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Community Standards
349 Baker University Center Athens, Ohio 45701
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Outcomes and Appeals

Community Standards Conference (CSC) Outcomes

After discussing the referral, pending Student Code of Conduct charges, and potential sanctions with their hearing officer, students have the opportunity to decide how they want to resolve their Community Standards Conference (CSC).

There are four potential outcomes of a CSC. 

  1. Student accepts the Student Code of Conduct charges and proposed sanctions.
  2. Student accepts the Student Code of Conduct charges and requests a Sanction Only hearing.
  3. Student denies the the Student Code of Conduct and requests an Administrative Hearing. 
  4. The Hearing Officer may dismiss charges based on insufficient information to warrant a finding of a violation. 

The CSC process concludes after a student has accepted the Student Code of Conduct charges and proposed sanctions. Afterwards, the student will receive their outcome letter via their OHIO email. The outcome letter will overview the findings, assigned sanctions, and upcoming sanction related deadlines.

Administrative Hearing

If a student wishes to deny their alleged Student Code of Conduct Violations, a student may request an Administrative Hearing. 

After requesting an Administrative Hearing, the student will be notified of their request and notified once their hearing has been scheduled. 

The hearing will consist of the student's pending matter being heard again by a new hearing officer. The hearing officer will review all information at the time of the hearing, meet with the student and others involved, and make a finding at the conclusion of the hearing. 

A student may request a Sanction Only hearing if they are accepting the alleged Student Code of Conduct Violations but are not accepting the proposed sanctions presented by their hearing officer. 

Sanction-Only Administrative Hearing

A student may request a Sanction Only hearing if they are accepting the alleged Student Code of Conduct Violations but are not accepting the proposed sanctions presented by their hearing officer. 

After requested a Sanction Only hearing, the student will be notified of their request and notified once the hearing has been scheduled.

The hearing will consistent of an additional hearing officer who will determine the appropriate sanctions.

If a student is at risk for suspension or expulsion, the student can request a University Hearing Board. University Hearing Boards consist of two students and one faculty/staff member. 

University Hearing Boards can be an Administrative Hearing or Sanction-Only in function. 

After requesting a University Hearing Board, students will be notified of their request and notified once the University Hearing Board has been scheduled. 

The University Hearing Board will convene, review all of the information at the time of the hearing, meet with the student and the others involved, and make a finding at the conclusion of the hearing. 

The Appeal Process

After the student conduct process has concluded, students have the option to appeal the outcome. There are two level of appeals. The link to appeal can be found in the outcome letter. 

In the appeal, the student must state the reason(s) for the appeal, the supporting facts, and the requested solution. An appeal is not a rehearing of the matter and cannot be filed simply because the student disagrees with the outcome.

An appeal may only be submitted for one or more of the following reasons:

  1. The sanctions and/or conditions of sanctions are extraordinarily disproportionate to the violation(s); and/or
  2. A procedural defect occurred that significantly impacted that outcome of the hearing; and/or
  3. Discovery of new and significant information that could have affected the outcome of the hearing and that was not known, or could not reasonably have been discovered and/or presented at the time of the hearing.

Students have five business days from the day the outcome letter is sent to submit an appeal. Students have five business days to submit an appeal to the Vice President of Student Affairs five days after achieving the outcome from the University Hearing Board.

  • All appeals will be heard by the University Appeal Board. The appeal board will meet in a closed session, within a reasonable period of time, and will either grant or deny the appeal by a majority vote.

  • If the student alleges that the sanction was extraordinarily disproportionate to the violation and the appeal board finds the sanctions extraordinarily disproportionate, the appeal board may reduce the sanction.

  • In considering appeals based on a procedural defect or the presence of new information, if the appeal board finds that there was a defect in the procedure or that new information was presented which was sufficiently substantial to the outcome, the appeal board will order a new hearing or remand the matter to the original hearing authority as appropriate. 

  • The student will be notified of the outcome of their appeal in writing by CSSR. The outcome letter will be sent to the student's university email via Maxient.

  • The respondent may request the Vice President for student affairs or designee review a university appeal board decision if the university appeal board denies the appeal.

  • An appeal to the Vice President for student affairs or designee must be submitted through the online submission form linked in the appeal board outcome letter. Students have five business days to submit an appeal to the Vice President for student affairs or designee after the appeal board outcome letter has been sent. 

  • The appeal is limited to the grounds of the original appeal to the University Appeal Board, except in cases where the student is appealing on the basis of new evidence.

  • If the student alleges that the sanction was extraordinarily disproportionate to the violation and the Vice President for student affairs or designee finds the sanctions to be extraordinarily disproportionate, the vice president for student affairs or designee may reduce the sanction.

  • In considering appeals based on a procedural defect or new information being presented, and the Vice President for student affairs or designee finds that there was a defect in the procedure or that new information was presented which was sufficiently substantial to the outcome, the vice president for student affairs, or designee will order a new hearing or remand the matter to the original hearing authority as appropriate.

  • The student will be notified of the outcome of their appeal in writing by the Vice President for student affairs or designee within a reasonable period of time. The outcome letter will be sent to the student's university email via Maxient.

  • The decision of the Vice President for student affairs or designee is the final decision in the matter.