Reporting Conduct Violations - FAQs

• What happens when I refer a student to the Dean of Students Office?

   The student is sent a letter and an email to their CSUSM account from the Dean of Students Office that asks them to contact our office to schedule a meeting with a Student Conduct Administrator regarding that complaint. The student will also be referred to the Standards for Student Conduct (California Code of Regulations under Title V, section 41301-41304) and Executive Order 1098.

• What will happen at this conference?

  The student will become acquainted with the process and be informed of his/her rights. The student is told the reason for the referral and is given an opportunity to tell the Student Conduct Administrator his/her side of the incident or what s/he knows about the situation. It is here where the student takes responsibility for his/her part of the incident and further investigation may take place.

• Does the Student Conduct Admin decide if a University rule has been violated?

  Yes, in most instances during this part of the student conduct process (the Informal Conference) the Student Conduct Administrator will adjudicate the case and provide a settlement agreement with the student. If the student does not agree with the sanction or refuses to participate in the disciplinary process, a formal hearing may be scheduled.

• What happens if the student is not in violation?

  This mainly impacts referrals for Academic Dishonesty. The finding of the student conduct process does not impact the original grade assigned by a faculty member. The student conduct process and grading process are separate. There may be times based on the amount of evidence when students may not be found in violation for the behavior that has been referred. Student Conduct Administrators base decisions on a preponderance of evidence which is different than a standard used by a faculty member.

• What info should I provide the Student Conduct Administrator regarding my referral?

  As the referring party, you must submit all information/knowledge that you have about the incident, including information from witnesses, any contact you have with the student, any documentation such as tests, notes, term papers, assignments and police/incident reports that pertain to the incident, etc.

• Will I attend the informal conference to give my side of the incident?

  No, the referring party does not attend the informal conference. The Student Conduct Administrator meets with the student in a confidential one-on-one meeting. In the event of a formal hearing, the referring party will be called to provide testimony on the facts of the case.

• Will I attend the Discipline Hearing?

  You may be asked to serve as a witness for the hearing.

• Will I be told the results of the case?

  Federal law protects the privacy of educational records as dictated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Decisions regarding disclosure of the case results will be determined by legitimate educational interest. In following campus protocol, the Dean of Students Office will inform faculty of the sanction outcome for academic dishonesty cases.

• How do I learn more about the Academic Honesty policy?

  All faculty are encouraged to review and become familiar with the Academic Honesty policy at CSUSM. The policy can be viewed here: Academic Honesty Policy

• What if I don’t want to ruin the student’s life, chances at grad school, etc?

  As an educational institution one of our primary goals for the campus disciplinary process is to help students learn from their mistakes. Usually, no permanent records are retained, and nothing goes on a student’s transcripts regarding specific behavior or actions. Disciplinary probation, suspension or expulsion will be noted on student transcripts with varying degrees of time. Disciplinary records are confidential and generally cannot be released to others without the student’s consent. In all but a very few cases, a student discipline record will not prevent one from applying and being admitted into medical, law, dental, or other professional or graduate schools.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to call the Dean of Students Office at (760) 750-4935, located in USU 3500.