Upper School Student Handbook 2013–2014 - Milton Academy

standards
In the Class I year, the School will report all appearances before a Discipline Committee to
colleges to which a student has applied, regardless of the time of year in which the appearance
occurs.
Please see this Handbook’s appendix for further information on the Discipline Committee.
The Academic Discipline Committee
IV
Authority
The Academic Discipline Committee has the authority to make recommendations to the head
of school or his designee, who may follow the recommendations, but who reserves the right
to alter them. The Academic Discipline Committee does not establish whether a student has
violated School rules, but hears cases of students who admit to breaking School rules. It is
the head of school’s prerogative to determine the disciplinary response without an Academic
Discipline Committee being convened.
A student coming before the Academic Discipline Committee should expect a penalty of suspension.
In some cases, the committee may recommend the addition of an educational component
to the disciplinary response. In such cases, the academic dean, or an adult appointed
to the task, will meet with the student and help to design and complete an appropriate project.
A second appearance for the same offense or a third appearance for any reason is likely to
result in expulsion.
The Academic Discipline Committee will hear cases of dishonesty involving academic matters
and cases of excessive unexcused class absences.
Cases of cheating, including plagiarism, that reach the Academic Discipline Committee will
be treated as serious integrity violations and will require, at the very least, the following
responses:
Class IV only: The student will be subject to penalties ranging from loss of privileges to suspension.
Classes I–III: The student will be subject to penalties ranging from a five-day suspension to
dismissal.
Classes I–IV: The School will make a written report of the offense to the student’s parents. If
the student is suspended, the School will notify in writing all schools and colleges to which
the student applies for admission. However, the record of a suspension will not become part
of the student’s permanent file.
Classes I–IV: In all cases, the student will receive a zero (0) for the work. The teacher may
require the work to be made up, but no credit for the makeup will be permitted.
Communication of Response
A public announcement including the student’s name, the general nature of the offense, and
the disciplinary response is made to the School as soon as possible following the decision. A
copy of the public statement outlined by the Academic Discipline Committee is communicated
to the students and faculty in morning assembly.
After the public announcement, the committee members may comment on the nature of the
discussion including the various perspectives that were shared. However, they may not attribute
any comments or perspectives to particular members of the committee. They also may
not discuss information about a student’s private life that was discussed during the committee’s
deliberation.
Many colleges and secondary schools ask the School and the applicant whether the applicant
has ever been suspended from the School. In accordance with our motto, “Dare to be
true,” the School will answer these questions truthfully and expects students to do the same.
Whether a college asks or not, the School will report all suspensions that have resulted from
serious integrity violations, such as lying, cheating, stealing or other unethical behavior.
In the Class I year, the School will report all appearances before an Academic Discipline
Committee to colleges to which a student has applied, regardless of the time of year in
which the appearance occurs.
Please see this Handbook’s appendix for further information on the Academic Discipline
Committee.
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