Conduct Hearing

Hearings normally consist of a formal meeting between the accused student and a conduct officer. Administrative hearings are reserved for those behavioral concerns which are serious enough in the university's esteem to raise questions as to whether severe sanctions such as eviction, suspension or expulsion may be merited. (Considerations include the nature of the allegations and the extent of any alleged damage, injury or harm; as well as the past disciplinary record of the student.)

The accused student will receive notice of the date, time, and location of the scheduled intake meeting, reference to the incident in question and the specific university policies which appear to be at issue. Notice will most often take the form of a letter delivered to a student’s University e-mail account.

The Intake Meeting provides an opportunity for the student to seek clarifications regarding the Code of Student Conduct ("Code"), student conduct procedures, and his/her procedural rights under the Code. At the end of the Intake Meeting, arrangements will be made to coordinate a formal student conduct hearing to occur at a later date. Students should thoroughly read the Code prior to their intake meeting so they can begin to form questions they may have about the process.

The hearing is not an adversarial process, but a formal inquiry which takes the form of a one-on-one conversation. The accused student and conduct officer will discuss available information and their perceptions of the incident. Students are encouraged to share relevant information to assist the conduct officer in drawing conclusions regarding responsibility.

Generally within 5 business days of the hearing, a student will receive a letter detailing any decisions made regarding responsibility, as well as the rationale supporting the finding. Where a student is found responsible for violating the Code, the outcome letter will outline any expectations or sanctions which are assigned.

Note: A student who accepts responsibility for violations of the Code (prior to the student conduct hearing) may meet with the conduct officer in an administrative meeting to discuss possible sanction(s), in lieu of attending a hearing. This acceptance must be in writing, affirming acceptance of responsibility for the charge(s) and acknowledging that the full range of sanctions may be imposed. A student who accepts responsibility in writing forfeits all rights to an appeal process.