Conduct Meetings and Hearings

Informal Meeting

A meeting that occurs with a conduct administrator when an incident or report has been received. During this meeting the student, or student group, is given the opportunity to discuss the incident or report. The student may or may not be charged during this meeting.

Administrative Hearing

Hearing held with a conduct administrator and the charged student after the student has been charged with a violation of community standards. The student has denied responsibility for the charges(s) listed in their charge letter and has requested an administrative hearing.

Preparing for your administrative hearing

During all types of meetings, be prepared to discuss the incident in question. If you choose to have your case referred to an Administrative Hearing or Conduct Board Hearing, consider these tips when preparing for your hearing:

Opening Statement. Make notes to be sure your presentation is organized, shows an understanding of the charges, and demonstrates the main point and purpose of each witness.

Witnesses of Fact. Witnesses of fact should have firsthand knowledge of the event.

Questions. Prepare questions for your witnesses. Take notes during the hearing, and prepare questions for the complainant(s)/respondent(s) and witness(es).

Case Presentation. Make all your statements clearly and concisely. Bring whatever materials you need, (e.g., maps or diagrams), to best present your case.

Closing Statement. Once again, focus on expressing yourself in a clear, concise, and organized manner.

***NOTE: If you are found Not Responsible for all violations, the hearing will conclude. If you are found Responsible for a violation, the hearing will continue to the sanctioning phase.

Sanctioning. Review the proposed sanction(s). During a sanctioning phase of a hearing, be prepared to: respond to your past conduct history, if any; respond to the recommended sanction(s) proposed by the charging official; and propose alternative recommendations for the hearing officer to consider.

Conduct Board Hearing

Hearing held with a hearing panel (i.e., students, faculty, staff) and the charged student after the student has been charged with a violation of community standards. The student has denied responsibility for the charges(s) listed in their charge letter and has requested a conduct board hearing.

Preparing for your conduct board hearing

During all types of meetings, be prepared to discuss the incident in question. If you choose to have your case referred to an Administrative Hearing or Conduct Board Hearing, consider these tips when preparing for your hearing:

Opening Statement. Make notes to be sure your presentation is organized, shows an understanding of the charges, and demonstrates the main point and purpose of each witness.

Witnesses of Fact. Witnesses of fact should have firsthand knowledge of the event.

Questions. Prepare questions for your witnesses. Take notes during the hearing, and prepare questions for the complainant(s)/respondent(s) and witness(es).

Case Presentation. Make all your statements clearly and concisely. Bring whatever materials you need, (e.g., maps or diagrams), to best present your case.

Closing Statement. Once again, focus on expressing yourself in a clear, concise, and organized manner.

***NOTE: If you are found Not Responsible for all violations, the hearing will conclude. If you are found Responsible for a violation, the hearing will continue to the sanctioning phase.

Sanctioning. Review the proposed sanction(s). During a sanctioning phase of a hearing, be prepared to: respond to your past conduct history, if any; respond to the recommended sanction(s) proposed by the charging official; and propose alternative recommendations for the hearing officer or panel to consider.

Sanction-Only Hearing

A sanction-only administrative hearing is held with a conduct administrator and the charged student, after a student has been charged with a violation of community standards. The student has accepted responsibility for the violation(s) as outlined in their charge letter and has requested a sanction-only administrative hearing.

Preparing for your sanction-only administrative hearing

The purpose of a sanction-only administrative hearing is to discuss the sanctions that were recommended in your charge letter. If you choose to have your case referred to an Administrate Sanction-only Hearing, consider these tips when preparing for your hearing:

Review of Charge(s), Student Acceptance of Charge(s). The hearing officer will read the charges, which you have already accepted responsibility for prior to the hearing.

Prior Conduct History. The hearing officer will read aloud your prior student conduct history, if any. If you do not have any prior student conduct history, the hearing officer will indicate that you do not have any prior conduct history and move to the next phase.

Recommended Sanction(s) from Charging Official. The hearing officer will read aloud the recommended sanctions from the charging official. These recommended sanctions are included in your charge letter.

Student Response to Recommended Sanction(s). You should be prepared to respond to the recommended sanctions and explain why you feel the recommended sanctions should be different from what is recommended in your charge letter. You should be prepared to propose recommended sanctions for the hearing officer to consider and provide your rationale for your recommendations. You can find the range of sanctions that you may propose in the Student Handbook.