The purpose of this policy is to ensure an equal and fair process for student organizations issues related in violating the Bellin College policies, values, and student foundational behaviors.
Section I: Student Organization Disciplinary Actions
The actions of undergraduate and graduate/professional student organizations are expected to be consistent with the standards of conduct. If members of a student organization or students representing the group violate Bellin College’s policies, disciplinary action may be taken against the group as a whole, its officers, or individual members. Knowledge of the incident among organizational leadership is not a pre-requisite for the group to be held accountable, and so it is strongly advised that organizational leadership regularly educate their membership on the expectations of the college and implement accountability systems to ensure policy violations are not taking place. The Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging is happy to advise and guide leaders through this process. The following consequences may be imposed if a student group or organization is found responsible for violations of the Student Behavior/Code of Conduct:
- College monitoring.
- Probation.
- Dismissal.
- Limitations on activities.
- Limitations on recruiting privileges.
- Written or verbal notification to national organization representatives, officers, advisers, or facilitators.
- Loss of Privileges - Denial of privileges such as removal of services and access to facilities, attendance, or participation in activities/programs.
- College Probation of Student Organization - Probationary status for a specified period, typically not less than one semester, during which time the organization will be required to fulfill specific conditions before reinstatement to good standing. Organizations may not host events involving alcohol under any circumstances while on Student Organization College Probation.
- Suspension of Student Organization - Separation from the college for a specified period, typically not less than one semester. Involves loss of all rights and privileges of student organizations, including the use of college facilities, and probationary status for one year following completion of the suspension.
- Termination of Student Organization - Termination is the most serious of college disciplinary actions for a student organization. It involves permanent separation of a student organization from the college.
All decisions about and consequences imposed on student organizations or groups will be kept on file in the Office of Student Affairs. Prior conduct actions will be reviewed if there are subsequent violations by the student organization. Such actions may be considered when deciding on an appropriate disciplinary action.
Section II: Student Organizational Hearing
An organizational hearing is a formal hearing conducted by the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging and the Chief Academic Officer and one other college employee, who make up the organization’s conduct review team. The Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging will be responsible for creating each student organization’s conduct review team. The conduct review team will review all of evidence and decide the outcome of the hearing. If there is a decision of responsibility, the organization conduct review team will then assign or recommend disciplinary action for the organization and/or individual member(s), as appropriate.
The Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging (or designee) will be in contact with the student organization which has been accused of misconduct within five business days of the report.
The Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging (or designee) will review all suspected misconduct prior to deciding whether a hearing is necessary. A student organization has the right to request a hearing for due process.
If needed, the hearing will be scheduled within five to ten business days after contact with the student organization in question.
The organization’s facilitator(s) is invited to attend the hearing; the organization’s president and executive officers will usually officially represent the organization at the hearing, although additional officers and/or members of the organization may be invited to the hearing; and the organization will be asked to submit a written statement about the incident and its members’ involvement that will be used during the hearing. The organization hearing will follow the procedures below:
- In most cases, an incident report will be filed by the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging, another college staff member, or a student. After an incident report is filed, it will be referred to the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging.
- A respondent refers to the student(s) who has been charged with a violation of college policy. The respondent(s), victim(s), complainant(s), and witness(es) identified in the incident report will be notified and will be asked to appear at the hearing. All parties will be asked to provide written and/or verbal testimony and to explain what happened. A determination of responsibility will be based on the evidence presented at the hearing. The standard used to determine responsibility is a preponderance of the evidence, whether it is “more likely than not” that the respondent has violated the policy.
- This hearing shall follow the procedures outlined in Section III. During the hearing, a respondent will have certain rights and responsibilities.
Section III: Student Behavior Conduct Hearing Procedures
This section describes the format of the hearing and the rights of the respondent in the hearing process. It also includes information about witnesses, student conduct assistants, the respondent’s facilitators, the decision-making process, and the communication process.
The hearing format is as follows:
- An electronic or other verbatim record will be made of all hearings. This record will be retained for one month following the hearing or until the conclusion of any appeal process, whichever is longer. The record will then be destroyed, except in cases of suspension and expulsion, when the electronic record shall be retained with the student’s record.
- At the beginning of the hearing, the respondent will be introduced to others who are present. The respondent will be informed of standards alleged to have been violated, which may include student policies, student foundational behaviors, etc.
- The Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging will read the incident report and ask the respondent to respond.
- The complainant/victim will be asked to describe what happened, and the respondent will have the opportunity to respond.
- If witnesses are necessary, they will be asked to describe what happened, and the respondent will have a chance to respond.
- All communication between the respondent, complainant, victim, and witnesses will be directed to the Director of Student Affairs.
- The organization’s conduct review team may ask questions of any respondent, complainant, or witness during the hearing.
- At the conclusion of the hearing, the respondent, complainant, advisers, and witnesses will be asked to leave the room. These individuals will not be present during the deliberations of the decided plan of the Director of Student Affairs. The outcome of the hearing must be decided within five business days.
Section IV: Appeals Process
If the student or student organization believes that the process and procedures outlined in this policy were not followed correctly or that the process was unfair, an appeal may be submitted to the President/CEO in writing. The Appeals Form is located in the Vice President of Student Affairs, Enrollment, and Belonging’s office