Preliminary Meeting
In the event that either mediation of a personal grievance did not reach resolution and or the violation was not a personal grievance, a preliminary meeting will be held. The preliminary meeting will be informational and investigative in nature. The ADSAA will discuss with the student the accusations and the student’s options. The student will be given the Ethics and Honor Code Charge and Process form to sign, indicating the selected option. The student’s options are as follows:
- If the student accepts responsibility for any/all violation(s), the ADSAA will decide if the matter will be resolved either by the ADSAA with an administrative decision or referred to the SPC for resolution at the discretion of the ADSAA. The student has two (2) working days to notify the ADSAA of their decision to accept or not accept responsibility for any/all violation(s).
- If the student does not accept responsibility for any/ all violation(s), the matter will be investigated further by the ADSAA or individual designated by the ADSAA. This investigation is not a determination of guilt, but rather the gathering of additional information to determine if there is enough to substantiate the violation. If enough evidence of a violation is found, the ADSAA will have five (5) working days to inform the SPC of the violation(s) and they will schedule a meeting with the student.
Resolution procedures
The goal of the SPC meeting with the student is to gain insight into why the violation occurred and allow the student an opportunity to discuss their side and/or to explain their actions . This meeting will allow the SPC to make an informed recommendation for sanction up to, and including, dismissal to the Dean. The student should arrive prepared to explain their situation and what they would do to correct their situation. Other than the student, Procedural Advocate, the recording secretary, necessary individuals invited by the committee, and the committee members, no other individuals will be present at the meeting. There will be no bags, backpacks or recording devices present at the meeting.
If the student accepts responsibility and the ADSAA elects to send the case forward, the SPC will hold a meeting within five (5) working days of notification. The attendance of the student shall be at the discretion of the SPC, but the student may elect to not attend if not required by the SPC. The SPC shall then deliberate and make a recommendation for sanction in writing to the Dean of LMU-CVM within five (5) working days for the final decision. The student will be notified of the LMU-CVM Dean’s decision within five (5) working days of receipt of the Committee’s recommendation for sanctions.
If the student in question does not accept responsibility. The student will appear before the SPC within five (5) working days of notification. The committee will then make one or more of the following sanction recommendations to the dean.
SPC Guidance for Resolution
Once the committee has been presented with all material, and the student has been given the opportunity to speak on their own behalf and present information in support of their position, the committee must then make a recommendation. The discussion will be held in a private conference with only the members (voting and non-voting, including a recording secretary) in attendance. The voting members of the committee will make their recommendation with the understanding that only a preponderance of evidence is required for action to be taken to reach a recommendation. The committee should base their recommendation based on the following:
- What are the relevant circumstances in this case?
- What is an appropriate resolution in this case?
After an initial recommendation is reached, based on a majority of votes, the committee may adjourn for one working day to allow for individual and private reflection. The committee will then communicate to either reaffirm its position or reach a new recommendation (again only requiring a majority of votes) on an alternative recommendation.
All recommendations by the SPC will be delivered to the Dean in writing within five (5) working days.
The Dean of LMU-CVM will have five (5) working days upon receiving the recommendation for resolution to make the final decision. Decisions are reported in writing to the student, with copies sent to the Chair of the SPC and ADSAA.
Sanctions
The following are administrative sanctions that may be imposed: a warning, probation, suspension, dismissal, grade sanctions, including but not limited to grade reduction, failure of course or assignment, and any other administrative sanction deemed necessary and proper. All disciplinary sanctions are to be based on the nature of the specific behavior and the degree of the violation.
The following are developmental sanctions that may be imposed in lieu of or in addition to an administrative sanction:
- an educational activity,
- loss or restriction of privilege,
- mandatory education and training in diversity, empathy, anger management, resiliency, ethics, or topic related to the student’s violation,
- and/or any other developmental sanction deemed necessary and proper.
Successful completion of developmental sanctions within the specified period of time will be required to continue enrollment at LMU-CVM.