Updates to OHIO’s Student Code of Conduct now in effect

Ohio University will be kicking off the academic year with a slightly revised Student Code of Conduct that went into effect Aug. 22. 

“The code of conduct exists to protect our student body,” said Jason Pina, vice president for Student Affairs. “College is a time of life where so much is uncertain, and we believe that structure and boundaries are important as students engage in self-exploration. We want them to discover their potential and their limits, and we want them to do so safely.”

The University’s Board of Trustees approved revisions to the Student Code of Conduct, a document that sets out the behavioral expectations for students admitted to Ohio University, at its June meeting on OHIO’s Eastern Campus.  

The Board requires the Code to be reviewed every two years; students also sit on the Review and Standards committee, which reviews the code every two years. It was last reviewed in 2017. Student Senate, Graduate Student Senate and Faculty Senate were all given the opportunity to provide feedback, and the proposed revisions were available for public comment online. 

“It continues to be our goal to provide a fundamentally fair and clear process for our students,” said Taylor Tackett, assistant dean of students and director of OHIO Community Standards and Student Responsibility. “The new Code of Conduct is yet another step in that direction while also reflecting the expectations of the law and our administrative directive.”

The major changes in the new Code of Conduct include:

• An expansion of the definition of “hearing officer.”

• A change in the deadline for appeals from three days to five days.

• The addition of a sanction-only hearing for non-sexual misconduct cases.

• A shift in the sexual misconduct process including cross-examination, respondent resource meetings, regulations around participating in hearings, the addition of an “advisor” role, concurrent external hearings, and the ability to make amendments to charges throughout the process.

• Numerous changes to language in the Code to increase clarity and understanding.