Conduct Advisors

The University Student Conduct System is not an adversarial process, but an impartial inquiry into student conduct and the facts of the incident. A Conduct Advisor’s role is to provide guidance and support for students involved in student conduct matters. The advisor’s role is to provide support, guidance and/or advice only. A Conduct Advisor may be a student, faculty, or staff member at the University who has been trained on the University Student Conduct System. Parents or guardians do not serve in a Conduct Advisor role, even if they are employees of the University. Training on the Student Handbook and student conduct procedures is strongly recommended for an individual serving in the Conduct Advisor role.

A student with a disability affecting communication or a student who cannot effectively communicate in the English language may seek a reasonable accommodation to allow an advisor or interpreter to present or translate the case for the student.

Witnesses and involved parties are not allowed to serve as advisors.

Meet the conduct advisors

Role of the Conduct Advisor

The Conduct Advisor’s role is passive, and the advisor may not participate in any manner during any related meeting or proceeding, including interviews or hearings. The advisor may not ask questions or respond on behalf of the complainant or respondent. The complainant or the respondent may request a break during any meeting and/or proceeding to allow the complainant or the respondent to confer with their respective advisors in private. Conduct Advisors may participate in the following ways during the student conduct process:

• To advise the complainant or respondent on the preparation and presentation of the information prior to and during meetings and hearing.
• To accompany the complainant or respondent to all student conduct meetings and hearings.
• To advise the complainant or respondent in the preparation and presentation of any appeal.
• To ensure that the complainant or respondent understands the seriousness of the hearing.
• To consult with and advise the complainant or respondent during the process.
• To support the complainant or respondent during the student conduct process.

A Conduct Advisor may not do any of the following:

• Present any part of the information for the involved parties.
• Ask any questions of any witnesses appearing for the respondent or for the complainant.
• Ask any questions of the Administrative Hearing Officer or Hearing Panel during hearings.

Advisors who do not follow the guidelines outlined in this Policy will be asked to leave the meeting(s) and/or proceeding(s).

The University may consider reasonable requests to reschedule a meeting or proceeding because an advisor cannot be present, however, the University is not required to do so and will not do so if it unreasonably delays the Student Conduct process.

Attorneys as Advisors

However, anyone with a law degree or a licensed attorney is only permitted to serve as a Conduct Advisor in University Student Conduct Systems meetings or hearings where students are:

• Involved in incidents involving sexual assault, sexual harassment, domestic violence, datingviolence, and stalking, or
• Involved in incidents when there is a concurrent criminal charge.

The Dean of Students must give prior approval in all instances where licensed attorneys or the presence of anyone with a law degree is requested.