Florida · Public University
Valencia College Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense
Facing a Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities proceeding? AdvocatED advisors know Valencia's specific process, not generic advice, but guidance built around how your institution actually works.
⏱ Valencia gives you seven college business days to appeal a removal, suspension, dismissal, or expulsion. If you plan to bring an attorney advisor to a Formal Hearing, you must give the College at least five business days' notice, so decide early. Read your notice the day it arrives and calendar the deadline.
If you just received notice
What to do right now at Valencia
- 1Note the exact date on your notice letter and calendar every deadline it lists. Valencia'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 Rights and Responsibilities, read Student Code of Conduct (8-03) and Academic Integrity (8-11) 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 Valencia College, allow you to bring an advisor to a Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities proceeding. AdvocatED can serve in that role.
- 5Contact AdvocatED for a free case review before your Valencia meeting. We will explain how the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities approaches cases like yours and what response gives you the strongest position.
Valencia College's Academic Integrity & Conduct Process
Valencia handles non-academic conduct under the Student Code of Conduct (policy 8-03), administered by Student Rights and Responsibilities under the Assistant Vice President of Holistic Support. Academic integrity is governed by a separate policy (8-11): faculty hold the academic prerogative to assign penalties, and a case may also be referred for conduct sanctions. Cases where suspension, dismissal, or expulsion is possible go to a Student Conduct Board Hearing, and the AVP renders final approval. Both tracks use the preponderance standard.
This specific institutional knowledge is what separates AdvocatED from generic advisors. We provide guidance tailored to how Valencia's actual process works, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Key Things to Know About Valencia's Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
- →Valencia runs a dual track: faculty assign academic penalties under the Academic Integrity policy (8-11), and a case may also be referred for conduct sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct (8-03); the academic penalty cannot be overridden by the conduct process
- →Valencia applies the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard and expressly presumes a student not responsible until determined otherwise
- →The academic policy defines cheating to include submitting AI-generated work unless the instructor explicitly permitted it, and violations can be pursued even after withdrawal or after graduation (with possible degree revocation)
- →Where suspension, dismissal, or expulsion is possible, the case must go to a Student Conduct Board Hearing, the AVP of Holistic Support gives final approval, and interim suspension can be imposed for a substantial and immediate threat
- →Notably, at a Formal Hearing your advisor may be an attorney who directly participates, presenting information and questioning witnesses, if you give the College at least five business days' notice
- →Appeals are due within seven college business days on three grounds (new information, procedural error, or a disproportionate sanction), to the VP for Academic Affairs for academic integrity or the VP for Student Affairs for other conduct
How AdvocatED Helps Valencia Students
Academic Misconduct Defense
Student Code of Conduct (8-03) and Academic Integrity (8-11) violations, plagiarism, cheating, AI use, collaboration issues
Learn more →Conduct Hearing Preparation
Coaching and preparation for presenting your case before Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities
Learn more →Academic Dismissal Appeals
Building a compelling appeal through Valencia's appeals process
Learn more →Title IX Defense
Navigating Valencia College's Title IX investigation and hearing procedures
Learn more →Valencia Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions: Valencia Students
Who handles conduct cases at Valencia College?
Non-academic conduct is handled under the Student Code of Conduct (policy 8-03) by the office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, under the Assistant Vice President of Holistic Support. Cases are resolved through an Administrative Hearing with a single hearing officer or, where suspension, dismissal, or expulsion is possible, a Student Conduct Board Hearing. Academic integrity is governed separately by policy 8-11, where the faculty member holds the prerogative to assign an academic penalty and may also refer the matter for conduct sanctions.
Can I bring an attorney to a Valencia hearing?
Yes, and this is a notable feature. At a Formal Hearing you have the right to an advisor who may be an attorney, at your own expense, and in a Formal Hearing that advisor may directly participate, including presenting information and questioning witnesses. You must give the College the attorney's name at least five college business days before the hearing, and if your advisor is an attorney, the College may also bring one. That makes Valencia's process more adversarial than most, so preparation and representation choices matter.
Does Valencia treat AI use as academic dishonesty?
Yes. Valencia's Academic Integrity policy defines cheating to include submitting work generated by artificial intelligence unless the instructor has explicitly permitted it, along with plagiarism, misrepresentation, unauthorized access, and collusion. A single incident can lead to both an academic penalty set by the faculty member and separate conduct sanctions, and the academic penalty cannot be overridden by the conduct process. Understanding exactly what was alleged and what the instructor's policy allowed is often decisive.
What is the standard of proof at Valencia?
Valencia applies the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, meaning it is more likely than not that a violation occurred, and you have the right to a presumption of not responsible until determined otherwise. Because this is the lowest standard of proof, how the evidence is framed and how you prepare your response are central to the outcome.
How do I appeal a Valencia decision, and what is the deadline?
You may appeal a final decision that results in removal from a course, suspension, dismissal, or expulsion, in writing within seven college business days. There are three grounds: new information not available at the time that may significantly alter the finding, a procedural error that affected the determination or sanction, or a sanction disproportionate to the conduct. Academic-integrity appeals go to the VP for Academic Affairs or the appropriate Provost; other conduct appeals go to the VP for Student Affairs. Mere dissatisfaction is not a valid ground.
Do I need a lawyer for a Valencia College conduct case?
Because Valencia uniquely lets an attorney advisor actively participate in a Formal Hearing, representation can matter more here than at many colleges, and that decision is worth thinking through early. That said, what helps most in every case is someone who understands the dual academic-and-conduct tracks, the Student Conduct Board process, and the seven-day appeal grounds. An education advocate provides that targeted guidance at a fraction of an attorney's cost, and can help you prepare your response and any appeal.
Related guides for Valencia students
Topic-specific guides that cover the situations Valencia students most commonly face.
Facing a Valencia Conduct Issue?
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