disciplinary Committees
Section 401 of the BOR policies, authorizes each institution
to develop appropriate policies and procedures to discipline
students / organizations for the violation of Valdosta State
University’s rules. In accordance with this responsibility,
disciplinary sanctions shall be applied only after the
requirements of due process, fairness, and reasonableness
have been met. The aim of any disciplinary action is to redirect student behavior toward the achievement of their academic goals.
The President has delegated the function of student
discipline to the Vice President for Student Affairs, and he
in turn designates the Dean of Students and staff to handle
the day to day disciplinary process. The Dean of Students is
assisted in the student disciplinary process by the Assistant
Dean of Students and Disciplinary Committees. The use of
the “peer-review” process in student disciplinary matters is
consistent with Valdosta State University’s educational goals, as well as its practice of student participation in institutional governance. The Disciplinary Committees used are:
- The Student Government Association Judicial Council
- The Valdosta State University Discipline Committee
The The Dean of Students or his/her designee assigns a
case to the appropriate Disciplinary Committee. Referrals
are based on many factors like the severity of the incident(s),
the type and number of violations, the location of the alleged
violations, the current and past disciplinary history of a
student or an organization, the case load of the Committees,
as well as the Dean of Student’s or his/her designee’s professional assessment. This list is not considered to be all-inclusive.
In some cases, an accused student or organization
may request a waiver of a disciplinary hearing and be
given an administrative hearing ONLY when the student
or organization accepts complete and unconditional
responsibility for ALL alleged Code of Conduct violations, and it is agreed upon in advance in writing before any disciplinary sanctions are issued.
In other instances, the professional opinion of the Dean of
Students or his/her designee may deem it more appropriate for a disciplinary matter to be reviewed and acted on by the appropriate Disciplinary Committee.
The President of the University or his/her designee
(typically the Vice President for Student Affairs) may hear an appeal from any Disciplinary Committee (See Appendix B, Section V for details).
The composition of each Disciplinary Committee is as follows:
A. The Student Government Association (SGA) Judicial
Council shall be composed of (11) enrolled students
representing a cross-section of the Valdosta State
University student body. The members of the Committee
shall be appointed by the SGA President and approved by the SGA Senate with prior input from the Dean of Students Office.
All members of the Council shall have a minimum 2.0
cumulative grade point average the semester of their appointment, and must maintain this average during their tenure. If a member does not maintain a 2.0 cumulative
average, has 3 or more unexcused absences to scheduled
judicial meetings, or is found responsible for a violation of the Student Code of Conduct, then he or she automatically forfeits his or her position on the SGA Judicial Council.
If a vacancy occurs on the SGA Judicial Committee for any
reason, the SGA President shall appoint, with the approval
of the SGA Senate, a qualified student to serve. No member
of the SGA Judicial Committee can serve in the legislative or executive branch of the SGA while serving on the judicial council.
B. The Valdosta State University Disciplinary Committee shall
be composed of five faculty members and two students.
The President of Valdosta State University makes all
appointments to this committee. The President will select
the chair of the committee from the five faculty members, as well as appoint two students from the SGA Judicial Council with input from the Dean of Students.
The following process shall apply for convening all
disciplinary committees:
1. The accused student and or organization shall be notified
in writing of the specific charge(s) made against them and
of the date, time, and place where a hearing will be held.
2. The notification will inform the accused student and
or organization that an advisor of their choosing may
accompany them. The advisor is not there to represent the
student and or organization before the disciplinary
committee. The advisor is only there to advise the student
and or organization in their response to the committee.
3. The charge letter notifying the student and or organization
of the disciplinary hearing shall be postmarked no less
than (5) class days prior to the date designated for the
disciplinary hearing.
4. The accused student and or organization shall be
permitted to pose questions to all witnesses at the
hearing. (All questions are to be directed to the
chairperson who asks the witness to then respond.)
5. An audio recording of the hearing will be made. A copy of
the recording will be kept on file in the Dean of Students
Office.
6. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the
policy set forth in Disciplinary Hearing Procedures for
Judicial Committees at Valdosta State University.
(Appendix B, Section II.)
7. After proper notification is given,(note items 1-3 above)
and if the accused student and or organization does not
appear at the hearing, then the hearing will proceed in
their absence.
Reviewed & revised Summer 2009