Conduct Hearing Process

Housing & Residential Life strives to provide a transparent conduct process that informs residents of potential violations of the Housing & Residential Life policies and the appropriate education interventions. Through the conduct process, residents are encouraged to reflect on their decisions, realize the impact of those actions on themselves and those around them, and evaluate how their future success may be affected. Our process is designed to promote change, encourage accountability, and bring awareness to residents about their role in their communities. 

behavioral education conduct process flow chart

You may be referred to the Dean of Students Office for alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct, violations of the Policies for Dorm Living. For more information on the Student Code of Conduct, contact the Dean of Students Office at (520) 621-7057. 

If you are found responsible for a Housing policy violation, you will be placed on a Housing Status, be assigned Educational Interventions, and a fine or community service hours will be assessed. 

Educational Interventions

Educational Interventions or “consequences,” are assigned when you are found responsible for violating a policy, contractual obligation, or law. Educational interventions are assigned based on your behavior and the related circumstances and are intended to help you learn how your behavior affected the residential community. The educational interventions assigned for any subsequent violation build upon those assigned previously.  

Failure to complete any educational intervention(s) by the designated deadline date(s) will result in an incomplete educational intervention fine of $75 being assessed to your Bursar account.  

Educational Interventions are “consequences” that you will be assigned if found responsible for, or accept responsibility for, violating University policy. They are intended to help you learn and reflect on how your behavior affected yourself, others and the communities you are a part of. Some Educational Interventions may involve removing you from a community or environment that is negatively impact you or others. Examples of Educational Interventions include, but are not limited to, making a reflection video, participation in a risk reduction class, and/or an online quiz or training. The staff member you meet with will take the details of the incident as well as any previous incidents you were found responsible for into consideration when assigning Educational Interventions. 

Conduct Process Statuses

Informal Responses serve as a notice from Housing & Residential Life regarding a potential violation of a policy that may have taken place. This notice is sent to inform students more directly of our policies and to encourage them to avoid participating in the  behavior  in the future. Further violations of Housing & Residential Life's Policies for Dorm Living  may initiate our conduct hearing process, which involves attending an administrative meeting to discuss the incident and specific consequences related to the violation if you are found responsible. Please make sure you are aware of all Housing & Residential Life and University policies.  

Serves as a formal written notice from Housing & Residential Life against violating the Policies for Dorm Living. The warning status continues through the end of the ACADEMIC year. Please make sure you are aware of all Housing & Residential Life and University policies. If you are found responsible for future policy violation(s), the details of previous incidents will be considered in any future educational interventions for the duration of your time living on campus. If you have questions about any policy, please ask your RA or your Community Director. 

License Agreement Probation means that Housing & Residential Life is giving you formal notice that your involvement in this incident is not acceptable. License Agreement Probation status continues through the end of the ACADEMIC year. However, Housing & Residential Life reserves the right to extend the period of your probation. If you are found responsible for violating other policies in the future, it could lead to your license agreement termination. If you have questions about any policy, please ask your RA or your Community Director. 

Being placed on Deferred License Agreement Termination status means if you are found responsible for ANY future Housing & Residential policy violation your License Agreement will be terminated and you will be required to move out of the dorms. Deferred License Agreement Termination status continues through the end of the ACADEMIC year. This constitutes your last chance to remain living in the dorms. If you have questions about any policy, please ask your RA or your Community Director. 

The University may terminate your Housing License Agreement if you do not abide by the Policies for Dorm Living or the Student Code of Conduct. If your License Agreement is terminated, you will be required to move out of your dorm within a given time after being notified of your License Agreement Termination. Should you be involved in any other policy violation(s) or be disruptive in any way prior to your leaving the building, you will be required to move out immediately. 

If your License Agreement is terminated for conduct reasons, you will be charged rent based on the dates of your occupancy (pro-rated rent), plus you will be charged 65% of the remaining academic year rent or $2,500, whichever is less. This applies regardless of whether or not you continue enrollment at the University. 

As your License Agreement has been terminated for conduct reasons, you will not be eligible to live in or visit any residential property owned and/or managed by the University of Arizona at any point in the future. You may be cited for trespassing by the University of Arizona Police Department. 

Conduct Hearing Processes

A conduct meeting is a one-on-one meeting with a professional staff member within Housing & Residential Life, most likely a Community Director. This meeting is scheduled based on your class schedule and is an opportunity for you to share your side of the incident with the staff member and determine if you are responsible for violating Policies.  

You will receive an email to your University of Arizona email account that will contain the date, time and location of your meeting, as well as a summary of the incident and the Policies you are alleged to have violated. In the meeting, the staff member will ask you to share your perspective of the incident, explain the relevant policies and discuss with you what might happen if you are found responsible for the policy violation(s).  

After reviewing all relevant information available, the staff member will use Preponderance of the Evidence (“more likely than not”) as the burden of proof to determine if you violated the Policies for Dorm Living or the Student Code of Conduct. You will receive a decision letter via email, and if found responsible, the letter will include the Educational Intervention(s) you need to complete.  

You have the right to bring an advisor (friend, parent, student, etc. Who was not involved in the incident) to your meeting. However, the advisor may not participate in the meeting but is there to provide personal support and/or privately advise you. Witness may also be presented to the staff member. Please inform the staff member you are meeting with in advance if you would like to bring an advisor or witness to the meeting.  

If you do not attend your hearing, please contact the staff member listed in your initial email as soon as you are aware the you cannot attend or missed your meeting.  

If you do not attend your meeting and do not contact the staff member in a timely manner, the staff member will make a decision on your responsibility in your absence. That decision will be based on the incident report and any other information that had been learned or provided.  

Your University of Arizona email is the official method for University communications and the primary method by which Housing & Residential Life delivers conduct-related information. A conduct-related email will contain a tracking link which you must follow to authenticate your identity and to access detailed information regarding incidents you may have been involved in.  Students are expected to check their email on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with University-related communications. Students have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time-critical. "I didn't check my email," error in forwarding mail, or email returned to the University with "Mailbox Full" or "User Unknown" are not acceptable excuses for missing official University communications via email. 

As a member of this community, you have rights as a resident and as a student. Please recognize that other members of this community have these same rights and responsibilities, and that your rights and responsibilities should not infringe upon those of another. It is important to learn to compromise with others in order to maintain an environment in which all members of the community may grow as individuals and pursue learning as a cornerstone of the campus residential experience. 

Your Rights

As a Student:

  • You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect at all times. 
  • You have the right to inspect, request amendments, and control disclosure of your education records as provided under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). 

Related to a Conduct Hearing:

  • You have the right to a fair and impartial hearing. 
  • You have the right to receive notice of your hearing and review the Incident Report that includes the charges against you. 
  • You have the right to reschedule a hearing up to 24 hours prior to the hearing if the scheduled hearing interferes with class or a commitment beyond your control. If you miss your hearing, you have 48 hours to reschedule with the hearing officer. 
  • You have the right to bring an advisor (friend, parent, student, other) to a hearing. However, advisors may not participate in the hearing in any way other than to privately advise you and provide personal support. 
  • You have the right to present evidence, information, and witnesses relevant to the incident. You may also question and refute other testimonies and witnesses. .
    • Witnesses are excluded from the hearing until called and must leave when excused. Witnesses will be interviewed separately. 
    • Witness testimony (written or verbal) will not be considered unless the witness is willing to be identified to all relevant parties including the staff members and the accused student(s). 
    • Verbal testimony of a witness is preferred, but written statements may be presented when witnesses are unavailable to participate in a hearing. Written statements may be accorded less credibility than verbal testimony because the author is unavailable for questioning or clarification. 
    • Character witnesses will not be permitted. 
    • Irrelevant or redundant testimony or evidence may be excluded by the Hearing and/or Appeal Officer. 
  • You have the right to not implicate yourself. 
  • You have the right to request reasonable disability accommodation in any Housing & Residential Life proceeding through the Disability Resource Center.   

 

Related to Conduct Educational Interventions:

  • You have the right to receive notification of the decision. The decision notification will include a rationale for the decision, the explanation of the educational interventions assigned to you, and the consequences for incomplete educational interventions. 
  • You have the right, if you attend your conduct hearing, to appeal a conduct decision for which an educational intervention is imposed. 

Your Responsibilities

As a Student:

  • It is your responsibility to be knowledgeable of, and abide by, Housing & Residential Life policies, University of Arizona policies, and Arizona state law at all times. All students are responsible for knowing and adhering to these standards. 
  • It is your responsibility to be aware of any official University communication.   

 

Related to a Conduct Hearing:

  • It is your responsibility to appear at your own conduct hearing. 

 

Related to Conduct Educational Interventions:

  • It is your responsibility, if assigned any educational interventions, to complete all of them by the designated deadline date(s). 
  • It is your responsibility, if needed, to submit a request to the hearing officer for any modifications or extensions to any assigned educational intervention deadline(s) within 48 hours of the educational intervention deadline date(s). Any request is subject to approval by the hearing officer.