Dental school presents many challenges, including a heavy study load, difficult exams, and maintaining academic and professional integrity. These stressors can result in slow academic progress, behavioral misconduct, or shortcomings in professionalism. Failing to meet high standards in any of these areas can jeopardize your academic progress, or even your entire dental career.
Dental students can find themselves in hot water over academic misconduct issues such as cheating or plagiarism, Title IX issues, and complaints from patients about inappropriate behavior. If you're facing discipline, suspension, or expulsion for any of these problems, an attorney can work on your behalf to help you meet these challenges and keep your career on track.
Academic Issues at UNC
You made it into the Adams School of Dentistry at UNC. Congratulations! You have a good academic background, high character, and a record of success. This is why you were accepted to dental school. But it turns out that dental school is really hard, maybe harder than you imagined. Since your peers all have similarly successful backgrounds, things in dental school are also enormously competitive.
Upon entering dental school, students at UNC are typically given a handbook that addresses the academic and behavioral requirements the university has for its students. Among these requirements is academic integrity.
Academic integrity generally refers to acting with honesty, respect, and fairness. At UNC, the standard of academic integrity is outlined in the Code of Conduct. Failing to exercise academic integrity might include the following:
- Cheating on exams or other assignments
- Plagiarism
- Giving unauthorized assistance
- Receiving unauthorized assistance
- Turning in the same assignment, or a part thereof, for different courses without professorial permission
- Distributing course or exam materials without professorial permission
Academic misconduct can be grounds for suspension or expulsion from dental school. This would be disastrous, but even lesser offenses can result in permanent entries on your transcript that might make things difficult when you're looking for work after graduation. If you have been accused of violating the UNC code of conduct, you must defend yourself or put your career in jeopardy.
Perhaps you have been accused of not making adequate progress academically, have failed a course, or been accused of cheating. Now, to keep your place in dental school, you must defend yourself. Do you go it alone, or do you get help? Get help! Do not risk incurring strong disciplinary action, even expulsion from school. Get an attorney who knows what he's doing and has the experience and record to prove it.
Joseph D. Lento is an experienced attorney for dental school students facing misconduct allegations. Because of his experience, he understands what should be done in these situations. You might need a strong litigator, one familiar with examining witnesses, or a strong and tactful negotiator. Whatever the situation requires, with Attorney Lento representing you, you will be well protected.
UNC Academic Progress and Remediation
There will be some students who fail to progress academically according to UNC's expectations. These students will likely be subjected to academic progress evaluations and could face various sanctions, including possible dismissal from Adams School of Dentistry. Perhaps you find yourself at this juncture right now. Sometimes such students will be granted the opportunity to remediate a course, exam, or assignment they are having trouble passing. In other words, the student is given the opportunity to retake the assignment to prove that they understand the material.
But remediation is far from an automatic right. You might be assigned to meet before a UNC dismissal committee. This is serious business. If you're facing a hearing with the dismissal committee, you need a good attorney to represent you. Attorney Lento knows what to do to protect you.
UNC Professionalism and Decorum Concerns
Dental students at UNC are expected to meet high standards of professional behavior and general decorum. The school prescribes a Dress Code for dental students, as well as a Professional Code of Conduct. Dental students who violate these standards can face severe sanctions, including expulsion. Usually, these issues result from off-campus activities, including unethical or criminal acts, consumption of alcohol or drugs, stalking or sexual harassment, and the like. They might also involve violations of patient confidentiality or inappropriate behavior or dress when treating a patient.
Students at UNC facing any of these issues should seek legal assistance. You will be required to meet with multiple teams of university personnel to address and resolve issues. UNC's Procedures for Reporting and Responding to Complaints of Discrimination, Harassment, and Related Misconduct Involving a Student as the Responding Party outlines the procedures for different types of misconduct. Seek help at the early stages, to get the best advice and to protect yourself. Even if you have lost a dismissal hearing, you can still appeal. Attorney Lento can help at any stage.
UNC Title IX Violations
Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender/sex, including sexual stalking or harassment, sexual violence, sexual battery, sexual assault, and rape. In order to receive federal funding, colleges and universities must abide by Title IX and create specific guidelines related to the types of behavior the law is designed to protect. Dental students accused of a Title IX violation face strict procedures to determine the weight and legitimacy of accusations against them. Title IX cases are serious and not to be taken lightly. Do not let anyone put up a roadblock to your career development. Attorney Lento can give you solid, experienced representation as you seek to protect yourself from unwarranted sanctions.
How an Attorney-Advisor Can Help
Attorney Lento has dedicated his career to helping students who face various kinds of disciplinary actions initiated by universities. He understands how university disciplinary processes work and will work diligently to ensure your dentistry career does not end before it begins. To get help, contact Attorney Joseph D. Lento and the Lento Law Firm at 888-535-3686.
