Judicial Affairs
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 do not attend a meeting at any point through the Judicial Proceedings, the proceeding will continue and a decision on your case will be made without the benefit of your input. If you know you will not be able to attend a meeting, please contact the Conduct Officer as soon as possible to reschedule. Please note that rescheduling is at the discretion of your Conduct Officer.
When a student is found to be "responsible" for a Student Code of Conduct violation, the College will impose disciplinary sanction 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 Disciplinary Appeals Board will determine if your appeal should be heard based on the pre-identified requirements. If the Disciplinary Appeals Board approves your request for an Appeal Hearing, it will be heard by the Disciplinary Appeals Board or the Vice President for Student Affairs; depending on sanction.
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 Conduct 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 Conduct 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 & Community Standards Office or email your documentation directly to your Conduct Officer, unless otherwise specified. 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 sanctions. 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. There are three types: Alcohol and Drug, Safety and Comprehensive. 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 Engagement. In addition, judicial probation may affect your eligibility to hold leadership roles in various organizations (Student Congress, 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. If you have submitted a Residence Hall Release or a Student Release with the Office of Records and Registration, your parent/guardian will be notified as per that release.
As part of a student's due process, a student can request a Disciplinary Appeal Hearing whenever they receive a judicial sanction. The appeal process is two step: 1- Request for Judicial Hearing and 2- If a hearing request is approved, the actual hearing. The appeal request form is provided to the student in their Outcome Email. It is highly recommended that the student use an advisor for the appeal process and utilize the Writing Lab prior to submitting the appeal request. Students will be provided with a list of advisors or they may find their own from the MVCC community. For full Disciplinary Appeal information, please see the 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 suspended or expelled from the College or dismissed from the Residence Halls 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.