Student Conduct Process Overview

When an incident arises that warrents a conversation about the Code of Student Conduct and university expecations, a staff member will be in contact with you via your UK email address. You should read all emails and information thoroughly and follow any instructions or suggestions provided. Choosing to not engage in the process does not eliminate your involvement in the incident and the process (including any investigation, informal meetings, or formal hearings) may continue to 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 you may need to provide when contacted by OSC:

Investigation: Upon receipt of a report, the Director of Student Conduct (Director) or the conduct officer assigned to the case may conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if there is enough information to support an alleged violation of the Code and, if so, which violations occurred. You may be asked to appear at an investigative meeting to discuss the report or provide additional information. During the time of the investigation, if the Director or conduct officer decides the report lacks merit, it will be dismissed within two (2) weeks and the appropriate parties involved will be notified. If there is enough information to allege a violation of the Code or other university policy, the student conduct process will proceed.

After the investigation, if OSC determines there is enough information to support an alleged violation of the Code, you 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 and information received
Opportunity to tell your understanding of the event(s) you either witnessed, took part in, or discovered
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 you 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: You will meet with a hearing board, a three-person hearing board comprised of a UK staff member, faculty member. The sole purpose of this hearing is to determine a restorative action plan. To participate in this process, you must have accepted responsibility for a policy violation during your informal meeting. The hearing board chair is responsible for the facilitation of the restorative action 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 policy violations that were accepted during the informal meeting
An opportunity to tell your 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 respondent

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

Formal Hearing: You will meet with a hearing board, a three-person hearing board comprised of a UK staff member, faculty member, and student. The purpose of this hearing is to determine whether policy violations occurred 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 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 you are found responsible for violating policy
Hearing will end and the board will go into deliberation to determine your 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 responsibility or restorative actions.