General Description of Conduct Procedures
When students are charged with violating the student conduct code, they receive an email from the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution informing them of their alleged violations. At this point, students must schedule an informational meeting with one of the hearing officers to learn about their rights and responsibilities, review the contents of their file, and to choose to accept or not to accept responsibility for violating the Student Conduct Code. Students have ten business days from the date they receive their email to schedule a meeting. Should they fail to schedule a meeting by this deadline, the case can be decided in their absence or a hold will be placed on their records. This prevents students from registering for or changing class schedules and being able to access transcripts or enrollment certifications until they have scheduled their meeting.
During the informational meeting, students will learn that they have three hearing options for resolving the situation:
- The first is an administrative review that may take place immediately following the informational meeting, or it can be postponed for a future date, usually the following week. This meeting is a discussion between the student and the conduct officer. The student has the responsibility to articulate his or her case without calling in witnesses or bringing forth evidence. Following the meeting, the conduct officer may contact other individuals who may have knowledge about the incident in order to make a decision about whether the student is responsible for violating a section of the Student Conduct Code, and if so, determine the appropriate sanctions. (Note: This meeting option is NOT available for students who are facing suspension, expulsion or who have been charged with an honor code violation.)
- The second hearing option is an administrative hearing before the Assistant Director or the Director of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution or their designee. This hearing takes place on a future date and is audio recorded for appeal purposes. Students will answer questions of the administrator and articulate their case, but they will also have the opportunity to submit evidence and bring forward witnesses during the hearing. Students also have the opportunity to submit questions to be asked of witnesses brought forth by the university.
- The third hearing option is a committee hearing. It follows the same format and procedure as the second hearing option, but it is heard by 5-8 students, staff, and faculty members selected from the Student Conduct Committee or another appropriate committee such as the Law School Honor Committee for law students or the Health Science Center Committee for health science students. The hearing will be made up of a majority of students.
Soon after the hearing has taken place, students receive a decision email, informing them of whether or not they have been found responsible for violating the Student Conduct Code and if so, what sanctions they are receiving*. Students have ten business days to appeal the decision by submitting an appeals form to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. They will then meet with the Dean of Students to discuss the reasons for their appeal. The Dean will ultimately decide on the outcome of the appeal. In committee hearings, the committee will make a recommendation to the Dean of Students as to what should happen and then the student can appeal the Dean's decision to the Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs.
*Depending on the violation, sanctions may include, but are not limited to, a written reprimand, conduct probation, suspension, expulsion, educational seminars, reflection papers, loss of season tickets to athletic events, removal from residence halls, community service, restitution for damages, and other measures as appropriate.