Disciplinary action is construed as an educational function of the College for the protection and safety of the people and property at the College and to instill those minimal forms of social behavior which are essential to the educational process, and which are identified in the Illinois College Blue Book (student handbook).
- The Director of Residential Life or designee, the Provost, and their designees are authorized by the President, acting in authority of the Illinois College Board of Trustees, to invoke for cause, the judgments listed as classification of consequences.
- The designated hearing official will investigate and resolve disciplinary issues.
- Incidents shall be investigated and resolved by the Director of Residential Life or designee or designee.
- They will provide the student with written notification of the disciplinary action taken against him/her/them.
- The Director of Residential Life or designee may inform the Provost of offenses and disciplinary actions taken.
- In situations where the Director of Residential Life or Conduct Official determines that a student’s conduct may warrant their suspension or dismissal, the Conduct Official shall:
- Investigate the alleged incident and make a preliminary determination as to whether a punishable offense has been committed.
- If the Conduct Official determines there is a sufficient factual basis to conclude that a punishable offense has been committed, a meeting will be scheduled with the alleged student offender(s).
- Written notice of the date, time and location of meetings will be given to the student. The notice will apprise the student of the charges against them.
- During the meeting the Conduct Official and the student will discuss the information known, context of the situation, and why it is sufficiently serious to warrant deferred suspension, suspension, or a dismissal.
- Students wanting to contest disciplinary action by the Director of Residential Life, or the Conduct Official may appeal to the Provost.
- The grounds for appeal are:
- Procedural Error: A procedural error or omission occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing (e.g. substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures, etc.).
- Any challenge for bias must include: a) what the bias was, b) how the bias manifested itself, and c) how the bias significantly impacted the outcome. A mere allegation or determination of bias will not be sufficient to meet this ground for appeal.
- New Evidence: New evidence is information that was unknown or unavailable during the original hearing or investigation that could substantially impact the original finding or sanction. A summary of this new evidence, how it was previously unknown or unavailable, and its potential impact must be included.
- If a person refused to testify or participate in the investigation and now wishes to submit their testimony as new evidence at the appellate level, that testimony will not be considered “new evidence” under this ground. The Provost or designee serving as the reviewer of requests for appeal may determine if the matter will be sent back for further investigation based on this request for appeal.
- Appeal of the Sanction: The sanction(s) imposed is clearly outside the parameters for the violation(s) or are of such nature that the student could not reasonably complete them within the allotted time frame.
- Procedural Error: A procedural error or omission occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing (e.g. substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures, etc.).
- The written appeal should be emailed or delivered to the Conduct Official within five calendar days of receiving the decision. The Conduct Official will forward the appeal to the Provost or designee
- The Provost or designee will review the matter and may meet with the student to discuss the matter if necessary.
- The student may provide written and/or oral statements of witnesses to the Provost or designee during the meeting.
- After the meeting, the Provost or designee will notify the student in writing of their decision within five business days. The decision of the Provost/or designee shall be final.
- The grounds for appeal are:
