Iowa · Private University
Drake University Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense
Facing a Dean of Students / Community Standards proceeding? AdvocatED advisors know Drake's specific process, not generic advice, but guidance built around how your institution actually works.
⏱ At Drake the Dean of Students both investigates and decides your case, appeals of a suspension or expulsion must be filed within 10 calendar days, and a related criminal conviction can trigger sanctions without further proceedings. Early, careful preparation is essential — contact us as soon as you're notified.
If you just received notice
What to do right now at Drake
- 1Note the exact date on your notice letter and calendar every deadline it lists. Drake's response and appeal windows are short, and missing one forecloses your options.
- 2Do not respond substantively yet. Before you reply to the Dean of Students / Community Standards, read Code of Student Conduct 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 Drake University, allow you to bring an advisor to a Dean of Students / Community Standards proceeding. AdvocatED can serve in that role.
- 5Contact AdvocatED for a free case review before your Drake meeting. We will explain how the Dean of Students / Community Standards approaches cases like yours and what response gives you the strongest position.
Drake University's Academic Integrity & Conduct Process
Drake handles non-academic conduct through the Dean of Students Office (Community Standards) on an investigator/adjudicator model — the Dean of Students investigates and decides, rather than a student hearing board — using the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard. Any case that could bring suspension or expulsion, and all sexual-misconduct and bias cases, gets a Pre-Determination Hearing first. Academic integrity is handled college-by-college, and the Law School and pharmacy college run their own separate processes.
This specific institutional knowledge is what separates AdvocatED from generic advisors. We provide guidance tailored to how Drake's actual process works, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Key Things to Know About Drake's Dean of Students / Community Standards
- →Non-academic conduct uses an investigator/adjudicator model — the Dean of Students investigates and decides, not a student hearing board
- →Any case that could result in suspension or expulsion (and all sexual-misconduct and bias cases) gets a Pre-Determination Hearing before the Dean decides
- →Decisions use the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard
- →Academic integrity is handled college-by-college by the faculty member, with appeals filed within that college or school
- →Appeals of a suspension or expulsion go to a three-member, Provost-selected Appeals Panel within 10 calendar days on five grounds; lesser sanctions are not appealable
- →The Law School (Honor Board) and the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences (Honor Code Committee) run their own separate processes with bar and licensure implications
How AdvocatED Helps Drake Students
Academic Misconduct Defense
Code of Student Conduct violations, plagiarism, cheating, AI use, collaboration issues
Learn more →Conduct Hearing Preparation
Coaching and preparation for presenting your case before Dean of Students / Community Standards
Learn more →Academic Dismissal Appeals
Building a compelling appeal through Drake's appeals process
Learn more →Title IX Defense
Navigating Drake University's Title IX investigation and hearing procedures
Learn more →Drake Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions: Drake Students
Who decides my case at Drake?
For non-academic conduct, Drake uses an investigator/adjudicator model rather than a student hearing board: the Dean of Students (or a designee) in the Community Standards office investigates the allegation and renders the decision. For serious matters, a Pre-Determination Hearing is held first. Academic integrity, by contrast, is handled college-by-college through the faculty member. Because the same official often investigates and decides a conduct case, how you engage that process from the start really matters.
What standard of proof does Drake use?
Drake decides conduct cases by the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard — 'more likely than not,' expressly contrasted in the Code with 'beyond a reasonable doubt.' The Sexual Harassment Policy and the pharmacy college's Honor Code use the same standard. One notable exception: Drake Law School grading-misconduct claims use the higher 'clear and convincing' standard, with the burden on the student. We hold each process to its own stated standard.
How do I appeal a decision at Drake?
Only a Respondent found responsible and sanctioned with suspension or expulsion may appeal a non-academic decision (in bias and sexual-misconduct cases, either party may appeal) — sanctions of probation or less are not appealable. You file written notice of appeal, stating grounds, within 10 calendar days, and a three-member Appeals Panel selected by the Provost decides by majority on five grounds, including procedural error, a decision unsupported by substantial evidence, new evidence, or a disproportionate sanction. The panel's decision is final.
Who can suspend or expel me at Drake?
The Dean of Students holds the authority to impose suspension or expulsion, following a Pre-Determination Hearing. There is an important wrinkle: if you are criminally convicted (or receive a deferred judgment) for related conduct before the Code process concludes, the Dean of Students or Chief Student Affairs Officer may impose sanctions up to expulsion without further proceedings. Suspension or expulsion also ends your University financial aid as of the sanction date, so the stakes are immediate and high.
How does academic dishonesty work at Drake?
Academic integrity action is primarily the faculty member's prerogative, and the process — and the appeal route — runs through your specific college or school. The College of Arts & Sciences uses an Academic Integrity and Appeals Committee with a 10-working-day appeal to the Dean; Business, Journalism, and Education each have their own timelines and bodies. Penalties can range from a reprimand or grade penalty up to a recommendation for dismissal from the University. Because each college's rules differ, we tailor the response to yours.
I'm a law or pharmacy student — is my case different?
Yes, substantially. Drake Law School has its own Code of Student Conduct enforced by an Honor Board of elected student justices and law professors, and law students are bound by both the Law School Code and the University Code; law discipline also intersects with bar character-and-fitness requirements. The College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences runs its own Honor Code Committee (five students and two faculty) covering both academic dishonesty and unprofessional conduct, with mandatory self-reporting of any arrest or charge within seven days and transcript notations for honor-code suspension or dismissal. We tailor the defense to the exact school process that governs you.
Related guides for Drake students
Topic-specific guides that cover the situations Drake students most commonly face.
Facing a Drake Conduct Issue?
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