A student charged with an alleged Code violation and subject to a Student Conduct Proceeding shall participate and cooperate with the process and engage with the Conduct Board and/or Administration in a timely manner. The expectations of student participation include:
- Administration, or a designee will send a notification letter via Mary Baldwin email to a charged student through the student’s university email account to notify the student of the charge, whether the Student Conduct Proceeding will be handled by the Conduct Board or has been referred to Administration, and the student’s procedural options for adjudication or resolution of the charge. The communication will outline the general details of the incident from the Incident Report and will notify the student that they need to schedule an Initial Meeting and will include the specific deadline to respond to this notification. Students are expected to respond to Administration with proposal(s) for Initial Meeting date(s) and time(s).
- If a charged student wants the assistance of a Student Advocate, the student shall be responsible for securing one by contacting the Lead Student Advocate prior to the initial meeting. See Section V of this Code. The Student Advocate may counsel the charged student and ask questions of the Conduct Board Chair, Conduct Board Advisor, Conduct Board Representative, Administration, or designee during the initial meeting.
- During this initial meeting, a discussion will be held to make sure the student understands the allegations against them and the options for resolution of the case. At this time the student will decide whether they want a resolution or a hearing. All cases resulting in a resolution will be resolved in ten (10) business days after the initial meeting. Appeals may fall outside of the ten (10) business day timeline and appeals must be filed five (5) business days after the decision and/or sanctions. Cases which go to a hearing may take longer.
- Resolution: A Resolution is an option available to a student whether the student proceeds through the Conduct Board or through administration. If the Conduct Board retains jurisdiction, the student may choose the Resolution option, which is an informal meeting with the Conduct Board Chair, the Conduct Board Advisor, a Conduct Board Representative, or designee to resolve the charge. If the Conduct Board refers the Student Conduct Proceeding to Administration, the Student’s Resolution will be with Administration, or a designee to resolve the charge. If a student chooses the Resolution option, the student waives their right to a formal hearing, but may appeal the findings of the Resolution. If selected, the Resolution will take place as part of the initial meeting and begin as soon as it is selected.
- Hearing: A hearing is a formal process in which a case is heard by a Hearing Body. The option of a hearing is available whether the Conduct Board retains jurisdiction over the Student Conduct Proceeding or refers the proceeding to Administration. See Sections XXIII-XXIV of this Code for further information on the hearing process. Hearing decisions may also be appealed. If a Student chooses the Hearing option, it will take place separate from the Initial Meeting. The remainder of the initial meeting will be used to answer any questions the student has regarding the hearing process.
- 4. Contact will be made by Administration or designee with an initial notification letter
sent to student to initiate the conduct process in regards to the alleged Code
violation(s). This letter will be sent via Mary Baldwin email in a secure, certified link that contains the specific date and time deadline for response. The student must
respond to Administration or designee within 72 hours of receipt. This email from the
student is to include proposal(s) for initial meeting date(s) and time(s).
If the student fails to respond to the initial notification letter email within 72
hours, a second notification letter will be sent to the student by Administration
or the designee. This letter will be sent via Mary Baldwin email in a secure,
certified link that contains the specific date and time deadline for response. The
student must respond to Administration or designee within 24 hours of receipt.
This email from the student is to include proposal(s) for initial meeting date(s)
and time(s).
If the student fails to respond to the second notification letter email
within 24 hours, an Administrative meeting will be scheduled to resolve
the alleged Code violation(s). The Administration will send a letter to
the student via Mary Baldwin email in a secure, certified link
summarizing the Administrative meeting’s decision, any imposed
sanctions, and information about the appeals process.
If the student fails to respond to the notification letters in the allotted
time frame due to extenuating circumstances, an extension and/or
exception may be requested to the Administration or Conduct Board
Chair explaining the situation. If approved, the student may propose a
new meeting date(s) and time(s) after the deadlines outlined above.
The student shall be responsible for notifying the official or the Hearing Body of any
scheduling conflicts with the meeting or hearing date The scheduling of an initial
meeting and hearing will ordinarily proceed promptly; however, the meeting or
hearing may be delayed by the adjudicating official or the Hearing Body for the
following reasons:
In times of heavy conduct caseloads;
If the student conduct process is initiated near the end of an
academic semester or term;
In the event of a known conflict with a student’s academic schedule; or
In the event of the reasonable need by either party for additional time.
Any student who fails to engage or cooperate with a student conduct proceeding
and/or to complete sanctions as imposed through a hearing may receive additional
Code charges and/or additional sanctions up to and including university dismissal.