What is the Standing Disciplinary Board?
- The Standing Disciplinary Board is a group of faculty, staff, and student members who represent the campus community. They hear disciplinary complaints referred to it by the Community Standards Office. Typically, cases presented to the Standing Disciplinary Board for adjudication may result in student suspension or expulsion.
- Students can be placed immediately on interim suspension pending a full hearing when the student's continued attendance constitutes a clear and present danger.
- If referred to the Board, students may elect to continue with a hearing or withdraw from SUNY Oneonta with a transcript notation.
- Decisions of the Standing Disciplinary Board may be appealed by submitting a written appeal. The appeal will be heard by a three-person panel whose decision will be final.
- The Standing Disciplinary Board consists of: (a) Six faculty/staff members elected by the faculty and/or appointed from the Committee on Student Life. (b) Six students appointed by the President of SUNY Oneonta in consultation with the Student Associate President. Hearings are conducted with five of these members.
Interested in becoming a member of the Standing Disciplinary Board? View responsibilities and qualifications.
STANDING DISCIPLINARY BOARD PROCESS:
For more detail please read the Code of Student Conduct.
- The chairperson of the Standing Disciplinary Board is a trained faculty/staff member, who will vote in the event of a tie among the other members.
- Voting shall be by means of a secret ballot with a simple majority rule. Abstentions are not permitted.
- Where a sanction is imposed, the student shall be informed explicitly of its nature and limits. Sanctions will be tracked by the Office of Community Standards. That office will present to the student a written, detailed explanation of the sanction to be imposed and the reasons for the finding(s).
- An accurate record of all hearings, including the vote, shall be kept in a confidential file.
- There shall be a single audio recording of each board hearing. The record shall be the property of SUNY Oneonta.
- The Standing Disciplinary Board may dismiss charges against a student where it feels the original charges were not warranted.
- Dismissal/Expulsion is permanent separation from SUNY Oneonta.
- Suspension means separation from SUNY Oneonta for a specified period of time or the meeting of clearly established conditions or criteria for re-entry.
- Restrictive disciplinary probation is given for a specific period of time. Allowing the student to pursue only those activities that enhance academic progress. If the student should violate any other regulation during the period of probation, they may be suspended or dismissed.
- Probation II imposes no restriction on the activities, but indicates that for the time specified the student may be suspended or dismissed if found responsible for violating any other university regulation.
- A letter of admonition and reprimand is a letter indicating SUNY Oneonta's displeasure with the behavior demonstrated by the student concerned and kept on file.
- In-kind restitution of property or monies when appropriate.
- Educational sanctions may be assigned when appropriate.
- No complaint will be forwarded for a hearing unless there is reasonable cause to believe a policy has been violated.
- Notice and pre-hearing procedures: If the Director of Community Standards determines that there is reasonable cause to believe that a policy has been violated and that a complaint should be referred for a hearing, notice will be given to the accused student. The letter of notice will state briefly a description of the incident alleged, as well as stating all policies the accused student is alleged to have violated. Relevant procedures for resolution of the complaint will be included in the notice. The letter of notice will direct the accused student to contact the Director of Community Standards to respond to the complaint if they have not already done so. A meeting with the Director of Community Standards can be arranged to explain the nature of the complaint and the conduct process. The Director of Community Standards will schedule a hearing. Written notice of the time, date and location of the hearing will be sent to the accused student, who may additionally be notified in person, by telephone, or by e-mail.
- If a student fails to respond to notice from the Director of Community Standards, a complaint will be initiated against the student for failure to comply with the directives of a SUNY Oneonta official.
- At least forty-eight hours before any scheduled hearing, the following will occur:
- The accused student will provide a written list of all witnesses, with full contact information.
- The accused student will provide a written list of all items of physical evidence they intend to use or needs to have present at the hearing, and will indicate who has possession or custody of such evidence, if known;
- If there is an alleged victim that person may provide a written list of any potential witnesses that may have information on the matter as well as a written list of any physical evidence.
- The accused student(s) will provide the name of their chosen advisor if they elect to have one present at the hearing. An advisor is permitted to attend hearings, but is NOT permitted to participate other than to advise the student.
- Community Standards will ensure that all information to be presented at the hearing is shared with the accused student before any scheduled hearing. In addition, the accused student will be given the names of the Board Members who will participate in the hearing. Should the accused student object to any members of the board or panel, they must raise all objections in writing to the Director immediately.
- During the hearing, the Director of Community Standards, or designee, will present the case.
- The accused student and the Director will present opening statements and will be permitted to ask questions of each other via the Chair of the Board.
- Each party will also be questioned by the Board.
- Witnesses for the accused student and for SUNY Oneonta will be presented and questioned by the parties and the Board.
- The accused student may choose not to answer some or all questions at the hearing. In that event, the Board is permitted to draw reasonable inferences based upon the information available.
- Closing statements will then be made.
- The Board will deliberate in closed session and determine by majority vote whether it is more likely than not that the student has violated the Code of Student Conduct.
- If the Board finds the student is responsible for a policy violation, they will also determine an appropriate sanction. In order to do this, they will review information regarding applicable precedent sanctions and any previous conduct violations by the accused student.
- The hearing results will be provided to the Office of Community Standards by the Chair of the Board.
- A letter will be prepared and sent to all approved parties outlining the Board’s rationale for their findings and detailing any sanctions to be imposed.
- Unduly repetitive witnesses can be limited by the chair.
- Character witnesses are not permitted, only fact witnesses.
- The past sexual history or sexual character of a party will not be admissible by the other party in hearings unless such information is determined to be highly relevant by the Chair.
- While previous conduct violations by the accused student are not admissible as information about the present alleged violation, the Director of Community Standards will supply previous conduct violation information to the SDB to be reviewed if the accused is found responsible of a violation.
- Because of the seriousness of Standing Disciplinary Board complaints, SUNY Oneonta will record the outcome of certain disciplinary action on a student’s transcript, in the form of a transcript comment. In disciplinary complaints involving withdrawal prior to a disciplinary hearing, interim suspension, suspension, or dismissal, the student’s academic transcript shall be noted as follows:
- Withdrawal: Student receives W or W() grades according to established guidelines. Transcript comment reads: “Withdrew with conduct charges pending on (date).” Comment is removed if a student is readmitted.
- Disciplinary Interim Suspension (pending a SDB hearing): Student receives W or W() grades according to established guidelines. Transcript comment reads: “Disciplinarily suspended on (date).” Comment is removed at time of withdrawal/disposition of a conduct hearing.
- Disciplinary Suspension: Student receives W or W() grades according to established guidelines. Transcript comment reads: “Suspended after a finding of responsibility for a Code of Conduct violation from (date) to (date).” Comment is removed one year after the term of suspension expires.
- Disciplinary Expulsion: Student receives W or W() grades according to established guidelines. Transcript comment reads: “Expelled after a finding of responsibility for a Code of Conduct violation on (date).” Comment shall not be removed.