Student Conduct & Regulations 31|Page www.kutztown.edu/thekey 5) For formal hearings, the University Conduct Board is responsible for finding fact and determining responsibility. Decisions of the Board are made by a simple majority of its participants. The Board may recommend sanctions, if appropriate, to the Dean of Students Office in the case assigned. 6) The Hearing Officer will preside over the formal hearing and will not participate in the decision of responsibility but will facilitate the deliberative process and communicate sanction recommendations, as applicable, to the Dean of Students Office. 7) For appeals, the Appeals Board of the University Conduct Board is responsible for reviewing all requests consistent with the appeals process defined in this policy. c. Jurisdiction 1) Violation of the University's Student Code of Conduct excluding cases falling under the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Academic Honesty Policies. 2) Appeals of hearing and/or sanction decisions excluding cases falling under the Sexual Misconduct Policy and Academic Honesty Policies. 3. Standards a. All matters coming before an appropriate hearing authority are to be treated in a confidential manner. It is the right of every student to have information concerning student conduct matters confined to those directly involved. Members of the various boards or hearing authorities are obliged to refrain from discussing cases with anyone other than fellow members. The confidential nature of hearings pertains not only to the testimony presented but also to internal discussions held and decisions rendered. Under no circumstances, is it acceptable to divulge information obtained in a hearing; breaches of confidentiality are strictly prohibited. b. The members of the various boards are appointed to ensure that the welfare of the students and the academic community are preserved. The members of boards are charged, specifically, with determining if violations of college regulations have occurred through examination of presented evidence. Implicit in this charge is an acceptance of existing rules, which are established to protect the community. c. At no time should a board member be involved in the decision-making process when they have a vested interest in the outcome of the case. Any prior knowledge about the case or personal involvement with the complainant, witnesses, or respondent that would give cause for the board member to be biased or prejudiced in the decision-making process is sufficient justification for removing oneself from the deliberations. d. It is the responsibility of the hearing authority and every board member to possess as many relevant facts as possible to reach a fair and just decision. e. Hearing authorities and board members should never make accusations or statements regarding their personal beliefs, positions, or opinions during the hearing process. Questioning should be conducted to produce information and should not be undertaken to badger an individual. Questioning should take place without prying into personal matters that bear no relevance to the issues being adjudicated. Hearing participants must refrain from asking questions in a manner that is hostile. f. An inherent part of the student conduct procedure is the effort to understand both the students and the situations in which they become involved. Every hearing must be executed in a proper environment and decorum. g. Decisions are made by the board as a whole. All decisions are reached by simple majority vote and must be upheld by all members of the board.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzcxOTE=