Rights & Responsibilities

All statements, information or comments given during the hearing shall be held in strictest confidence by the Hearing Officer/ Council, charged students, University staff, witnesses, advisors and observers before, during, and after deliberation in keeping with relevant law and policy.

You have the right to be notified in writing of any charges in sufficient time to prepare for a hearing.

You have the right to be notified of the date, time and place of formal hearings at least three University business days prior to the hearing.

You have the right to know the nature and source of the evidence used in a hearing process.

A student may elect not to appear at the hearing, in which case the hearing shall be conducted in the charged student’s absence.

A student may refuse to answer any questions or make a statement. However, the hearing authority shall make its decision solely on the basis of information introduced at the hearing.

A student may challenge hearing board members or officers for cause. Cause is defined as: personal bias, prior involvement or inappropriate access to information concerning the incident.

You must inform the Office of Student Judicial Programs or Hearing Officer of the name(s) of any witness(es) you wish to have present at the hearing at least seventy-two (72) hours before the hearing is to occur. It is your responsibility to contact these witnesses for your hearing.

You may choose to have an advisor present at the hearing. Your advisor may:

• Advise you in preparing and presenting your case.
  
• Accompany you to the hearing.
  
• Have access to the materials you receive relating to the case.
  
• NOT talk directly to the board members, witness(es) or other participants during the hearing.