In advance of the meeting, you’ll receive a Notice of Alleged Misconduct (Notice) that will identify the policies under review, and state the date, time, place, and format of the meeting to resolve the report.
Navigating Student Conduct Processes
When we are resolving a potential policy violation, we hope to uphold the following values:
- Educational. We seek to help students think critically about their decision-making and their role in a community.
- Fair. We hope students feel that our processes are equitable, respectful, and that the outcomes are appropriate to the circumstances.
- Timely. We work to resolve these processes as quickly as possible.
This page provides a brief overview of the process. For more details, refer to the Student Conduct Procedures section of the Student Handbook.
Report of a Policy Violation
A report refers to any information provided to SAIC about a student violating our policies. Any individual may make a report to either the Office of Student Affairs, Campus Security, or the Title IX Office. For a list of SAIC’s policies, refer to the Rules of Conduct, Residence Hall Rules of Conduct, and Additional Policies and Guidelines sections of the Student Handbook.
How this Works
There are a few steps we take when we receive a report that a student may have violated a policy:
- Step 1: Investigation. SAIC may conduct an investigation to gather more information regarding the report. This may include speaking with community members who have information relevant to the report, reviewing documentation, materials available electronically, or requesting written statements from any individual with information regarding the incident.
- Step 2: Determining a Resolution. SAIC offers four different resolution options for reports of alleged misconduct. The appropriateness of each resolution option depends on the circumstances of the case including the severity, complexity, and timing of the alleged violation:
- Informal Resolution—an informal approach can be useful in resolving conflicts between students or reports that may not be sufficient to state a violation of policy
- Voluntary Resolution—when SAIC receives a report, a student may accept a finding of responsibility and an appropriate sanction for the behavior.
- Formal Resolution—for most other reports of alleged misconduct, SAIC staff members will review the information available to them to make a determination regarding if the student violated SAIC policy and, if so, what the sanctions will be.
- Pre-Attendance Resolution—to address a report of alleged misconduct that occurred prior to a student first beginning classes, SAIC has the discretion to follow the Pre-Attendance Resolution procedures.
- Step 3. Student Conduct Meeting. A Student Conduct Meeting refers to the meeting at the end of the Formal Resolution process where staff members make a determination about whether a student violated SAIC policy. Student Conduct Meetings can be facilitated in several ways. Students may meet with one or two staff members (such as a Residence Life professional staff member, a Dean on Call, or the Dean of Student Life). Students may also meet with a board consisting of representatives from SAIC’s administration, faculty, and student body.
Meeting FAQs
The purpose is to give you an opportunity to present information about the incident and for staff members to ask you questions to clarify information in the report. The meeting may also be an opportunity for you to reflect on the situation and share how it may have an impact on your future decision-making.
A full list of possible sanctions can be found at the end of the Student Conduct Procedures section of the Student Handbook.
