7.1 Hearing Officers 

Hearing Officers are faculty and staff selected from the University Conduct Pool, who have participated in annual OSCCR training sessions about the Anchor, and 

who accept the responsibility of administering the rules and regulations of the University in a fair and impartial manner as a matter of public trust for the University community. In cases of academic misconduct,  the Hearing Officer should be a faculty representative whenever possible. 

7.1.1 Selection Process for Administrative/Professional Staff 

All Administrative/Professional staff are eligible for appointment to the University Conduct Pool. The Dean of Students (or designee) will make at least twelve (12) appointments to the University Conduct Pool no  later than the first day of classes of each fall semester and may make additional appointments to fill vacancies as needed to assure the availability of twelve (12) members in the University Conduct Pool perpetually . 

7.1.2 Selection Process for Faculty Members 

Faculty Members are elected by rules developed within each academic college: four (4) representatives from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, one (1) from each of the remaining colleges, and one (1) from University Libraries. In addition to the representatives from academic colleges and University Libraries, the Provost (or designee) will appoint not fewer than four (4) members to the University Conduct Pool from the faculty at large. If appointments are not made by the first day of the fall semester, the Provost (or designee) is authorized to fill appointments from the faculty at large to assure all faculty  positions are always filled. 

7.1.3 Hearing Officer Eligibility 

To be eligible to serve as a Hearing Officer, faculty and Administrative/Professional staff of the University Conduct Pool must: Complete an annual training organized by OSCCR regarding the Anchor; commit to administer the policies and  procedures of the University in a fair and impartial manner; agree to disqualify themselves if they are a witness for the hearing; have a personal interest in the outcome or if there is any other reason they cannot serve or deliver a fair decision. Anyone that has served in the University Conduct Pool is eligible to remain after their term ends if authorized by the Director of OSCCR to do so. 

7.2 Appeal Officers 

Appeals are heard by an Appeal Officer. Appeal Officers are selected like Hearing Officers from the University Conduct Pool. A person may not serve as an Appeal Officer if they were a witness at the hearing being appealed, have a personal interest in the outcome of the hearing, or if there is other sufficient reason to believe that they could not serve in a fair and impartial manner. 

7.3 Parallel Proceedings 

Alleged violations of federal and state laws may be investigated and addressed under the Anchor parallel to any other investigations or proceedings. When an offense occurs and the University has jurisdiction, the University conduct process will usually go forward despite any criminal complaint that may arise from the same incident. 

7.4 Administrative Holds 

An administrative hold will be placed on a student’s academic record prohibiting registration transactions, as well as the release of their academic record and/or transcripts, if they do not follow a request from OSCCR to meet, attend conduct meetings or a hearing, or fail to complete assessed restorative measure(s). The Dean of Students (or their designee) may also place an administrative hold in non-conduct matters that require the student to meet or take some reasonable action. The hold will be lifted upon completion of the required action or at the discretion of the Dean of Students or the Director of OSCCR. 

7.5 Record Retention 

When a student has been found responsible for a violation of the Anchor, a disciplinary record, including the hearing recording if applicable (separate from the student’s academic record and  not included on the student’s transcript), will be maintained by OSCCR and released only under appropriate University procedures and pursuant to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act  (FERPA) requirements. 

Individual disciplinary records that contain cases that have suspension longer than one academic year or expulsion as a final outcome shall be kept permanently on file. All other individual files shall be kept for  seven years after any restorative outcome(s) expire unless they are expunged (as described below).

Students may request to have their disciplinary record expunged under the conditions listed below. Expungement shall be at the sole discretion of the Dean of Students (or their designee) in consultation with the  Director of OSCCR and shall require the entire record to be expunged or none of it to be expunged (i.e., no partial expungements shall be allowed). Conditions include: 

• Application for expungement shall occur only upon completion of all degree requirements and attainment of a degree. 
• Expungement may occur only for students who have restorative outcomes other than suspension longer than one academic year or expulsion and whose violations were determined to have not threatened or endangered the health or  safety of any person. 
• Expungement decisions shall be made based on obvious long-term improvement in behavior, or lack thereof, (e.g., no violations of the student code for two or more consecutive semesters prior to graduation),  and/or evidence, or lack thereof, of cooperation in earlier student conduct matters, and/or any other reasonable factor. 

7.6 Review and Revision 

The Anchor will be reviewed annually, and updated as needed, by the Director of OSCCR. A comprehensive review of policy and practice led by the Director of OSCCR should be conducted every three (3) years.

Section 6.0 - Conduct Process and Resolution Procedures outlines the procedures related to this policy.

For a summarized, visual overview of the University conduct process, please click here.