Judicial Council: For Students

The University of Richmond Judicial Council is a branch of both the Richmond College Student Government Association and the Westhampton College Government Association.  The Judicial Council exists to assist in the maintenance of a community dedicated to high standard of personal conduct.  The Judicial Council serves as a hearing board for Westhampton or Richmond College Dean’s Office violations and appeals.  This includes alleged violations of Prohibited Conduct and other non-academic regulations further specified in the University of Richmond Student Handbook.  An undergraduate student has the option to have his/her case heard by the judicial council or has the option of appealing the findings of the dean’s office.  Council (at the discretion of the Westhampton or Richmond College Dean’s Office due to the seriousness of the charge, the appeal may be heard by the University Hearing Board).

Judicial Procedures

Any student who is charged with a violation of the standards of student conduct as contained in within Prohibited Conduct, as well as other regulations of the University of Richmond shall be subject to disciplinary action and, if need be, legal action. It is the established procedure of the Dean of the College or School or his/her designee to notify the student of the alleged violation(s) in writing and to request a meeting. During the meeting, the Dean or his/her designee explains the options available for resolution of the charge.

The three options available to all students are:

1. The student may accept responsibility and the sanctions deemed appropriate by the Dean of the College/School or his/her designee for the alleged violation(s), thereby waiving her/his right to a hearing. If the student elects option one, but does not agree with the findings of the Dean of the College/School or his/her designee, the student may then elect to have their alleged violation(s) adjudicated by the Judicial Council through an appeal.
2. The student has a right to a hearing by the hearing board of his/her choice.  However, depending on the severity of the charge(s), typically those charges that through the legal system could result in felony convictions, the hearing must go to the University Hearing Board.
   1. The student has a right to a hearing before the Judicial Council composed of a chair, secretary, and six students (three from each coordinate college).  If the student elects this option, the student is notified by the Judicial Council of the alleged violation(s) and is informed of his/her rights and responsibilities.
   2. The student has a right to a hearing before the University Hearing Board composed of a chair, three students, a faculty member, and an administrator.  If the student elects this option, the student is notified by the University Hearing Board of the alleged violation(s) and is informed of his/her rights and responsibilities. (For more details regarding the procedures of a University Hearing Board, please go the Westhampton or Richmond College Dean’s Office website.)
3. The student may resign from the University. The student could not re-enter the University without the alleged violation(s), being resolved. Off-campus civil or judicial actions or criminal charges, if any, may continue to be processed.

The student is asked to choose one of the three options.  All decisions of the Judicial Procedures are subject to the approval by the Dean of the College or School.

Authority for prescribing these rules and regulations is vested in the Board of Trustees of the University of Richmond. Authority for implementation of these rules and regulations has been delegated to the deans of the Colleges and Schools and, through them, to appropriate judicial bodies. The Trustees reserve the right to rescind or alter any delegated authority when, in their discretion, the exercise of the delegated authority is abused or is deemed to be in conflict with the purposes of the University of Richmond.

Graduate Students, Professional Students, and Continuing Studies Students: Attention is directed to the individual handbooks and other announcements of the Schools of the University of Richmond for information on policies, regulations, and procedures relating to the Honor System, academic performance and standing, motor vehicles, drugs, alcoholic beverages, and the establishment of clubs, societies, and publications.

In the event that a constituted judicial body cannot be convened or in the case of special or unusual circumstances, the Dean of the College or School is authorized by the Board of Trustees to impose, after a hearing conducted either by the Dean of the College/School or his/her designee, upon any student who willfully engages in any prohibited conduct, as such is defined above, any of the sanctions listed and described on the previous pages.

Severability: The several sections and provisions of these standards are hereby declared to be independent and severable, and if any section, subdivision, sentence, clause or word be held void or non-enforceable, such holding shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other part or parts of these standards.

Prohibited Conduct stated in this document is intended to apply to non-academic offenses. The Honor Council of the appropriate division shall hear academic offenses. In the event that the Dean of the College or School determines that a case is ambiguous, he/she shall advise the student that he or she may proceed under these Judicial Procedures or under Honor System procedures.

Detailed procedures governed by these principles will be found in the University Hearing Board procedures, available from the Vice President for Student Development, Deans of the Colleges or Schools, or Chairs of Judicial Councils.

Sanctions

Prohibited conduct may result in one or more of the following sanctions, depending on the offense. Additional sanctions, if any, are listed in handbooks or official announcements of the School or College concerned. Students should be familiar with the information in this Handbook.  Following a judgment according to applicable judicial procedures, sanctions will be imposed with appropriate appeal procedures available.

   The sanctions applicable to students are as follows:

1. Disciplinary Warning: A written notice that a continuation or repetition of Prohibited Conduct, within a specified period of time, will be grounds for more serious disciplinary action.
2. Residential Housing Probation: Action permitting the student to remain in residence on probationary status. During the period of probation, of the student is found responsible for additional violation(s), the student may be evicted from on-campus housing.
3. Conduct Probation: Action permitting a student to remain at the University on probationary status. During the period of probation, if the student is found responsible for a further violation of the Standards of Conduct, the student may be subject to suspension, or permanent suspension (i.e. expulsion) from the University.
4. Housing Eviction: Serious housing matters or repeated violations of University policy can result in removal from university housing.
5. Suspension: Exclusion of a student from the University for a definite period of time, as set forth in the written notice of suspension subject to other University regulations. Suspension could be permanent (i.e. expulsion).

In addition or in place of the sanctions listed above, the following sanctions may be employed, but are not limited to:

1. Community Restitution/Service: An assignment to perform a task or service for the University or a University sponsored organization.
2. Fine/Restitution: Reimbursement for damage to, or destruction of, or misappropriation of property, to include but limited to personal and medical reimbursement.
3. Revocation of Privilege: Including, but not limited to, registering events, using of University dining facilities, having an automobile on campus, and/or access to other University facilities.

Impact upon Student Records

 A student found responsible of a violation of the standards of student conduct will generally have their disciplinary records destroyed unless they are on “conduct probation” at the time of their graduation.  In the event that a student is on “conduct probation” at the time of his/her graduation, the student’s disciplinary record will be destroyed one year following the student’s graduation.  The records of the students involved in cases deemed serious (acts of violence, drug distribution, etc.) by the deans of the colleges or schools will be maintained at the discretion of the deans for a period of time deemed appropriate by the deans.

If you have any questions please contact Eddie Longosz or Meredith Hull.

Last Modified 07-Aug-08