Believe it or not, cheating is a common occurrence on college campuses. In fact, most students believe that cheating is alright until they are exposed. However, the repercussions of being detected and found guilty of cheating on a university campus can be severe. There have been several allegations of online cheating, notably in the COVID-19 age where more pupils are attending courses online. However, if you are accused of false cheating allegations, you can suffer the same repercussions. In such cases, you can hire an academic misconduct lawyer to help you fight the case on your behalf.
How to proceed after being accused of cheating?
Internet plagiarism and accessing a smartphone to get content during class are the two most popular ways for college graduates to cheat.
Additionally, since there are numerous allegations of cheating in virtual classrooms, any institution or university making such a claim should be able to support it with IT evidence. Students who are convicted of cheating on university campuses should retain a student defense lawyer, preferably one who is aware that a cheating case would resemble a computer crimes defense more than just a violation of the college code of conduct.
However, in order to position yourself for success, be sure to take the following actions prior to hiring an attorney:
- Communicate with parents or other elders who can offer you wise counsel, and potentially provide financial support so that you can hire a lawyer. Make sure you read the allegations against you thoroughly, maybe dozens of times.
- Do not discuss the allegations against you with anyone else on campus, not even those who are close to you.
- Prior to speaking with your lawyer, do not attempt to defend yourself in front of the complaining professor or any other students on campus.
What are the repercussions of cheating in college?
Depending on your university’s code of conduct, there are different penalties for cheating in colleges. If you are found to be guilty, you may be subject to any/all of the below penalties:
- Verbal rebuke
- Written reprimand
- The failing score for the subject or work in which you were discovered cheating
- loss of a scholarship
- Suspension
- Expulsion
What do lawyers look for in cases of academic cheating?
To refute the charges leveled by the college, a knowledgeable college defense lawyer will search for the following:
- Internet search data indicating what you were seeing when logged in.
- Internet records from the school indicating the times you were and weren’t signed into the internet.
- Internet usage history from the student, including the dates and times you used the web off campus, and the searches you were conducting at those times.
- Information from student resource websites sponsored by colleges, such as Blackboard.
In a nutshell, any assistance you can provide in gathering these papers and gaining access for your lawyer will be very helpful in building your case. Make sure you are cooperative.
