You should be able to easily clear up a data discrepancy with a simple explanation. After all, you were the one who put in the hard work and knows the findings of the research. Unfortunately, institutions tend to take allegations of research miscondu…
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When your reputation and career are on the line, you need to respond accordingly. Many academic professionals mistakenly assume that claiming academic freedom is enough. If you are ever in this position, it’s likely you are going to have an unpleas…
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When someone accuses you of something, your instinct is to explain. You want to correct the misunderstanding, provide the background, and make the person understand why the accusation is wrong. But under pressure, that explanation can turn into a rus…
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A professor calls you into a meeting. You believe you are being treated unfairly, accused of something you did not do, or pressured to accept an academic decision. You reach for your phone and consider pressing “record.” A recording can preserve…
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One of the most surprising lessons from investigations and disciplinary proceedings is that innocent people can sometimes make themselves look guilty. This does not happen because they are dishonest. It happens because they are frightened, angry, emb…
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Most people think they lose their case when they receive a disciplinary decision, termination letter, adverse finding, or professional licensing sanction. In reality, many cases begin slipping away much earlier. They begin slipping away through small…
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When students appear before a disciplinary hearing panel, they often focus on proving that every allegation is false. That can be a mistake. A disciplinary hearing is not just about what happened. It is also about how decision-makers understand the s…
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Some of the worst decisions you will ever make will not happen because you lack intelligence, judgment, or experience. They will happen because you made an important decision while experiencing a temporary emotion. Anger can make you want to send the…
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Being accused—or caught—engaging in student misconduct can feel catastrophic. Whether the allegation involves cheating, plagiarism, inappropriate behavior, a violation of school rules, or another disciplinary matter, students often assume that th…
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If your university is investigating you for misconduct, academic dishonesty, harassment, Title IX allegations, or another disciplinary violation, what you say during the investigative interview can significantly affect the outcome. Many students assu…
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