The Case that Haunts Me 👻
3 students you've met with all give you conflicting information and none of them take accountability for anything in the report. What do you do?
If you have enough evidence, move forward with the case and make a decision, or reschedule meetings with the students to present some of the conflicting evidence.
What should you do if you discover a student needs support? (i.e. through conversation via BRM)
Refer them to those resources! Give them handouts if you have them, or offer to send them via email.
You receive an email from a student's attorney. The email informs you that they are representing the student now. What do you do?
Forward the email to CSC and call us.
A student emails saying, “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer"
Are you handling this alone, aka "Solo"? Why or why not?
Not Solo.
What is the fine total for a student found Responsible (first offense) for Alcohol 1G, Drugs 4C, and Fire Safety 6D - what is their total fines?
**You are allowed to use the google site**
$450 - which is the cap!
"I didn't know that was a rule, how can you tell me I'm guilty when I didn't even know?"
What do you say?
All students agree to the same expectations when they agree to be a student. We recommend steering the conversation to talking about why that code/expectation is important. (and we're not a legal process)
In your BRM, conversation with the student leads you to believe they might be eligible for a diversion program. Can you offer it to them?
No, not at that moment - but you can call CSC and talk it through. Share with us the evidence that makes them qualify and we'll let you know how to proceed.
*This has happened several times, which led to multiple blueprints being offered last year! Good job!*
DAILY DOUBLE: What should you say if a student asks to reschedule so they can talk to a lawyer first?
Respond with explaining/clarifying that this process is educational and not a legal process, but that you're happy to reschedule to accommodate their schedule.
You found a student Responsible. They email you after they receive their outcome letter and they are highly upset and don't understand why you did that when they "did nothing wrong".
Flying Solo? Why or Why not?
Solo. Use your written rationale.
You found two students, who are roommates, Responsible, but they have different outcomes for the same finding because of their histories. The students compare their letters and email you about the discrepancy, what do you do?
Explain you can't share another student's disciplinary record, but your outcomes are based on your specific conduct history in conjunction with the case.
"But I didn't mean to break the window, we were just playing around with the soccer ball in the lounge."
Does intent play a factor in determining Responsibiltiy?
No. Intent doesn't change Responsibility. The student either did it, or they didn't. But intent (and their response) might mitigate their outcomes.
Example: Student who broke the window immediately tells the front desk, because it was an accident.
A student is visibly distressed when you mention the Family Notification Letter. What can you do?
Ask the student more questions about why they are uncomfortable. Suggest they write it to someone who is still a guardian/authority/someone they look up to. These letters aren't meant to be distressing.
"My attorney advised me not to answer that." - How should you proceed through the meeting?
Continue as you would normally. You can acknowledge that the student has had previous conversations about the incident, and perhaps ask them to reflect on those conversations and what they might have learned since the incident. This doesn't require you to do any outreach.
Whoops! You sent a student a letter with the wrong outcomes and/or findings.
Flying Solo? Why or Why not?
Solo. Make sure you resend the letter with the correction and another email explaining to the student what happened.
What is wrong with assigning a Family Notification Letter, Warning, and Probation all at once to the same student in the same case?
A student should never be assigned outcomes that don't follow the hierarchy designed for outcomes.
NOT PROCEDURE.
(also if they're on probation for alcohol or drugs, their parents will already be receiving notification.)
"Well, one of my frat bros texted our frat group chat about the party they threw so that was the first stop of the night..."
What are you going to do after this meeting?
Congrats, you get to file another report!
A student lets you know you've made them feel heard during their meeting (good job!) - Because they trust you, they share with you that they are concerned about their roommate who is also involved in the incident. What is your follow up with the roommate (you haven't met with them yet).
Still meet, and file a CARE report. Include what you observe in your meeting in your CARE report and refer the student to resources during the meeting.
A student shows up to the BRM with their attorney with them. How do you proceed?
Ask the attorney to sit outside the room, and explain why or give the attorney a copy of the code of conduct to read while they wait
A parent calls you after you've sent the outcome letter to their student. They raise their voice and call you names while on the phone.
Are you handling solo? Why or why not?
You never have to handle parents solo when it comes to conduct.
You scheduled. Student doesn't show. No answer for phone call, no response for email. It's been two days. You proceed, make findings and give outcomes. Student emails back, highly upset. What do you do?
Depending on how much time has passed, reschedule with the student and conduct a BRM. This may change the findings and outcomes and you should adjust.
DAILY DOUBLE: What should you do if your gut tells you the student is lying, but the evidence doesn’t fully support it?
Never assume intent based solely on a student’s tone—stick to what’s observable and documented. If you believe a student is lying, have more conversation, make a timeline, and ultimately make the decision based off the evidence. Remember, 50 and a feather.
Can you create your own educational outcome for a student? Why or why not?
YES! Absolutely. You are educators as much as we are. You have an idea for an outcome? Call us!
If a student requests to record the meeting “for their attorney,” how should you respond?
No recordings of this meeting are permitted, also - did you know this isn't a legal process :D
A student emails you that they're going to "expose" the university to show the world how "corrupt" we are by posting the recording of their BRM on social media (you held them Responsible for Drinking Underage).
Are you handling this solo? Why or why not?
NOT SOLO! 🙅♀️🙅♀️
DAILY DOUBLE: Uh oh...You totally forgot to check Advocate and schedule your meeting. It's been a month. What do you do?
If it was a high impact case - CS&C would likely know before it got that far. However, contact CS&C to determine next steps. CS&C will dictate whether you proceed with scheduling or we send an "administrative error" letter.