Student Code of Conduct
Introduction
The university community shares a commitment to achieving its educational purposes. While the Board of Visitors, the President, and administrative officers bear ultimate responsibility and authority, students share a responsibility to help maintain on the campus, in the classrooms, and in the residence halls, the environment necessary for the pursuit of scholarly activities, respect for the rights of others, and the opportunity for personal growth and development.
The university considers the observance of public laws of equal importance to the observance of its own rules and regulations. In addition to laws governing the conduct of all citizens, the Code of Virginia contains specific provisions relating to colleges and universities, including those that prohibit hazing; malicious burning or destruction by explosives of any university building or any other malicious destruction of university property; threats to bomb, burn, or destroy any school building; and bribery of any amateur sport participant.
Authority of the President
The Board of Visitors has vested the authority for discipline in the President. The President has empowered members of the Student Affairs Division, the Student Conduct Council, the Honor Councils, the Appeals Committee, and the Vice President for Student Affairs or designee to resolve reports of possible misconduct by students and to levy fair sanctions as provided in these procedures. At all times the President reserves the right to designate other persons or to appoint special committees as necessary to aid in the student conduct function. While there is no right of appeal to the President, the President may review any decision made and take such action determined to be in the best interest of the institution.
Application of the Code of Conduct
The university expects its students and student organizations to maintain a high standard of conduct both on and off campus. The Student Code of Conduct applies to conduct that occurs on university property, at university-sponsored activities, and to off-campus conduct when the conduct adversely affects the university community and the pursuit of its objectives.1 The Dean of Students or designee will decide whether the Code of Conduct will be applied to conduct occurring off campus, on a case-by-case basis, in the Dean’s sole discretion.
1Violations of law that involve a threat to public safety generally are found to be conduct adversely affecting the university community.
