Your student should read any notification letters (all correspondents are sent via UPIKE email) and communications from the Office of Student Conduct and familiarize him/herself with the student conduct process.

The student conduct process is meant to be an educational opportunity to resolve the allegation. Just because a student receives a notification from our office of an alleged policy violation does not mean he/she will be automatically found responsible for violating the policy; the student conduct process provides a fair opportunity for all sides to be heard and arrive at an outcome that serves both the needs of the student and the university.

An allegation may be uncomfortable, but the student conduct process is the fairest way to address allegations of non-academic misconduct.

The best thing you can do is encourage your student to respond to communications from the Office of Student Conduct in order to take full advantage of his/her participation in the student conduct process.

The Office of Student Conduct is willing to provide general information about the student conduct process. Because of federal privacy laws, staff members are unable to discuss a student’s specific student conduct record or any specific incident without written permission from the student. If your student would like us to speak with you about their student conduct record, please have him/her complete the Release of Information Form.

FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) protects students’ educational records, including their student conduct records. If your student would like us to speak with you about his/her student conduct record, please have him/her complete the Release of Information Form.

For more information on FERPA, visit the Office of the Registrar or the US Department of Education.

The procedures outlined in the Code of Student Conduct applies to behavior that occurs on or off University premises, at University activities or to any behavior that adversely affects the reputation and welfare of the University. Students are expected to abide by the Code and all other University policies from the time they are admitted into the University until they graduate, regardless of whether they are participating in classes, as long as they are enrolled at the University.

Student conduct meetings are generally closed to the public, unless permission is granted by all participants of the meeting. If you are permitted to attend a student conduct meeting by your student, you cannot speak on behalf of or “represent” your student and students are encouraged to fully participate in the student conduct process in order to provide the most educative experience.

Parents and guardians can provide moral support and assist their student in understanding the process and expectations of the University. Please adhere to the expectations set for Advisors during the student conduct process.

A student has the right to obtain legal counsel; however, the student conduct process and criminal proceedings are not the same. Please adhere to the expectations set for Advisors during the student conduct process.

Students may request to have an advisor present at an Administrative Hearing; the administrative hearing officer has final authority to determine if an advisor will be allowed. If allowed, the advisor must be a member of the University community and may not be an attorney or a family member/legal guardian.

The advisor helps ensure that the student understands the student conduct process and is supported and prepared for the hearing. The advisor does not represent the student by speaking for the student, by questioning witnesses or requesting documents and/or meetings pertaining to the student’s conduct records/case.