Guide to Student Life - Campus Life - Adelphi University

24.11 Prospective witnesses, other than the complainant and the respondent, shall be excluded
from the hearing during the testimony of other witnesses. All parties shall be excluded
during board deliberations with the exception of the student conduct officer who will
be present as a nonvoting member for the purpose of addressing procedural issues. The
hearing board may go into executive session at any time during the proceedings. An
executive session is a private, unrecorded meeting of the hearing board, and sometimes
other invited individuals, typically used to resolve procedural matters.
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24.12 The case may not be discussed by any member of the hearing board outside of the
hearing process. All parties to a hearing shall be expected to respect the privacy of other
participants in the proceeding.
24.13 Determination of the responsibility of the respondent for the charge(s) against him
or her shall be established by a preponderance of the evidence. A preponderance of
the evidence means such evidence that, when considered and compared with that
opposed to it, is more convincing, creating the belief that what is sought to be shown
is more likely true than not true. The hearing board’s decision should be based only on
information presented at the hearing.
24.14 Formal rules of evidence shall not be applicable in disciplinary proceedings conducted
pursuant to this Code. Unduly repetitious or irrelevant evidence may be excluded, as
determined by the hearing board with the advice of the student conduct officer, or his/
her representative.
24.15 Complainants and respondents may make opening and closing statements, with the
complainant proceeding first. Complainants and respondents shall be accorded an
opportunity to question those witnesses who speak for any party at the hearing. Hearing
board members may question complainants, respondents or witnesses at any time during
the hearing.
24.16 Written statements shall be considered by the hearing board only if the student conduct
officer determines that: (1) it is not possible for the individual to appear at the hearing;
and (2) the identity of the person signing the statement can be ascertained. The student
conduct officer may require that such a written statement be notarized or signed in his
or her presence. Hearing boards should take note that because written statements are
not subject to challenge in the same way as live statements, written statements should be
evaluated in that light (see also Section 24.4).
24.17 A determination of responsibility shall be followed by a deliberation as to sanction. The
past disciplinary record of the respondent will only be supplied to the hearing board for
consideration after a determination of responsibility.