender, sex, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy status, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veterans’ status, or any other area protected by federal, state, or local law
  • Engaging in or distributing pornography
  • Unacceptable use of technology, particularly computers
  • Unprofessional or unethical behavior
  • Breach of Integrity

VCOM classifies offences into three categories depending on their severity. Class I offenses are relatively minor ones and may be remedied with education or community service. Class II offenses are more serious and include cheating or unprofessional behavior, with sanctions to be determined by the campus dean. Class III offenses are major ones, and the student has the option of several ways for the allegations to be decided.

While the Handbook provides examples of many specific types of misconduct, it also notes that the school reserves the right to discipline students for a wide range of conduct, even if the specific type of conduct is not listed. Student sanctions can include warnings, reprimands, suspensions, and dismissals from the school. In any case where you may be facing a sanction, you need a strong defense. The LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team is here to provide one.

The Adjudication Process

VCOM’s Honor Code Council is responsible for handling most misconduct allegations, with the exception of those that allege violations of Title IX – these are handled by the school’s Title IX Coordinator according to the school’s Title IX policies.

One step in many misconduct cases is an Honor Code Investigation. The Honor Code Council will assign the matter to a three-person investigative panel that is responsible for reviewing the allegations, conducting interviews in connection with the allegations, and gathering any other evidence associated with the matter. At the close of the investigation, the Honor Code Council will determine whether a full Honor Code Hearing is required, whether the matter can be resolved by way of a warning to the accused student or whether the matter can be dismissed.

In cases where the accusations rise to the level of a Class III offense, the accused student may be able to select one of the following ways to resolve the matter:

  • The Campus Dean will decide the matter, including any sanctions
  • A Three-Person Panel will hear the case, with recommendations for any sanctions made to the Campus Dean
  • The Professional and Ethical Standards Board will hear the case

The Campus Dean has the discretion to agree to the first two of these methods or may require the matter to be heard by the Professional and Ethical Standards Board.

In any of these cases, the student has rights – the right to present a defense, to have an advisor from the VCOM community, to hear all evidence against them, to speak on their own behalf, and to be treated as though no violation has happened until decided otherwise.

While students are not allowed to have legal counsel at hearings, working with an experienced professional license defense attorney from the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team can still be enormously helpful. Our attorneys can work with you and your chosen VCOM advisor to craft effective and complete responses to the allegations made against you; to prepare you for any interview during the investigation; to work with you to get you ready for any hearing that may take place; and to help you negotiate a resolution of your case with the Honor Code Council where such a possibility exists based on the facts of your case.

A decision that goes against the student can be appealed on limited grounds set by VCOM, including a violation of the student’s rights; new information that wasn’t available at the time of the hearing; “arbitrary or capricious” treatment by the Honor Code Council; or “other extenuating circumstances.”

The LLF National Law Firm Can Help Defend You

If you are a student at VCOM and have been accused of misconduct, contact the LLF National Law Firm’s Student Defense Team for help. Our experienced attorneys have worked with students in undergraduate and graduate programs – including all types of medical schools – all across the country who have been accused of misconduct. We know how important your future is to you, and are ready to help you mount a strong and effective defense to the allegations you are facing, based on the facts of your particular case.

Call us today at 888.535.3686, or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation to tell us about the accusations made against you, and to hear how we can help.

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)

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