Am I responsible if my guest violates UPJ policy?
Yes. As a student of UPJ, it is your responsibility to inform visitors, guests and families of policies. If you are a resident student, this includes Code of Conduct policies and residence hall operating procedures. If you are a commuter student, this includes the Code of Conduct. In either case, Pennsylvania state laws and federal laws/regulations will also be upheld on our campus.
UPJ students may face judicial charges for guests' behavior while the guest may receive a police citation.
What is a Preliminary Conference?
If you received a letter requesting that you schedule an appointment, you have five business days to do so. Call 7065 to schedule and allow 15-20 minutes for this appointment.
The preliminary conference is an opportunity for the accused student to review the judicial compliant which was filed. Within this setting, you can either:
What happens if I don't respond to the letter?
Most students schedule the Preliminary Conference after receiving the letter. The appointment will be scheduled around your class schedule.
After ten business days, failure to schedule this appointment will result in a judicial hold being placed on the student account. A judicial hold prevents a student from conducting regular University business such as registering for classes.
What is a settlement?
A settlement is basically an agreement form that you choose to sign admitting that the judicial situation happened, in the stated manner. You also will be presented with a sanction for the violation and are agreeing to fulfill this sanction.
Why do people attend a judicial hearing?
Students attend hearings for several reasons.
As the accused student, you believe that it is in your best interest to present your information within a hearing setting. At this point, you have decided upon either a Student Judicial Board Hearing or an Administrative Hearing.
As a witness, you may have been requested to attend someeone's hearing based on information that you have about the case. Usually, witnesses were present at the incident.
As a representative, you have been asked by the accused student to serve as a support person. As representative you can speak on behalf of the accused student as well as ask questions. The only exception to this is an attorney; because this process is a University process (rather than a legal process), an attorney cannot speak or respond to questions directly during a hearing.
What is a Student Judicial Board Hearing?
A Student Judicial Board Hearing is a formal process which adjudicates your case. Three UPJ students have been asked to hear the judicial case. At the end of the hearing, the board will recommend a sanction if the accused student is found guilty of policy violations. This sanction is a recommendation which will be reviewed by Mr. Kelly M. Austin, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.
What is an Administrative Hearing?
An Administrative Hearing follows the same format as the Student Judicial Board Hearing. However, you have decided that you would rather have your case heard by a University Administrator, rather than a body of your peers.
At the end of the hearing, the administrator will recommend a sanction if the accused student is found guilty of policy violations. This sanction is a recommendation which will be reviewed by Mr. Kelly M. Austin, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.
What is a judicial sanction?
UPJ students and recognized student organizations (RSOs) who are found guilty of violating policty will be placed on a University sanction. Whenever possible, the sanction will be designed to help individuals and groups learn. The sanction will enable students and groups to make better decisions in the future. Records are maintained in the Office of Student Life for five years following a student's graduation from the University.
When can I file an appeal?
Decisions which involve loss of University housing and other sanctions which are greater than Disciplinary Probation are appealable.
If this is the case, you have the option to file an appeal with the Director of Student Enhancement. You have five business days from the date of the outcome letter to file your appeal letter in 130 Student Union Building.
Will my judicial record be on my transcript?
Each student has a judicial file maintained in the Office of Student Life. Files are maintained by the University for five years following the student's graduation. Judicial records, sanctions and history are not reflected on the academic transcript.