Frequently Asked Questions

It means that you are alleged to have been involved in some type of behavior or misconduct that is in violation of Louisiana Tech University’s policies. This letter is commonly referred to as an Initial Appointment Letter, because it states the official charge(s) against the student.

You do not have to do so; unfortunately, if you do not respond, a determination on your responsibility for the alleged violation(s) will be rendered based on the information available and without the benefit of your participation. In this scenario, the student conduct officer has only one side of the incident. As a result, it is in your best interest to contact the Student Conduct office and schedule an appointment by the deadline stated in the Initial Appointment Letter.

Every student is responsible for knowing the policies outlined in Louisiana Tech University’s Student Handbook. Ignorance of a policy will not serve as justification for a violation.

Go ahead and make an appointment by the deadline stated in your Initial Appointment Letter to meet with the Student Conduct officer. During your prehearing meeting, state the facts about your level of involvement and your knowledge about what happened.

Once you are charged with a conduct violation, a decision of responsible or not must be rendered whether you participate in the process or not. If you choose not to respond, your side of the story will not be heard or taken into account. By not responding to your Initial Appointment Letter, you waive your right to a hearing. Should you choose this option and be found responsible for the misconduct, your only recourse would be to appeal your sanctions, not the rendering.

As outlined in Louisiana Tech University’s Student Conduct Code, you have the right to due process.

• If in a hearing you are found responsible for a violation, you have the right to appeal the decision regardless of the type of hearing. If you admit in the pre-hearing meeting that you are responsible, then you may not appeal your own admittance.
• All sanctions, whether you accepted responsibility or not, are appealable. In other words, regardless of how you are sanctioned, you have the right to appeal the sanctions.
• A student may appeal a rendering if any of the following apply:
  • New evidence
  • Contradictory evidence
  • No due process
  • Disproportionate sanction

You are responsible for knowing all of your responsibilities as outlined in the Louisiana Tech University Student Handbook.

Yes. As representatives of the University, Tech students can be held accountable in certain instances that have the potential to spillover to the campus and thus can be sanctioned accordingly.

All pre-hearing conduct meetings are held in the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity, which is located in Keeny Hall 333. You should schedule an appointment as detailed in your initial appointment letter.

You will meet with a Student Conduct officer, who will ask you to explain what happened from your point of view. The Student Conduct officer will ask you follow-up questions, so he or she may develop a clear understanding of what occurred. The important thing to remember is to be completely honest.

A parent, lawyer, or even a friend may accompany you to the Student Conduct office.

You should accept ownership and tell the truth. It is not easy to admit mistakes, but having enough courage and personal integrity to admit your mistake is the first indication that you have already learned something. Telling the truth will not eliminate the consequences that will result from the misconduct; however, not telling the truth in order to misrepresent the incident can result in greater consequences. In short, if you are wrong, admit it, learn from it and move forward.

Before the hearing, think through how you will present your side and gather all relevant supporting documentation. Anticipate the types of questions you may be asked and think about how you would answer these questions. If you plan to bring witnesses, contact them as soon as possible to let them know about the hearing. Remember to only bring witnesses who have firsthand knowledge of the incident. Finally, keep in mind that a hearing is not a legal proceeding, and hearings are not intended to be adversarial.

Both the Behavioral Standards Committee and Honor Council consist of a panel of faculty/staff and students. The Student Conduct official presents the case to the committee. The outcome of the hearing does not vary according to the type of committee. The only purpose a hearing serves is to make a determination regarding the student’s responsibility. In other words, the only outcome of either hearing is: responsible or not responsible for the alleged misconduct.

The standard of proof refers to the quantity or level of evidence needed to make a decision. The standard of proof used by the Behavioral Standards Committee is clear and convincing, and the Honor Council uses preponderance. For clear and convincing, imagine the weight of evidence on some imaginary scale, where committee members must be more than 75 percent or greater sure that the student violated the policy to find him/her responsible. Committee members do not have to be 100 percent just more than 75 percent sure. For preponderance, committee members must be over 50 percent sure. In other words, is it more likely than not that the student violated a university policy based on the evidence presented.

The committee will automatically be made aware of the student’s disciplinary history.

You can bring one representative. In the case of a Behavioral Standards Committee meeting, the representative may fully participate in the hearing and/or speak on your behalf. In the case of an Honor Council meeting, the representative cannot represent you and directly address the committee in the hearing. They may quietly confer with you.

You are encouraged to bring witnesses to either type of hearing as long as they have firsthand knowledge of the incident. Prior to the hearing, you should inform the Conduct Officer that you have witnesses. It is your responsibility to make sure your witnesses are present and on time. Witnesses will be asked into the room to answer committee questions at the appropriate time, and then they will be dismissed from the hearing. Witnesses may not stay for the full hearing. The committee has the authority to determine if they will hear from a witness.

Decisions are made based on the” Standard of Proof.” The final finding can only be responsible or not responsible instead of guilty or innocent.

It depends on the decision. If you are found not responsible for the misconduct stated in your Initial Meeting Letter, you will receive an official letter from the committee stating, “Not Responsible.” If you are found responsible, then you will be sanctioned. You will receive a sanctions letter that explains each sanction in detail and your right to appeal.

Renderings are often based in part on, but are not limited solely to the following:

• The nature of the violation (What you did)
  Prior violations/previous disciplinary history (What have you done before)
• Mitigating circumstances surrounding the violation (Unusual circumstances)
• Your motivation for the behavior (Why you chose to do what you did)

Typical sanctions can include, but are not limited to the following:

• Administrative Probation: Probationary status for a definite period of time.
• Suspension: Termination of student status at the University for a specified period of time.
• Expulsion: Termination of student status at the University permanently or for an indefinite period of time.
• Eviction: Restriction or removal from residence halls or other campus facilities.
• Restitution: Requirement to reimburse or compensate another for damage or loss of property resulting from a student’s misconduct.
• Counseling and/or Community Service: Requirement to attend case-specific counseling and/or certain number of community service hours to complete.
• Academic Sanctions (Honor Code violations specific): “F” grade in course, failing grade/score on assignment or exam in question, or participation in University SMART HABITS Academy.

It depends on the offense committed and/or whether this is a second or third offense. When your behavior of misconduct is determined to be harmful to the University community (including self) or interrupts the educational or administrative processes of the University, suspension or expulsion may be an imposed sanction. Repeat offenses, such as repeat alcohol offenders, cases involving illegal drugs, sexual misconduct, assault, and theft are some examples of offenses that may result in suspension or expulsion.

If your sanctions are not completed by the required deadline, then a registration hold will be placed on your student account. You will not be allowed to register for classes until you have corresponded with the Student Conduct office regarding the next steps, which usually involves being scheduled to go before the Behavioral Standards Committee.

If you are found responsible for misconduct, you will have a disciplinary file in the Office of Student Conduct. Disciplinary records are kept separate from Academic records.