Student Rights and Responsibilities: A Code of Student Behavior
8.0 Authority
8.1. Authority
The Dean of Students is vested with the authority over student conduct by the Board of Trustees and President. The Dean of Students works closely with the Assistant Director of Student Conduct and Outreach to oversee and manage the student conduct process. The Dean of Students and the Assistant Director of Student Conduct and Outreach may appoint administrative hearing and appeals officers as deemed necessary to supervise the student conduct process efficiently and effectively.
The Assistant Director of Student Conduct and Outreach in consultation with the Dean of Students (or their designee) will assume responsibility for the investigation of an allegation of misconduct to determine if the complaint has merit.
8.2 Gatekeeping
No complaint will be forwarded for a hearing unless there is reasonable cause to believe a policy has been violated. Reasonable cause is defined as some credible information to support each element of the offense, even if that information is merely a credible witness or a victim’s statement. A complaint wholly unsupported by any credible information will not be forwarded through the student conduct process.
8.3 Interpretation and Revision
The Dean of Students will develop procedural rules for the administration of hearings that are consistent with provisions of the Student Rights and Responsibilities. Material deviation from these rules will, generally, only be made as necessary and will include reasonable advance notice to the parties involved, either by posting online and/or in the form of written communication. The Dean of Students may vary procedures with notice upon determining that changes to law or regulation require policy or procedural alterations not reflected in this Student Rights and Responsibilities. The Dean of Students may make minor modifications to procedure that do not materially jeopardize the fairness owed to any party. Any question of interpretation of the Student Rights and Responsibilities will be referred to the Dean of Students, whose interpretation is final. The Code of Student Conduct will be updated annually under the direction of the Dean of Students with a comprehensive revision process being conducted every 5 years.
Students Rights and Responsibilities is published in the student planner and on the USI website.
Any changes to the Student Rights and Responsibilities between publication dates will be disseminated to students in the following manner and an official announcement will be posted to the following locations:
- University of Southern Indiana website (USI.edu)
- USI Dean of Student Office’s website (USI.edu/deanofstudents)
- myUSI (my.usi.edu)
- The Shield, the USI student newspaper
All currently admitted students will be emailed an update notice to their official University email address directing them to the website for changes or deletions to the Student Rights and Responsibilities at the beginning of each academic year.
8.4 Approval and Implementation
This Student Rights and Responsibilities was approved on 8/14/23, by Dean Laurie Berry, and implemented on 8/15/23
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This Student Rights and Responsibilities was approved on August 14, 2023, by Dean Laurie Berry, and implemented on August 15, 2023.