All students are subject to the provisions included in the Student Code of Conduct. When a violation or suspected
violation of the code occurs a disciplinary process is initiated. The primary objectives of the disciplinary process
are educational and an effort to prevent future violations. In addition, the disciplinary process and the accompanying
sanctions are designed to ensure the safety of the Stevens community and to protect the interests of the university.
The focus of a disciplinary process is to determine if a student is responsible or not responsible for violating the
Student Code of Conduct. If responsible, sanctions are imposed that reflect the severity of the violation, previous
disciplinary action if any, and support student development through educational activities.
Academic dishonesty and impropriety are violations of the Student Code of Conduct. For undergraduates the resolution
of complaints is managed by the Honor Board
http://www.stevens.edu/honor/. The process for those enrolled in graduate
courses is described in the Graduate Student Handbook found at
http://www.stevens.edu/gradacademics/handbook/grades.html.
Disciplinary Procedures
Procedures described below guide the resolution of Student Code of
Conduct violations.
Incidents and Complaints
Reports about incidents which may indicate a violation of the
Student Code of Conduct are received by the Offices of Student Life
and Residence Life.
These offices are authorized to manage the resolution of Code
of Conduct violations.
Both offices follow procedures to determine if a student is
responsible for violating one or more provisions of Code of Conduct
and, if a student has, to impose appropriate sanctions.
▪ Violations that occur at
on-campus and off-campus residence halls will be resolved by Office
of Residence Life using procedures described at
http://www.stevens.edu/housing/Housing_Info/Judicial%20Process%202008.pdf
▪ Violations that occur at
all other campus locations, at affiliated facilities, or at
university sponsored or sanctioned events will be resolved by the
Office of Student Life
▪ Violations, regardless
of location, that could result in university suspension or expulsion
will be resolved by the Office of Student Life
Office of Student Life
Disciplinary Procedures
After reviewing an
incident report, the Dean of Student Life or designee
(Administrator), will administer the disciplinary process.
The Administrator begins the process by conducting a fact finding
inquiry. The inquiry may include a meeting with the student named in
the incident report and with other individuals who may have
pertinent information.
▪ If the student accepts
responsibility for Code of Conduct violation(s) the
administrator will, within five business days, provide the student
with a letter identifying the specific violation(s) and sanctions
imposed.
▪ If the student does not
accept responsibility the Administrator will complete the fact
finding inquiry within 30 days and determine if a violation has
occurred. If the
administrator finds the student responsible for violating the Code
of Conduct the student will receive a letter identifying the
specific Code of Conduct violation(s) and sanction(s) imposed.
▪ If the administrator finds the
student not responsible
for violating the Code of Conduct the student will receive a letter
with this determination.
Sanctions
One or more of the
sanctions listed below may be imposed on a student who is
responsible for violating the Student Code of Conduct:
▪ Community service
▪ Research paper/project
▪ Presentation of a workshop
▪ Educational programs
▪ Loss of privileges
▪ Restitution damages/services
▪ Referral for counseling or wellness education
▪ Letter of apology or explanation
▪ Temporary or permanent barring from university premises
▪ Residence hall/Greek housing suspension or expulsion
▪ University suspension
▪ University expulsion
Appeals
A student may appeal a disciplinary decision and/or the resulting
sanction(s). Appeals of
suspension and expulsion from the university are to be sent to the
Vice President for University Enrollment and Administration (Senior
Administrator). All
other appeals are to be sent to the Assistant Vice President for
Student Development (Senior Administrator).
Appeal Procedures
A student appealing a disciplinary decision and/or sanction(s) must
submit a letter of appeal in writing to the appropriate Senior
Administrator within five days of receiving the disciplinary
decision and sanction(s). In the letter the student must state the
specific grounds for the appeal.
The grounds for an appeal
are:
▪ Presentation of new information not available or unknown at
the time of the disciplinary process
▪ Proof that the decision was arbitrary and capricious
▪ Severity of the sanction(s)
The Senior Administrator
will review the disciplinary file and the appeal letter and has the
option of meeting with the student. Within 30 days of receipt of the
appeal the Senior Administrator will render a decision and inform
the student in writing.
The options available to the Senior Administrator are:
▪ Affirm the disciplinary decision and the sanction(s)
▪ Find the student not responsible and dismiss the
sanction(s)
▪ Change the sanction(s)
The decision by the Senior Administrator is final.
No further appeals are available to the student.
A copy of the Senior Administrator’s letter will be placed in
the student’s file.
Interim Suspension
The Dean of Student Life, or a designee, may impose an interim
suspension prior to the administration of the disciplinary process.
An interim suspension may be imposed to:
▪ Ensure the safety of the campus community or to protect the
interests of the university
▪ Ensure the student’s own physical or emotional safety;
▪ When a student poses a threat of disruption or interference with
the normal operations of the
university.
During the interim suspension, the student will be denied access to
some or all of the following:
▪ Residence halls
▪ Facilities affiliated with the university including
fraternities, sororities, and off campus
sponsored residence halls and buildings
▪ Campus (including classes)
▪ Information technology resources
The length of the interim suspension is at the discretion of the
Dean of Student Life or a designee.
Emergency and High Risk
Incidents
University officials can suspend disciplinary procedures when the
Emergency Response Plan is activated or when there is an immediate
risk to the safety of the Stevens community.
Failure to Comply
If a student fails to comply with disciplinary sanctions additional
ones may be imposed.
Releasing Disciplinary Information
A student’s file is confidential and its contents are not available
except:
▪ to comply with federal, state, and local laws
▪ when legal or regulatory proceedings are instituted by or against
the university or any member
of the university community