disciplinary process

Community standards and disciplinary procedures have been established to address allegations of violations of the Student Code of Conduct or other campus policies and procedures. Students in violation of local, state, or federal laws may also be subject to disciplinary action by SFAI. It is the protocol of the Student Affairs Office to investigate all reported incidents and complaints or to refer the report to the appropriate office.

Violations of Student Code of Conduct or Other Campus Policies

After reviewing the complaint thoroughly, the conduct officer assigned to the complaint will determine which campus policies and community standards may have been violated. The conduct officer will determine the best resolution given the presented facts of the complaint: (1) mediation, or (2) administrative hearing. It may be necessary for the conduct officer to consult witnesses or the complainant to determine the correct course of action. When the nature of the complaint is deemed to be a possible violation the SFAI Nondiscrimination/Nonharassment policy, the procedures and associated disciplinary actions will follow those presented under the Nondiscrimination/Nonharassment policy located in the Handbook.

Mediation

The conduct officer may refer a matter to mediation in cases where expulsion or suspension from SFAI is not considered as a potential sanction and where there are no known pending charges in criminal court. Mediation is only an option when the parties involved agree to enter into a formal mediation process coordinated by campus constituents. (In cases where there is no agreement among the parties about seeking mediation, formal disciplinary procedures will be employed.) The results of a mediation conference do not become part of a student’s official disciplinary record, but a record is kept of the findings and agreements reached.

Conduct Conference

The purposes of the conduct conference are to review the complaint with the respondent, to find validity in the original complaint, and to discuss options for resolving the complaint. The respondent is the student accused of violating campus policies and community standards. The conduct officer will send a summons notice to the respondent to meet within five (5) days after the initial complaint is received. The conduct officer may find it necessary to consult with the complainant and witnesses to help with the decision. If the respondent chooses to have the conduct conference at another time, the meeting must occur within three (3) days of the initial conduct conference meeting. Once a conduct conference has occurred and all information on a complaint is reviewed, the conduct officer will render a decision. If the conduct officer determines that a preponderance of evidence indicates that the respondent is responsible for violating SFAI’s policies and Code of Conduct, the conduct officer will then issue appropriate sanctions to the respondent through a letter of sanction. The respondent may appeal the conduct officer’s decision. Instructions on filing an appeal will be provided to the student in writing. The respondent will also be informed in writing if the conduct officer determines that he or she is not responsible for any violation of SFAI’s code of conduct. Students should note that disciplinary action may be taken, and sanctions may be enacted, if they fail to attend the conduct conference. In cases that involve substantial threat, the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students and/or Dean of Academic Affairs maintains the right to continue or initiate an interim suspension, pending the outcome of the conduct conference and any subsequent appeal.

Sanctions/Disciplinary Action

The degree of disciplinary action depends upon the seriousness of misconduct, the circumstances involved, and the overall record of the student who has been found to be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct, if applicable. Disciplinary action may include but is not limited to one or a combination of the following:

1. Verbal or written warning that future misconduct may result in further or more severe disciplinary action.
2. Disciplinary probation. The student may remain at SFAI on the condition of demonstrated behavior that is acceptable to SFAI within a specified period of time.
3. Housing Probation. The student may remain in SFAI affiliated housing on the condition of demonstrated behavior that is acceptable to SFAI and community living within a specified period of time.
4. Loss of privileges: denial or exclusion from SFAI areas, buildings, or activities for a specified period of time, including removal from SFAI student housing.
5. Restitution: requirements to perform community service or make payments to SFAI or to other individuals, groups, or organizations for damages incurred as a result of a violation.
6. Interim suspension: temporary separation between the student and SFAI in circumstances that threaten the safety and well-being of any member of the SFAI community (including the accused), threaten the preservation of SFAI property, or threaten to disrupt the normal operations of SFAI. The student may not enter any campus building, property, or residence or be present on campus without the written permission of the Associate Dean of Students & Director of Student Life or the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students.
7. Suspension: loss of student status for a specified time with resultant loss of all student rights and privileges. A suspended student will be required to leave campus and not be permitted to return until the time of the suspension is elapsed. A suspended student will lose credit for subjects carried that semester and fees and tuition will be forfeited according to the normal withdrawal policy. The disciplinary action will be recorded on the transcript. A student may be dismissed during such a suspension if the conditions of the suspension are violated.
8. Dismissal: permanent termination of student status. Notification of dismissal will appear on the transcript and the student will be barred from SFAI’s premises.

Nondiscrimination/Nonharassment Policy

When the complaint being filed against an SFAI student includes allegations of discrimination or harassment, the entire complaint, including possible violations of the Code of Conduct, will be processed by a human rights officer under the Nondiscrimination/Nonharassment Complaint Procedure found in the most current Student and Campus Handbook. In addition to the outlined corrective actions available in the Nondiscrimination/Nonharassment Policy, the Human Rights Officer may issue any number of sanctions outlined in the Code of Conduct if discrimination or harassment was found to have occurred.

Academic Misconduct Process

Academic misconduct includes both plagiarism and cheating. Any attempt to submit work for an academic assignment that the student did not personally complete, any attempt to receive unauthorized assistance on a test or assignment, or any failure to properly cite texts or ideas from other sources is considered academic misconduct. In an effort to hold students more accountable for academic misconduct, to enable SFAI to adequately respond to patterns of behavior, and to provide additional resources and support to faculty in this area, the following is the standard procedure to be followed in cases where a student is suspected of committing an act of academic misconduct. If multiple students are involved, each student should be independently afforded the following process:

Privacy and Records Retention

Student discipline records are confidential. The disclosure of information from such records is subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information regarding FERPA, see Privacy Rights.

The Student Affairs Office retains student discipline records for seven years from the date of the notice of final disposition. When there have been repeated violations of the SFAI code of conduct, all student discipline records pertaining to an individual student will be retained for seven years from the date of the final disposition in the most recent case. In those cases where the final disposition is dismissal, the student’s discipline records will be retained indefinitely.

1. The faculty member giving the assignment or test should complete an investigation into the allegation, which may include a conversation with the student about the suspicion of academic misconduct or a conversation with the department chairperson regarding the allegation. The faculty member should use professional judgment to weigh the facts from the investigation in determining whether an act of academic misconduct has occurred.

2. If the faculty member finds that the misconduct did occur, the faculty member should use professional judgment in holding the student accountable for the incident, which may include requiring the student to resubmit the assignment, issuing a failing grade for the assignment in question, or failing the student in the course if the misconduct is found to have spanned multiple assignments or calls into question the student’s successful attainment of key course learning objectives.

3. The student should be informed by the faculty member of the finding of academic misconduct within a reasonable amount of time.

4. The faculty member should submit written notice to the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students about the finding of academic misconduct, providing the name of the student involved, a brief description of the incident (including any relevant dates), and any consequences imposed upon the student. A simple reporting form is available in the Student Affairs Office.

5. The Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students will review the information provided to determine if there are potential violations of other areas of SFAI’s code of conduct (i.e., theft, unauthorized entry, failure to comply, misuse of campus computer system). If evidence suggests that other violations have occurred, the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students or the designated conduct officer will conduct a separate investigation into those allegations.

6. The student will be notified by the Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students of the right to respond in writing to a finding of academic misconduct. This response must be provided within five business days. The student may also appeal the finding of academic misconduct through the department chair or Academic Review Board (in the event that the faculty member is also the department chair). The appeal decision of the department chair or Academic Review Board is final.

7. The Associate Vice President of Student Affairs & Dean of Students will place a finding of academic misconduct and the student’s written response, if provided, into the student’s disciplinary record. Multiple occurrences of academic misconduct may lead to the student’s dismissal from SFAI.

Privacy and Records Retention

Student discipline records are confidential. The disclosure of information from such records is subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For more information regarding FERPA, see Privacy Rights .

The Student Affairs Office retains student discipline records for seven years from the date of the notice of final disposition. When there have been repeated violations of the SFAI code of conduct, all student discipline records pertaining to an individual student will be retained for seven years from the date of the final disposition in the most recent case. In those cases where the final disposition is dismissal, the student's discipline records will be retained indefinitely.