Student Conduct Procedures
- Members of the University Student Conduct System
- Conduct Process for Alleged Violations of UMW’s Code of Conduct
- Pre-Hearing Conferences
- Hearing Procedures
- Resolution Options
- Adjudication of Off-Campus Incidents
- Interim Actions Prior to Adjudication
- Procedures for Administrative Hearings
- Procedures for SCRB Hearings
Members of the University Student Conduct System
Conduct Process for alleged violations of UMW’s Code of Conduct
Once incident documentation has been received by the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility (for example, from the Office of Residence Life and Housing, from University Police, etc.), the documentation is reviewed for possible Code of Conduct violations. If there appears to be possible code of conduct violations, the conduct process will be initiated. The process begins by contacting the accused student (the respondent) detailing information about the incident and what violations they are being charged with and what the next steps will be. These steps typically include information gathering, a pre-hearing conference, and a hearing. A student will not be asked to participate in their own hearing without being notified of the charges first.
Pre-Hearing conferences
Every student who has been charged with a violation of the Code of Conduct, whether their hearing is with an administrator or with SCRB, is asked to attend a meeting with an administrator prior to the hearing. The purpose of this meeting, which is called a “pre-hearing conference,” is to make sure the student understands how a hearing works, what their role is, what their rights and responsibilities are, to allow the student to review all relevant incident documentation, and above all else, to answer and questions the student may have.
Hearing Procedures
The office of Student Conduct and Responsibility has a three-body conduct process where cases are heard by an administrator, the Student Conduct Review Board, or a hearing board. Cases will typically go to an Administrator or to SCRB, and the respondent will have a chance to present their preference during the pre-hearing conference. The Administrator or SCRB can hear all levels of cases, except when the case involves hazing, violence, or cases where suspension or expulsion are possible. The Director of Student Conduct will be responsible for the pre-hearing conferences. During the conference the students will have their hearing options explained and will be allowed to express their preference for the type of hearing body. They can:
- Request an administrative hearing (which includes an option for an expedited hearing)
- Request a hearing by their peers serving on the Student Conduct Review Board
- Cases that involve hazing, violence, or suspension/expulsion will be routed to a Community Conduct Board (or Conduct Hearing Board, Conduct Standards Board, Community Standards Board)
If there are not enough members of SCRB to hear a case, if SCRB has not started hearing cases for the semester, or if SCRB has ended for the semester – those cases will be routed to the Director of Student Conduct and Responsibility for reassignment or adjudication
Resolution Options
During the pre-hearing conference, students may select one of the following three options to resolve their conduct case.
Expedited Resolution: If this option is selected, the respondent acknowledges responsibility for the alleged violations outlined in their charge letter during the pre-hearing conference with the Director of Student Conduct or designee. The Director or designee will determine appropriate sanctions based on the violation and issue a final determination letter. In this option, the respondent may only appeal the sanctions. Expedited resolutions are not available in cases where threats, violence, or actions against another student have alleged to take place.
Administrative Hearing: If this option is selected, a hearing will be scheduled with a University Administrator trained to adjudicate conduct cases. This may be the Director of Student Conduct, or a professional staff member in Residence Life and Housing or the Dean of Students office. During the administrative hearing, the student will have an opportunity to provide their version of the events and present additional evidence or witnesses, as appropriate. The Administrator will determine responsibility and any associated sanctions. In this option, both the finding of responsibility and associated sanctions may be appealed based on criteria outlined on the Appeals webpage.
Student Conduct Review Board: If this option is selected, a hearing will be scheduled with the Student Conduct Review Board (SCRB), an elected board of students trained to adjudicate conduct cases. During the SCRB hearing, the student will have an opportunity to provide their version of the events and present additional evidence or witnesses, as appropriate. Members of the Student Conduct Review Board will determine responsibility and any associated sanctions. In this option, both the finding of responsibility and associated sanctions may be appealed based on criteria outlined on the Appeals webpage.
In situations where hazing or violence has taken place or where the finding could result in suspension or expulsion from the University, the above options will not be available. Instead, the Director of Student Conduct will refer the matter to the University Hearing Board, described below:
University Hearing Board: The University Conduct Board is made up of members of UMW’s faculty/staff and elected student members of the Student Conduct Review Board. The University Conduct Board will be administered by the Director of Student Conduct, serving in a procedural capacity only. Due to the severity of these cases, allegations will be investigated by a University Administrator who will present findings during the hearing. The student will have an opportunity to share their version of events and present additional evidence and witnesses relevant to the case. The University Conduct Board will decide responsibility and associated sanctions. The University Conduct Board’s decision may be appealed based on criteria outlined on the Appeals webpage.
* In cases involving Hazing, the University Hearing Board will also include members from the relevant department who advises or manages the area in which the hazing allegedly occurred.
Additional Information
Pre-hearing conferences and hearings are recorded to digital media by the individual conducting the conference or hearing. Audio or video recording or transmission, including screen captures, by other parties is not allowed.
Alleged violations of the Code of Conduct may be reported and/or documented by any member of the community. Incident reports are completed and routed to the appropriate disciplinary process. A report or concern can be submitted online here.
UMW may adjudicate all conduct violations by enrolled students or by degree-seeking students, regardless of their enrollment status, that occur on or off campus, at a UMW-sponsored event, or in UMW-leased or controlled properties.
Violations of civil or criminal law are subject to University adjudication in cases where the interests of the University may be affected.
Any student participating in the conduct process (pre-hearing conferences, hearings, etc.) is expected to abide by UMW’s Honor Code. Lying, defined as “a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth,” is prohibited by UMW’s Honor Code.
The Student Conduct and Responsibility office is committed to assisting students throughout the conduct process. Students in need of further information related to the charges, or to the conduct process in general, are invited to set up a meeting with the Office of Student Conduct and Responsibility.
Withdrawing from the University
Students may voluntarily withdraw from the University after having been charged with a Code of Conduct violation, and prior to completion of the conduct process (i.e., prior to being found responsible or not responsible for the charge(s), prior to issuance or completion of a conduct sanction, or prior to the completion of appeal process). However, if students who withdraw wish to re-enroll, the conduct process will need to be completed either before or after their return to the University.
Adjudication of Off-Campus Incidents
Students are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct both on and off campus. The conduct of UMW students away from campus has an impact not just on those students involved, but also on UMW peers and on members of the greater Fredericksburg community. Holding students accountable, through the conduct system, for off-campus conduct (particularly when it results in an arrest or a citation) is a standard process in higher education resulting in positive learning outcomes for students and favorable town-gown relationships. UMW’s conduct process is an educational tool to support student learning and is intended to perpetuate life skills and citizenship through accountability.
The University may choose to adjudicate any misconduct that implicates the interests of the University or jeopardizes the health and safety of the campus community. UMW may choose to adjudicate off-campus violations that occur in any program for which students receive UMW academic credit regardless of their UMW enrollment status at the time. UMW may also choose to adjudicate off-campus violations by any degree-seeking students regardless of their enrollment status at the time the violation occurred.
UMW may adjudicate off-campus violations when the conduct has an equivalent in the Code of Conduct. For example, if a student is arrested or cited for being “drunk in public,” they could be charged with violating UMW’s policy related to alcohol intoxication. If a student is charged by police, they could be charged with violating UMW’s code of conduct. This information will typically come to the University through official police communication. The incident will be adjudicated by an administrator or by the Student Conduct Review Board as noted in the conduct hearing procedures.
Interim Actions Prior to Adjudication
The University may, notwithstanding the location of an offense, suspend a student on an interim basis pending conduct or criminal proceedings for any alleged major violation of state or federal criminal law or of university policy which might jeopardize the safety and security of the campus community. The student shall have the right to appeal the interim suspension, and the Vice President for Student Affairs will hear the appeal.
Similarly, any student charged with a major violation of state or federal law, or of university policy, may immediately be relocated within the residence hall system, or may immediately be suspended from the residence halls, or from specific areas of the University pending conduct or criminal proceedings.
Relocations and interim suspensions are enacted when the student’s continued presence is reasonably believed to pose a substantial threat to themselves, to the safety and wellbeing of any member of the University community, to the preservation of property, or to the normal operations of the University.