Conduct Officer:
Conduct Officer means any person including, but not limited to the Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, SOE Associate Dean of Graduate Programs or the Dean of Graduate MSB, and Residence Life staff, authorized by the College to determine whether a student has violated the Code of Conduct and to recommend imposition of sanctions.
Responsibilities and Ethical Standards of the Conduct Process
The disciplinary record of a student or group, the nature or status of any disciplinary situation shall not be discussed or disclosed. An objective attitude must be maintained throughout the proceedings. Members of any proceedings have an obligation to disqualify themselves from an investigation when they feel that they cannot be impartial in reaching a decision.
Conduct Proceedings:
It is the philosophy of the Manhattanville College Conduct Process that most violations of College policy are best handled in a way that informs and guides students toward the development of personal responsibility and conscientiousness and toward mature moral and ethical standards. The Conduct Process has two main objectives: to hold students accountable for inappropriate behavior, unprofessional behavior and dispositions, and to modify those behaviors deemed inappropriate or unprofessional in order to maintain a positive living-learning environment within the College community and to achieve the mission and objectives of the College and of its Schools.
The Code of Conduct is outlined in this Handbook. Students are responsible for being aware of these standards of conduct. A plea of ignorance is not an acceptable excuse for violating College policy. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these policies.
When an alleged violation of the Code of Conduct occurs, the incident should be reported as soon as possible to a staff member in the area in which the violation occurred, Campus Safety, Dean of Students, Residence Life and if applicable, the Manhattanville School of Education or Manhattanville School of Business administration or staff.
Conduct Procedures:
The conduct process includes fact-finding (when needed), discussion, complaint resolution and any assignment of sanctions. The following process is the same for a student, group or club. For brevity, in this conduct section, the use of the word student refers to a student, group, or club. A student accused of violating the Code of Conduct meets with a Conduct Officer to review the violation or complaint and to explore potential avenues of resolution.
For undergraduates, the processes will be conducted and overseen by the Dean of Students, the Office of Residence Life Staff or Campus Safety and other offices if necessary.
For graduate students, the process will be conducted by the Associate Dean/Dean of the relevant School, with input from the Office of Residence Life, Dean of Students, Campus Safety and other offices if necessary.
The Procedural Rights of Students:
All students whom have been charged with a violation(s) of the Student Code of Conduct will be treated with fairness and equality and are guaranteed the following rights in the Code of Conduct.
- A student will be informed, in writing, of the alleged violation(s) of the Manhattanville College Code of Student Conduct.
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A student has 48 hours from receipt of the letter by the Conduct Officer to schedule a hearing with the Conduct Officer. Failure to schedule and/or attend the hearing without prior consent from the Conduct Officer will result in:
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The forfeiture of the student ability to present information on his/her behalf.
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Sanctions being issued to the student without the benefit of his/her input.
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A student has a right to know the nature of the incident at the time of the hearing and provide any information and/or witness statements for the Conduct Officer to review.
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A student has the right to have a Manhattanville College employee or student (excluding any relative employed by the College or holding a law degree) attend the hearing in the role of advisor. This individual only serves as an advisor and does not actively participate in the hearing. This individual may not address the conduct officer, but may consult with the student. Legal counsel/attorneys, parents/guardians and/or family members, students involved in the incident are not permitted to participate in the meeting.
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A student’s conduct record, files, and proceedings are kept appropriately private.
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A student will receive a written notification of the outcome of the hearing and has the right to appeal. Student’s right to appeal any decision is forfeited if the student does not attend their conduct meeting.
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A student has 48 hours from receipt of the letter to appeal the decision to the appeal officer in writing. Appeals must be submitted by the student, not a parent/guardian, friend, family member, or legal counsel/attorney. The following are grounds for an appeal:
- The conduct process was not in accord with the rules and regulations governing the College’s conduct process, and this deprivation materially affected the decision or
- The finding(s) of the violation(s) is contradicted by new evidence that was not available at the time of the conduct meeting.
Parental Notification:
For undergraduates, the Conduct Officer may notify parents or guardians via letter, phone call, or email depending on the severity of the violation. If a deferred suspension, suspension or dismissal is the given sanction, parents or guardians will be notified prior to the Appeals Process.
Under certain circumstances, an Office of Residence Life & Conference Services staff member will notify a student's Emergency Contact in the event a student is transported to the hospital.
Rights of the Respondent:
The following apply to all conduct proceedings:
- To the presumption of innocence in all cases where the charge(s) against the respondent is contested, and to have all alleged violations proved by a preponderance of evidence.
- To be given oral or written notice of the nature of the charges.
- To be informed of the process.
The respondent may consult any one of their choosing. However, the only person that may attend the hearing is a Manhattanville College employee or student, excluding any relative employed by the college or holding a law degree. This individual only serves as an advisor and does not actively participate in the hearing. The individual may not address the conduct officer, but may consult with the student. Legal counsel, attorneys, parent's or guardians, and/or family members, students involved in the incident are not permitted to participate in the meeting.