Section V. Student Conduct Authorities
A. Case Administrator. Upon receipt of a report alleging misconduct, the Director or designee will assign a staff member from the Division of Student Affairs the primary responsibility to investigate and resolve the report.
B. Student Conduct Council
1. Composition. The Student Conduct Council is a committee of student, faculty, and administrative members constituted as follows:
a. Undergraduate Students - 15 students (six seniors, five juniors, and four sophomores) selected on an annual basis. Each year the Director or designee will coordinate an application/selection process. A committee consisting of the Student Assembly Vice President,18 the Director or designee, a faculty member (preferably one who has served as a member of the Student Conduct Council), two students who have served on the Student Conduct Council, and two undergraduate members of the Student Assembly will select Student Conduct Council nominees.19 Any student currently on disciplinary or honor probation or who previously has been suspended or dismissed from the university for non-academic reasons is ineligible for membership on the Council. Students must have and maintain a cumulative William and Mary GPA of at least 2.5. Undergraduate students cannot serve concurrently as standing members on the Honor Council and the Student Conduct Council.
In the event that there are not enough qualified candidates to fill the traditional mix of classes as outlined above, the selections committee will choose the most qualified candidates to fill the vacancies. Each class will contain at least four members and no more than six members.
b. Graduate Students - 15 students (three from each of the five graduate schools) selected on an annual basis by a process determined by each of the graduate student governing bodies.
c. Faculty - Eight full-time members of the faculty appointed on an annual basis by the Provost of the university. At least one faculty member will be appointed from each of the five graduate schools.
d. Administrative Staff - Four members of the administrative staff appointed on an annual basis by the Vice President for Student Affairs.
2. Duties. All members will serve on Community Panels. Student members also will serve on Student Panels.
3. Administration.
a. On an annual basis, the undergraduate membership of the Student Conduct Council will elect two of its members to serve as chairs. Each graduate school governing body will designate one of its Student Conduct Council members to serve as chair for panels involving members of its academic unit.
b. The term of office for all members begins the day after classes begin in the fall semester and runs through the first day of classes the following fall semester. Should a vacancy occur on the Council or should additional, temporary Council members be required, the Dean of Students is empowered to make the necessary appointments.
c. The student members of each Student Conduct Council will be subject to bylaws approved on an annual basis by each Council.
C. Appeals Committee
1. Composition. Twenty-four members: four administrators (not members of the Student Affairs Division), four faculty members appointed annually by the Provost, and sixteen students (six undergraduate and two graduate students from each of the five graduate schools) elected annually by the Student Assembly. Should temporary Appeals Committee members be required, the Vice President for Student Affairs will make the necessary appointment(s).
2. Duties. Members of the Appeals Committee will serve as panel members in Appeals Committee meetings.
D. Final Appellate Review
1. The Vice President for Student Affairs, or designee, will review those appeals found to have merit by the Appeals Committee. The Vice President or designee will serve as the final authority for appeal review.
E. Procedures for Reports Received After the Last Day of a Semester or During the Summer Session
1. Students or organizations with unresolved allegations of the Code after the last day of classes in a semester or during the summer session will be provided a panel if possible. If the regular student conduct body is unable to meet, the student or organization can select one of the following options:
a. The Director or designee can appoint a three-member panel consisting of members of the faculty, the Student Affairs staff, and the student body (if practical). The panel will observe customary panel procedures. Other than an informal resolution and an administrative panel, this is the only option available to a student completing degree requirements in the term in which the alleged violation originates.
b. The Director or designee may defer the panel until the beginning of the following semester provided such a deferral, in the Director’s opinion, would not preclude a fair proceeding due to the loss of evidence or unavailability of witnesses. The Director may place a hold on the student’s records pending resolution of the matter.
2. When a student is alleged to have violated university regulations after the last day of classes in a semester, including during Commencement, and he or she is scheduled to graduate, the university may hold the student’s degree pending resolution of the alleged violations.
(18) If the Student Assembly Vice President is not an undergraduate student, then the next most-senior undergraduate Student Assembly member will serve in place of the Vice President.
(19) The Director, the faculty member, and the Student Assembly Vice President all serve as ex-officio, non-voting members. The Student Assembly Vice President may vote in the event of a tie among the other voting members.
