Office of Student Conduct

Undergraduate Disciplinar y Process

Duke
S T U D E N T A F F A I R S

The Duke Community Standard

Duke University is a community dedicated to scholarship, leadership and service and to the principles of honesty, fairness, respect and accountability. Citizens of this community commit to reflect upon and uphold these principles in all academic and non-academic endeavors, and to protect and promote a culture of integrity. To uphold the Duke Community Standard: I will not lie, cheat or steal in my academic endeavors; I will conduct myself honorably in all my endeavors; and I will act if the Standard is compromised.

Why Did I Get This Information?

This pamphlet outlines the Office of Student Conduct undergraduate disciplinary process. With this pamphlet you have also received a letter stating that the Office of Student Conduct is launching an inquiry into your role in (a) possible violation(s) of university policy. The letter outlines the situation in question, the date it occurred, and the applicable university policy that pertains to this incident. The letter also contains the name(s) and contact information for your Disciplinary Advisor(s). You are strongly encouraged to seek the assistance of one of these trained advisors to help you navigate the disciplinary process.

The Disciplinary Process

The purpose of the undergraduate disciplinary system is to promote honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability within the university community and to provide a fair and effective mechanism for resolving incidents in which an undergraduate student (or group) is alleged to have violated the standards or policies of the university. You should become familiar with the policy(ies) that you are alleged to have violated. On the Office of Student Conduct website (http://conduct.studentaffairs.duke. edu), you can find a listing of university policies. You are encouraged to give your perspective on the incident in question through a written statement and throughout the disciplinary process. Once your response is received, the Office of Student Conduct may: 1) follow up orally or in writing with additional questions; 2) drop the matter; or, 3) continue to the next stage of the process. The matter may be resolved through an administrative hearing, which is a meeting with a Student Conduct staff member. You will be given the opportunity to explain your role in the incident for which a policy violation is at issue. Sanctions will be issued if you are found responsible for the policy infraction. An Undergraduate Conduct Board hearing is reserved for serious cases in which the potential outcome includes suspension or expulsion, if there are numerous witnesses, the facts of the case are intricate, the accused student has previous offenses, and/or the student has not accepted a resolution resulting from an administrative hearing.

Your Rights
Should your case be heard by the Undergraduate Conduct Board, you will want to become familiar with the rights afforded you. You have the right to: A fair and impartial hearing; Be informed that you are under investigation; Be given the opportunity to respond to allegations; Choose the extent to which you share information; Seek advice from anyone, including a trained advisor made available by the university; Know of and review written evidence and charges presented to the hearing panel at least 120 hours (five days) in advance; Be notified of a hearing at least 120 hours (five days) in advance; Challenge any panel member if there is a significant conflict of interest; Be accompanied by an advisor to the hearing (who must be a member of the university community); Have up to two character statements submitted on your behalf that may not specifically address the issue at hand; Rebut any witness testimony presented against you; Present additional witnesses or information at the hearing (the relevancy of which may be determined by the Board); Be found responsible only if the evidence meets a clear and convincing burden of proof; Appeal based upon clearly stated grounds.

Using a Disciplinary Advisor

The Office of Student Conduct offers the Disciplinary Advisor program to help students navigate the disciplinary process. These trained students and staff offer information about how the process works and advice on how to approach each stage of the process. Advisors can also support students during an Undergraduate Conduct Board hearing. We have found that students who take advantage of the services of Disciplinary Advisors are more fully informed and approach a possible hearing much better prepared to state their case.

The Appeals Process

If you are found responsible for a violation through a hearing of the Undergraduate Conduct Board, you may appeal the outcome of the hearing on the following exclusive grounds: New information (available after the hearing) of a nature that the verdict or sanction may have been different; Procedural errors within the hearing process which may have substantially affected the fairness of the hearing; and/or The finding of responsibility was inconsistent with the weight of the information.

The Appellate Board will review the appeal and may determine a final resolution to the case or refer the case back to Student Conduct for further review and/or a new hearing.

Our Mission
The Office of Student Conduct promotes a culture of integrity as articulated in the Duke Community Standard and as embodied in the policies that flow from it. Through educational initiatives and processes for adjudication of alleged misconduct, the Office of Student Conduct encourages honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability. Additionally, the Office of Student Conduct advocates for and provides resources to students impacted by crime, illness, harassment, interpersonal conflict, and other crises.

Office of Student Conduct

Stephen Bryan, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Conduct David Frankel, Assistant Dean of Students Valerie Kolko, Senior Program Coordinator Sarah Lewis, Staff Assistant Christine Pesetski, Assistant Dean of Students for OffCampus and Mediation Services Duke University 107 West Union Building Box 90893 Durham, NC 27708 (919) 684-6938 phone (919) 681-7390 fax conduct@duke.edu http://conduct.studentaffairs.duke.edu