You likely attended an administrative or disciplinary hearing at your college, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), only a few days ago. Now, you have a Notice of Outcome email in your SNHU inbox telling you the school will be taking disciplinary action against you. You're probably feeling angry, upset, or scared for your future, and your school has chosen to take disciplinary action against you. You may wonder how this will impact your academic and professional careers and feel hopeless.
The Notice of Outcome isn't necessarily the end of the road. You can't afford to have SNHU derail your life without putting up a fight. SNHU officials may have told you your case is not eligible for appeal, but you need a second opinion from the Lento Law Firm. Our Student Defense Team will review your case and advise whether you are eligible for an appeal. As an SNHU student, you don't see the disciplinary appeals process firsthand, but our Student Defense Team frequently takes this type of case. We know some cases that don't seem appealable on the surface can have potential.
When you meet with the Lento Law Firm, one of our attorneys will review your case. If we think you are eligible for an appeal, we will start drafting it immediately. We aim to reduce or eliminate the sanctions against you so this incident has as little impact on your future as possible. Get started with our Student Defense Team today by calling 888-535-3686 or using our online form.
SNHU Appeal Eligibility
The appeal process at SNHU isn't a re-do of your hearing where you have a second chance to present your defense. You can only appeal the results of your disciplinary board or administrative conduct hearing in limited scenarios. The first scenario is that there is new information available that was not available at the time of your hearing. This new information must be meaningful to your case to the extent that it could have altered the original decision. This also must be information you couldn't have known at the time of your hearing and, therefore, used in your defense.
The second scenario is if a procedural error occurred. This essentially means that SNHU officials didn't follow SNHU policies and procedures during your hearing process, and the error prevented you from having a fair opportunity to present your case.
For example, in most cases, a student must be given 48 hours' notice before their disciplinary board hearing. If you were told on Wednesday afternoon that your hearing was scheduled for Thursday morning, you definitely did not have sufficient time to collect evidence, gather witnesses, and prepare your case, no less to find and retain legal counsel to advise you. If you aren't sure if SNHU violated your rights or their procedures, contact the Lento Law Firm. We can tell you if anything about your hearing process sounds fishy.
The last scenario SNHU deems eligible for appeal is when the sanctions are inappropriate, considering the violation you have committed and your past conduct as an SNHU student. In this situation, you are appealing because the punishment doesn't fit the crime.
At SNHU, if you missed your disciplinary or administrative conduct hearing, you have forfeited your right to an appeal. But suppose you didn't receive notice or could not attend or contact SNHU for a legitimate reason. In that case, your Lento Law Firm attorney may be able to argue an appeal or a new hearing is appropriate.
The SNHU Appeals Process
The appeals process works similarly, but not identically, for administrative conduct and disciplinary board hearings at SNHU. If you had a disciplinary board hearing, you received your Notice of Outcome email, which included a link to file your appeal. You will need to file your appeal using that link. If you had an administrative hearing, you received an email directly from your hearing officer. To request an appeal of an administrative hearing decision, you will need to email the written appeal to the hearing officer within five business days.
An appeal only addresses whether you were treated fairly in the hearing process. Unlike the initial disciplinary process, you don't get a hearing on appeals. When your case is reviewed on appeal, the assigned SNHU official will consider your written statement, original hearing documents, and materials and potentially conduct a hearing with your hearing officer. If the basis for your appeal is the appropriateness of your sanctions, previous disciplinary actions against you will be considered.
Cases on appeal for procedural errors or too harsh sanctions will be assessed to see whether a new hearing is appropriate. If so, a new hearing will be scheduled as soon as possible. Your Lento Law Firm attorney will prepare you for this hearing.
SNHU generally decides appeals within 7-10 days, and you will be sent an email notifying you of the decision. Appeals are final; don't waste your last chance to reduce or eliminate the sanctions against you by continuing to fight this battle alone. Our Student Defense Team is well-versed in the appeals process; this is your best chance of achieving a better outcome.
Retain the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team Today
If SNHU is sentencing you to probation, suspension, expulsion, or any other disciplinary sanctions, you must consider appealing your case. You worked hard to get into SNHU, have put thousands of dollars into your education, and have your whole future ahead of you. Don't let a mistake or misunderstanding derail your life. While you may be used to accepting that school is the authority, you have rights, and for the disciplinary action to stick, your rights need to have been upheld, and the sanctions must be appropriate. If you have any doubts about your case or are ready to pursue an appeal, contact the Lento Law Firm Student Defense Team today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.
