/Institutions/Piedmont-College/json/2022-2023/Student-Handbook-local.json

/Institutions/Piedmont-College/json/2022-2023/Student-Handbook.json

University Judicial System

Responsible behavior is expected of all Piedmont students at all times. Violations of the Student Behavior Code may result in varying degrees of consequences. The University is not designed nor equipped to rehabilitate persons who pose a threat to the campus community or disrupt the learning environment. It may be necessary, therefore, to separate those individuals from the campus and end their relationship with the University.

When a student is observed violating a campus policy, a campus official (e.g., residence life professional staff member, resident assistant, faculty/staff member, Campus Police officer) will complete an incident report, available from the Office of Student Life. Students who witness a violation of campus policy should contact a campus official for assistance. 

 

 

Judicial Process

Student disciplinary matters are to be reported to the Vice President of Student Life and Leadership. The Vice President of Student Life and Leadership, the Director of Residential Living, and the Associate and Assistant Directors of Residential Living are the primary campus officials who address policy violations. It is the goal of the university to deal with all disciplinary matters in a timely manner and include a meeting with the student to discuss what occurred, if any violations occurred, and discuss possible sanctions.  Students found responsible for Student Code of Conduct violations will be adjudicated and assigned sanctions.  

A student may appeal an assigned sanction when:

• The student was not accorded their procedural rights as outlined in this Handbook;
• New evidence that was unknown or unavailable at the time of the initial hearing has become available which would have significantly altered its results; or,
• The sanction imposed is substantially disproportionate to the offense (including any consideration of the student’s prior offense(s)).

 

 

The appeal must be submitted in writing within three calendar days of the date on the sanction letter to the Vice President of Student Life and Leadership.  

 

 

 

 

Judicial Council

Disciplinary matters that could result in the revocation of housing privileges or separation from the institution may be referred to the Piedmont University Judicial Council.  The Piedmont University Judicial Council is comprised of 3-5 members of faculty, staff and students (where appropriate). The members of the council shall be appointed each year by the Vice President of Student Life and Leadership to serve for one year and will be led by a Judicial Council Chairperson.

The council will evaluate the facts in each hearing and will act on a preponderance of evidence. The hearing will not be conducted as a court proceeding. It will be an opportunity for the council to question everyone involved, determine what happened, decide if a policy was violated, and impose the appropriate sanction(s).

 

Judicial Council Hearings

The hearing is an official proceeding of the Piedmont University Student Discipline system. It is an informal hearing with the mission to determine:

1. what occurred
2. if what occurred is a violation of University regulations, and
3. to impose an appropriate sanction if a violation has occurred.

This is the order of the process:

1. presentation of University case
2. response by the referred student
3. questions from the Judicial Council
4. witnesses of behalf of the University
5. witnesses on behalf of the student
6. deliberation by the Council

The Hearing is not a Court of Law where allegations must be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt”. In Judicial Council proceedings, the allegations must be proven based upon “a preponderance of evidence.”  While all referred students are encouraged to participate in the hearing process, the Judicial Council members will adjudicate all cases and render a decision regardless of referred student participation.

Students have the right to appeal the outcome of the Judicial Council decision to the Vice President for Student Life and Leadership. This appeal must be requested in writing within three calendar days of the date on the sanction letter.

 

Disciplinary Action

The following are possible disciplinary actions which may be assigned for an infraction of the Code of Conduct. This list is not exhaustive and may modified to meet the particular circumstances of any given case.

1. Expulsion- Permanent severance of the student's relationship with the University. This severance includes being barred from campus.
2. Disciplinary Suspension- Temporary severance of the student's relationship with the University for a specified period of time.
3. Limited Suspension- A student may be denied certain privileges for a specified period of time. These privileges may include, but are not limited to, class attendance, housing, parking on campus, participation in extracurricular activities, ID card privileges, access to institutional facilities, and access to the campus.
4. Immediate Suspension- The student may be required to leave the campus immediately if, in the opinion of the Vice President of Student Life and Leadership, the student's presence on campus would be detrimental to the institution. Suspension without a hearing shall continue until the disciplinary process is completed. Best efforts will be made to schedule and complete the disciplinary process as promptly as possible.
5. Disciplinary Probation- Notice to the student that any further, major disciplinary violation may result in suspension. Disciplinary probation might also include one or more of the following: the setting of restrictions, the issuing of a reprimand, or restitution.
6. Reprimand (either oral or written.)
7. Counseling- The committee may request that a student meet a specified number of counseling sessions with the campus counselor for issues including, but not limited to, anger management, substance abuse, and extenuating personal circumstances.
8. Restitution- Reimbursement for damage to or misappropriation of property. This may take the form of appropriate service or other compensation.
9. Community Service- A specified number of hours of work to be performed by the student. The work will be determined and supervised by the Dean of Student Life and Leadership or a designee.
10. Assignments of Community Service hours will be emailed following sanctioning. They may include:
    1. Student Life and Leadership/Housing/Student Success Center
    2. Maintenance/Daniel Hall
    3. Off Campus entities pre-approved by the Vice President of Student Life and Leadership or Director of Residential Living.
11. Fines- A specific financial penalty charged to the student found to be responsible.

 

Disciplinary Records 

 

Piedmont’s policy regarding access to and privacy of records maintained by it concerning students is contained in the institution’s FERPA policy found at https://www.piedmont.edu/ferpa.  Disciplinary records are defined as those records (maintained in any format) which relate exclusively to violations of the Student Code of Conduct which have been adjudicated by a campus official(s).  Complaints which have been dismissed or withdrawn are not considered disciplinary records. A student disciplinary record includes and is limited to: 1. violation report, 2. sanction sheet, 3. documents presented as evidence during any hearing, 4. record of any Judicial Council hearing, 5. appeal letter with accompanying documents, 6. final disposition of appeal. Students may review their disciplinary records but will not be provided copies of them.  Students seeking to inspect their disciplinary record should make an appointment with the Student Lie and Leadership Vice President's office.