Student Conduct

When it comes to holding students accountable for different violations of the Code of Conduct, disciplinary measures range in their severity. In minor cases, violations may result in only a warning from the institution. However, more serious cases can result in probation, suspension, removal from campus, or even expulsion from the University.

Student Hearings in PA

When it comes to following a set of rules and expectations set forth by a university, all undergraduates, graduate students, doctoral students, and part-time students are expected to read through these guidelines and abide by them. Codes of conduct for universities generally follow similar guidelines and may include expectations and rules such as:

• Students must properly acknowledge and cite courses they use for any oral presentations, lab reports, presentation slides, exams, or papers.
• Cheating is not tolerated at the university. Examples of cheating include plagiarizing information, falsifying data, submitting the same work for two different courses without prior permission, or knowingly assisting anyone who is attempting to cheat on a paper or exam.
• Conduct involving threats, violence, or intimidation is not tolerated. Assault, sexual misconduct, hazing, and bullying will not be tolerated. 
• Consuming or purchasing beverages while under the age of 21 is not permitted. 

As you can see, student codes of conduct tend to touch on personal and academic integrity and respect for others. Many times, these codes apply to off-campus activities by students. 

If you are suspected of committing any of the aforementioned offenses, you may be contacted by the Office of Student Conduct or Residence Life at your university for a hearing. During this hearing, they will determine whether or not you broke any violations of the Student Code of Conduct. If they do decide that violations occurred, they could assign a formal warning, probationary period, suspension, or even expulsion from the university. This will depend on the severity of the offense and whether or not you committed any past offenses. 

It is important to note that a student does not have to cooperate with the sanction process after an alleged conduct violation, but this means that the case manager will make a decision about any violations and sanctions based on the information available. However, regardless of whether a student participates in the conduct violation process they still have the opportunity to challenge the decision through a sanction review.

Distinguishing Student Conduct Code from Legal Criminality

A student can be found guilty of a Code of Conduct violation even if there are no criminal charges pressed or if the student is found not guilty of a crime. Criminal charges are completely separate from the university Code of Conduct process, and it has absolutely no impact on a student conduct case. This is because the conduct code is not a set of laws, but rather values and ethical standards set by a university.

In order to avoid facing disciplinary measures from their institutions, students should make themselves aware of any updates to their institution’s Student Code of Conduct. If you or someone you know has been accused of committing a violation against the student code of conduct, you have the right to speak to a PA attorney who is skilled in handling student conduct issues. Contact Robert Disney today for more information.