STUDENT CONDUCT PROCESS

The Student Conduct process consists of three tiers:

1. SUMMARY ADJUDICATION:
   Summary adjudication occurs when the accused student accepts responsibility for the alleged violation. This acceptance must be in writing and signed by the student. The student would then meet with a student conduct professional, typically the Assistant Dean for Student Conduct or the Vice President for Student Life, to discuss the violation and sanctions that could result from this violation of policy.
   
2. CONDUCT HEARING:
   The Conduct Hearing occurs when the accused student wishes to challenge the alleged violation. A student conduct professional, typically the Assistant Dean for Student Conduct or the Vice President for Student Life, will conduct a hearing to determine responsibility. The accused student is offered the opportunity to meet with the Assistant Dean for Student Conduct to review his/her rights and responsibilities as afforded by the Conduct Process. Following the conduct hearing, a decision is rendered by the hearing officer and appropriate sanctions (if necessary) are imposed.
   
3. COLLEGE CONDUCT BOARD:
   The College Conduct Board meets when the accused student wishes to challenge the alleged violation AND the sanctions for responsibility could result in suspension or expulsion from the college.

STUDENT CONDUCT PROCEDURES

Notice:
The accused student will receive notification of the possible policies that have been violated, the hearing body before which he/she will appear , the date, time and place of the hearing, and a copy of the incident report (if accusation initiated by a college official). This notification will be received in a reasonable amount of time prior to the hearing. This notice will be communicated via campus email. Students are strongly encouraged to check their email daily.

NOTE: Students who withdraw to avoid adjudication will have their permanent conduct record tagged, and will be required to have the case adjudicated prior to readmission. Additionally, this information will be communicated to other schools the student is considering attending.

Pre-Hearing Conference:
A representative from the Office of Student Conduct will make contact with the student to conduct a Pre-Hearing Conference. During the Pre-Hearing Conference, the staff member will review the student conduct process, the students' rights, ensure receipt of the hearing notice email and any other necessary forms, assist in preparations for the hearing, and answer any questions that the student may have.

Charges:
Any member of the college community may file charges against a student for violations of the Student Code of Conduct. A charge shall be prepared in writing and directed to the Office of Student Conduct. Any charges should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within three (3) days of the incident occurring. Potential policy violations are then determined based on details listed in reports generated by Student Life staff or statements or reports from other staff, faculty or students and are listed in the Hearing Notice From as potential policy violations.

Investigation:
Upon receipt of a report, statement, or potential policy violation, the Office of Student Conduct will investigate (as needed) in preparation for the hearing. This could include, questioning students, gathering statements, reviewing evidence, or interviewing witnesses. Campus Safety and Police may also assist in investigations where appropriate.

Conduct Hearing:
The conference will consist of the accused student, the hearing body, and any relevant witnesses. Most often, the incident report initiated by the college official will stand as his/her statement, but there may be other witnesses that the hearing body deems appropriate and relevant. Accused students may bring witnesses to testify on their behalf about the incident in question, but may not bring character witnesses. Accused students will have an opportunity to share their side of the incident and to question any witness. Questioning will be halted if it if becomes abusive or repetitive.

Advisor:
Accused students are allowed to have a member of the college community serve as an advisor during the Conduct process. However, this advisor cannot be a part of the Conduct process and may not ask questions during the hearing. Parents/guardians and attorneys are not allowed to attend Conduct hearings.

Evidence:
The standard of proof used by Louisburg College for proving violations is by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that the evidence presented must prove that it is more likely than not that the student committed the violation. A student's prior conduct record is not considered when determining responsibility. However, it is considered in determining sanctions for students found responsible for a violation.

Notification of Outcome:
Accused students will receive written notification of the outcome of the hearing and of sanctions (if any) within two class days of the hearing. Parents/guardians of dependent students receive written notification of the outcome via mail if there is a finding of responsibility and sanctions issued.

Victims of a crime of violence or a non-forcible sex offense are allowed by law to request (in writing) and receive notification of a hearing outcome for any disciplinary proceeding against a student who is the alleged perpetrator of such crime or offense. If the victim is deceased, this information will be provided, upon request, to the next of kin of the alleged victim.