Disciplinary actions are intended to be corrective, and may be conducted informally between the student and the Dean of Students or Dean of Academic Affairs, as appropriate (referred to collectively in this section as the “Dean”), or designee. General guidelines are as follows:
- Students shall be informed in writing if they are in violation of College policies or civil or criminal law.
- During investigation, the student’s enrollment status shall not be altered and he/she may continue to attend classes unless the Dean determines that the student poses a health or safety risk to the student or to others, or for reasons that relate to or interfere with College property or the orderly operation of the College.
- No disciplinary sanction shall be imposed unless the student has been notified in writing of the charges and the nature and source of the evidence. In cases in which the College does not intend to suspend or expel a student, the source of information may be kept confidential if the Dean or designee, concludes that revealing the source would create a risk of physical or emotional harm to the source, or might otherwise have an adverse effect on enforcement of these rules.
- The student subject to sanctions will be allowed to present their case to an appropriate College official, consult with an advisor of the student’s choice and have an advisor of the student’s choice present. Advisors are not permitted to present the case but may advise the student.
- Both the College and the student may seek legal advice at their own expense.
- The student may voluntarily withdraw from the College at any time during the disciplinary process. In such an event, disciplinary sanctions may still be assessed if the student withdraws from the College prior to the completion of the disciplinary process, or elects not to participate in a disciplinary proceeding.
In cases that are not resolved informally, the Dean or designee shall use the following hearing procedure:
Step 1: At an initial conference with the Dean, the student will be informed verbally and in writing of the charges and maximum penalty which might result from consideration of the disciplinary matter. The College reserves the right to revise the proposed maximum penalty upon learning new information relating to the matter and giving notice to the student.
Step 2: The student may request a hearing, in writing, within seven (7) calendar days of the initial conference. Such a request must include any evidence that the student wishes the Dean to consider. The Dean shall schedule a hearing as soon as is feasible. The College shall provide to the student all documentary evidence upon which it intends to rely at least two (2) business days prior to the hearing
Step 3: After considering the evidence presented at the hearing and conducting such other investigation as he/she deems appropriate, the Dean may take one of the following actions:
- terminate the proceedings, with no sanctions imposed against the student;
- dismiss the matter after appropriate counseling and advice; or
- impose an appropriate sanction.
The student will be notified in writing of the Dean’s decision within seven (7) calendar days after the hearing. The decision shall contain a specific list of the sanctions to be imposed, along with an explanation of the reasons for imposing them.
Step 4: The student may appeal the decision by filing a written appeal with the President within seven (7) calendar days of receipt of the Dean’s decision. The reasons for appeal must be a substantial and significant misunderstanding of the facts, an alleged violation of due process, or both. The President or designee shall render a written decision within seven (7) calendar days of the request for appeal.
Records of all disciplinary actions shall be maintained by the Dean in accordance with the College’s records retention policies.