Sanctions

Article VI: Sanctions

When a student is found to be in violation of one or more sections of the Student Code of Conduct, one or more sanctions may be issued. Sanctions are educational activities, restorative activities, statuses, fines, or limitations of privileges that must be completed within a specific time frame, or removal from the College. Failure to complete sanctions within a given time frame may result in further sanctions. The goals of sanctioning are:

• To help students think critically about decision-making, community impact, and personal accountability;
• To educate and foster student development;
• To maintain a sense of consistency on campus for incidents of a similar nature;
• To create a community defined by integrity and in which we share the commitment to fostering this integrity;
• To create and support a positive, safe, and equitable campus community.

In determining appropriate sanctions, the College considers the nature of the violation, including the impact on the community and its members, the College’s sanctioning guidelines, the student’s prior disciplinary history, and the individual student’s needs. Records are maintained in the student’s file in the Center for Student Success and are taken into account in the event of future Incidents.

For academic and non-academic conduct matters, the following sanctions may be assigned. Types of Behaviors and Sanctions are outlined in Levels of Behavior and Possible Sanctions.

Developmental Outcomes

1. Educational Activity/Activities: Students may be required to perform activities that are designed to be educational. Examples include, but are not limited to: offering a formal oral or written apology, attending an educational class or workshop, preparing and submitting a written paper or presentation on a designated topic, and written reflections
2. Mandatory Counseling/Advising: Students may be required to participate in counseling and/or advising sessions. Such sessions may include evaluative measures.
3. Restitution: Restitution may be required for damages done or other payment expenses incurred as a result of a student’s actions. Restitution may include financial restitution, fines, or community restitution (for example, programming requirements, community service hours, repairing damage)
4. Academic Coursework: In conjunction with the sanctions outlined by the Honor Committee, the students found guilty of alleged violations of the Honor Code will also be held to the instructor’s policy regarding academic integrity. Possible course sanctions include, but are not limited to: 
   1. Redoing the work in question with or without credit;
   2. Failing assignment in question;
   3. Failing the course.

When a student is found to be in violation of the Honor Code or other academic-related sections of the Code of Conduct, one or more sanctions in this section below may be issued. In determining appropriate sanctions, the College considers the nature of the violation, including the impact on the community and its members, the College’s sanctioning guidelines, the student’s prior disciplinary history with regard to academic matters, and the individual student’s needs.

For a first academic violation, sanctions may be developmental and/or disciplinary. Sanctions for subsequent academic violations will likely increase in severity, potentially resulting in expulsion. Given that students enter with various academic and cultural backgrounds, it is critical that the first sanction be coupled with an educational component in order to ensure one’s understanding of and competency in the expectations of integrity within a learning community. After a second violation, the responsibility is on the student to make sure they are adhering to the standards of academic integrity within an institution of higher learning. The College will clearly convey this expectation in the wake of a second violation. A letter from the Center for Student Success will be issued to the student explicitly stating that if there are further subsequent violations of the Honor Code, expulsion will be seriously considered as a potential sanction. First and foremost the College is committed to helping a student thrive within the institution. This commitment drives the College’s commitment to integrating educational components into the structure of sanctions. The College must also be responsible for maintaining a sense of the overall academic integrity of the community, and a sense that this is a shared endeavor.

Disciplinary Sanctions

1.  Restrictions and Loss of Privileges: Examples include, but are not limited to, restriction from visiting a specific residence hall, dining facility, or other specific areas on campus; restrictions from attending or participating in extracurricular activities, Greek formals or other social events, athletic events, concerts, or other campus programs;  and prohibition from or limitation of campus employment. A copy of the restriction sanction is placed in the student’s file and copied to the appropriate College officials. Notification may also be given to parents or guardians.
2. Warning: A Warning is notice that the student’s behavior is unacceptable to the College community and that further misconduct may result in more severe penalties. Warning is for a specified period of time, usually not to extend beyond two years, and may be accompanied by conditions such as, but not limited to, developmental sanctions. Records are maintained in the student’s file in the Center for Student Success and are taken into account in the event of future violations. After the Warning period, the Warning will be removed from the students file upon graduation from the College, or three years after permanent withdrawal from the College, and will not be externally reported outside the College community as part of the student’s disciplinary record. In certain instances, parents (guardian), class dean,  or advisors may be notified.
3. Probation: Probation is notice that the student is no longer in good standing with the College community. Probation is for a specified period of time and may be accompanied by restrictions on activities or the requirement that specific activities be performed and/or other conditions be met, as deemed necessary and appropriate. Violation of Probation is considered grounds for further action, including Suspension and Expulsion. At the conclusion of the Probation period, the student is returned to good standing. Records are maintained in the student’s file in the Center for Student Success and are taken into account in the event of future violations. In general, and in accordance with the College’s policy regarding Parental Notification in Student Conduct situations, parents may be notified when a student is placed on probation, so long as permitted by FERPA. The student’s academic advisor and/or class dean may be notified when a student is placed on probation. Records of Probation remain in the student’s file until graduation from the College or three years after permanent withdrawal from the College. Probation records are externally reported only if the student has not graduated from the College, or in the case where it is within three years after permanent withdrawal from the College.
4. Suspension: Suspension encompasses exclusion from the campus and from all activities related to the College, whether on or off campus, for a specified period of time including the activities of College-recognized or sponsored organizations. The time specification may be a calendar date or the time at which certain accompanying conditions and/or other requirements have been satisfied. Violation of Suspension is considered grounds for further action, including Expulsion from the College. Records are maintained in the student’s file in the Center for Student Success and are taken into account in the event of future violations. In accordance with the College’s policy regarding Parental Notification in Student Conduct situations, parents are notified when a student is suspended, so long as permitted by FERPA. The student’s academic advisor and class dean are notified when a student is suspended.
5. Expulsion: Expulsion encompasses permanent separation from the College. Expulsion means that a student may not enroll at the College nor participate in College activities whether on or off campus. Records are maintained in the student’s file in the Center for Student Success and are taken into account in the event the student seeks re-admission at some point in the future. In accordance with the College’s policy regarding Parental Notification in Student Conduct situations, parents are notified when a student is expelled, so long as permitted by FERPA. The student’s academic advisor and class dean are notified when a student is expelled.
6. Withholding Degree: Since  a degree from the College signifies  successful completion of academic requirements,  compliance with the College’s standards, and good standing as a member of the College community, the College may withhold a degree entirely as a sanction for a violation of its policies, rules, or regulations, It may also impose further conditions on the certification of a degree (e.g., compliance with other sanctions imposed as a prerequisite to the certification of the degree).
7. Revocation of Admission and/or Degree: Admission to or a degree awarded from the College may be revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, or other violation of College standards in obtaining the degree, or for other serious violations committed by a student prior to graduation.
8. Notations on Transcripts: Sanctions are not typically placed on a student’s transcript. Due to certain circumstances, if a conduct officer or committee determines that a sanction should be placed on a student’s transcript, and the Vice President for Student Life or the Dean for Student Success or, for honor code violations the Provost, agrees, then notation of the sanction will appear on the transcript and in the Office for Student Success file.