General Principles of the Disciplinary System

  1. The University’s Student Disciplinary System is not a legal system, and University disciplinary proceedings are not civil or criminal litigation. Thus, they operate under different rules, standards, and procedures, and seek to achieve ends different from criminal or civil proceedings.
  2. Any member of the University community may bring a complaint about student conduct to the attention of the Center for Community Standards and Accountability (Only faculty may bring a complaint about academic integrity). Doing so does not limit a complainant’s rights or obligations to bring such matters to the attention of other University offices, officers, or resources, including the Office of the Ombudsman and appropriate Deans, or to seek recourse outside the University through civil or criminal legal proceedings.
  3. In all cases, the University reserves the right to determine how to process a disciplinary complaint. Once a complaint is brought to the attention of the Center for Community Standards and Accountability on behalf of the University, the Executive Director of CSA will decide how the complaint will be handled, including whether disciplinary charges should be brought against a student.
  4. Any individual involved in the disciplinary process (respondent, complainant or witness) may be accompanied by an advisor from the University community when meeting with the Center for Community Standards and Accountability or attending a disciplinary hearing. See the list of Advisors here.
  5. All members of the University community are required to cooperate with the Student Disciplinary System. This cooperation includes meeting with the Center for Community Standards and Accountability in a timely manner, providing honest and complete statements to CSA and, if necessary, to disciplinary hearing panels.
  6. The disciplinary matter brought to the Center for Community Standards and Accountability may be resolved in any of a number of ways. These include: dismissal of a complaint, referral of a matter to RP@P or to another appropriate University office, resolution through voluntary agreement, and resolution by disciplinary hearing.
  7. In the interests of fairness and privacy, disciplinary proceedings are confidential. The identity of individuals involved in a disciplinary matter, and all records pertaining to that matter are confidential. Disclosure of confidential information about a disciplinary proceeding by any member of the University, other than the respondent to whom the confidential information pertains, may subject that individual to disciplinary action. See Confidentiality.