Conduct Sanctions
While standard sanctions are listed with each Code of Conduct violation, any one or more of following sanctions may be imposed upon any student for any single violation.
A. Good Standing
Students and student organizations under sanctions of disciplinary probation, disciplinary suspension, or permanent separation are not considered to be in “good standing.” Students who withdraw from the university or graduate with outstanding charges or sanctions may be considered “not in good standing” with the University and restricted from returning to campus until the required conditions are met. Academic standing (including academic probation) is separate from disciplinary standing
B. Parent/Guardian Notification
Elon University appreciates the involvement of parents and guardians in the educational process. Due to federal privacy laws, Elon is prohibited from sharing information regarding student conduct cases and outcomes except for cases involving students under 21 who are found responsible for violating alcohol or other drug policies. Elon will release information regarding responsible findings, sanctions, and rationale for any case in which there is a signed release from the student or documentation of tax dependent status.
In cases in which a student is less than 21 years of age at the time of the incident and there is a responsible finding for an alcohol or other drug violation and a sanction status of official warning or higher, the university will send a written notice to the home address on record for the parent/guardian of the student. This notice is intended to encourage and inform conversation with the student regarding choices, goals, and strategies for success at Elon University.
C. Institutional Consequences for Disciplinary Probation or Disciplinary Suspension
Students sanctioned with disciplinary probation may lose the privilege of participating in study abroad/away programs during an active probationary status. Students sanctioned with disciplinary suspension may lose the privilege of participating in study abroad/away programs while on probationary status after they return to the University. All deposits or payments will be forfeited without reimbursement.
Students may also lose the privilege to hold a leadership position for any student club/organization or university program while on active disciplinary probation status.
D. Disciplinary Status Levels
When a student is found responsible for violating the Code of Conduct, one of the following disciplinary status levels will be assigned:
Academic Censure: Censure is the lowest disciplinary status level for academic policy violations. A disciplinary record will be created and maintained in the Office of Student Conduct. The file will contain all documents pertaining to the incident and conduct process.
Official Warning: Official warning is the lowest disciplinary status level for social policy violations of the Code of Conduct. The official warning is notification to the student(s) that they have been found responsible for a Code of Conduct violation and that any other violations will result in more serious sanctions.
Disciplinary Probation: A probationary status, imposed for a specific time period, during which a student can remain on campus, attend classes, and participate in certain programs and activities but is not in good standing and may not participate in study abroad/away programs and student leadership positions. The student is expected to show a positive change in behavior. Disciplinary Probation serves as the official notice that future violations of the Code of Conduct may result in more severe sanctions, including the possibility of suspension or permanent separation.
Disciplinary Suspension: The removal of a student from the university for a specific period of time. The student may apply for readmission at the end of that time, but will not be approved unless all other sanction requirements and deadlines have been met.
While a student is suspended, they may not return to the campus or participate in any programs or activities of the university without written permission from the assistant dean of students, director of student conduct, or the assistant provost for communications and operations. If the student returns to the campus without written permission during the suspension period, their eligibility to return to Elon in the future may be jeopardized.
An infraction of the honor code that is deemed to be sufficiently egregious or a repeat infraction may result in a disciplinary suspension. While a student is suspended for academic policy violations, they may not enroll in Elon University classes/credit bearing experiences either on or off campus; nor may students transfer credits back to Elon for any course they may choose to take at another institution while on suspension. Students suspended for social policy violations may request to take courses elsewhere for transfer credit according to the academic catalogue.
In rare situations, when warranted by mitigating or extenuating circumstances as determined by the associate vice president for Student Life / dean of students or assistant provost for communications and operations, a hearing officer or appeal officer/board may hold a suspension in abeyance to take effect only upon further violations of the Code of Conduct or failure to fulfill assigned sanctions. A suspension held in abeyance may be activated pending the outcome of a conduct process for subsequent violations.
Suspended students will only be refunded board and tuition using the refund schedule outlined in the academic catalog. All other fees and charges are forfeited.
When student who have been suspended return to Elon, they will be on disciplinary probation for one year from the date of return date. If they are found responsible for any other violation of the Code of Conduct, they may be sanctioned with an additional suspension or permanent separation from the university.
Permanent Separation: Permanent removal from the university. Students separated from the university will be refunded board and tuition only, using the refund schedule outlined in the Academic Catalog. All other fees and charges are forfeited.
If a student is permanently separated from the university, a notation will be made on the official transcript.
Students who are permanently separated from the university for violations of the Code of Conduct may not return to the campus or participate in any programs or activities of the university without written permission from the assistant dean of students or the assistant provost for communications and operations. If the student returns to the campus without written permission, they may face criminal charges for trespassing.
E. Additional Sanctions/Requirements
Alcohol Education Class/Program: Students found in violation of an alcohol-related policy may be assigned to complete an alcohol education class or a program such as e-chug, Under the Influence, or BASICS. The fee, if any, for these programs is the student’s responsibility and must be paid before the program begins.
Cease Contact Directive: As a result of one or more significantly negative interactions, the cease contact directive is put in place for all involved parties. Each person is instructed to have no further contact with the other(s) including but not limited to speaking to them in person, through friends/acquaintances, via telephone or text message, via e-mail or any other form of social media, or in writing. If any party violates this request to refrain from contact, it will result in a referral to the Office of Student Conduct for a violation of the Code of Conduct policy of “Failure to Comply with the Directive of a University Official” in addition to any other applicable university policies. Any violation of this directive may result in immediate suspension (loss of all academic credits for the current semester) with possible permanent separation from Elon University. (This order can be administratively assigned as an interim measure without assumption of responsibility for any violation.)
Confiscation of Prohibited Property: Items whose presence is in violation of University policy will be confiscated and will become the property of the University. Prohibited items may be returned to the owner at the discretion of the director of student conduct and/or Campus Safety and Police.
Mental Health Assessment: Students may be required to complete a psychological or psychiatric assessment by a licensed mental health provider. Students must follow any treatment, additional assessment or referral recommendation resulting from the assessment and provide documentation of compliance. Students are responsible for any cost or fees associated with the assessment and treatment.
Drug Education Class/Program: Students found in violation of a drug-related policy may be assigned to complete a drug education class or a program. The fee, if any, for these programs is the student’s responsibility and must be paid before the program begins.
Drug Testing: Students are required to complete random drug tests during the period indicated in the hearing decision. Students will be notified via university email and given directions for completing the drug test within one business day. They are responsible for checking their email daily during this time period. (Notifications will not be sent on holidays, weekends or during times when classes are not in session.) Testing is available at Ellington Health and Counseling Center, Urgent Care, or a site pre-approved by your hearing officer. Off-campus tests must include a formal chain of custody, five-panel screening (or higher), and validity testing. All costs associated with drug testing are the responsibility of the student. Results must be mailed, faxed or emailed from the testing site to the Office of Student Conduct.
Educational Sanctions: Sanctions may include an educational project, task, or participation in a program/activity individually tailored to the specific violation and intended learning outcomes. Some examples of these sanctions include papers, book reports, online academic integrity seminars, interviews, or program development and implementation. Assignments must be presented to and approved by the hearing officer or designee in order for the sanction to be considered complete. Students may be required to complete a follow-up meeting for this sanction to be considered complete.
Fines: Fines support honor code awareness initiatives, substance education, and substance-free programming. Fines not paid by due date will be added to the student’s bill/account with a $50 additional fee. Students with high demonstrated financial need as documented by the Office of Financial Planning may petition the hearing officer to consider alternative sanctioning in lieu of a fine. The student must make the request at the time of the initial hearing.
Loss of Organization Recognition: The student organization loses its official recognition for a given or indefinite period of time. If re-registration is allowed, the organization must comply with all other sanctions prior to being recognized again. While an organization is suspended, it may not use University resources unless otherwise stated in the hearing decision. (When a student organization fails to complete sanctions assigned with a responsible conduct violation, this sanction may be assigned as a consequence of that compliance failure.)
Relocation of University Owned or Operated Housing: A student or group may be required to move to another room, residence hall, apartment, or residence area because of their lack of willingness to live within the rules of their present residential community, or uphold university policies. For individuals, this sanction will be assigned in situations where the student would benefit from a change of environment in order to conform to acceptable group living standards or to restrict the student from being in the same neighborhood as a reporting party. This includes university-leased/operated housing as well.
Removal from University Housing: A student may be removed from residing in university-owned or leased housing as part of an imposed sanction. Room rent for the remainder of the student’s housing contract period may not be refunded.
Residence Life /Housing Probation: Official notice that, should there be further violations of the Code of Conduct, Residence Life or Fraternity and Sorority Life policies, or other University policies occur during a specified probationary period, the student may immediately be removed from University housing.
Restitution: Reimbursement for damage caused to the University or any person’s property. This is not a fine but, rather, a repayment for labor costs and/or the value of property destroyed, damaged, consumed, or stolen.
Restorative Actions/Projects: Student(s) are required to engage in actions that attempt to make amends for the negative impact of a violation and repair the harm that resulted from the misconduct. These actions may include activities such as letters of apology, drafting and implementing a plan of resolution, providing restitution services, engaging in restorative justice conferences, or developing plans for reintegration.
Restriction of Visitation Privileges: May be imposed on a resident or non-resident student. The parameters of the restriction will be specified.
Substance Abuse Assessment: Students found responsible for alcohol- or drug-related violations may be required to complete an assessment by a certified substance abuse counselor/provider. Students may meet with a member of the Ellington Center staff for assistance in a referral to a certified provider. Students must follow any treatment or referral recommendations that result from the assessment and forward appropriate additional documentation to the Office of Student Conduct. Students are responsible for any cost associated with the assessment and treatment.
Suspension of Privileges: An individual student, residence hall floor, suite, apartment, or student organization may lose specified privileges for a designated period of time. The student or organization is barred from or limited in engaging in, participating in, hosting, or sponsoring social events (formal or informal) or other non-academic activities. The purpose of this sanction is to allow students/organizations the opportunity to create socially responsible habits/environments that are sustainable and demonstrate the ability to abide by community standards and expectations. The exact parameters may vary based on the specifics of the incident and will be specified in writing.
Other Sanctions: Additional or alternate sanctions may be created and designed as deemed appropriate to the offense with the approval of the director of student conduct, assistant dean of students, assistant provost for communications and operations, or designee.
F. Course Grade Implications
For academic policy violations in which a student accepts responsibility or is found responsible, the instructor has full authority to assign any grade sanction deemed appropriate. For example, he or she may elect to fail the student for the assignment, for a related unit in the course, or for the entire course.
Lowered grade for the assignment/unit: An instructor may lower the grade or give the student an “F” for an assignment or a related unit of the course for a violation of the academic integrity policy (not intending for the student to fail the entire course based on the violation). The violation is recorded in the Office of Student Conduct and documentation is kept in the student’s conduct file.
Transcript implications: The final grade submitted for the course will not contain any notation indicating that a violation has occurred.
Course Repeat Policy: The student may repeat the course consistent with the University’s course repeat policy.
Grade Appeal policy: While students may appeal a course grade through the University’s grade appeal policy, they may not base their appeal on the instructor’s assignment of an “F” for the assignment or unit resulting from the academic policy violation.
Lowered grade for the course: An instructor may lower a grade or fail a student in a course for a violation of the academic integrity policy. The violation is recorded in the Office of Student Conduct and documentation is kept in the student’s conduct file.
Transcript implications: the grade recorded by the Office of the Registrar on the student’s permanent record will be as assigned with no notation that the grade originated from a violation.
Course Repeat Policy: The student may repeat the course consistent with the University’s course repeat policy.
Grade Appeal policy: Students may not appeal a failing grade in a course with an academic integrity violation through the University’s grade appeal policy.
A grade of “Academic Integrity F” for the course: An instructor may assign the grade of “Academic Integrity F” for a violation of the academic integrity policy. The violation is recorded in the Office of Student Conduct and documentation is kept in the student’s conduct file.
Transcript implications: this will be recorded by the Office of the Registrar on the student’s permanent record; however, it will not be noted as an academic integrity violation on the student’s grade report or permanent academic transcript.
Course Repeat Policy: The student may repeat the course at a later time; however, the credit hours and quality points for the original class will be retained, thus lowering the student’s overall grade point average. The standard course-repeat-rule in the Elon University Academic Catalog is not applicable for courses in which an instructor has elected to assign a student an “Academic Integrity F” based on an academic integrity violation.
Grade Appeal policy: Students who receive an “Academic Integrity F” for a course given by the instructor based on the student’s being found responsible for an academic integrity violation may not appeal that failing grade through the University’s grade appeal policy.
G. Sanctions for Registered Student Organizations
The following sanctions may be imposed upon groups or organizations found to have violated the Code of Conduct:
a. A sanction related to level of warning or probation;
b. One or more of the additional sanctions listed previously; and/or
c. Loss of recognition or loss of all privileges (including status as a registered student organization) for a specified period of time, until sanctions are complete, or indefinitely.
H. Failure to Complete Conduct Sanctions
All students, as members of the University community, are expected to comply with conduct sanctions within the time frame specified in the hearing decision. Students or organizations who do not complete sanctions by the assigned due date, whether by refusal, neglect or any other reason, may be charged with the Code of Conduct violation of “Failure to Comply with the Directive of a University Official,” receive additional or more serious sanctions (including suspension for a student or loss of recognition for a student organization, and/or an administrative hold may be placed on the student record until the sanction is complete. An administrative hold prevents a student from registering for classes and housing.
To re-enroll or regain recognition as an organization, a student/group must have satisfactorily completed all (including any additionally assigned) conduct sanctions. This determination will be made by the assistant dean of students (or designee).
Students who graduate with outstanding sanctions may be considered “not in good standing” with the University and restricted from returning to campus until the required conditions are met.