Massachusetts · Private University
Bentley University Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense
Facing a Office of Student Conduct / Academic Integrity System proceeding? AdvocatED advisors know Bentley's specific process, not generic advice, but guidance built around how your institution actually works.
⏱ Bentley's appeal windows are just five working days in both its conduct and academic-integrity systems, and a prior academic-integrity report forces any new case to a full hearing. The earlier we are involved, the more we can do to shape the outcome and protect your appeal.
If you just received notice
What to do right now at Bentley
- 1Note the exact date on your notice letter and calendar every deadline it lists. Bentley's response and appeal windows are short, and missing one forecloses your options.
- 2Do not respond substantively yet. Before you reply to the Office of Student Conduct / Academic Integrity System, read Student Handbook / Academic Integrity System so you know the specific procedure that applies to your case.
- 3Preserve everything related to the allegation: emails, drafts, timestamps, citations, and messages with classmates. This evidence often decides the case.
- 4Confirm your right to an advisor. Most schools, including Bentley University, allow you to bring an advisor to a Office of Student Conduct / Academic Integrity System proceeding. AdvocatED can serve in that role.
- 5Contact AdvocatED for a free case review before your Bentley meeting. We will explain how the Office of Student Conduct / Academic Integrity System approaches cases like yours and what response gives you the strongest position.
Bentley University's Academic Integrity & Conduct Process
Bentley runs two tracks. Non-academic conduct goes through the Office of Student Conduct, which routes cases to either an Administrative Hearing or a Student Conduct Board and decides by the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard. Academic integrity is a separate, faculty-driven system: a faculty member must file an Academic Integrity Incident Report, and contested or repeat cases go to a five-member hearing panel overseen by the Director of Academic Integrity. Bentley frames its conduct philosophy around restorative justice.
This specific institutional knowledge is what separates AdvocatED from generic advisors. We provide guidance tailored to how Bentley's actual process works, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Key Things to Know About Bentley's Office of Student Conduct / Academic Integrity System
- →Two tracks: non-academic conduct (Office of Student Conduct) and a separate faculty-driven Academic Integrity System
- →Conduct cases are heard through an Administrative Hearing or a Student Conduct Board and use the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard
- →No academic-integrity sanction can be imposed without a faculty member first filing an Academic Integrity Incident Report
- →Academic-integrity violations are graded Level I or II; any student with a prior report must go to a hearing regardless of level
- →Only a Level III Student Conduct Board can suspend or expel a student for a conduct violation
- →Conduct appeals are due within 5 working days (Level III to the Dean of Students); academic-integrity appeals go to the Provost within 5 working days on two grounds
How AdvocatED Helps Bentley Students
Academic Misconduct Defense
Student Handbook / Academic Integrity System violations, plagiarism, cheating, AI use, collaboration issues
Learn more →Conduct Hearing Preparation
Coaching and preparation for presenting your case before Office of Student Conduct / Academic Integrity System
Learn more →Academic Dismissal Appeals
Building a compelling appeal through Bentley's appeals process
Learn more →Title IX Defense
Navigating Bentley University's Title IX investigation and hearing procedures
Learn more →Bentley Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions: Bentley Students
Who decides my case at Bentley?
It depends on the type of case. Non-academic conduct is handled by the Office of Student Conduct, which routes your case to either an Administrative Hearing or a Student Conduct Board (a panel of students, and for serious cases faculty and staff). Academic integrity is a separate, faculty-driven system overseen by the Director of Academic Integrity, with contested cases going to a five-member hearing panel. Knowing which system you are in determines the rules, the panel, and the deadlines.
What standard of proof does Bentley use?
Bentley's Student Conduct Board decides cases by the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard — whether it is 'more likely than not' that you violated the policy — and is not bound by formal rules of evidence. That is a much lower bar than criminal court's 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' which is why careful presentation of the facts matters so much. (Bentley's Academic Integrity System does not publish a separate numeric standard, so we hold each hearing to its own written procedures.)
How does Bentley's academic integrity process start?
It starts with the faculty member, who must first meet with you to discuss the suspected violation and then, if the concern persists, file a formal Academic Integrity Incident Report with the Director of Academic Integrity. Critically, no sanction can be imposed unless a report is filed first. Violations are graded Level I (minor) or Level II (serious), and if you accept responsibility and the sanction is approved with no prior record, the case can resolve without a hearing.
When does Bentley require a hearing?
In the academic-integrity system, a hearing is mandatory whenever you have any prior report — regardless of the level — or when you dispute the allegation, or when the Academic Integrity Council finds the proposed sanction too lenient or too severe. The panel is five voting members: three faculty, one graduate student, and one undergraduate student. Because a hearing is where evidence and witnesses are tested, preparation is decisive once your case reaches that stage.
Who can suspend or expel me at Bentley?
For non-academic conduct, only a Level III Student Conduct Board has the authority to suspend or expel a student — lower-level boards top out at disciplinary probation (Level I) or housing suspension (Level II). In the academic-integrity system, suspension and expulsion are possible for Level II violations, but only through a hearing. Because separation requires the most formal process, that is exactly where a well-prepared defense has the most leverage.
How do I appeal a decision at Bentley?
For conduct cases, you appeal through the Advocate Student Portal within five working days of the decision, with Level III appeals going to the Dean of Students. For academic-integrity cases, you appeal in writing to the Provost within five working days on just two grounds: genuinely new material evidence unavailable at the hearing, or a procedural error or misapplication of policy. The Provost's decision whether to grant the appeal is final, so the written appeal has to be sharp — and we help make it so.
Related guides for Bentley students
Topic-specific guides that cover the situations Bentley students most commonly face.
Facing a Bentley Conduct Issue?
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