Student Conduct

What happens if I am documented by an RA or a Public Safety officer?
Students who are documented may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct depending on the type of incident and their level of involvement. You are NOT automatically found In Violation of a University policy just because you are documented. If a University official asks you for your identification, provide it to him or her and know that you will have an opportunity to present your version of events to a student conduct administrator at a later date.

What happens if I have a Guests violation?
Students who are found In Violation of the visitation policy will be notified by the Office of Student Conduct via their SJU email account. Guest violations may result in warnings, fines, or loss of guest privileges. Students who receive a guest violation may also appeal their violation with the Office of Student Conduct (the directions for how to appeal will be in your decision letter).

How will I know if I have to meet with the Office of Student Conduct?
Students will receive an email notice to their official SJU account informing them if a meeting has been scheduled for them and what the meeting is pertaining to.

Do I have to attend this meeting?
No. However, if you do not attend your meeting, then the Office of Student Conduct may make a determination whether or not you are in violation of University policy in your absence. If you fail to appear for your meeting, you are still expected to comply with assigned sanctions.

How long does the conduct process take?
This depends on the type of incident you have been involved in. The Office of Student Conduct makes every effort to resolve incidents in a timely manner.

Do I need an attorney?
No. The student conduct process is educational and does not resemble the American legal system. Students may still choose to hire legal representation to advise them; however, this will be at the student’s own expense. Attorneys who have been hired to advise students through the conduct process will not be permitted to present information, attend Behavioral Hearings or answer questions on behalf of their client. Attorneys who have been hired to advise students may be permitted to be present at informal conduct meetings at the discretion of the student conduct administrator, but only in an advisory capacity.

Does the Code of Conduct apply off-campus?
Yes. The Code of Conduct applies to all SJU students from the time of admission until they graduate or are no longer a member of the SJU community. The Code of Conduct applies to students during the academic year and during all University breaks or vacations, whether they are at home or abroad.

What is a Behavioral Hearing?
A Behavioral Hearing is an administrative hearing with a Student Conduct Administrator. Students have the opportunity to present their case to a trained University administrator from the Division of Student Affairs regarding alleged violations of University policy. The Student Conduct Administrator determines if a policy has been violated and assigns sanctions as necessary. For more information, see Behavioral Hearings.
 

What is a Student Conduct Board Hearing?
A Student Conduct Board (SCB) Hearing is a hearing at which accused students have their conduct matter reviewed by trained student leaders from the SJU community. The SCB acts in place of a student conduct administrator and determines if a violation of University policy has occurred. For more information, see Student Conduct Board Hearings.

What is a University Conduct Board Hearing?
A University Conduct Board (UCB) Hearing is a hearing at which accused students have their conduct matter reviewed by a combination of trained faculty, staff, and students from the SJU community. The UCB acts in place of a student conduct administrator and determines if a violation of University policy has occurred. For more information, see University Conduct Board Hearings.

How will I know if I am responsible for a violation of the Code?
After your conduct meeting, you will receive a decision letter from the Office of Student Conduct with the outcome of your incident. This decision letter will be sent to your SJU email account and it will inform you if you have been found in violation of any SJU policies. If you are found responsible for a violation, the decision letter will include information about any sanctions that you must complete as a result.

What are sanctions?
Sanctions are remedies that the University uses to assist in the behavioral, moral, ethical, and spiritual development of our students. Sanctions may be educational, but they are never optional. Students are always expected to comply with all assigned sanctions. Failure to comply with assigned sanctions may result in an additional response, including the possible loss of housing privileges, suspension, or expulsion. For more information, see University Sanctions.

What happens if I do not complete my sanctions?
Students who do not comply with assigned sanctions will receive a sanction compliance notification from the Office of Student Conduct via their SJU email account. Students who do not complete sanctions in a timely fashion may be assigned additional sanctions, including (but not limited to) privilege restrictions, fines, community service, loss of housing, suspension, or expulsion.

Can I appeal my conduct decision?
Yes. Decisions made during a Behavioral Hearing or by a Conduct Board may be appealed though the process outlined in the Code of Conduct, which can be found at Appeals of University and Student Conduct Hearings.

Are my parents going to find out about my conduct history?
The Office of Student Conduct abides by all federal privacy laws as they relate to a student’s educational record. If a student is involved in an incident involving violations of the Alcohol or Drugs policy, or if a student is hospitalized, arrested, removed from housing, suspended or expelled, the Office of Student Conduct reserves the right to contact a parent, guardian, or listed emergency contact. For more information, see Student Privacy in the Student Handbook.

What happens if I have been accused of academic misconduct (i.e. plagiarism/cheating)?
Academic misconduct incidents are handled by the respective Deans of your college. Academic misconduct policies can be found at Academic Honor Pledge.

What does the Office of Student Conduct do?
The Office of Student Conduct (OSC) addresses student behavior that is non-academic in nature. Students referred to the OSC will be given an opportunity to discuss their behavior with a student conduct administrator, who is responsible for working toward an educational and appropriate resolution to a complaint.

What happens if I refer a student to the OSC?
The OSC will ask a student to meet to discuss the referral and any possible violations of the Student Code of Conduct. A student may also be directly charged with a violation of the Student Code of Conduct as defined by the Student Conduct Process. This process is educational in nature and meant to help the student develop a better understanding of behavioral expectations for St. John’s students.

What should I do with a disruptive student?
If a student exhibits threatening or concerning behavior, you should contact Public Safety immediately. You may first want to try to identify if the behavior is simply “disruptive” or potentially threatening in nature.

You are permitted to directly address the behavior of disruptive students (ex. making noise, using personal devices in the class room or interrupting class) privately—preferably in a non-confrontational manner. It may be useful to explain why the behavior is disturbing the academic atmosphere and try to gain an understanding as to why it is occurring.

If this does not resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you are encouraged to file a report with the OSC detailing the issue.

Can the OSC meet with me or my colleagues to answer questions?
Yes. If you would like a member of the OSC to talk to you or to your department regarding student behavior, outreach services and how we can assist you, please contact our office.

Will I be contacted if my son or daughter is involved in an incident?
It will depend on the type of incident your son or daughter is alleged to have been involved in. It may also depend on whether or not your son or daughter has given permission to the OSC to contact you. Students have certain privacy rights under federal law that prevent disclosure of student information unless under specific circumstances. You can read more about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (commonly referred to as FERPA) here.

What happens if my son or daughter has been accused of academic misconduct, such as plagiarism or cheating)?
The OSC does not handle academic misconduct/integrity issues. These cases are addressed by the Dean’s Office in your son or daughter’s academic college. The Academic Misconduct policy can be found here.

Why does the University address what my son or daughter does off campus?
Our students are expected to behave in line with the University’s expectations and to be guided by its Core Values, regardless of whether they are on campus or off campus. Incidents that occur off campus will be addressed through the same student conduct process as incidents that occur on campus.

What will happen if my son or daughter is found responsible for a Code of Conduct violation?
The outcome of a student’s conduct matter will depend on the seriousness of the violation that they are found responsible for. Students determined to be in violation of University policy will be assigned appropriate sanctions by the OSC.

How will my son or daughter’s conduct record impact their ability to graduate?
Most of the time, a student’s conduct record does not prevent him or her from graduating or pursuing advanced degrees. The University does keep all conduct records for a period of seven (7) years after the last date of enrollment. However, suspensions or expulsions may be permanently noted on a student’s academic transcript. Students who are expelled from St. John’s will not be permitted to graduate from the University.

How long does the student conduct process take?
All conduct matters are handled in a timely and appropriate fashion. The amount of time needed to resolve a particular incident may vary depending on the circumstances.

Who will decide my son or daughter’s case?
Your son or daughter will meet with a trained student conduct administrator to discuss the alleged incident and violations. This administrator will most likely be a member of the OSC staff or a Residence Director, depending on the documented incident. The case may be resolved administratively, or referred to either the Student or University Conduct Board for adjudication.

Can my son or daughter appeal their conduct decision?
Yes. Students have the right to appeal their conduct decisions as outlined in the Student Conduct Process.

Does my son or daughter need an attorney?
No, students are not required to have attorneys. The student conduct process is meant to be educational and deliberately does not mirror the American legal system for resolving criminal allegations.

Students are always permitted to hire legal representation to advise them at their own expense. However, attorneys who have been hired to advise students will not be permitted to present information to the University, attend behavioral meetings or answer questions on behalf of their client. Attorneys who disrupt the student conduct process in any way will be separated from this process at the discretion of the student conduct administrator.

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