While going to college right after high school is considered a natural progression by some, others may face financial barriers or feel unprepared for higher education, leading them to avoid it. As time passes, returning to school becomes more challenging. To address this, many colleges and universities offer continuing education programs for adult learners seeking to earn a degree or enhance their knowledge in a specific field.
However, enrolling in continuing education as an adult can pose additional challenges as it requires juggling personal responsibilities such as work and family, along with coursework and friendships. Falling behind in any of these areas can cause a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety, which may lead to accusations of misconduct.
If you or a loved one has been accused of academic or behavioral misconduct, Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team are available to help. Call us today.
Academics at George Washington University
The George Washington University College of Professional Studies (CPS) offers real-time, hands-on education to working professionals looking to broaden their career opportunities. In addition to offering non-credit programs for professional development, they also offer opportunities to complete a bachelor's degree, master's degree programs, or graduate certificates.
Some of the programs CPS offers include:
- Boot Camps in coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, digital marketing, and product management.
- Emerging Leaders Workshop
- Organizational Solutions
- Six Sigma Certification
- Certificate Program in Enterprise Risk Management in Government
- Paralegal Studies
- Publishing
- Publishing Management
- Healthcare Corporate Compliance
- Sustainable Urban Planning
- Master's degree programs in Cybersecurity Strategy & Information Management, Homeland Security, Paralegal Studies, Publishing, and Sustainable Urban Planning
- Bachelor completion programs in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Homeland Security, and Paralegal Studies.
GWU's CPS is dedicated to offering individuals a chance to create solid foundations for success in today's most in-demand fields. Their classes are taught by professional experts, industry leaders, and government agencies. As such, they understand the needs of non-traditional students and working professionals and work to provide them the flexibility to balance their education with their life off campus.
Degree and Certificate Programs
As CPS has a variety of programs, degrees, and non-credit courses, the academic requirements will vary. For instance, in the Cybersecurity bachelor's degree completion program, students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and have earned an Associate's degree or non-technical bachelor's degree. But for the Publishing Management Graduate Certificate, students must already have an undergraduate degree and have graduated with a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher. Additionally, those in the non-credit courses don't have such GPA or degree stipulations.
If a student is unable to meet and maintain the necessary grade point average or complete the required assignments throughout the program, it could result in their dismissal.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Each program, whether it is a master's degree or a professional development course, at George Washington University's CPS has its own obligations for completion. Generally, though, students have to complete their programs within reasonable time frames. For instance, a master's program should not take longer than 12 semesters to complete, and a certificate program should not take longer than nine semesters.
Additionally, a student at CPS must maintain specific grade point average minimums. For example, students in undergraduate completion programs cannot fall below a 2.0 GPA, and graduate students must remain above a 3.0 GPA.
When a student is unable to maintain one, or both, of these standards, they could be referred for dismissal. If you are informed of an academic progression issue, whether it is qualitative or quantitative, Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team can help negotiate with GWU on your behalf.
Attendance Policies
It is expected that all students enrolled in the CPS attend their courses regularly, especially the professional development ones that are significantly shorter than others. Failing to attend even a single class during these condensed courses could have a detrimental impact on your ability to pass the course or program. Each course syllabus will detail the attendance policy, as well as what qualifies as an excused absence. If a student misses more than a couple of days of class, neglects to fulfill assignments, or proves disruptive during class, they may face expulsion from the program.
Academic Dishonesty
Students enrolled in CPS are supposed to follow the Code of Academic Integrity, which is the same policy that students in the rest of the university are expected to follow. At GWU, academic integrity is defined as a commitment to upholding educational equity, development, and dissemination of meaningful knowledge and mutual respect. As such, the following behaviors are considered to violate academic integrity:
- Cheating of any kind, including misrepresenting work as your own, taking credit for someone else's work without citing them and without their permission, and making information up.
- Plagiarism, whether it is failing to attribute someone else's work to them on an exam or in a paper or other assignment, improperly paraphrasing, intentionally plagiarizing, or self-plagiarizing by turning work (or pieces of work) into multiple classes for credit without permission.
- Forging university academic documents.
- Altering or concealing information on university academic documents.
- Helping others violate academic integrity.
- Violating the terms of any sanction assigned to you because you violated the Code.
If a staff member or other student suspects a student of violating the Code of Academic Integrity, they may report it to the Director of Student Rights & Responsibilities. The Director will refer it to the Academic Integrity Panels (AIP) if it believes there is any credence to the accusation.
The AIP will inform the accused student and the instructor of record of the hearing date. During the hearing, both the student and the accusing party will be able to present evidence and witnesses to bolster their argument. If you do not show up for this hearing, it will happen without you, and all this will accomplish is eliminating your chance to defend yourself.
At the end of the hearing, when both parties have been heard and cross-examined the other party's witnesses and evidence, the AIP will determine whether the student is responsible for violating the Code of Academic Integrity. If they determine that they are, they will also assign the student a sanction, which can range from a reduction in academic credit for the assignment or course to suspension or expulsion. To determine the severity of the sanction, the AIP will weigh several factors, including the significance of the assignment, the nature of the incident, prior misconduct, and the impact of this conduct on the University community.
Academics: What Could Go Wrong?
Accusations of academic dishonesty can lead to grave outcomes such as expulsion or suspension, adversely impacting a student's academic records and making it arduous for them to seek admission to other institutions or courses. So, it's vital for students to seek guidance from an academic attorney-advisor to handle such difficulties.
The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team, headed by Attorney Lento, has supported numerous students across the nation in mitigating the negative effects of unjust sanctions.
Disciplinary Misconduct
One of the fundamental goals of colleges and universities is to establish a secure and nurturing environment for their students, both academically and personally. They are committed to safeguarding the mental and physical health of their students, faculty, and staff by fostering an atmosphere free of bias and misconceptions. When a student experiences insecurity, it can impede their drive to excel academically, resulting in a negative impact on the image of the CPS, thereby reducing the university's admission undertaking and overall revenue.
All students at George Washington University, including the CPS students, are expected to follow the Code of Student Conduct, which defines the conduct that is forbidden, and the actions the university will follow to resolve any violations. Examples of forbidden conduct include:
- Entering or staying at a party of the university that is off limits.
- Possessing or using alcohol in a housing unit when under the age of 21.
- Offering someone under the age of 21 alcohol.
- Being intoxicated on university premises or public property.
- Possessing or using illegal drugs.
- Abusing controlled substances.
- Manufacturing or distributing illegal drugs or controlled substances.
- Using or possessing alcohol or drugs with the intent of causing harm to another.
- Making excessive noise in or outside a building.
- Restricting someone's access to an educational program or activity.
- Singling out or targeting an individual for different or less favorable treatment because of their protected characteristic.
- Discriminatory harassment.
- Non-academic dishonesty, including misrepresenting information, forgery, and unauthorized alteration of any documents or identification cards.
- Disorderly conduct, including conduct that threatens, endangers, or harasses others, whether verbally or in writing.
- Disrupting or obstructing university activities and events.
- Behaving in a lewd or indecent manner or having others do so.
- Hazing.
- Destroying, defacing, or damaging someone else's property.
- Failing to comply with reasonable directions of university officials.
- Violating the terms of any student conduct sanction.
- Physically abusing or harming another person.
- Keeping or hosting animals in residential facilities without permission.
- Violated quiet hours in residential facilities.
- Misusing or damaging safety equipment.
- Knowingly or negligently causing or attempting to cause a fire.
- Initiating a false alarm or false report or another emergency.
- Failing to evacuate a building during an emergency.
- Using or possessing fireworks on university premises.
- Stealing from the university or a person on campus.
- Violating federal, state, or local law.
- Stalking or violating someone else's privacy.
- Using, possessing, or storing a firearm on campus.
Anyone can refer a student for a code of student conduct violation. Referrals are made to the Student Rights & Responsibilities office. The Director will review the report and determine whether the student should be charged and brought before a Student Conduct Conference (SCC) or the Student Conduct Panel (SCP) for resolution. In some cases, the Director might determine that an informal conflict management and resolution process should be pursued instead of a conference.
If the Director determines that the incident is not likely to result in a punishment that includes removal from housing, suspension, or expulsion, the matter will be heard before the SCC. During the SCC, the accused student will meet with a university administrator or a member of the University Integrity Conduct Council (UICC). Generally, students will be given a low-level educational sanction and a warning status to prevent them from behaving similarly in the future. If the student does not agree with this status, they will be offered an SCP hearing.
Additionally, when the Director feels like the incident warrants removal from housing, suspension, or expulsion, they will refer the matter to the SCP for a more formal hearing. Both the accused student and the complainant will have a chance to present evidence and witnesses to support their arguments, as well as cross-examine the other side's witnesses and evidence.
At the end of the hearing, the SCP will determine whether the student is responsible for the violation and what sanctions should be imposed. Possible sanctions include:
- Warnings
- Written reprimand
- Disciplinary probation
- Limitation of privileges
- Removal from housing
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Alcohol and other drug review
- Apology
- Circle of Support and Accountability rehabilitation program
- Community service
- Restitution
- Reflective project
- Meetings
- Fines
- Workshops
Whatever sanction is imposed, students will have the chance to appeal the decision. Appeals must be made within five days of receiving the SCP decision and can only be made on the following grounds:
- The SCP materially deviated from the procedures, and it affected the outcome of the hearing.
- There is new evidence available now that was not available before and could affect the outcome.
- The sanction was clearly inappropriate or disproportionate to the forbidden conduct.
Once the appeal is submitted, the Panel of the Appeals Board will review it and either affirm the finding from the SCP, remand the case for further review, or request a new review with a new panel.
How an Academic Attorney-Advisor Can Help
Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team empathize with the challenges that adult learners face in balancing their life and education responsibilities. They recognize the efforts, sacrifices, and commitment required to pursue higher education. As such, they are dedicated to working diligently to achieve the most favorable outcome for your case. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
