Process Flow Chart

Group Conduct Process

The officers or any identifiable leader (generally the President, executive board member, or captain of the organization) will serve as the point of contact on behalf of the organization via the student leader’s campus email address when an incident arises. In reviewing the incident, the leader is generally asked to provide additional information about the event(s) in question and also serves as the accused on behalf of the student organization during all aspects of the student conduct process

The leader should read all emails and letters thoroughly and follow any instructions or suggestions provided. Choosing to not engage in the process does not eliminate your organization’s involvement and the process (including any investigation, informal meetings, or formal hearings) may move forward without your involvement. The Group Conduct Process Chart and Reference Information sheet below are intended to provide you with an overview of the process and what you should expect if your organization is involved in the student conduct process. You should also review the Code of Student Conduct for the full details of the student conduct process.

For additional information, please review the Group Conduct FAQ's below or the FAQ sheet  . More detailed information can be found in the Student Code of Conduct .

Frequently Asked Questions

Representing your organization during conduct proceedings can be a stressful time. The FAQs below, in combination with the Student Code of Conduct, is intended to help answer questions you may have about the group conduct process and your upcoming meeting. If you have additional questions, you can reach out to your assigned conduct officer – their contact information can be found in your meeting notification letter.

Why am I being asked to attend this meeting? I wasn’t even there when it happened?

As the organization’s leadership, you are responsible for representing your organization to the University, including during conduct proceedings. The conduct officer you meet with is going to want to gain an understanding of what happened, who was present, and what actions did the organization take following the alleged incident.

Is this going to impact my individual student conduct record?

If you are receiving a meeting notification letter requiring you to meet with the Office of Student Conduct on behalf of your organization, the meeting will be focused on the organization’s alleged conduct NOT your individual conduct record. However, there are times when individual members face conduct proceedings related to their individual actions within an organization-related incident. In these types of incidents, you would receive a separate meeting notification to discuss your individual student conduct.

What’s going to happen during this meeting? Will I have to make any decisions?

The purpose of the conduct meeting is to discuss the information filed, understand your perspective about what happened, and to discuss the potential outcomes if your organization is responsible for violations of policy. If appropriate, you will have the option of:

  1. Accepting responsibility for the violation(s) and the proposed sanctions;
  2. Accepting responsibility for the violation(s) but not the proposed sanctions and requesting a Sanctioning Hearing;
  3. Requesting a formal University Hearing to contest responsibility for the violation(s); or
  4. Requesting time to gather additional information to review with your conduct officer.

Each alleged violation is reviewed individually and your organization can choose to accept responsibility for some violations while contesting responsibility for others. You are also able to request time to review and consider options and can schedule a follow up meeting with your hearing officer.

Can I bring someone with me?

You are absolutely able, and encouraged, to bring one advisor to accompany you to the conduct meeting. This could be a coach, an organization advisor, a member of the Athletics or Fraternity & Sorority Life staff, another organization member, or an individual who you would like to assist you in the process. It can be beneficial to bring an individual who is familiar with the organization

Does my coach, advisor, etc. know about this?

At some point in the process, they will be notified. We encourage you to notify them yourself as advisors and coaches typically prefer to hear about conduct concerns directly from their students rather than the Office of Student Conduct. It can also be beneficial to proactively involve them in the process.

What is the outcome going to be?

If found/accepting responsibility for violations of the Student Code of Conduct, the sanctioning decision depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: severity of the incident, self-reporting, the group’s history of violations, etc. If taking responsibility, group leaders should come to their conduct meeting with ideas about conditions of sanctioning, as they know what will work for their organization’s needs.

What else can I do to make this process easier?

Engage in a mature and honest conversation with your conduct officer and work in partnership with any advisors (and national headquarters, if appropriate). The goal of the group conduct process is to ensure that student organizations are contributing to a safe and inclusive campus environment. Thinking about where your organization thrives and where there may be areas of growth is beneficial for having a productive conversation that will help your organization and the community to continue to be a welcoming and safe place for students.