Purpose, Rights and Responsibilities

Purpose

The purpose of a Conduct Hearing at Bradley University is to hear and adjudicate cases in which students or student organizations have been charged with violating the University’s Conduct Policy.

Rights and Responsibilities

• Students or student organizations who have been charged with violating the conduct policy will be given fair and objective consideration.
• Students or student organizations who have been charged may present information about the incident and may present witnesses.
• Students and student organizations who have been charged will be presented with the script to be used in their Hearing Panel or University Student Arbitration Board.
• The student or student organization has the right to ask questions of anyone who presents information to support the charges. Due process, as outlined in this document will be consistently applied to all cases.
• The burden of proof lies on the one presenting the charges.
• The accused student or student organization has the right not to appear at the Hearing, which will be held in their absence. The failure of an accused student or student organization to appear should not be taken as an admission of a violation and must be noted as such without prejudice.
• The student or student organization has the right to be accompanied by an advisor of their choosing. The advisor may be an administrative official, faculty or staff member, parent, organization advisor or student, but may not serve in a legal capacity.
• Decisions by will be based on preponderance of the evidence.
• A student or student organization who purposely avoids or fails to respond in a reasonable time to a University conduct inquiry or investigation may be subject to temporary suspension until they have complied.
• Pending action on the charges, the status of a student will not be altered or his/her right to be present on the campus and to attend classes suspended, except where such action is reasonably required for his/her physical or emotional safety and welfare of students, faculty, or University property, or except where the presumption is strong that he/she has participated in a willful disruption of the functions or services of the institution or the use of its facilities.
• Pending action on the charges, the status of a student organization may be altered where the presumption is strong that the organization has participated in a willful disruption of the functions or services of the institution or the use of its facilities, or where actions may be detrimental to the physical or emotional safety and welfare of students, faculty or University property.