Community Standards: Frequently Asked Questions

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I was involved in an incident, what do I need to do?
If you were documented (by Public Safety, Campus Life staff, faculty, or anyone else) as being involved in an incident, expect a Notice to Appear email. The email will include the date/time of your hearing, the Hearing Officers name, and office location. Students should also review the Student Code of Conduct, specifically the policy in question and the General Conduct adjudication. Students can contact the Office of Campus Life if they have questions.  Please understand that the process is fair and that your side of the story will be heard. 

I didn’t do anything wrong.
You will have an opportunity during your hearing to explain your perspective of an incident. Our staff will then make a determination as to what occurred. Keep in mind, our process is meant to be educational and that is our focus when meeting with students.

What can happen to me?
If you are found in violation of the UArts Student Code of Conduct, sanctions range from warning to expulsion from the University. Often times there are additional sanctions, such as; assessments, community restitution, reflection papers, policy reviews, fines, or other projects. 

What will happen during the hearing?
Students meet one-on-one with a Hearing Officer from the Office of Campus Life.  If a student has contacted an advisor, the advisor is able to join them as well. The Hearing Officer will explain the process, discuss charges, review the incident report and ask the student to share the incident from their perspective. The Hearing Officer will engage in a questioning process to organize the incident details and determine, to the best of their ability, what occurred. The Hearing Officer will make a determination of "responsible" or "not responsible" and, if applicable, apply sanctions. 

The aim of our Hearing Officers is to create a climate for open dialogue of expectations and policy.  Students should expect a supportive and non-adversarial environment.

I was found responsible for a violation. Does this go on my permanent record at the University?
Conduct records are confidential and cannot be released without the written consent of the student. Students should note, if the violation is also a violation of the law, the University will communicate all information surrounding the incident to the police.

Our office maintains students conduct files for seven years after the incident, or in the event of an expulsion records are indefinitely maintained.

Will I lose my scholarship?
Depending on the type of scholarship, this is a possibility. Students should discuss scholarships with their Student Financial Services Counselor. 

Do my parents find out?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) keeps university students’ academic records (including conduct) confidential. A student must complete a Release of Information (on the Portal) in order for our office to share details with anyone other than the student.

However, there are exceptions to FERPA. Students under the age of 21 at the time of the incident, found responsible of the University alcohol or drug policies, will have a letter sent to their parent/guardian notifying them of the violation. We encourage students to talk with their families before such notification is sent.

Can I bring my parents or lawyer to my hearing?
Parents or lawyers may not attend the hearing in the general or advanced conduct process.

To assist students who are participating in the general conduct process, the Office of Campus Life trains peer Conduct Advisors. The full list of advisors is available on the Community Standards webpage.

For student participating in the advanced conduct process, students have the reight to request any current member of the UArts faculty or staff to serve as their advisor.

I do not agree with my sanction(s). Can I appeal?
Students can make a written request for an appeal as long as the appeal is based upon one or more of the following reasons, which must be specified in the appeal:

The limited grounds for appeal of an outcome are as follows: 

  • new evidence that could affect the finding of the hearing and that was unavailable at the time of the hearing; and/or 

  • procedural error(s) that had a material impact on the fairness of the hearing; and 

The limited grounds for appeal of a sanction(s) are as follows: 

  • The imposed sanctions were inappropriate under University sanctioning guidelines

A request for an appeal must be submitted in writing to the Senior Director for Student Engagement within five business days of the decision.