Procedure: Responding to Alleged Violations of Code of Conduct

• When an alleged violation occurs, complete the Suspected Code of Conduct form and forward it to the Dean of the appropriate School.

• Review the Suspected Code of Conduct Violation Form and supporting documentation. Within 5 days of receiving Investigation Report and materials, authorize one of the following subsequent courses of actions as appropriate.

• The issue is not substantiated

• Take no action

• The issue proved substantiated but does not warrant a formal charge (the University has an official Warning Letter)

• Send a Warning Letter to alert the offender that continued or similar behavior in the future may result in a formal charge of violation of the Code

• The issue is proved substantiated and warrants a formal charge due to the seriousness and/or repeat violations (The University has an official Charging Letter)

• Send a Charging Letter to inform the offender of the charge
• Send communication in hard copy, by Compass Message or University email, and by personal email if available
• Provide the policy, details of the offense, and rebuttal directions
• Substantiated conduct violations at University-sponsored events (i.e., commencement ceremony, dissertation boot camps, etc.) or University run social media engagement platforms (i.e., The Commons, Alumni Association app, etc.) may result in removal of access and/or ability to participate
• Respond to the reporting party to confirm the concerns are being addressed (to remain compliant with FERPA, the University does not release the specific actions taken)

• If you choose to respond to the Charging Letter, you must do so within 10 days of the date of the Charging Letter:
  • Response must be in writing to the Dean
  • Response should include details regarding your position on the charge(s) as specified in the letter
  • If the individual would like to address the Student Code of Conduct Committee, that desire must be stated in writing along with a contact telephone number
  • The individual will have the 10 minutes before the Committee meets to state their position verbally (Note: the time is not intended for open discussion but the individual should be prepared to answer questions posed by the Committee in clarifying the events.)
  • Once completed, the call will be terminated and the Committee will discuss

• Evaluate relevant documentation and render a final decision in writing, including the appropriate sanction(s)

• Write a letter to the individual informing them of the outcome and have it delivered in hard copy, by Compass Message or University email, and by personal email if available

• Place a copy of the notification letter in the student record and send copies to the Office of the Registrar

• Notify the appropriate area(s) to ensure the Committee’s decision is enforced

DECISION IS FINAL: All Committee decisions are final and there are no additional appeal provisions

• Expulsion is the appropriate sanction for the behavior

• Automatically escalate the recommendation for a second review to Executive Team or Provost