Lewis University | Office of the Dean of Students | Conduct Hearing Process

Conduct Hearing Process

Office of Dean of Students

If there is reasonable information presented in an incident report that suggests a violation occurred, potential policy violations may be assigned and a hearing may be scheduled. The standard of evidence required for a conduct administrator or board to determine responsibility is known as a “preponderance of the evidence.” This means that the conduct administrator or board must determine that it is more likely than not that an alleged violation occurred, based on the totality of available evidence.

There are two different types of hearings: administrative hearings and conduct board hearings:

Administrative Hearing

Administrative hearings are facilitated by the conduct administrator assigned to the case. Conduct administrators are members of the professional or paraprofessional University staff. Conduct administrators are trained to handle matters of student conduct according to the policies and procedures of the Student Handbook. In some cases, an administrative hearing may be facilitated by more than one conduct administrator working together depending on the nature and severity of the incident.

Board Hearing

Boards may be comprised of three or more representatives from the faculty and staff who have been selected and extensively trained to handle matters of student conduct. Boards have authority to impose all outcomes, including University suspension or expulsion.

Respondent(s) (and complainant(s) are notified of the decision and any related outcomes after deliberation, typically within three business days.

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