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The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards is responsible for the student conduct process for the entire university. This includes conduct policy issues with all students (undergraduate, graduate and professional). Additionally, the office works with faculty and the Office of Undergraduate Studies to support the Academic Integrity Process for undergraduate and graduate students. Our office strives to take an educational approach with all students. Our goal is to help students make good decisions while maintaining accountability and community standards for the university.

As an office, we protect the rights of our students while assisting the University in developing them into morally and ethically sound leaders of society; we support the mission and core values of the University, uphold the Code of Conduct and give every student access to an equitable conduct process that leaves everyone’s dignity intact.

We are located in Thwing, Suite 305.

You can find the University’s Code of Conduct on the University website,

The purpose of the initial meeting is for the student and an administrator to discuss the incident in question and for the student to give their perspective of the incident. It is strongly encouraged to not put off scheduling/attending the meeting, as registration holds may happen. To prepare for the meeting, revisit the incident, write down any and everything you could remember about the incident so that there is a full picture of what transpired.

While we understand the conduct process can be uncomfortable, we highly encourage meeting with our office when asked, as it is your opportunity to give your perspective on an incident. Our office works with your academic schedule to find a time to meet. Failure to fulfill a request to meet with our office could result in a registration hold being added to your account.

Being unaware of a University rule is not an excuse for misconduct. It is the responsibility of every student to know the code of conduct and other pertinent policies of the University. Be mindful of making just decisions when a rule is not clear and the effect your decision will have on the integrity of you and �ǿմ�ý.

We hold every student to the same code of conduct, whether you are doing Undergraduate , Graduate or Professional coursework . As a member of the �ǿմ�ý community, you are expected to uphold these standards on and off campus at all times.

No. Depending on the nature of a case, another department such as The Office of Equity may oversee the case.

Yes in some cases. Students are expected to uphold the code of conduct. If an incident affects the campus community or individuals, the University may proceed with a student conduct case even if the incident is online.

No. The student’s records belong solely to the student. However, if there is a signed FERPA waiver on file, parents may request information from the Office of Student Conduct.

There are a number of resources available to students as they proceed through the conduct process. Our office is the best resource to answer any questions about the process. Other supports could include your major advisor, four year advisor, or University Health & Counseling.

As a student, you have: the right to a confidential conduct record; The right to have an informal meeting with an administrator to discuss the incident and give your perspective; the right to request an administrative hearing if you disagree that you are responsible for an alleged violation or with proposed sanctions and; the right to appeal if you disagree with the outcome of a requested hearing. "Your rights in the conduct process will be discussed in your initial meeting and electronically via the rights & responsibilities form that you will receive after your initial meeting with an administrator."

There are a few occurrences that may cause a student organization to be held responsible for a violation:

1. If members of an organization or their guests are acting together to violate the code of conduct;
2. Members of the organization are violating policy on land being utilized by the organization (Fraternity/Sorority houses, event spaces, etc.)
3. The organization had knowledge of a possible violation and failed to take preventive measures to stop the violation from happening.

Conduct referrals can be made by anyone and there are many ways to report incidents. For more information on reporting, please visit the Division of Student Affairs website or by clicking here.

Yes! Students that wish to participate on hearing panels or learn about the conduct processes may become part of the (AIB). Interested students should contact the Office of Student Conduct @ student.conduct@case.edu or stop by the office for more information.

We strongly urge students to seek assistance especially when situations can become life threatening. Fear of facing repercussions can sometimes prevent students and organizations from seeking assistance for themselves or others. To reduce this barrier, �ǿմ�ý has a Medical Amnesty policy in place for students and organizations . Visit here for more information.

When a student is alleged to have violated the code of conduct, they will initially meet with a University official from the Office of Student Conduct to discuss the incident and give their perspective on what happened. This will also be used to determine whether an Administrative Hearing or Formal Hearing will take place. The formal conduct process is utilized when the outcome for an individual could result in probation, separation or expulsion. The administrative conduct process is used for lower level violations.

An Administrative Hearing is used when there is no chance of Disciplinary Probation, University Separation or Expulsion. The respondent will meet with an administrator to discuss the incident and give their perspective. If there is agreement that a violation occurred, then the incident can be resolved informally and a decision letter will be sent after the meeting, closing this case. If the respondent disagrees that a violation occurred or with the sanctions, they may request an administrative hearing. 

With a Formal Hearing, the respondent will still meet with an administrator to discuss the incident and give their perspective. Whether a respondent agrees or disagrees that a violation occurred, a formal conduct hearing will be scheduled to determine responsibility and sanctions.

After an initial meeting with an administrator from the office of student conduct to discuss the incident:

1. For lower level violations where probation, separation, and expulsion are not potential outcomes: 
   • If the respondent agrees that a violation occurred and agrees with the conduct sanctions being proposed, the case may be resolved informally in the initial meeting. With this agreement, the conduct case will be closed. The respondent will receive a decision letter after the meeting.
   • If the respondent does not agree that a violation occurred and/or does not agree with the sanctions being proposed, the respondent has the right to request an administrative hearing. If the respondent requests an administrative hearing, a different administrator will review all of the available information and then meet with the respondent to determine responsibility and possible sanctions.
2. For higher level violations where probation, separation, or expulsion could be potential outcomes: 
   • If the respondent does not agree that a violation occurred, a formal conduct hearing will be scheduled for a later date to determine responsibility and possible sanctions.
   • If the respondent agrees that a violation occurred, a formal conduct hearing will be scheduled for a later date to determine appropriate sanctions. There is no informal resolution within the formal conduct process.

During the formal hearing the respondent will have an opportunity to discuss their perspective on the incident in question. This may include why the respondent does not accept responsibility for the violation and outcomes or sanctions the respondent believes are appropriate.

A three person hearing panel will consider all of the information available, ask questions of the respondent and any witnesses. The hearing board will then determine whether the respondent is responsible for the alleged violations.

If the respondent is found responsible for any violations (or previously accepted responsibility), appropriate sanctions will be determined. Any prior misconduct will be considered during sanctioning after responsibility has been established.

If the respondent is found not responsible for any violations, then the hearing will conclude and no sanctions will be imposed.

This depends on whether it is an administrative or formal hearing process. An administrative hearing is conducted by one university official authorized by the Vice President of Student Affairs to determine. A formal conduct hearing board consists of three individuals: a Dean from the Office of Undergraduate Advising, an administrator from Student Affairs, and a student panelist who has been trained by our office to serve on panels.

The outcome of any conduct case is contingent upon the seriousness of the incident and its impact on the campus community and affected individuals. A low level first offense will likely not result in separation or expulsion, but a higher level offense with a greater impact on the university community could.

Meetings and hearings are currently held via zoom. A zoom link will be sent to your campus email address. We request that you participate with audio and video.

No. However, it is strongly encouraged that you attend so that you may answer any questions that the hearing panel may have in order to make their decision, as well as give a statement of anything you feel it is important for the hearing panel to know/consider.

The Office of Student Conduct uses Preponderance of Evidence, meaning “more likely than not” that a violation has occurred.

If a case happens through the courts, the University may still take action simultaneously. The processes will remain separate, are normally different and one may finish before the other. �ǿմ�ý processes are educational in nature, not criminal, and are meant to give students the best chance at learning from the incident that has happened. Be mindful that a court’s ruling of not guilty does not mean that a student will automatically be found not responsible through the conduct process.

As a right, the respondent (student alleged to have violated the student conduct policy) can be assisted by an advisor of their choice; this is often their four year advisor, faculty mentor, or a parent. It is encouraged but not required for students to have an advisor for any hearing. Advisors may advise the student but are not permitted to speak or participate in the hearing process. The advisor may be in the hearing with the student through its entirety.

The Student Code of Conduct applies even if the student withdraws from the University before a conduct case is closed. It also includes conduct that happened while the student was enrolled but was discovered after a degree was awarded. We would continue with the conduct process through in these situations, as outcomes could impact a student's ability to re-enroll.

No. If your sanction is one that removes you from University Housing, then you are not allowed to reside in the residence hall during the appeal process.

If you don’t agree with the decision reached by the hearing officer or hearing board, you may petition for an appeal of the decision

A respondent has to submit an appeal petition in writing or electronically to the Office of Student Conduct within five (5) business days from the time the hearing decision is made available.

There are three (3) grounds for an appeal:

1. Evidence that established procedures were not followed in a manner that would have significantly affected the hearing outcome
2. New information not available at the time of the hearing which would have significantly affected the hearing outcome.
3. The sanctions are substantially disproportionate to the severity of the violation.

It varies. First, the board chair or hearing officer will have an opportunity to review the appeal petition and submit a brief response within three business days from the time the appeal petition is made available. The appeal board will review the petition and responses to it, information available in the hearing, the verbatim record of the hearing and supporting documents to determine whether the appeal is granted or denied. If granted, the appeal board may render new sanction(s). If denied, the matter is considered final and binding upon all review. Visit our Appeals page for full information.

Sanctions may range from warnings, restitution and educational sanctions down to separation and expulsion from the University. Here is a non-exhaustive list of sanctions that �ǿմ�ý may enforce.

No, the University does not impose financial fines neither as a sanction nor as an underlying requirement for one. However, if the violation at hand resulted in damages to personal or university property or the theft of university funds, restitution in the full amount may be imposed as a sanction.

Sanctions vary from student to student on a case-to-case basis. Level of involvement in an incident, prior violations of the code of conduct, and any aggravating factors are considered when imposing sanctions on each individual student. For example, this could be one student’s first violation while another student is now on their fourth. Sanctions would more than likely be more severe for the student facing the fourth violation.

Failure to complete a sanction on time may result in actions such as registration holds or revocation of medical amnesty.

No. We do not place conduct records on transcripts with the exception of Expulsion from the University.

Any disciplinary violation that leads to sanctions less severe than disciplinary probation (such as a warning or deferred disciplinary probation),will be retained for three years or until completion of all studies at the university (including undergraduate, graduate and professional programs); whichever comes first. Such violations will be retained only to be factored into any subsequent disciplinary violations. Such violations will be considered non-reportable to other higher education institutions or agencies seeking information about student disciplinary records.

Any disciplinary violation that leads to disciplinary probation or university separation will be retained for eight years from the date of the incident or from the date of completion of all studies at the university (including undergraduate, graduate and professional programs); whichever is later.

Any disciplinary policy violation that leads to a sanction of university expulsion will remain on record with the university permanently.

As a student, you have the right to keep your records private. You would need to give consent for any release of your records. Additionally, conduct violations that resulted in outcomes of warning or deferred disciplinary probation and first violations of the academic integrity policy would not be disclosed, even if you provide your consent. Conduct outcomes that result in disciplinary probation, separation, or expulsion and subsequent violations of the academic integrity policy would be reported. It is always encouraged to be honest when answering questions about your record.

Due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we cannot notify you of or discuss a disciplinary case unless there is written approval from the student on file with the Office of Student Conduct. The exception to this rule is if your student is under the age of 21 and is found to have violated the drug and alcohol policy. We encourage students to talk with their parents/guardians about conduct issues that may arise.

Yes. The University seeks to educate the student and gears sanctions towards giving them the best chance to learn from the incident and move forward with their education. The University uses the Preponderance of Evidence (More Likely than Not) while the criminal process uses ‘Beyond Reasonable Doubt’.

Depending on the impact to the campus community and other individuals, the University can deem it necessary to take action even if the incident was being handled by the courts. �ǿմ�ý’s process is separate from and has different objectives and outcomes than the legal system.

A student is allowed to have one advisor of their choosing with them in their hearing. Therefore, if a student requests, one parent would be allowed to attend the student’s hearing as said advisor.

No. Parents/guardians cannot speak on behalf of their student throughout the process.

We aim to ensure that our graduates are well-equipped to navigate throughout society. Working together with you, we can support your student in achieving this readiness through their decision-making process. Please be aware that we do not disclose hearing outcomes to parents or guardians.

We recommend discussing your expectations with your student, asking them questions, and addressing any concerns you may have. It is also beneficial to inquire about how you can best support them during this process, as it fosters self-reflection and advocacy. Reviewing the conduct process with your student can help them prepare for the hearing and understand what to expect.

When situations like this arise, it could mean that your student may have been named in an incident. It does not mean that they were found responsible for a violation of the Code of Conduct. They will meet with an administrator to discuss the incident, identify their involvement level and determine whether they violated the code of conduct.

If there is a hold on the student’s account, it is more than likely because of a sanction that hasn’t been completed or a meeting that hasn’t been attended. The student must complete the sanction or (re)schedule the meeting with the Office of Student Conduct in order for the hold to be removed.

We encourage all international students involved to contact the Visa Office in Crawford Hall for any questions or concerns about their status if University Separation or University Expulsion are possible sanctions. For lower level violations, there are no concerns with visa status.