Procedures

Procedures:
The student conduct process occurs in the following order:

Level 1:
Within five (5) business days of receiving a report of the suspected violation, the Director (or designee) will investigate the allegation and meet with the involved student(s) individually to outline the allegation, allow the student(s) to provide their understanding of the incident(s), and discuss potential sanctions. The Director may consult with appropriate institutional leadership as needed.

Within three (3) business days of meeting with the involved student(s) the Director will communicate their determination of the matter to the involved student(s) in writing. If it is determined that a violation occurred the Director will document in summary the allegation, subsequent investigation, and student meeting, including any corrective plan of action or sanction, in a written memo. The written memo will be sent to the involved student(s) as well as to the Dean of Student Affairs. If it is determined that a violation did not occur, the involved student(s) will be notified in writing in the same timeframe (within three (3) business days).

Level 2:
The involved student(s) may file a written appeal of the Level 1 decision within five (5) business days of the written memo being communicated. The appeal should be sent to the Dean of Student Affairs (“Dean” or designee) and should include the Level 1 written memo. Within five (5) business days of receipt of the appeal, the Dean will review documentation related to the situation and meet with the involved parties to determine whether to uphold or overturn the conduct investigation outcome and corresponding sanctions. No later than five (5) business days from meeting with the involved parties, the Dean will send a letter to the student(s) of their decision. This decision is final and may not be appealed. The letter is entered into the student’s official record and retained according to the records retention policy.

Conduct Meetings - The involved student(s) will meet with a College associate at both levels of the conduct process. No attorneys or other professional advisors/counselors may attend these meetings. No audio taping or other recording will be permitted during these meetings.

Decision standard – Decisions made under this policy are determined on a preponderance of the evidence. A preponderance of the evidence is evidence that shows the fact sought to be proved is more probable than not.

Note: In some instances, a violation of this Policy may impact a student’s progression in their program. Students who appeal a conduct matter may be permitted to progress to the next course/semester pending a final decision in their case or may be permitted to go on a standard period of non-enrollment. Those who progress are responsible for any tuition and fees associated with such progression and may be at risk of financial loss should their appeal be unsuccessful. A period of non-enrollment will impact the student’s anticipated date of graduation, even if successful on appeal.

Retaliation - BSMCON has zero tolerance for retaliation against any individual who reports a suspected violation of any provision of this Policy in good faith. Incidents of retaliation violate this Policy and will be subject to disciplinary action.