The most common violations of the university’s Code of Student Conduct involve academic integrity (e.g. cheating, plagiarism, or impermissible collaboration) and alcohol or substance use.
When students are found to have violated the
Code, a conduct officer will propose sanctions (e.g. penalties or corrective actions) designed to (1) remedy harmful impacts on the University community (2) educate students about risks related to their choices, and (3) deter future
misconduct.
Conduct officers seek to be consistent in the application of sanctions for similarly-situated students and similar acts of misconduct. Consistency is important and so is the commensurateness of the sanction to the severity
of the misconduct. Conduct Officers have discretion to consider mitigating and aggravating circumstances in determining the intensity/duration of sanctions.
Standard Sanctions
Sanctions for the most common violations are depicted in the following table:
Alcohol Violations
(MIP, Public Intoxication, Disorderly House)
- Warning or Probation (6 to 18 mo.)
- Financial Recoupment ($100 fee/incident)
- Mandatory Risk-Reduction Education ($65)
- Parental Notification**
Drug Violations
(Possession, Distribution, Paraphernalia)
- Warning or Probation (6 to 18 mo.)
- Financial Recoupment ($100 fee/incident)*
- Mandatory Risk-Reduction Education ($65)
- Parental Notification**
Academic Integrity Violations
(Plagiarism, Impermissible Collaboration)
- Warning or Probation (6 to 18 mo.)
- Mandatory Risk-Reduction Education ($100)
*Student Conduct & Community Standards (SCCS) imposes an administrative fee for students found responsible for violating the Code to recoup costs associated with managing the disciplinary system. Those students creating the need for the conduct office should assume a greater burden than students who do not. If students are able to demonstrate they are (1) eligible for Pell grants and (2) experiencing financial hardship not of their doing, SCCS will permit them to perform ten (10) hours of community service in lieu of paying the fee.
**Parents or guardians are notified when students violate the prohibition for possessing illegal drugs or misusing legal substances such as a prescription. Students that objectively demonstrate parental contact is likely to cause them physical or extreme emotional harm may not be subject to this sanction. Underage students may have parents contacted for possessing or consuming alcohol if their BAC exceeds 0.15, are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others by law enforcement, or are disciplined for a subsequent violation (2nd or 3rd offense).