Institutional Action Question

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flatulence53

Full Member
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Hi all, I have an institutional action, where I accidentally damaged my apartment wall while moving out, during which my friends were fooling around in my room. I wanted to frame it as just me accidentally damaging the wall upon moving out, without my friends being included in the story. Would this be okay? Or would this be considered lying? I was not fooling around; I had just tripped on them. I just wanted to keep the focus on myself instead.
 
They wrote essentially that I had been fooling around with my friends, causing the damage. This obtained this information from me, although I had told them that I had tripped over my roommates, who had been fooling around, resulting in damage. I didn't know this until over a year later, and I don't think I can rectify this.
 
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I did, when they called me I outright told them "I am responsible, I will pay the invoice" which I ended up doing. I believe they had to charge me with something to send me the invoice, so it ended up on my disciplinary record.
 
This is essentially the full situation. I will copy and paste the IA explanation here:

While living in my on-campus apartment, I damaged a wall after tripping over my friends and colliding with it. Through contact with the residential office at my university, I accepted full responsibility and agreed to cover the cost of repairs. I was told there would be follow-up from the Office of Student Conduct, but no further contact came. Months later, when I attempted to request my transcript, I discovered an outstanding disciplinary hold. I promptly contacted the Office of Student Conduct, arranged payment, and resolved the balance in full within two weeks. This experience taught me that taking responsibility involves going beyond acknowledging an initial mistake and following up regarding a resolution. I have since made it a practice to confirm closure on all matters in which I am involved.

I was wondering if I should include the friends part, or not? I didn't want it to come off as downplaying the situation by placing my friends into the situation.
 
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I'm getting different stories each time you tell it. In the first story you were moving out. In the most recent story, you were living in your on-campus apartment. You were required to pay for damage to a wall in the on-campus apartment you had leased. That much we've established regardless of how the story changes.

Was this even an AI? If there is more than usual wear and tear on a property, the person moving out will be responsible for repairs. Owing the university money is not an AI. Criminal damage to property would be an IA (if I threw something and dented the wall, I might owe for the repair). Putting nails in the wall to hang pictures might generate a repair bill but it is unlikely to be an IA.

I think that the current explanation is too long. I'd leave out the penultimate sentence. I'd suggest

"while moving out of my on-campus apartment., I damaged a wall. I accepted full responsibility and agreed to cover the cost of repairs. Months later, while requesting my transcript, I discovered an outstanding disciplinary hold. I promptly contacted the Office of Student Conduct, arranged payment, and resolved the balance in full within two weeks. I have since made it a practice to confirm closure on all matters in which I am involved."

Don't exhaust your audience. I cut your explanation from 5 lines to 3 without losing the meat which was that you damaged university property, were required to pay for the damages, did so after a hold was placed on your account and now it's all good. The friends fooling around is not relevant to the story.
 
Sorry, I was moving out, somebody had mentioned to me that I should write it as "living on an on-campus apartment". I forgot to change it back here. It was a pretty large hole, so I think that's why they considered it an IA. Thank you for your advice!
 
Just for further context, if it helps. In the invoice letter, they charged me with:

M4: Theft or damage to property: Intentionally or recklessly damaging University, public, or private property.

They must have categorized it under the "reckless" part, although it was accidental. When they initially called me, I explained that my friends were fooling around, so that's probably what they used for the charge. They then sent me the invoice.
 
I think that the text, stating that you damaged a wall while moving out and paid for the damages, covers it. If you want to add "behaved recklessly and damaged a wall..." then go ahead. Just remember that keeping it short & sweet is important. No one would kick someone out of medical school over such a situation and it is unlikely to keep you out of med school.