Student Disciplinary Procedures

If any individual in the has reason to believe a student has engaged in prohibited behavior, that individual may present a written notice to the Chief Academic Officer. The student will be notified of the charges as soon as possible by mail or hand-delivered message. The University will begin an investigation of the facts, and the student will have the opportunity to present, in writing or verbally, all pertinent evidence pertaining to the alleged misconduct.

 

If the Chief Academic Officer feels a breach of the Student Code of Conduct has not occurred, the charge will be dismissed, and the student will be notified of the dismissal in writing. A written notice of the dismissal shall be placed in a file pertaining to the incident, and the matter will be considered closed.

 

If the Chief Academic Officer believes there has been a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, an investigation will be conducted. If the violation is deemed to be minor, the Chief Academic Officer will arrange an in-person meeting with the student to discuss the charges and propose a suitable sanction or solution, which may include counseling, guidance, or a written reprimand. The Chief Academic Officer will deliver the findings in writing to the student. The student will then have ten days in which to appeal the decision in writing to an Academic Committee consisting of the Chief Academic Officer, the Clinic Director, and a faculty member who was not involved in the original matter. The appeal will be limited to the following: a) the presentation of new pertinent evidence previously unavailable, b) sanction that is not supported by the evidence, or c) unfair prejudice or bias in the decision.

 

The Academic Committee will hold a meeting within ten days of the student’s written notice of appeal. At this meeting, the student may be, but is not obligated to be present, and may be accompanied by an advisor who is part of the university community and not legal counsel. The Academic Committee will come to a decision and this decision will be final.

 

If the alleged misconduct is deemed to be of a more serious nature, a formal hearing may be held by an Academic Committee consisting of the Chief Academic Officer, one administrator and a faculty member not involved in the original incident. The following procedures will be followed:

 

All pertinent documents and evidence will be submitted to the Academic Committee, and the student will be notified in writing of the charges, the hearing date, time, and location. The student will have the right and the opportunity to view the evidence prior to the hearing, and will have ten days in which to respond in writing. At the hearing, the Academic Committee will review all materials submitted by the student and the evidence so far gathered.

 

The Academic Committee will deliberate and come to a decision as to the sanction or action to be taken against the student, and will notify the student of such decision in writing within ten days.

 

The student will have an additional ten days following receipt of the Academic Committee’s decision in which to present a written appeal via certified mail to the University President. The appeal will be limited to the following: a) the presentation of new pertinent evidence previously unavailable to the Academic Committee, b) sanction that is not supported by the evidence, or c) unfair prejudice or bias in the decision.