Disciplinary Process

Behavioral Standards Committee

The Behavioral Standards Committee (BSC) is a standing committee of the University composed of representatives from each program as well as student representatives from the program where the alleged complaint originates. The purpose of the Behavior Standards Committee is to:

1. Review policies related to student conduct, sanctions for misconduct, appeals, and procedures for accepting, investigating, and hearing allegations of student misconduct.
2. Conduct hearings on allegations of student misconduct, as requested by the Dean of Students and Alumni Services, or designee, and report findings and recommendations to the Dean of Students and Alumni Services.

The complete committee structure and function can be found in Appendix II. The Behavioral Standards Committee does not consider complaints of Sexual Harassment or Sexual Violence. Refer to the Student Handbook for the complete Title IX policy. 

Hearing Process and Procedures

Notice of Charges

The Dean of Students and Alumni Services, or designee, will provide a written “Notice of Charges and Referral to the Behavioral Standards Committee” to the student which describes the charges facing the student, along with any supporting documentation as appropriate. This document will be sent to the student before the hearing date is scheduled.  

Once the hearing date is scheduled, the Dean of Students and Alumni Services will provide a written "Notice of Hearing Date" to the student designating the date the hearing will take place and the hearing procedures. The Behavioral Standards Committee will make every effort to conduct a hearing within 15 class days, not including term breaks, following the date of referral from the Dean of Students and Alumni Services, or designee.

The Behavioral Standards Committee will receive a copy of the Notice of Charges and Referral to the Behavioral Standards Committee, along with any supporting documentation. The Committee may also be briefed by the Dean of Students and Alumni Services, or designee, to fully describe the Notice of Charges.

Findings

The Behavioral Standards Committee will determine if it is more likely than not that there has been a violation of the Standards of Conduct.

The Behavioral Standards Committee will prepare written findings, which specifically state their findings on each conduct charge, the University policy violated by any conduct violations, and the recommended sanction(s), if any.

All Behavioral Standards Committee findings and recommended sanctions will be reported to the Dean of Students and Alumni Services who will impose any sanctions. These sanctions may take into consideration any past conduct violations of the charged student found valid by the University. A letter of findings and sanctions, if any, will subsequently be placed in the charged student's file, and forwarded to the charged student. The Dean of Students and Alumni Services will forward a copy of the final decision to the Behavioral Standards Committee. The other involved parties (students, faculty) cannot be informed about the final decision/sanction except under the following limited circumstances:

1. If the knowledge is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other persons;
2. If the other involved students are alleged victims of a crime of violence that student may receive the final results of any disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator of the offense. The “final result” is limited to the name of the student, the violation and the sanction;
3. If following the exhaustion of all appeals the final result of the BSC hearing is a conclusion that a crime of violence occurred in violation of the institution’s rules of policies.

Sanctions

Sanctions for misconduct will be imposed by the Dean of Students and Alumni Services. Sanctions may include any of the following, singly or in combination:

1. Removal from class or clinic

   A faculty member may remove a student from a class or clinic shift if the faculty member determines that a student’s continued presence interferes with the orderly continuation of a class or a clinic setting. The faculty member will immediately refer the matter to the Dean of Students and Alumni Services.

2. Warning

   An official sanction, given verbally and/or in writing notifying the student of their misconduct and warning that subsequent infractions must not occur.

3. Disciplinary Probation

   An official sanction that places the student in a status such that any subsequent misconduct during the period of probation, will result in additional discipline, including, but not limited to Suspension or Dismissal. The Dean of Students and Alumni Services determines the period of probation.

4. Disciplinary Class Suspension

   An official sanction that prohibits the student from attending a particular class and receiving credit for a specific period of time up to and including the remainder of the trimester. Notification of suspensions will be sent to appropriate University offices including Financial Aid. Notation of suspension may appear on the student's transcript.

5. Disciplinary Suspension

   An official sanction that prohibits the student from attending the University for a specific period of time up to and including the remainder of the trimester. Upon expiration of the suspension, the student must present a written request to the Dean of Students and Alumni Services, for readmission at least two weeks before the first day of classes of the term the student wishes to reenter.

   The Behavioral Standards Committee and the Dean of Students and Alumni Services will review the suspension and determine if the student is to be allowed to reenter at that time. Students reentering following Disciplinary Suspension are automatically on Disciplinary Probation for the duration of their studies at the University. Notification of suspension will be sent to appropriate University offices including Financial Aid. Notation of suspension may appear on the student's transcript.

6. Disciplinary Dismissal

   An official sanction permanently prohibiting the student from attendance at the University. This sanction applies to academic programs of the University, including continuing education. Notification will appear on the student's transcript and all offices of the University will be notified.

7. Summary Suspension

   A student may be immediately suspended from any and all classes or clinics and barred from entering University property. This action may be taken if the Dean of Students and Alumni Services determines that misconduct has occurred or that the student's continued presence on the campus presents unreasonable risk of danger to the student, to others, or to the community. A student so sanctioned must leave the campus immediately and may not return without permission from the Dean of Students and Alumni Services.

8. Alternative and Educational Sanctions

   The Dean of Students and Alumni Services may impose, or the Behavioral Standards Committee may recommend, other sanctions with conditions such as financial restitution, payment of a fine, or performance of a service project. Service projects may include, but are not limited to, University work projects, a designated number of hours working in various campus administrative offices, or performing community service off campus. Parking or other vehicle violations may result in restriction of parking privileges or towing of an automobile at the owner's expense.

Appeals

An appeal is limited to a review of the recording of the Behavioral Standards Committee and supporting documents for one or more of the following purposes:

1. To determine whether the Behavioral Standards Committee Hearing was conducted fairly and in conformity with prescribed procedures and giving the student facing discipline a reasonable opportunity to prepare and present a response to those allegations. Deviations from designated procedures will not be a basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.
2. To determine whether the determination made was based on substantial information, that is, whether there were facts presented that, if believed by the Behavioral Standards Committee, were sufficient to establish that a violation of the Student Code occurred.
3. To determine whether the sanction(s) imposed were appropriate for the violation of the Standards of Conduct which the student was found to have committed.

To appeal a decision by the Dean of Students and Alumni Services, a student must submit a written request for a review, which describes the basis for the appeal, to the President on or before the fifth class day following receipt of the Dean of Students and Alumni Services' decision. The President’s decision is final. The student may attend class during the appeal process. A student receiving the sanction of a suspension or dismissal will not be allowed to attend clinic during the appeal process, but will be given the opportunity to make up the clinic hours if the student’s appeal is successful.