Hi everyone. I’m looking for honest feedback on a situation that’s been dragging on for quite some time now. I’ve tried to lay it out clearly and objectively.
This all started with a single accusation that I used AI on a paper. That accusation was later disproven with documentation, but everything escalated from there.
Here’s the timeline:
Spring 2024 – First AI accusation
- I received an F on a paper and was accused of using AI.
- I met with the professor and explained my full writing process.
- This single grade triggered a dismissal hearing.
June 2024 – First dismissal hearing
- I presented strong evidence showing I wrote the paper myself (version history, drafting evidence, etc.).
- I even showed that the same AI detection tools flagged my professor’s own published work.
- Despite this, I was dismissed.
After the hearing
- The dismissal letter included new allegations (professionalism, behavior, etc.) that were never brought up before or during the hearing.
- I had no opportunity to respond to these.
July 2024 – Appeal granted
- The dean overturned the dismissal and reinstated me.
- However, I was still forced to retake the course and deal with the fallout.
(Side note: I retook the course with a different professor who used the same syllabus. Got an A and a glowing review from her regarding the quality of my paper and professionalism.)
Fall 2024 – Things escalate
- I was suddenly blocked from participating in the clinical practicum with no clear explanation.
- I was also put on a remediation program that seemed very arbitrary as I was required to write an apology letter to the professor who accused me for putting her work through the same AI detection software that she used. This was mandatory.
- Around the same time, my father passed away. I had to miss a week of class due to religious obligations, and when I returned, I was subjected to criticism for daring to ask for an exemption for a makeup assignment (I had received all of my notes from peers and was up to date with the material).
December 2024 – Second AI accusation
- Another professor accused me of AI use on a different paper.
- I again provided extensive evidence (including screen recordings and authorship tracking which I installed as a proactive measure after the first accusation).
- This evidence was dismissed, with the professor stating "how do I know that you didn't have ChatGPT open on another device and just typed it from there?" He used the same reasoning during the dismissal hearing.
- I received another F triggering a dismissal hearing.
March 2025 – Second dismissal hearing
- I was dismissed again, this time citing:
- grades,
- “professionalism,”
- and internal evaluations (that I was never shown nor confronted with beforehand).
- They relied heavily on evaluation tools (ACE forms) that were supposed to be developmental, not grounds for dismissal, none of which I was given access to until after the decision.
- The school relied on a new handbook that I never received before the hearing and which they only released afterwards.
- The handbook in effect when I entered the program didn’t allow for some of the things they used against me, such as the use of ACE forms as a disciplinary tool.
Appeal process
- I appealed again, but the decision took ~3 months instead of the stated 5–7 days.
- During that time, I was allowed to continue, billed ~$30,000 tuition, and paid it.
“Remediation” requirement
- I met with some lawyers who contacted the program and was able to secure a remediation plan for me so that I may continue in the program.
- I was required to rewrite a full paper by hand, in a blue book format while under proctored testing conditions and without the use of a computer. I was given confirmation, in writing, by the Dean that I would be given as much time as necessary to complete the essay this way. I was also denied an unbiased third-party grading this paper when requested.
- I was instead expected to complete the paper in under 3 hours (the assignment normally takes ~20 hours).
- Unsurprisingly, I failed due to lack of depth and formatting.
Final outcome
- I was dismissed again.
- My final appeals have gone unanswered.
What concerns me most:
- The original AI accusation (the root of everything) was never actually proven.
- There seems to be retaliation from the faculty ever since the first hearing where I used the AI detection software on the professor’s work. The required apology is a strong indicator of that to me.
- Reasons for dismissal kept changing over time.
- I was not given notice or opportunity to respond to key allegations.
- Policies seem to have been applied retroactively.
- The same faculty who accused me were also evaluating and deciding my outcome.
- I was charged tens of thousands in tuition while my status was unresolved.
My questions:
- Does this sound like a normal academic dismissal process?
- Has anyone seen AI accusations handled like this in grad programs?
- Does this raise red flags from a due process standpoint?
- Would you focus on legal action, transferring, or both?
- Do I even have a chance at being accepted to another program with these accusations and dismissal?
I’m open to honest opinions, even harsh ones. I just want to understand if this is as irregular as it feels.
(For context: I have a full documented timeline and supporting evidence.)
TIA!
Edit: Thanks to those who have shown sympathy, I appreciate the responses so far!
To those who are upset by my AI usage here- I can understand the irony of writing this post with AI and appreciate your candor, however a) I wanted to include a summarized version of the full timeline (which I wrote on my own) to include the relevant facts instead of posting a whole essay and b) are we really going to compare a reddit post's usage of AI to a doctoral paper?? Doesn't seem like a fair comparison to me...