Centenary’s Office of Student Conduct upholds and enforces the Student Handbook. All members of the campus community are encouraged to behave honorably and report information regarding apparent rule-violating behavior.
Student Conduct
The Conduct Process
Reporting
Absolutely anyone (student, faculty, staff, visitor, etc.) can report non-academic misconduct via the Student Conduct Communication Report. Reports of alleged misconduct may also be filed with a Residence Life staff member, the Director or Assistant Director of Student Conduct, the Title IX Deputy Coordinator, the Dean of Students, and/or the police officers with Centenary’s Department of Public Safety (DPS).
The Office of Student Conduct reviews reports received for any described behavior that may violate the Student Handbook. If there is more information needed to supplement the report, a Hearing Officer may reach out to the reporter, named witnesses, named students, and/or other involved parties to get more details.
Notice to Appear
A Notice to Appear is an email or letter sent by a Hearing Officer to indicate that a hearing is necessary. The Notice to Appear includes a default date, time, and location for the hearing, with the option to reschedule. Receiving a Notice to Appear is not the same as a Finding Letter and does not presuppose that the recipient has violated any policies. It simply reflects that a report was received with the recipient’s name and that a hearing will be held.
Conduct Hearings
A Hearing is an opportunity for named students to discuss the reported incident, including a chance to read the report(s) written and provide any information they have. Hearings are most typically facilitated be one college administrator who acts as the Hearing Officer for that case. Students may reschedule their hearing if they can’t make the default time and day provided in the Notice to Appear. Students may be heard In Absentia if they neither appear to their hearing nor reschedule.
Finding Letter
After hearings for all involved parties, the Hearing Officer reviews all available information and comes to a finding of whether to hold each named student responsible or not responsible for violation of policies. To reach the finding, the Hearing Officer uses a standard of evidence call “preponderance of information”. This means that the decision of whether or not someone violated a policy is determined by whether the likelihood is greater than 50%. After all available and relevant things are considered, if the weight and validity of the information points to a person “more likely than not” being responsible for a policy violation, that person will be held responsible.
Every student who had a hearing (even if held In Absentia) will receive a Finding Letter to be notified of the decision for their own situation.
Students being held responsible for policy violations may also receive documented warnings and/or sanctions included within their Finding Letters, which they have 5 College business days to appeal.
Warning Letters
Informal warnings may include a staff member of the College (including Resident Assistants) reminding one or more policies of a policy which may or may not have been broken. A common example of a situation where one might be issued an informal warning is a violation of quiet hours. These are primarily issued verbally and not typically documented.
Documented warnings, which typically follow a hearing, are formally documented as a policy violation and may have an impact similar to if a sanction was issued.
At times, documented warnings may be issued without hearings for minor violations (e.g. possession of unburnt candles, ceiling hangings, or toaster ovens) to students without a recorded prior history of having violated the involved policies. However, those students also have a right to a hearing if they so choose, and/or if they maintain their noninvolvement and must provide evidence in person.
Sanctions
Students held responsible for violations may have sanctions to complete. Sanctions reflect the circumstances and are cumulative, so two people found to have violated the same policy may incur different sanctions, depending on the two situations, including any prior violations and sanctions they’ve enacted.
All sanctions are intended to be educational in nature and may include but are not limited to things such as creation and completion of educational flyers; writing reflection papers; program planning & execution; undergoing counseling; & completing community service organized through our Facilities Department. Some sanctions are also restitutional, especially in the case of damaged property. Failure to complete or fulfill sanctions may result in further judicial action, fines, and conduct holds that may prevent class registration and/or transcript retrieval.
Students who are having trouble completing or fulfilling sanctions should reach out to the Office of Student Conduct before the sanction deadlines for guidance.
Appeals
Students held responsible for policy violations may appeal for any reason. To appeal, a student should email the Director of Student Conduct. They have 5 business days to do so from the day they receive their Finding Letter. Their case then goes to an appellate body, either the Student Conduct Review Committee or Residence Hall Association, to review. The appellate body may uphold or overturn the finding. If the finding is upheld, they may remove, lighten, or increase sanctions in response to their review of the case.
The Impact of Misconduct
Misbehavior has an impact on others in the campus community and can also have detrimental effects on those who choose to violate policy, even if they are not held accountable. Students held responsible for policy violations are encouraged to reflect on their decisions and the impact their actions have had on others, as well as to make amends where to appropriate to individuals and the community.
o In some cases, students are separated from the college, either temporarily through suspension or permanently through expulsion.
o As a consequence of having engaged in rule-violating behavior at a residential college, a student’s standing with regards to their housing preferences for the next year may be impacted.
o In an effort to help support students in making better decisions in the future, others in a need-to-know capacity, such as athletic coaches, may be notified of violations and/or sanctions incurred.
o Numerous employers, graduate and professional schools, and government agencies, including the military, require applicants to sign releases of their college student conduct history before being considered for hire, admittance, or clearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make an anonymous report?
Anyone can provide information to the Office of Student Conduct at any time, however only reports that have the name of the reporter will be brought through the Student Conduct Process. Students going through the Student Conduct Process have the right to know the nature of the report and the name of who reported them. Protecting this standard right allows our office to operate with more transparency and equity.
Students who want to provide information but wish to remain anonymous are encouraged to talk to their Resident Assistants or someone in Residence Life, who may be able to offer informal resolutions or guidance.
I didn't do anything wrong. Why am I being called in?
Receiving a Notice to Appear simply reflects that a report was received with your name in it and that a hearing will be held. It does not assume you violated a policy. There are various cases in which a person may be named in a report if they were merely present for an incident or if they live where a prohibited item was found. In the hearing, you will be able to read the report and provide information and context to why you do not believe you should be held responsible for policy violations.
Do I have to go to a hearing?
If you receive a Notice to Appear, you are strongly encouraged to attend the scheduled hearing or reschedule to a time you can attend. The hearing is your opportunity to review any information about alleged misbehavior in which you were named, as well as provide information you have, including information you might have that helps a Hearing Officer come to a finding not to hold you responsible for policy violations.
If you want to waive the right to a hearing, you can email the Hearing Officer and express this, and you will be heard In Absentia (in your absence). If you neither attend the hearing, reschedule, nor reach out to email the Hearing Officer, it will be assumed you waive your right to attend your hearing, and you will be heard In Absentia.
I can't make the hearing time/day. How can I reschedule?
The Notice to Appear that you received with the default date and time should have information in it about how to reschedule. Most typically, those conducting hearings have a link to a form wherein students can choose a time that works for their schedule. If you reschedule with such a form, please make sure you are requesting the new day and time in the Central Time Zone.
How long do hearings last?
Hearings widely vary in duration, as dependent on the case and how much evidence is provided by the Hearing Officer or the named student(s). There have been hearings as short as 3 minutes if a named student comes in to read a report and has nothing to add or say. There have also been hearings as long as 2 hours before, for more convoluted, multi-report cases.
Can I bring someone with me to my hearing?
In addition to witnesses, you can ask a Faculty or Staff member who agrees to come with you as your Case Advisor. This person can’t represent you or speak to others, but can advise you. Lawyers are not allowed in conduct hearings.
What if I'm facing criminal charges?
The legal system is completely independent from the College’s student conduct process. The College’s procedures will be followed and a resolution will be found on its own, regardless of what may be happening with any legal case.
How long does a conduct case take to close?
The duration of the conduct process for any individual case varies widely and is dependent on many factors, including but not limited to the complexity of the case, the number of people involved, the amount of evidence available, and the workload of the Hearing Officer assigned to the case. Some cases are more time-sensitive and may be prioritized over others, even if they are received later.
Contact Info
Office of Student Conduct
2911 Centenary Blvd
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