Appendix E: Student Conduct Review Board Membership, Responsibilities, and Procedures

Student Conduct Review Board Membership 

The Student Conduct Review Board (SCRB) comprises students, staff and faculty members. One of the faculty members serves as chair.  Members are identified each spring. 

Student Membership

  • Each spring, Student Council, in conjunction with the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities, will invite applications for the Student Conduct Review Board and hold interviews. The interviewing committee will include representation from Student Council, existing student members of the Student Conduct Review Board, and a designee of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. The interviewing committee will nominate qualified students to the Executive Board of Student Council for confirmation. The Executive Board of Student Council will annually confirm no fewer than four students to serve on the Student Conduct Review Board. 

  • Student members of the Student Conduct Review Board must have attained at least sophomore standing. Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing. Members may be removed by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities for failure to remain in good academic and/or disciplinary standing. 

  • The Student Conduct Review Board will, at the beginning of each academic year, participate in a mandatory training, coordinated by the Director of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities and the SCRB Chair, to review information about the purposes and charges of the board as defined by the Student Handbook.

Staff  Membership
  • Each spring the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities will invite applications for the Student Conduct Review Board and select up to five staff members to each serve a two-year term.
  • Staff members of the Student Conduct Review Board must be full time exempt employees.
Faculty Membership

  • Each spring the Chair of the Faculty will coordinate the election of up to five faculty members to each serve a two-year term.

  • Every second spring, the President of the College will designate one member of the faculty (ideally a tenured professor who has served at least one year as a voting member on the Student Conduct Review Board) to serve one two-year term as the chair of the Student Conduct Review Board. Faculty members who have served previously on the Student Conduct Review Board or current or past members of the College’s Academic Infractions Board may be called to serve when a sufficient number of voting faculty members are not available to meet the qualification of quorum.

  • A quorum will consist of four voting members: two students and two staff and/or faculty members.

Administrative Liaison

  • The Director of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities or designee will serve as the Administrative Liaison to the Student Conduct Review Board. The Administrative Liaison will attend all hearings and will advise the Board with respect to procedures and precedent. If the Director of the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities is unable to serve as the Administrative Liaison, they will designate a colleague from within the Division of Student Affairs who is familiar with the conduct process to serve in this capacity.

  • The Administrative Liaison will assist the chair, if appropriate, in preparing cases for the board. 

  • The Administrative Liaison will serve as a resource for the respondent, complainant, referring administrator and Student Conduct Review Board regarding matters of procedure throughout the process.

Student Conduct Review Board Responsibilities and Procedures

Responsibilities and Limitations of the Student Conduct Review Board:

  • The Student Conduct Review Board will make the determination of non-responsibility or responsibility, and if appropriate, a sanction, and it will forward a letter outlining its findings to the student(s) or group of students with a copy to the referring administrator and to the Administrative Liaison.

  • SCRB members with any potential conflict of interest in a case must make that conflict known to the Administrative Liaison. The respondent and/or complainant may also request that the Administrative Liaison disqualify a board member from a hearing. This request must come within two business days of notification of the Student Conduct Review Board members. Examples for requesting the disqualification include, but are not limited to: current or former attendance in a board member’s class; current or former roommate/teammate, etc. The final decision for disqualification rests with the Administrative Liaison.

  • All hearings will be closed to the public. Those attending hearings will be limited to: Student Conduct Review Board members, complainant(s), respondent(s) and any advisor they elect to bring, the Administrative Liaison, and witness(es) for the case. Any persons with an interest in the case but not participating in the hearing may not be in the immediate vicinity of the hearing, as determined by the Administrative Liaison. The witnesses will be present during the beginning of the hearing for introductions and then they will remain in a separate room until they are each called in one at a time to participate in the hearing. 

Student Conduct Review Board Procedures

Prior to hearing:

1. The Administrative Liaison provides the complaint(s) in writing to the Chair of the Student Conduct Review Board, which includes the policies allegedly violated by the respondent(s). The Administrative Liaison contacts Board members to determine their availability to serve.  Once a quorum of board members has been identified, the Administrative Liaison coordinates with all participants in the Student Conduct Review Board process to schedule a date and time for the hearing. If at all possible, the hearing should be held within 15 business days of the date the complaint (s) is referred from the student affairs staff member to the SCRB Chair. 

2. The Administrative Liaison will reach out to the respondent to offer an opportunity to meet and discuss the hearing process, their rights in the process, and answer any questions they may have. The Administrative Liaison will serve as a resource for the respondent throughout the process.

3. Once a hearing date is established, the Administrative Liaison will send a hearing letter to the respondent(s), with a copy to the referring administrator and the Chair of the Student Conduct Review Board. This letter will be sent at least five business days prior to the hearing via email to the respondent (s) official College email and will include the following

a. A statement of the final complaint(s)

b. The date, time, and place of the hearing.

c. The names of the Student Conduct Review Board Members.

d. A statement directing the respondent(s) to the “Rights of the Respondent(s),”notifying the respondent(s) of their right to submit evidence and documentation, witnesses, and have an advisor. 

4. The respondent and the referring administrator must provide the following to the Administrative Liaison three business days prior to the hearing:

a. Names of potential witnesses.

i. Respondent(s) and the referring administrator are responsible for notifying their own witnesses of the date, time and location of the hearing.

b. Name of the respondent’s advisor.

c. Any information to be presented to the board (reports, written statements, photographs, etc.). During this information-gathering period, the respondent(s) will have the opportunity to share with the Administrative Liaison any additional information they would like to make available to the Student Conduct Review Board.

i. The respondent and the referring administrator are responsible for providing a minimum of ten copies of the information they wish to be presented to the board. The Administrative Liaison will provide the number of copies needed for each hearing. 

5. The Administrative Liaison provides the respondent(s), board members, complainant and the referring administrator with a copy of witness lists, names of advisors, and any available written information that has been provided by both the respondent(s) and referring administrator at least three business days prior to the hearing. 

6. The respondent(s) is/are not required to attend the hearing, but it will occur as scheduled. If respondent(s) do not attend, the right to question written information and witnesses is forfeited.

During the Hearing:

1. The Board members will gather a minimum of one hour prior to the scheduled start of the hearing to discuss procedure.

2. The Administrative Liaison will ensure the hearing is conducted as outlined in the Student Handbook. All persons present are introduced and their roles are explained, particularly those of the witness(es). The Chair explains the purpose of the hearing and describes the order of events of the hearing. The Administrative Liaison will operate an audio recording device to make a record of the hearing.

3. The Chair will remind the respondent, referring administrator, and any witnesses that complete candor and honesty are required in all hearings. Intentionally furnishing false information and intentional evasiveness are themselves grounds for disciplinary action. The chair also reminds all persons of confidentiality requirements. The chair will remind all present that the hearing is not a legal proceeding. Witnesses are dismissed to the waiting area.

4. The chair reads the list of alleged specific infraction(s).

5. The respondent student(s) or group(s) is/are invited to respond to the allegation(s) and to the information presented in the hearing packet. The response may be:

a. I accept responsibility for the allegation(s) or

b. I do not accept responsibility for the allegation(s)

6. The referring administrator and respondent will be given the opportunity to provide their opening statement. 

7. The respondent(s) and the Board may question the referring administrator. The Board and the referring administrator may question the respondent(s). 

8. Witnesses will be called in, one at a time, first by the referring administrator and next by the respondent. The Board, the referring administrator and the respondent(s) may question the witnesses. The number of witnesses called may be limited by the chair to prevent unnecessary repetition during a hearing. 

9. When the chair is confident that all relevant evidence and/or testimony has been heard, the chair invites concluding questions followed by closing statements. The referring administrator followed by the respondent will provide a closing statement. After each closing statement, the board, referring administrator, and respondent may ask questions. 

10. All non-members of the Board are dismissed.

11. The Board considers the evidence and testimony from the hearing and makes, by a majority vote, a determination of either responsibility or non-responsibility for each allegation. The chair votes only in the case of a tie. 

12. If the Board’s finding is “responsible” for any of the allegations, the respondent(s), advisor referring administrator, and Administrative Liaison will be recalled to the hearing room. The respondent(s) and referring administrator will be informed of the decision and will be asked to present recommended sanctions. Once all parties have had the opportunity to present their recommendation on sanctions, they will be dismissed in order for the board to deliberate. 

13. The Board will consider the recommendations from the referring administrator and the respondent along with the past disciplinary history of the respondent(s) to determine appropriate sanction(s). The respondent(s), advisor, referring administrator, and Administrative Liaison are recalled and informed of the sanction(s). The respondent(s) is/are informed of the right to appeal the outcome and of the appeal procedures and is/are directed to depart from the hearing room immediately and to have no further discussion with any individuals involved regarding this matter.

14. All contents of the hearing packet, documents presented at the hearing and notes taken during the hearing are collected and retained by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. In the case of an appeal, either party may access a copy of the hearing packet and recording of the hearing at the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. 

15. Within 5 business days of the hearing, the Chair transmits to the respondent(s) a written report of the board’s findings, with a copy to the referring administrator and to the Administrative Liaison.

16. Allegations of new violations of the Student Handbook that are revealed during the hearing may be addressed by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities subsequent to the hearing to allow sufficient time for appropriate investigation.

17. Students who harass, intimidate, retaliate or attempt to influence the testimony of any participant in the conduct process, or the members of the Student Conduct Review Board, will be subject to disciplinary action.

Records and Reports

The College retains the audio recording and contents of the hearing packet for eight years. The Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities retains these records, to be shared with subsequent chairs for purposes of continuity and consistency. The Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities makes these records available to the Vice President for Student Affairs or their designee and the President of the College at their request.