Adjudication of Reports
It is important that a complete report be submitted with evidence to support the allegations made. If there is insufficient evidence to proceed, no communication will be forwarded to the reporting party and no further action will be taken. The student who was reported to have allegedly violated University policy will not be notified, and will not face any disciplinary action. Nothing will be included in the alleged student’s file.
Providing false information or withholding information from a University official during the conduct process is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to: initiating a student conduct proceeding in bad faith, falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before any University official or hearing board, disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of the student conduct process, and/or tampering with witnesses in preparing for or during a hearing process. If throughout the conduct inquiry process it is found that the alleged student provided false information or withheld information from a University official, this will result in an additional charge of Disorderly Conduct.
If it is determined that there is sufficient evidence to support the allegations, a representative from the Department of Student Success will request to meet with the reporting party to clarify any information submitted in the report and send a charge letter and notice of alleged violation to the accused student (respondent) through their PAU email account. The letter to the accused student (respondent) will include:
- the alleged policy violation(s) and when it/they occurred,
- a link to PAU’s Student Handbook (this document), and
- a request to meet with a representative from the Department of Student Success by a specific date and/or request that the alleged student provide an official written statement in response to the allegation.
Charge Letter & Notice of Alleged Violations
Students accused of misconduct will receive a charge letter and notice of alleged violation(s) via email form the Department of Student Success within a reasonable amount of time given the initial investigative process, number of students involved, and/or the complexity of the case. This process may or may not include collaborative efforts with the SEC, and/or program department heads. The charge letter and notice of alleged violation(s) will also include a request to meet for an initial line of inquiry meeting and/or the alleged student may be asked to provide a written statement in response to the allegation(s). The meeting with a representative from the Department of Student Success must occur within 20 business days of the date of the charge letter and notice of alleged violation(s). If a written statement is requested, it must be received by the Department of Student Success within 15 business days.
Student Participation in Conduct Proceeding
Students alleged to have violated PAU policies are expected to be active participants in the student conduct process. Failure to respond to the charge letter and/or failure to meet with a representative from the Department of Student Success will result in an additional charge of Failure to Comply.
Conduct Meeting/Written Response
During the initial student conduct meeting, the student who is alleged to have violated PAU’s policies will meet with a representative from the Department of Student Success who will:
- review the procedures to adjudicate alleged policy violations outlined in this Student Handbook
- review the charge letter and discuss the allegations against the student,
- provide a fair sanction if the student wishes to accept responsibility for the violation, but
- if instead the alleged student is requested to provide a written statement, the student may receive a written response from the Department of Student Success versus a requested meeting
The accused student (respondent) will have an opportunity to:
- ask any clarifying questions about their rights as they relate to PAU’s student conduct system as described herewith in the Student Handbook
- discuss the allegations against them
- request to review any reports or documentation that were submitted to the Department of Student Success related to their alleged violation of University policies
- accept responsibility for the alleged policy violation(s) and the sanction determined by a representative from the Department of Student Success
- request a hearing with the PAU Student Conduct Board. Students may accept responsibility for their behavior and waive their right to a hearing with the Student Conduct Board, but they are not required to do so and cannot be forced to do so. An accused student (respondent) can request a hearing with the Student Conduct Board at any time during this meeting with no adverse impact on the hearing.
Accepting Responsibility for Violating PAU Policy
If an accused student (respondent) wishes, they may waive their right to a hearing and accept responsibility for violating PAU policy. In these cases, they will be assigned a sanction by a representative from the Department of Student Success. Some sanctions have deadlines, and all deadlines must be adhered to. Failure to do so may result in an additional charge of failure to comply. By accepting responsibility for violating PAU policy, the student waives their right to any appeal of their case.
Request a Hearing
Students accused of violating PAU policy have the right to a hearing before the PAU Student Conduct Board. If an accused student (respondent) does not want to accept responsibility for an alleged policy violation and the sanctions determined by a representative from the Department of Student Success or if the student simply wants to exercise the right to request a hearing, the Department of Student Success will schedule a hearing within a reasonable amount of time with consideration given to the number of individuals involved and/or complexity of the case.
Access to Student Conduct Material
Student conduct documents (including, but not limited to, incident reports and statements given during the process by the complainant, respondent, or witnesses) may be reviewed by the complainant and/or the respondent but may not be duplicated, photographed or shared under any circumstances. In so doing, will result in an additional charge of failure to comply. To protect the identity of others involved, names and other personally identifying information of others will be redacted before the information is released.
Recording of Conduct Meetings and Hearings/Written Documentation
Recordings, including but not limited to tape recording, video recording, recording on a mobile phone, etc. or forwarding of any written student conduct material are not permitted by anyone in any phase of the discipline process. The only exception to this is during the Student Conduct Board hearing itself. The University will record all hearings and keep them on file in the Department of Student Success.