Student complaints may be directed to the division in which the complaint originates. Campus-related and Student Affairs-oriented complaints may be directed to the MVCC Department of Public Safety. Academic complaints should be reported to the appropriate school dean to hear the case. If needed, the dean and Office of Judicial Affairs Community Standards will adjudicate/mediate the case.

If you are documented (written up) by a member of the MVCC community, the Office of Judicial Affairs Community Standards will receive that report. The report will be reviewed for potential violations of the Student Code of Conduct or Residence Life Rules and Regulations. A hearing officer will schedule a meeting with you based on your class schedule to discuss the incident with you. In that meeting, the hearing officer will ask you for information about the incident to determine your involvement in and responsibility for the violation(s). If you are found responsible for violating any section of the Student Code of Conduct or Residence Life Rules and Regulations, you will be given sanctions that you will be required to complete. Sanctions can include written warnings, disciplinary probation, community service, attendance at educational workshops, and a variety of other activities. More information about sanctions can be found in the MVCC Student Handbook.

If you miss a meeting with your hearing officer, he/she may make a decision on your case without the benefit of your input. If you know you will not be able to attend a meeting, please contact your hearing officer as soon as possible to reschedule. Please note that rescheduling is at the discretion of your conduct officer. If you miss a meeting, your hearing officer will send you a sanction letter with the outcome of your judicial incident and any sanctions you will need to complete. You are expected to complete any assigned sanctions if you were not at your meeting.

In cases of noncompliance with the Student Code of Conduct, the College will impose discipline that is consistent with the impact of the offense on the College community. Progressive discipline principles will be followed in that the student's prior discipline history at the College will be taken into account. Please refer to the Student Handbook for a list of judicial sanctions.

If you were sanctioned for violations of the Student Code of Conduct sanctions, you are eligible to request an appeal if you meet the required criteria. The Vice President for Student Affairs will determine if your appeal should be heard based on if you meet one of the pre-identified requirements. If you fail to meet one of the requirements, your appeal request will not be heard and an email/letter will be sent to you letting you know the outcome.

Many factors impact how sanctions are determined for individual students, including their level of involvement in an incident and their previous judicial history.

After you meet with your hearing officer, you will be sent a formal hearing outcome letter via email. This letter will include whether or not you were found responsible for any violations and specific information on your sanctions, including your deadlines and any other information you will need to complete them (web address, paper specification, community service contact information, etc.). It is your responsibility to complete your sanctions by the given deadline. If you lose your letter or forget your requirements, you must contact your hearing officer or Judicial Affairs to retrieve that information. Failure to complete your sanctions as outlined in your letter will result in further judicial action.

You should turn all judicial paperwork into the Judicial Affairs and Judicial Affairs Community Standards Office in PH347 or email your documentation directly to your conduct officer, unless otherwise specified by your hearing officer. If sanctioned by one of the Residence Life staff, you should submit all documentation to the appropriate office in Residence Life.

If you do not complete an assigned judicial sanction, you will be subject to further judicial consequences. These may include being reassigned the original sanction as well as additional sanctions. If you think you are going to have trouble completing your sanctions by your assigned deadline, please contact your hearing officer as soon as possible to discuss the situation.

Judicial probation is a formal written notice that a student is in poor judicial standing with the College. Students who are on or have been on probation may receive greater judicial sanctions if they have further violations of the MVCC Student Code of Conduct or the Residence Life Rules and Regulations. Judicial probation could also result in a loss of privileges within the College community, including consideration of eligibility for an MVCC study abroad program or trips sponsored by Student Activities clubs. In addition, judicial probation may affect your eligibility to hold leadership roles in various organizations (Student Government, Residence Life, etc.).

The Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) limits parent and guardian notification unless required for alcohol and drug violations or if the student has submitted a release. The College reserves the right to communicate with parents and guardians of dependent students.

An "appeal" is defined as a request to review a previous decision and/or the process used in reaching the decision. The line of appeal to be followed will depend upon the type of case involved. The appeal request form can be found on this page. In all cases, students are required to state their appeal in writing at the time they begin the appeal process. The following describes the different types of cases and the appropriate lines of appeal to be used in each case. For disciplinary issues, or issues dealing with misconduct, the process described in the Student Code of Conduct will be used. Appeals that have gone through the entire line of appeal are considered final and binding on all parties involved.

A Disciplinary Appeals Committee (DAC) is a formal judicial appeal hearing. Students who are charged under the Student Code of Conduct or students who are charged under the Residence Life Rules and Regulations and receive a sanction are eligible to request a disciplinary appeal as outlined in the Student Handbook. The DAC will determine if they will hear the case or not. The Committee is comprised of College employees and students.

As per the 14th Amendment, all students have the right to due process. Due process means that each student has the right to notice regarding their case and the right to a fair hearing.

Judicial records are kept until you graduate or for six years after your separation from the College. Expulsions are maintained indefinitely.

A student who is suspended, expelled, or dismissed from MVCC and the Residence Halls is subject to the standard refund policies.

You may call 315-792-5812 to speak to someone about the VP hold.

It is standard procedure to maintain the VP hold on your account if you were involved with a violation of the MVCC Code of Conduct.

• You did not come to a mandatory meeting scheduled by the Office of Judicial Affairs Community Standards.
• You have outstanding judicial sanctions that need to be completed.
• You were dismissed from the College because of a judicial incident.
• You are not currently a student at MVCC and you were involved in a violation of the MVCC Code of Conduct.