Skip to main content

Panel Hearings

Panel hearings are utilized in cases that have the potential to result in separation from the University, either when the respondent chose a panel hearing (instead of an administrative hearing).

Format of Panel Hearings

A Panel Hearing will include five members of the Panel that are faculty, staff, and students, and a Panel Coordinator from the Office of Student Conduct. The role of the OSC Panel Coordinator is to ensure that the Panel follows the process set forth in this document, clarify any questions about the policies and procedures, and provide consult on available sanctions and past precedent.

The reporter and respondent will each be given an opportunity to independently speak to the Panel. During this time, they should provide their perspective on policy violations given the findings of the investigator.  The reporter and the respondent will not meet with the Panel together but rather will be given individual time with the Panel. The reporter’s and the respondent’s time with the Panel will be structured as follows:

 

Once the Panel has met with the reporter and the respondent, the Panel may meet privately with the investigator. During this time, Panel members will ask any clarifying questions they have of the investigator. They will consider the questions submitted by the reporter and the respondent when determining which questions to ask the investigator.

The Panel will deliberate the policy violations and sanction decisions in private with the OSC Panel Coordinator.  The investigator will not be present but will remain available to the Panel for additional questions that may come up. During their deliberations, the Panel members will utilize the findings presented by the investigator and the information they heard from the reporter and the respondent to determine responsibility for each alleged policy violation. Absent significant information presented by the reporter or respondent during the hearing, the Panel will accept the findings presented in the investigator’s report and utilize them to determine responsibility for each of the alleged policy violations. (For example, if an investigator submits a finding that, unprovoked, Joe hit John in the chest with a closed fist, and significant information to the contrary was absent in the hearing, the Panel will concur with the investigator’s finding). The Panel will determine responsibility. A majority vote is needed to find a respondent responsible or not responsible for each policy in question. Each member of the Panel will have one vote.

Once the policy violations, if any, have been determined, and if the respondent has been found responsible for any policy violations, the Panel will determine appropriate sanctions. The Panel can consult the investigator, as well as the OSC Panel Coordinator, when considering sanction options, but the decision about which sanctions to issue is solely at the discretion of the Panel. A majority vote is needed to issue a sanction. Each member of the Panel has one vote.

Record of the Hearing

Records of all hearings are kept by the Office of Student Conduct. Any party involved is welcome to take notes during interviews and hearings, but audio or video recordings and typed transcripts by the parties are not allowed. Any exception to this policy is the sole discretion of the Director of Student Conduct. Deliberations by conduct administrators or Panels are never recorded by means of audio or videotaping and no transcripts are kept, and the University does not allow for the recording or transcribing of these proceedings.

Also to help protect the privacy interests of the parties, while the reporter and the respondent are in possession of the investigative report, they are not permitted to duplicate it or in any way retain a copy (including electronically) at the conclusion of the case.  If a reporter or respondent wishes to view any portion of the student conduct case record, they may schedule an appointment to view the information in the Office of Student Conduct.  Copies of such records are not provided to the reporter or the respondent and cannot be made by the reporter or respondent.  Any exception to this policy is in the sole discretion of t OSC.  Conduct case records are only shared in accordance with FERPA and other University records policies.