Resources for Registered Student Organizations

The primary mission of the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) is to ensure a safe campus environment through providing an educational and restorative student conduct process. Student organizations who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in an alleged violation of University expectations are afforded the same rights and process as an individual student who engages in the same behavior. In accordance with the Code of Student Conduct, individual students, or an organization and its officers may be held collectively responsible when violations of the Code occur.

When an incident arises, the officers or any identifiable leader (generally the President of the organization) is the point of contact on behalf of the organization. The leader is generally asked to provide additional information about the event(s) in question through providing an investigation report and also serves as the Respondent on behalf of the student organization during all aspects of the student conduct process.

As the leader of the organization, you will always be contacted through your University of Kentucky email. Read all emails and letters thoroughly and follow any instructions or suggestions provided. Choosing to not engage in the process does not eliminate your organization’s involvement and the process (including any investigation, informal meetings, or formal hearings) may move forward without your involvement. Although this page serves as a quick-reference resource to assist you, you should also review the Code of Student Conduct and the Non-Academic Student Conduct Proedures for the full details of the student conduct process.

The following outlines information your organization needs to provide when contacted by OSC:

Investigation request: The following checklist will be in your investigation letter. OSC strongly suggests you follow the instructions as noted in the letter. You will need to identify any incidents that may have occurred based on information contained the letter and report back to OSC with your findings.

Violation Report Checklist:

Call a meeting of the organization or individuals present at the alleged violation.
Contact your organization’s advisor and/or (Inter)national headquarters.
Individually interview those present or involved to ascertain their level of involvement and individual knowledge of the events in question.
Determine if and when information regarding events was communicated to chapter.
Where was the event(s) held?
Who knew about the event(s) in question?
How many members were present? Were any of those members executive officers? Who were they?
How was the event funded?
Establish a timeline leading up to the event(s), during the event(s), and after the event(s).
What was the organization's response after the fact?
Did you notify an advisor that is your contact for the University (i.e. Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Dean of Students Office, Office of Student Involvement) of the event(s)? If so, when? What information did you share with said staff member?
Are individuals directly responsible? Who? Have you filed conduct referrals for them with the Office of Student Conduct? (if so, please attach or forward to Student Conduct).
Submit the report this report and any necessary attachments to the Office of Student Conduct. If you should need a reasonable extension, contact the Office of Student Conduct before the deadline.

After the investigation, if OSC determines there is enough information to support an alleged violation of the Code, your organization will have the following resolution options:

Informal Student Conduct Meeting: This meeting is a one on one meeting with a Conduct Officer in OSC. During this meeting the following will occur:

Opportunity to review your student rights
Review of the student conduct process (including allegations, purpose of the restorative action plan, resolution options)
Review the reports received, including your submitted investigation report
Opportunity to tell your understanding of the event(s) you either witnessed, took part in, or discovered as a part of your internal investigation
Conversation about how the behavior did or did not align with University expectations, which include but are not limited to, the Code of Student Conduct, University Housing Community Standards, and Administrative Regulations
If responsibility is accepted, a conversation around the appropriate restorative action plan that will help the organization learn and grow, repair harm, and restore trust with the University community
An outcome of an informal meeting will be one of the following:
- A not responsible finding.
- Acceptance of responsibility and determination of a restorative action plan.
- Not accepting responsibility. Formal hearing procedures will proceed.
- Acceptance of responsibility, not accepting of the restorative action plan. Restorative action hearing will proceed.

Restorative Action Hearing: Your organization will meet with a hearing board, either a three-person hearing board comprised of a UK staff member, faculty member, and student or a five-person hearing board comprised undergraduate and graduate students involved in registered student organizations (lower-level incidents of misconduct that do not include allegations of sexual misconduct, stalking, or relationship violence). The sole purpose of this hearing is to determine a restorative action plan. To participate in this process, your organization must have accepted responsibility during your informal meeting. In this process, the following could occur:

Introduction and review of the student conduct philosophy
Review of the process (the order in which the respondent, complainant, witnesses, and board members will participate)
An opportunity to have your student rights read
Review of the policy violations that were accepted during the informal meeting
An opportunity to tell your organization’s perspective of the incident
An opportunity for complainants or witnesses to tell their perspective of the incident
Board members, respondents, and complainants will all have the opportunity to ask questions of each perspective presented as directed by the hearing board chair
Board members, respondents, and complainants will all have the opportunity to provide what they believe should be an appropriate outcome
Board will meet privately to discuss the final restorative action plan
Board will present the restorative action plan to the respondents and complaints

In the case of an outcome including social suspension, suspension, and expulsion from the University, student organizations are afforded the appeals process in accordance with University Appeals Board (UAB) procedures.

Formal Hearing: Your organization will meet with a hearing board, either a three-person hearing board comprised of a UK staff member, faculty member, and student or a five-person hearing board comprised undergraduate and graduate students involved in registered student organizations (lower-level incidents of misconduct that do not include allegations of sexual misconduct, stalking, or relationship violence). The purpose of this hearing is to determine responsibility for violating policy and, if applicable, a restorative action plan. The hearing board chair is responsible for the facilitation of the formal hearing process. In this process, the following will occur:

Introduction and review of the student conduct philosophy
Review of the process (the order in which the respondent, complainant, witnesses, and board members will participate)
An opportunity to have your student rights read
Review of the allegations
An opportunity to tell your organization’s perspective of the incident
An opportunity for complainants or witnesses to tell their perspective of the incident
Board members, respondents, and complainants will all have the opportunity to ask questions of each perspective as directed by the hearing board chair
An opportunity to provide a closing or impact statement, and request specific restorative actions if your organization is found responsible
Hearing will end and the board will go into deliberation to determine your organization’s responsibility in violating policy and, if applicable, determine restorative actions

Restorative Conference: A restorative conference provides an opportunity for interaction between the respondent and any harmed party or complaining witness, but also may involve the community in the decision making process. Community participants may be anyone in the community concerned about the behavior. The goal is to provide everyone a voice in the process and bring understanding to all parties. Restorative conferences also allow for collaboration in deciding what is to be done about the incident in question and also to address any underlying problems that led to the incident. Participation in a restorative conference is voluntary. All parties must willingly agree to attend. The respondent must have previously accepted responsibility for the behavior in question in order for a restorative conference to occur. Annual training for restorative conference facilitators is provided by the Office of Student Conduct. Restorative conferences may or may not result in additional restorative actions, depending on the outcome of the conference. If a resolution is not met through the restorative conference, the student conduct process will resume and a formal hearing will be scheduled to determine restorative actions.