Student Life

General Information

F. General Information for Conduct Board Hearings:

A Conduct Board hearing will ordinarily follow the procedures as listed under Appendix A: Procedures of Conduct Boards.  The Dean of Students and his/her designees have discretion to modify the Conduct Board procedures as necessary or appropriate to ensure fairness. Other information pertaining to Conduct Boards is listed below:

  1. Conduct Board Chair: The Chair shall exercise control over the proceedings to achieve orderly and timely completion of the hearing. Any person, including the Accused student, who disrupts a hearing may be excluded by the Chair. The Chair serves as the principal liaison between the Board and the office which is supervising the case. All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the Chair.
  2. Advisors:The Complainant and the Accused may be advised during the hearing by one person of their choosing from the College community or their immediate family. The role of the Advisor will be limited to providing advice to the student he/she is advising. The complainant and the accused student must inform the College Conduct Coordinator or the Dean of Students of the name of their respective advisor a minimum of 72 hours prior to the hearing.
  3. Witnesses:The complainant and the accused student may present witnesses who have first person knowledge and/or relevant information about the charge(s) being heard. Witness names must be presented to the College Conduct Coordinator or the Dean of Students a minimum of 72 hours prior to the hearing. Witnesses shall be asked to affirm that their testimony is truthful, and may be subject to charges of violating this Code by intentionally providing false information to the College.
  4. Conduct Board Records: For all Board hearings, there will be an evidence summary of the testimonial aspects of the hearing. The evidence summary shall be the property of the College and shall be maintained in confidential files in the Office of the College Conduct Coordinator or the Dean of Students until six months after a student graduates or withdraws.
  5. Potential Violations Discovered during a Board Hearing:Information presented by a student during a hearing that indicates a potential violation of the Student Code of Conduct may be adjudicated at a future time.
  6. Board Membership: Board members are drawn from the appointed membership list at the discretion of the Dean of Students or his/her designee.
    1. Challenging:
      If the complainant or the accused student has substantive evidence as to why a specific person should not be a part of the group hearing the case, either of these parties must present information in writing to the College Conduct Coordinator or Dean of Students a minimum of 72 hours prior to the hearing. If the College Conduct Coordinator deems that there is substantive evidence to excuse a board member, another board member will be substituted. The decision of the College Conduct Coordinator or the Dean of Students is final.
    2. Disqualifying:
      Board members must disqualify themselves from hearing a case if they judge that there is a conflict of interest. They should notify the College Conduct Coordinator or the Dean of Students of their decision as early as possible.

G. Basis for Findings:

Determinations of “responsible” or “not responsible” within the disciplinary system are based upon a “more likely than not” standard as presented to the hearing body.  A simple majority vote is required to make a decision.  Formal rules of evidence shall not be applicable in disciplinary hearings pursuant to this Code.

H. Use of Sanctions

Within the community of learners, the failure by a member of the population to live within the standards of the community may be due to a number of different causes, ranging from the inadequate education of the student by the College to a spirit of flagrant disregard on the part of the student for the rights of others. Each case must be met by a different response. Sanctions, such as probation, suspension or dismissal, are not regarded as means of controlling the student, but rather as educational devices to aid the student to attain the maturity required to live in society. Dismissal may be one way of telling the student that he or she is not yet ready for the education a college offers. This awareness itself may be a significant step in the educational process of the student in question.

Sanctions that may be imposed by the College Conduct Coordinator or the Associate Dean/Director of Housing and Residence Life or their designees shall include censure, monetary fines, probationary periods, loss of privileges, and suspension/dismissal from the residence halls. Sanctions that may be imposed by the Dean of Students, the College Conduct Board and the Administrative/Faculty Conduct Board shall include the foregoing, plus suspension or dismissal from the College.