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Administrative Hearing

 

A trained community standards administrator within the Dean of Students Office, Office of Community Standards and Student Accountability, and Office of Residence Life will meet with students, student organizations, or athletic teams to discuss reported alleged violations of community standards. Administrative Hearings are one of two methods used within the formal resolution process to review and address matters and incidents of alleged violation(s) of community standards.

 

Students assigned an administrative hearing for an alleged policy violation will be notified of the administrative hearing and the formal resolution process by the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Community Standards and Student Accountability. The email will inform the students(s), student organization, or athletic team of the following:

  • State the alleged community standards policy violations and the individuals involved.
  • Provide a statement and links to ensure students, student organizations, or athletic teams are aware of the formal resolution process and their rights and responsibilities as active participants per the Student Handbook and Resource Guide. Students will also be allowed to meet with a community standards administrator in advance to help prepare for the hearing and ask clarifying questions about the process.
  • Provide copies of written reports received that are being reviewed as part of the hearing.
  • Notify the student(s) of the date and time of the administrative hearing or a date they need to respond to schedule the hearing.
  • Notify the student(s) of the community standards administrator assigned to address the matter and determine responsibility.

The alleged community standards violations and any reports reviewed and presented at the hearing will be available to the students, student organization, or athletic team at least seven (7) working days before the hearing. These reports may have information redacted if FERPA, HIPPA, or other federal and state laws and regulations protect the information included. Students, student organizations, and athletic teams will be given at least seven (7) days' notice of the hearing and provided information about their rights and responsibilities and an overview of the process.

At the hearing, the following information will be discussed and reviewed to determine if a student is responsible for a community standards violation:

  • Review of the community standards process and student rights and responsibilities within the process, which includes an overview of how the hearing will be conducted and the format that will be followed.
  • Summary of the reports and information submitted to the Dean of Students Office and Office of Community Standards and Student Accountability about the incident and/or matter being addressed and the alleged community standards policy violations that are being reviewed and discussed at the informal resolution meeting.
  • Opportunity to engage in dialogue and ask clarifying questions about the student(s), student organization, or athletic team involvement and recollection of the alleged policy violation and/or incident/matter being reviewed at the hearing. During the hearing, student(s), student organizations, and athletic teams will be allowed to share whether the information is an accurate portrayal of what occurred and share their perceptions and perspectives, as well as present new information that may not be in the reports or readily available to the community standards administrator.
  • Written and/or verbal account of witnesses who may have been present but not involved in the alleged policy violation. These witnesses cannot serve as a character reference; instead, they may be brought forth to present unknown or unavailable information based on information shared in reports.
  • Opportunity to provide a closing statement.

Based on the information presented, reviewed, and discussed within the formal resolution process at the hearing, the appointed community standards administrator or CSRB members will decide whether a student, student organization, or athletic team is responsible for violating one or more community standards and College policies. The community standards administrator or CSRB will communicate their findings to the students, student organization, or athletic team within at least two (2) to three (3) working days of the date the hearing occurred unless notified additional time is needed to review the matter further. In that case, an updated timeline related to the date the decision will be made will be communicated to the students, student organization, or athletic team. The findings and outcome will be shared verbally in a follow-up meeting with a community standards administrator and in written notice by email. If found responsible, the student(s), student organization, or athletic team will be assigned accountability measures as part of their accountability and community restoration plan.

 

Student(s), student organizations, and athletic teams who are found responsible have the right and ability to submit an appeal within five (5) working days from the date they received formal notification by email per the appeals process.

 

Any complaints or appeals relating to a violation of the sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking policy and other violations of Standards for Student Accountability that are alleged to have occurred as part of the same circumstances as the sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking policy complaint, shall proceed per the procedures outlined in the sexual misconduct, relationship violence, and stalking policy.