<p>Have a complicated issue. </p>
<p>(Forgive the lack of pronouns...)</p>
<p>Was recently falsely accused of cheating by a professor, but the committee for academic integrity found me guilty anyway. Raised "hell" via a lawyer because I felt the professor had some issues with me, and I know I'm 100% innocent. The result was still an F in the course and the disciplinary action being recorded on my permanent record. Besides this, GPA is solid overall (all A's, A-'s, and B+'s, except for 1 C, 2 C+'s in science courses and a C in another course)... above a 3.0; but, to increase chances for grad school, planning on taking more courses in post-bacc/continuing ed program to raise my GPA in my specified area of study. Also, planning on taking courses over the summer in my specified area of study. Been known to professors and people alike as an honorable person who has a really good heart, and it's very clear I wouldn't do something stupid like cheat.</p>
<p>Thoughts? Advice? Comments? Anything would be appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Is there a chance you could appeal to the dean? Or perhaps the head of the department your professor is under? Maybe an appeal to his higher-ups will stop him from giving you that bad grade.</p>
<p>I do think you need to try and appeal this. I am not sure if graduate schools can access this information (and I don’t remember if I had to indicate on applications whether I have ever been disciplined), but if they can, it would be a very bleak situation for you. Could you elaborate a bit more on what happened? I assume that because you lost the first time, there was no hard record of the actual (or assumed) indiscretion (i.e. he accused of looking at someone’s test). </p>
<p>Is there a way for you to re-appeal the committee?</p>
<p>Rather not elaborate, to be frank, as I’d like to be discreet. Sorry… </p>
<p>Never got offered any kind of concession about the grade. The school kept talking about how the committee has a century-old tradition or something, and the grade couldn’t be overturned. The only thing I could get was a re-trial before the committee, which I know isn’t gonna be in my favor. They said it’s most likely I cheated based on evidence, but I tried to disprove them (in many ways). I even offered to retest. They didn’t believe me (of course), as it was the professor’s word against mine. I dunno what to do. Maybe the lawyer should’ve pushed harder.</p>
<p>Edited to add: I sent an appeal to the college’s headmaster about the grade. Was told in a conference, though, that it most likely can’t be changed.</p>
<p>I understand. I really don’t have much else to offer you because it seems like your school has already made their decision and are firm on it. Perhaps someone with more experience in these matters can give you better guidance. Hope everything works out for ya.</p>
<p>The academic integrity committee has made its decision, and since all chances for appeal have been exhausted, there’s nothing you can do. The real issue is not the F --it’s the disciplinary action on your record, something graduate schools won’t like in the least. You need to find out whether exactly what is written on your record. And yes, if asked, you’ll have to report on your application that you were disciplined. </p>
<p>So what do you do? First, you need to determine why you were accused of cheating. Professors don’t bring such charges lightly, even if they hate a student; if this one did, he’d have a record of many such incidents. Did you do something that you didn’t understand was cheating? (I’m not asking you to answer here.) Did you sneak a single look without thinking about it – and without actually getting information? Did you do someone else’s work? Did your own feelings toward the professor get into the way when it came to defending yourself on the spot? It will be important for step two to know exactly what happened – and own up to any <em>seeming</em> impropriety. For instance, if you said something snide when confronted by the professor, then you need to acknowledge that your feelings for him made you seem guilty.</p>
<p>Next, choose your LOR writers with care. Meet with them. Explain your goals. Discuss your ambitions. Near the end of the conversation, bring up the cheating incident and how you thought you were innocent and therefore would be declared such. Do not under any circumstance blame the professor – he’s their colleague, after all – but instead call it a grave misunderstanding. If you can, explain where YOU went wrong. Ask if they would be willing to address your integrity as they experienced it in the LOR. Don’t ask them to dispute the charge or to attack this professor because they won’t. </p>
<p>Here’s the trickiest part: if they had ever suspected you of cheating, then you won’t get confirmation of your integrity. Instead, they will avoid the topic in their letters, and you will desperately need the support of faculty members.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>