Factors in Determining Conduct Outcomes:
If a student is found responsible for violating one or more rules of the Code of Student Conduct, the Office of Student Conduct staff members and/or student conduct hearing boards consider several factors when deciding upon a follow-up course of action or sanction(s), including, but not limited to:
- The nature of the violation, including if multiple rules have been violated
- The severity of the harm, damage or injury that resulted from the violation(s)
- The student’s past conduct history, especially with regard to the same or related policy violations
- Mitigating (to make less severe) and aggravating (to make more severe) factors
- Options for student learning with regard to the violation and associated sanction.
Sanctioning Guidelines:
The below Sanctioning Guidelines, provide the range of sanctions a student might receive based on the alleged rule violation and the behavior which was associated with the violation.All conduct staff and hearing board members use these same guidelines when assigning sanctions for students found responsible for Code of Student Conduct violations. However, it should be noted that this document is just that; guidelines; meaning that in certain circumstances, staff or boards may assign sanctions outside of the provided guidelines. Additionally, not all behaviors indicating particular rule violations may be expressed in this document and the specific circumstances and conduct history of the students involved, may also result in a sanction outside of the particular guidelines. All sanctions are at the discretion of the conduct staff or board members.
Have questions about specific sanctions? Search through the Sanctioning Guidelines for in depth information about each possible scenario.
Guidelines Preparing for an Appeal
Keep the following in mind:
- An appeal must be submitted in writing.
- An appeal must be written by the student charged.
- An appeal must be submitted to the Office of Student Conduct within five working business days except in cases of suspension or expulsion when the appeal must be submitted within 10 working business days, after receiving notification of the outcome of the hearing.
- Failure to appeal within the allotted time will render the original decision final and conclusive. Late appeals are not accepted.
- The appeals process is an administrative process.
- Appeals are decided upon the record of the original proceedings and upon written materials submitted by both parties. An appeal is not a rehearing of the case.
- Students are notified of the outcome of the appeal by letter.
Find the full Appeals Guide here.
Conduct Outcomes and Sanction Possibilities:
Educational Letters
For relatively minor infractions including those falling under other University policies, a student may receive an educational letter from the Office of Student Conduct. This letter will outline the circumstances documented that may be considered a violation, encourage the student to remedy the issue and provide a warning as to future similar behaviors. Educational Letters are not reportable on a student’s conduct record.
Educational Conversation
At times, an alleged violation of the University's Code of Student Conduct may not rise to the level of formal student conduct charges and/or the Office of Student Conduct sees value in speaking directly with a student about the alleged violation, concerns, resources and better decision making. In these cases a student may receive a letter to attend a scheduled appointment with a Student Conduct staff member and a corresponding follow-up letter after the meeting, but nothing further and it will not be reportable on a student’s conduct record. *In many level 1 cases, students receiving an educational intervention as part of their sanction, are given the incentive of a reduction in their sanction if they complete the educational intervention by the assigned due date. This incentive is determined solely by the conduct administrator or hearing board.
Educational Interventions
An educational intervention is an opportunity to learn and/or reflect on policy violations in order to make more well-thought out decisions in the future that move a student towards greater success. Often educational interventions accompany a formal sanction such as Conduct Warning or Disciplinary probation, but at times are also given as an alternative to the conduct process. Our current educational interventions cover the areas of alcohol and drugs, fire safety, decision making, and community responsibility.
Conduct Warning
A conduct warning is an official acknowledgement that one or more rules have been violated and considered a low-level sanction. A conduct warning serves as a notice to a student that the behavior is counter to the expectations in the Code of Student Conduct.
Disciplinary Probation
Disciplinary probation is a serious and active response to a violation of rules and may include educational sanctions or other requirements as a term of the probation. This is imposed for serious violations or a pattern of violations of the Code of Student Conduct. Probation is for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe disciplinary sanctions if the student is found responsible for further violations of the Code of Student Conduct during the probationary period. While on probation, students may be ineligible to receive certain University awards or scholarships. At the discretion of campus offices and programs, students on probation may be ineligible for employment and/or participation in certain campus programs.
Loss of Privileges
Loss of privileges is the loss of specified privileges such as use of a particular facility, visitation to a residence hall, parking, contact with an individual or other privileges for a designated period of time.
Housing Relocation or Removal
Relocation is the reassignment of a student from one living space to another and can be applied as a sanction. Removal from housing typically includes the loss of the ability to live on campus including the penalty of forfeiting room and board charges for the semester in which the disciplinary action occurs.
Students who have a serious violation of the community standards set in the Code of Student Conduct or the housing license, or because of a series of breaches of the community standards in the Residence Halls may receive a sanction requiring them to be relocated from their current housing space or vacate University housing all together.
Final Probation
Final probation is imposed only in very serious cases or cases where students are currently on multiple semesters of Disciplinary Probation. Final probation may include removal from all University housing and loss of visitation privileges to buildings or areas of campus, and is imposed for a specified period of time. Students found responsible for any further violation of the Code of Student Conduct while on final probation may be suspended or expelled from the University.
Suspension
Suspension is the separation of the student from the University for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified. Students who have been suspended are unable to register for and attend classes or be present on University property without specific, written permission of the Dean of Students.
Expulsion
Expulsion is the permanent separation of the student from the University. Students who have been expelled may not be on campus without specific, written permission of the Dean of Students.
Educational Interventions
Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Educational Intervention - usually assigned for first time alcohol or cannabis violations, students will be provided an online module and access information by the University’s Office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs. Students will have approximately two weeks to complete the brief module that will ask them to reflect upon their corresponding substance (alcohol or cannabis) use. For repeated violations, students may be assigned to complete the BASICS or CASICS modules, again provided by the ATOD office. These modules are a bit more time intensive and . Again, students will have about two weeks to complete the module.
Fire Safety Module
Usually assigned for a first time fire safety violation in the residence halls, such as possession of candles or covered smoke detectors, students may be assigned to watch a brief Panopto presentation on fire safety in the Binghamton residence halls and then take a brief quiz with a passing grade to complete this sanction. Students are usually given about two weeks to complete this educational component.
Decision Making Workshop
When appropriate to review their decisions, that led to a particular policy violation(s), students may be assigned to participate in our Decision Making Workshop. This hour and a half, in-person workshop guides students through interactive exercises with their peers that explore the topics of influencers in our decision making, ethical behavior and decision making strategies. Students are often given about a month to complete the workshop with varying dates of the workshop over the course of the month.
Community Awareness Workshop
Should a student’s policy violation have significantly impacted the larger community or if a student has already completed the Decision Making Workshop, they may have to attend and actively participate in our in-person Community Awareness Workshop. This hour and a half workshop focuses on personal valute recognition, character, community and community engagement and intent versus impact. Students are often given about a month to complete the workshop with varying dates of the workshop over the course of the month.
