The University maintains high community standards regarding student conduct in and outside the classroom, and these expectations of behavior apply to all students.
The student conduct process provides for the hearing of alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct/Handbook by trained members of our hearing body, including but not limited to staff from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards and Residence/Complex Directors.
The University’s conduct process works as follows:
Incident reports come from a number of different sources, including the University Police, New Paltz Police Department, Residential Life, students, faculty, and staff.
The Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards follows the campus' email policy which states that SUNY New Paltz's email is the primary means of communication between students, faculty, and staff. Correspondence from our office will be sent to the student’s official SUNY New Paltz email account. Students are responsible for the consequences of not reading communications sent to their account in a timely manner.
Correspondence from our office will be sent from Maxient, the office’s conduct management system, or from conduct@newpaltz.edu. Students may also receive a text message with a direct link to their correspondence. Students will be required to authenticate their identity by using their University credentials to retrieve any correspondence sent electronically via Maxient.
Included in the correspondence, will be the information related to the alleged violation(s), specification of charge(s), date, time and location of the meeting scheduled, as well as direct contact information of the assigned conduct officer.
Initial Conference Meeting
An Initial Conference meeting with the alleged student shall be conducted within fifteen (15) working days from the time of receipt of a report. The alleged student will be sent formal written notification via their New Paltz email, by their assigned initial conference officer, of the time and place of the meeting. This written notification shall include the information related to the charge(s) applicable based on the alleged violation(s) reported.
Initial conference officers are University officials who have been trained as decision makers in cases associated with alleged violations of the Student Handbook/Code of Conduct.
Students have the right to request a one-time reschedule of the Initial Conference meeting. Students must submit their request in written (via New Paltz email address) to their assigned initial conference officer at least 24 business hours prior to the schedule meeting, barring extenuating circumstances. At the discretion of the Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards or designee, all deadlines and time requirements in the Student Handbook may be extended for good cause and/or as requested by the respondent or the complainant.
At the Initial Conference, a student may elect one of the following courses of action:
- To acknowledge responsibility for the alleged violation(s)/charge(s). The case is then adjudicated administratively by the assigned initial conference officer who will take appropriate action including the possible imposition of one or more sanctions, and special conditions if applicable. By accepting the outcome of an initial conference meeting, the student waives their right to a hearing, will not have the option to appeal, and agrees to comply with any sanction(s) and special condition(s) assigned.
- To deny responsibility for the alleged violation(s)/charge(s), in which case the official conducting the Initial Conference may proceed as follows:
a. For alleged violation(s) of Administrative Regulations, the initial conference officer may conduct an administrative hearing to determine the responsibility of the alleged student based on the preponderance of evidence after examining report(s), evidence received and the alleged student’s statement. If found responsible, the alleged student will have the ability to: 1) accept the finding(s) and recommended sanction(s), and special condition(s) if applicable, or 2) appeal on the grounds available appropriately. By accepting the outcome of an initial conference meeting, the student waives their right to a hearing, will not have the option to appeal, and agrees to comply with any sanction(s), and special condition(s) if applicable, assigned. (If the initial conference officer deems the information obtained does not support the allegation, they may elect to administratively find the student not responsible.)
b. For alleged violations of Campus Rules, the initial conference officer may conduct an administrative hearing to determine the responsibility of the alleged student based on the preponderance of evidence after examining report(s), evidence received and the alleged student’s statement. If found responsible, the alleged student will have the ability to: 1) accept the finding(s) and recommended sanction(s), and special condition(s) if applicable, waiving their right to a hearing, waiving the option to appeal, and agree to comply with any sanction(s) assigned or 2) decline the finding(s) and recommended sanction(s), and special condition(s) if applicable, invoking their right to have their case heard by a hearing board/ officer. (If the initial conference officer deems the information obtained does not support the allegation, they may elect to administratively find the student not responsible.) - To not to appear at the meeting, at which time the proceeding will be conducted in absentia, and all statement(s) obtained by the initial conference officer and the violation(s) outlined in the Initial Conference Appointment/Specification of Charges letter shall be considered true and accurate, and appropriate administrative action shall be taken. The student retains their right to appeal on the appeal grounds available appropriately.
The student conduct process provides for the hearing of alleged violations by trained members of our hearing bodies.
If a student chooses to pursue a determination of responsibility via engaging in a disciplinary hearing, if applicable based on the charge(s), the composition of the hearing is as follows:
Administration Hearing:
An administrative hearing will be conducted by one trained (1) faculty or staff member. This is the only hearing option available during the times that the University is not in session (Winter and Summer Breaks), between semesters, or when the end of the semester precludes conformacnce to the established procedures
Committee Hearing:
The committee will consist of three (3) trained persons including no less than one (1) student and one (1) faculty/staff member. A Procedural Officer will be present during a committee hearing. Please note that Committee Hearings are not available during when the University is not in session (Winter and Summer Breaks), between semesters, or when the end of the semester precludes conformacnce to the established procedures. During these times, the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards will proceed with an Administrative Hearing.
Hearing Panel*:
Reserved for hearings of alleged violations of Sexual and Interpersonal Violence (i.e., Title IX). The hearing body will consist of a panel of three (3) individuals.
An Appeal Form will be provided to the student, wherein they can electronically submit information that will address one of the two (2) appeal grounds by the prescribed deadline. The scope of any appeal must identified by the appellant, and shall be limited to the following:
- Questions of Fact: An appellant may appeal on “questions of fact” by introducing new evidence that would significantly affect the outcome of the case. Evidence that was known to the appellant at the time of the original hearing but was withheld shall not constitute a question of fact nor is it to be considered upon appeal.
- Questions of Procedure: Appeals will be considered on the basis of “questions of procedure” by demonstrating that procedural guidelines established in this document were breached and that such departure from established procedure significantly affected the outcome of the
All decision/notices of disciplianry action letters will include instructions for students to follow with regards on how to submit an appropriate appeal.
The University’s administrative conduct process ends once an appeal decision is rendered. The decision is final and will no longer be subject to review.
