Lackawanna College holds order over its campus using its Student Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct can be found within the pages of the College's student handbook. Students who are suspected of violating this Code will be held responsible for violations under the College Discipline Process.
Only members of the College's staff or administration can file reports against students for alleged violations of the Code of Conduct. Once a report is filed, the discipline process begins.
College Discipline Process
For issues that arise in residence halls, a Residence Life staff member may outright issue a citation at the time of the offense. For most other circumstances, when a violation is reported to the Dean of Students, the situation will be reviewed and investigated. The Vice President for Student Affairs, the Director of Public Safety, or a Residence Life staff member may have a say in the decision. Students will receive the decision in writing. Students have very little input at this stage and instead will have a greater impact with their appeal.
Appeals
Students only have a right to appeal a sanction of dismissal. If a student admits guilt or chooses to accept dismissal, their right to appeal is waived. Appeals must be made within 3 business days of the notice of dismissal. Letters of appeal must be hand-delivered to the Dean of Students. The Dean will then assemble a College Appeal Board.
The board will consist of 1 student government member, the Associate Dean of Students, 1 business office member, 1 student wellness program staff member, and an Academic Dean.
Appeal Hearing
At hearings, the Dean of Students will act as chair, but will not take part in the final decision making. The Dean will open the hearing by presenting the charges. The dean will also present all evidence for the College or the individual who pressed charges, acting somewhat like a prosecutor. The accused student will be able to make their own opening and closing statements. During the evidence and witness presentation phase, members of the Board can question witnesses and presenters. Failing to attend the hearing will likely forfeit a student's right to appeal unless they have a valid excuse. Even if the appeal is successful, the College President can overturn the decision if it is deemed necessary.
Students are entitled to the presence of an advisor, however, the advisor must be from the College community. Even without attending an appeal hearing, an attorney can be of great help to students by working with them from behind the scenes. An attorney can offer helpful insight into courtroom tactics such as evidence presentation and argument construction that can be incredibly useful in the setting of a college hearing. It is of utmost importance to have an attorney involved at this stage, as it may be the student's last chance to get a favorable outcome.
If you or your student is facing disciplinary action from Lackawanna College, please contact attorney Joseph D. Lento today.
