- College community: the faculty, staff, students, and administration of this institution.
- Complainant: the individual who files a charge or reports a concern to the dean of students, title IX coordinator, Public Safety, or other school official relating to a violation of a campus conduct regulation.
- Confidentiality: the term “confidentiality” is used throughout College policies to refer to information that will not be disclosed to others within or outside the College unless determined that doing so is required to effectively address a reported complaint or concern. Members of the College community may from time to time also be asked or instructed to maintain the confidentiality of a matter – and not disclose the matter to others – pursuant to College policy.
- Cross-examination: the questioning of an opposing party in a hearing or proceeding.
- Due process: legal fairness which is applied in College proceedings, affording individuals notice of a charge and an opportunity to be heard.
- Ex officio: by virtue of the office and without the right to vote.
- Expulsion: the permanent termination of a student’s status at the College for disciplinary reasons. No room refunds apply in such cases. However, students are eligible for board refunds according to the College’s established refund policy. When a student is expelled from the College, the parents are notified. Expelled students are issued a No-Trespass Order by an authorized official. Any expelled student may submit a written request for access to the campus to the dean of students no earlier than June 1st, three years after their date of expulsion. Students who are expelled will receive a W for “withdraw” on their academic transcripts.
- Good Standing: In order to be in good standing with respect to the Student Code of Conduct, students must have completed any and all disciplinary sanctions.
- Preponderance of evidence: the evidentiary standard that is applied in hearings related to charges under College policy (including, but not limited to the Code of Student Conduct and Policy Against Sexual Misconduct), that requires an adjudicator or other appropriate College official or designee to determine that it is more likely than not that a policy violation has occurred.
- Read-enabled: computer terminology referring to a student’s email that has been turned on.
- Respondent: a student who answers charges or concerns relating to a violation of campus conduct regulations.
- Severance: the term severance is used in the Code of Student Conduct in the context of matters involving more than one student. Severance refers to such matters being addressed by separate hearings.
- Student: the term student includes all persons taking courses at the College, either full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies. Persons who withdraw after allegedly violating the Code of Conduct, who are on leave of absence, or who have been notified of their acceptance of admission may be considered students.
- Student Organization: any group of students recognized by the Student Government Association (SGA), governed by Athletics and Recreation, or that receives funding or support from the College.
- Suspension: a temporary separation from the College with the right to apply for re-admission to the dean of students. The terms of the suspension may be set or indefinite, and special conditions upon re-admission may be designated. He or she loses all privileges of a regularly enrolled student and is issued a No-Trespass Order by an authorized official for the duration of the suspension. Suspended students are eligible refunds according to the College’s established refund policy. Students placed on conduct suspension will receive a W for “withdraw” on their academic transcripts. Any suspended student who returns to the campus during the suspension period is subject to expulsion unless he or she has prior written approval from the dean of students.
- Threat Assessment: a process by which the College assesses the physical risk that an individual/group (whether known or unknown) poses to the College community or member of the College community.