2014-15-Undergraduate-Catalog

Student Life Policies • 1085. Alternative ResolutionStudents may be given the option of entering into an alternative dispute resolutionprocess. The director of residence life & student conduct typically utilizes AlternativeResolution when the case is well suited for rich educational outcomes and/or whenparties have vested interest or need to restore the relationship. Information on theprocess, how it works, what it can and cannot do and how to initiate mediation isavailable through the director of residence life & student conduct.Community Conduct Council Procedures1. All parties involved in a hearing may review available written evidence in the case file at apre-hearing meeting with the presiding Conduct Official.2. The Community Conduct Council chair will conduct the hearing according to thefollowing procedures:a. The chair will inform the accused student(s) of the alleged violation(s).b. The accused student(s) may acknowledge whether they are responsible or notresponsible for the violation(s).c. The person(s) reporting the violation(s) and witnesses (if any) may have anopportunity to make opening statements and offer their account of the incident.d. The accused student(s) and their witnesses (if any) will have the opportunity to makeopening statements and offer their account of the incident.e. The reporting person(s) and the accused student(s) may question each other and anywitnesses.f. The chair and Community Conduct Council members may question the reportingperson(s), the accused student(s) and/or any witnesses.g. The reporting person(s) and the accused student(s) may make closing statements. Incases in which the reporting person(s) or accused student(s) fail to appear, the chair maymodify these procedures.3. All Community Conduct Councils shall be conducted in accordance with the standards offair process. Specifically, the accused student(s) should be informed of the nature of thecharge(s) against him/her, be given a fair opportunity to refute the charges and have theopportunity to appeal the decision. Any conduct official who feels he/she cannot beimpartial in a given case shall recuse himself/herself and shall be replaced by anotherCommunity Conduct Council member.4. The director of residence life & student conduct (or designee) may require thecooperation of any member of the university community in furnishing testimony orevidence directly related to the resolution of a case. However, no member of theuniversity staff with whom an accused student has a confidential relationship can berequired to give information arising from that relationship without the permission of theaccused student. Furthermore, the conduct official shall excuse a witness if the conductofficial concludes that by giving testimony the witness may be endangered.5. Audio recordings will be made of full hearings. Written summaries of findings will bemaintained with the case file. Recordings of the hearing are to be used by the council