College conduct proceedings under the Student Code of Conduct are separate from criminal or civil litigation. Formal rules of process, procedures, and/or technical rules of evidence, such as are applied in criminal or civil court, are not used in the Student Conduct system.
Charges, Investigation, and Hearings
Any member of the College community may file charges against a student for violations of the Code. A charge shall be prepared in writing and directed to the Dean of Students or designee. Any charge should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within six (6) months of the incident.
Resolution by Mutual Consent
The Dean of Students or designee may conduct an investigation to determine if the charges have merit and/or if they can be disposed of administratively by mutual consent of the parties involved on a basis acceptable to the Dean of Students or designee. Such disposition shall be final and there shall be no subsequent proceedings.
If the charges are not admitted and/or cannot be disposed of by mutual consent, the case will proceed to an administrative hearing as set forth below.
If the Respondent admits violating institutional rules, but sanctions are not agreed to, the case will proceed to an administrative hearing as set forth below which shall be limited to determining the appropriate sanction(s).
The Dean of Students or designee may later hear the same matter or present the College’s evidence at any hearing, and is not disqualified by reason of the investigation or attempting to resolve the matter by mutual consent.
Investigation and Enforcement Where Sanctions Will Not Rise to the Level of Suspension or Expulsion
A conduct violation that may not result in the sanction of suspension or expulsion will be resolved through an administrative hearing before the Dean of Students or designee.
The Respondent shall be provided with written notice of the alleged Misconduct which describes the charges, and gives the date, time, and place of the hearing. The time set for the administrative hearing will ensure a prompt and equitable resolution, not less than five (5) nor more than thirty (30) business days after the Respondent has been notified. Maximum time limits for scheduling of an administrative hearing may be extended at the discretion of the Dean of Students or designee.
The Respondent shall be given an opportunity to request documents in the possession of the Dean of Students or designee pertaining to the charges (unless prohibited from disclosure by law, privilege, work product protection, or to protect the health and safety of the victim or witnesses).
During the administrative hearing, the Respondent will have an opportunity to respond to the charges and to present evidence or witnesses contesting the charges. The Dean of Students or designee will determine if a violation occurred and will issue appropriate sanctions.
If a Respondent, after receiving notice, does not appear for the hearing, the information in support of the charges will be presented and considered even if the Respondent is not present.
The Dean of Students or designee will notify the Respondent of the outcome of the hearing in writing within ten (10) business days of completion of the hearing, or longer for good cause.
Investigation and Enforcement Where Sanctions of Suspension or Expulsion May Be Warranted
A conduct violation that may result in suspension or expulsion will be resolved through a Student Conduct Board hearing according to the following guidelines.
Hearings are closed to the public. The Respondent and their advisor(s), if any, will be allowed to attend the entire portion of the Student Conduct Board hearing at which information is received (excluding deliberations). Admission of any other person to the Student Conduct Board hearing will be at the discretion of the Chair of the Student Conduct Board.
The Respondent will be provided with written notice which;
- Describes the specific charge(s),
- Provides the date, time, and place of the hearing, and
- Informs the alleged that suspension or expulsion may be sought as a sanction.
The time set for the administrative hearing will ensure a prompt and equitable resolution, not less than five (5) nor more than thirty (30) business days after the Respondent has been notified. Maximum time limits for scheduling of an administrative hearing may be extended at the discretion of the Dean of Students, Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs, or designee.
The Respondent shall be given an opportunity to request documents in the possession of the Dean of Students or designee pertaining to the charges (unless prohibited from disclosure by law, privilege, work product protection, or to protect the health and safety of the victim or witnesses).
If a Respondent, after receiving notice, does not appear for the hearing, the information in support of the charges will be presented and considered even if the Respondent is not present.
The administrative hearing will be heard by a Student Conduct Board. The Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs will appoint a Student Conduct Board Chair and at least two (2) members of the Student Conduct Committee to serve on the Student Conduct Board.
The Chair of the Student Conduct Board shall preside as the hearing officer over the hearing, and resolve all questions of procedure and answer any questions concerning the interpretation of the Student Code of Conduct during the course of the hearing. The Chair has the authority to remove any individual from the hearing who is unduly disruptive. The Chair reserves the right to suspend and reconvene a hearing for any compelling reason as deemed appropriate. Equally, the Chair shall have the right to seek advice and assistance from the College legal counsel, and adopt any special procedures as needed, provided these procedures are consistent with College policies governing Student Conduct; and that the special procedures are fully explained to all persons immediately concerned in the hearing.
In hearings involving more than one Respondent, the Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs, in their discretion, may permit the Student Conduct Board hearing(s) concerning each Respondent to be conducted either separately or jointly.
The Respondent has the right to be assisted by an advisor they choose, at their own expense. The advisor must be a Member of the College Community unless an exception is granted by the Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs for a Respondent who is involved in a pending or active civil or criminal legal proceeding. In that case, an attorney may be permitted by the Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs to serve as an advisor.
The Respondent is responsible for presenting his or her own information, and therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any Student Conduct Board hearing. A Student should select as an advisor a person whose schedule allows attendance at the scheduled date and time for the Student Conduct Board hearing because delays will not normally be allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an advisor.
The College’s evidence against the Respondent will be presented by the Dean of Students or designee.
The Respondent and the Dean of Students or designee may arrange for witnesses, including the Complainant, to present pertinent information to the Student Conduct Board. The College will try to arrange the attendance of possible witnesses who are Members of the College Community, if reasonably possible, and who are identified by the Respondent at least two (2) weekdays prior to the Student Conduct Board hearing.
Witnesses will provide information to and answer questions from the Student Conduct Board. Questions of witnesses may be suggested by the Respondent to be answered by each other or by other witnesses. This will be conducted by the Student Conduct Board, with such questions directed to the Chair, rather than to the witness directly. This method is used to preserve the educational tone of the hearing and to avoid creation of an adversarial environment. Questions of whether potential information will be received shall be resolved in the discretion of the Chair of the Student Conduct Board.
Pertinent records, exhibits, and written statements (including student impact statements) may be accepted as information for consideration by the Student Conduct Board at the discretion of the Chair.
There shall be a single verbatim record, such as a tape recording, of all Student Conduct Board hearings (not including deliberations). Deliberations shall not be recorded. The record will be the property of the College.
After the portion of the Student Conduct Board hearing concludes in which all pertinent information has been received, the Student Conduct Board shall determine (by majority vote) whether the Respondent has violated each section of the Student Code which the Respondent is charged with violating.
The Student Conduct Board’s determination will be made on a preponderance of the evidence standard, or in other words, the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the Respondent violated the Student Code of Conduct. In each case in which a Student Conduct Board determines a Respondent has violated the Student Code of Conduct, they will also determine sanction(s) to be imposed by the Dean of Students or designee.
The Student Conduct Board will notify the Respondent of the outcome of the hearing in writing within ten (10) business days of completion of the hearing, or longer for good cause.