E.C.S.U. Judicial
Process
Types of Hearings:
If a student is alleged to have violated a provision of
the Student Rights and Responsibilities, he or she will be referred to the
Office of Judicial Affairs. A student may be asked to attend either a
formal hearing or an informal meeting. If a formal hearing is scheduled,
the student has certain rights which are outlined in the Student Rights
and Responsibilities section of the Student Handbook. Additional copies of
these rights are available in the Office of Student Affairs.
If a student is scheduled for an informal meeting,
he or she will be contacted to set up an appointment at a convenient time.
Students may speak to the hearing officer privately or with others who
were charged with the same violation. If a student chooses to speak
privately with the hearing officer, the student should make that request
when the meeting is being scheduled and an individual meeting will be
held.
The purpose of an informal meeting is to determine whether the
student accepts responsibility for the alleged violation(s) and to discuss
the incident as well as the student’s rights and responsibilities as an
Eastern Connecticut State University student. An appropriate sanction will
be ordered at that time. Students will be asked to sign a Disciplinary
Agreement outlining the charges and the sanctions.
A student
may rescind the agreement and proceed to a formal hearing by providing
notice within 2 business days from the date the agreement is signed.
Sanctions:
The Student Rights and
Responsibilities contains definitions of general disciplinary penalties
including Expulsion, Suspension, Disciplinary Probation, Disciplinary
Warning, Residence Hall Separation, Residence Hall Probation and Residence
Hall Warning. Within these broad categories, the hearing officer may
impose additional sanctions.
Persona Non Grata (PNG):
A non-student who is charged with a violation of
the student code will be sent a letter informing him that he is considered
Persona Non Grata or PNG from the ECSU campus. A student at ECSU will be
afforded a hearing (or informal meeting) before any sanction is imposed.
PNG status means that the individual is not permitted in designated areas
on the ECSU campus. Violation of this sanction will result in the
individual’s arrest and possible prosecution for criminal trespass.
Community Restitution:
The Community Restitution Program at ECSU is distinctly different from and
should not be confused with the Community Service Program. The purpose of
Community Restitution is to offer a students who has been involved in some
violation of University polices the opportunity to give back to the
community, through some meaningful voluntary service that the student
would not otherwise be performing.
Students
who are ordered to complete a certain number of hours of Community
Restitution will be given a list of appropriate locations in the
Willimantic area where the service hours may be done. Students are advised
that the work may be done at other locations with pre-approval of the
location.
Alcohol and/or Drug Assessment:
Students
who have been found responsible for violating the ECSU restrictions
against alcohol or drugs may be required to meet with the Alcohol and
Other Drugs (A.O.D.) Prevention Services Coordinator, or to complete an on-line
alcohol program.
Parent Notification:
The 1998 Higher
Education Amendment to FERPA (Family Education Right to Privacy Act)
permits colleges and universities to notify parents of dependent students
under the age of 21 when those students are found responsible for alcohol
and other drug related offenses. Eastern Connecticut State University
endorses this policy while encouraging students to take responsibility for
their actions.
Students under 21 who have been found responsible for drug
and alcohol violations will be asked to discuss the incident with their parent(s) or guardian(s) and to have the parent or guardian telephone the
hearing officer to confirm the discussion by a certain date. If a phone
call is not received, the parent(s) or guardian(s) will be sent a letter
informing them of the violation.
Other Sanctions:
Depending on the
circumstances of the violation(s), sanctions other than those listed above
may be imposed. The University reserves the right to impose sanctions not
delineated herein as is appropriate.
Penalties for Failure to Complete Sanctions:
When a student is ordered to complete sanctions, the sanctions
will have to be completed by a certain date. Students are advised that
failure to complete sanctions will result in further sanctions being
ordered. Generally, a student who fails to complete sanctions will be
removed from housing until the sanction is completed. The student will be
required to reapply for housing at that time.