Disciplinary Actions (Sanctions)

Disciplinary Actions

Disciplinary Status

All students are assigned a disciplinary status. A student’s current disciplinary status may impact the severity of sanctions assigned in the event that a student is found responsible for violating a policy (in general, the higher the judicial status, the more severe the sanction). Disciplinary status categories are as follows:

A. No Status: The student is in good standing with the Office of Student Housing Services.

B. Warning: The student remains in good standing with the Office of Student Housing Services, but has been found responsible for violating a policy or procedure and is put “on notice” that further violations of policy may result in more severe judicial action.

C. Probation: A student with this status is expected to demonstrate a willingness to comply with all University and Student Housing Services policies and procedures.  A resident with this status is not considered to be in good standing with the Office of Student Housing Services; and may be evicted from on-campus housing in the event that further policies are violated while on probationary status. In addition, students on this status may be ineligible to renew their housing contract for subsequent academic years.

D. Suspension: A student with this status will have their housing contract terminated and will not be allowed to return to on-campus housing for a specified period of time and/or until certain conditions are met.

E. Dismissal: A student who is assigned this status will have their housing contract immediately terminated and will be trespassed banned from on-campus housing facilities and surrounding areas. A student who has been dismissed is banned from returning to on-campus housing at any point in the future.

Judicial status is not necessarily assigned in the order above; for example, a student with no status who commits a serious violation of policy may be assigned “probation” or “dismissal” at the discretion of the adjudicating officer.  

Sanctions

When a student is found responsible for violating a policy, they may be assigned a judicial sanction. The goal of a judicial sanction is to restore damaged community or individual relationships; and/or educate the student on the impact her/his behavior has on the community; and/or address addictions or other behavioral needs. Sanctions assigned by judicial officers may be one or more of the following:

A. Educational Assignment: The student is assigned a specific project or program (relevant to the violation) to be completed by a set deadline. Examples include, but are not limited to, attendance and/or assistance in educational programs, meeting with University officials (such as coaches, advisors, counselors, etc.), a written paper on a specific topic, addressing student groups, letters of apology, or completing a roommate contract.

B. Community Restitution: The student works for Student Housing Services or a University Department for a specific number of hours in a project directly related to the policy violation. Under direct supervision, the student performs her/his community restitution hours without compensation. Community restitution can also include financial restitution in the event that the student is found responsible for damage to University or personal property.

C. Referral: This may include referral to another department of the University for counseling and/or treatment.

D. Loss of Privileges: This may include removal of privileges such as the ability to host guests; the ability to check out items from the Community Desk; etc.

E. Disciplinary Transfer: This is the permanent relocation of a resident from one community to another. Residents who are transferred are prohibited from entering the floor, wing, or building that they were transferred from for a specified period of time.

F. No Contact Order: The student is prohibited from any form of contact (such as verbal contact, contact via any electronic medium, contact via a third party, etc.) with a specific person or persons, for a specified period of time.

G. Other: With the permission of the Assistant Director for Conduct and Community Standards and/or the Associate Director for Residential Life, an adjudicating officer can assign a sanction not listed in any category above, provided that the sanction is relevant to the policy that was violated, and/or is in the best interest of the community.

Interim Sanctions

“Interim” sanctions are assigned in serious or severe alleged violations of Community Standards and/or the Code of Student Conduct. Interim sanctions are assigned before a judicial hearing in cases where it is in the best interest of the community and/or the alleged offender to be removed from the community and/or to prohibit contact between individuals. Interim sanctions are in place until the matter can be properly adjudicated. Interim sanctions are as follows:

A. Interim  No Contact Order: The student is prohibited from any form of contact (such as verbal contact, contact via any electronic medium, contact via a third party, etc.) with a specific person or persons, pending the outcome of a judicial hearing.

B. Interim Immediate Disciplinary Transfer: This is the temporary relocation of a resident from one community to another. Residents who receive an interim disciplinary transfer are prohibited from entering the floor, wing, or building from which they were transferred from, pending the outcome of a judicial hearing.

            C. Interim Immediate Eviction: This is the temporary eviction of a resident from on-campus housing. This interim sanction  is only assigned in cases where a resident displays behavior that poses imminent or potentially imminent danger to herself/himself and/or others. This interim sanction is in place pending the outcome of a judicial hearing.