Student Handbook

The Skidmore Student Conduct Process

The Disciplinary Process |The Integrity Board Process

Basic Principles for Integrity Board Hearings |Guidelines for Sanctions


The Disciplinary Process

  1. The Skidmore College Board of Trustees assigns responsibility for maintaining a safe campus conducive to learning to the College president. Consequently, the president reserves the right to make the final decision on any matter pertaining to student discipline. In practice, the Dean of Student Affairs (DoSA) is responsible for resolving student violations of College regulations. (Note: All references to the DoSA include the dean or his/her designee.)

  2. A student accused of violating the Honor Code or the College Code of Conduct meets with the DoSA to review the complaint and potential avenues for resolution. The complaint may be resolved, deferred, or proceed to a hearing (described below). Students and faculty should report an alleged violation to the student and to the DoSA within a reasonable period after the violation was committed. However, the College reserves the right to pursue disciplinary action whenever it learns about a violation of the Honor Code or Code of Conduct.

  3. The DoSA may take any summary action necessary to ensure the safety of the campus community or to protect the College learning environment. Such actions may include but are not restricted to removing the student from the residence hall system, moving the student from one residence hall to another residence hall, removing the student from a class or classes, or suspending the student.

  4. The Integrity Board (IB) or the Administrative Hearing Board (AHB) resolves the complaint and assigns an appropriate sanction. If a student withdraws from the College while disciplinary action is pending, the College may include a description of the charge in the student's permanent record. If the student seeks readmission to Skidmore in the future, he or she must resolve the disciplinary complaint before the College will consider readmission.

  5. The IB or AHB usually informs a student of its decision immediately after the hearing. However, if necessary the board may take up to ten business days.6. A student involved in the disciplinary process as a complainant or respondent may appeal an IB decision to the DoSA. However, appeals are not an opportunity to re-try the case. The DoSA will consider an appeal only when there is new information directly related to the case, evidence regarding the fairness of the board's procedures, or a sanction that appears disproportionate to the violation. The student must request a review in writing within five business days after the board delivers its written decision. The Dean may decide the appeal administratively, ask the original hearing board to reconsider the case, or hold a Board of Appeals hearing. The DoSA will generally complete the review within ten business days after receiving formal notice of an appeal. The decision of the DoSA is final.

  6. Any board decision for suspension or dismissal constitutes a recommendation to the DoSA, who will consider whether to accept or modify the recommendation.

  7. The faculty member and the student settle the large majority of academic integrity offenses and then report to the Conduct Administrator (CA)/Associate Dean of the Faculty for Academic Advising. If the faculty member or the student believes a hearing is in order, he or she should generally make such a request to the CA within ten business days after officially reporting the violation. When the CA is reviewing a report or mediating a dispute the process may take a longer period to determine whether a hearing is required. In such cases, the CA or DoSA has authority to establish a deadline by which the complainant or respondent must request a hearing.9. If harmed parties are willing, the DoSA may ask students (and faculty and staff as appropriate) to participate in mediation or conferencing to resolve conflicts. A mediated agreement may obviate the need for an IB hearing.10. The College reserves the right to contact parents if their student's behavior poses a health or safety risk to the Skidmore community. The College also reserves the right to designate which College officials have a legitimate educational need to know about individual conduct complaints pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy  Act.

Integrity Board Process

The Dean of Student Affairs in conjunction with the Student Government Association establishes the Integrity Board (IB). Any member of the College community or the College itself may bring a complaint to the IB. The IB resolves disciplinary complaints against students in a manner consistent with the College's educational mission and values. The IB investigates and resolves complaints in a fair and participatory process as it is concerned with the rights and needs of complainants, respondents, and the community.

The IB requires a student who has violated the Honor Code or the College Code of Conduct to take responsibility, make amends, and return to good standing. The procedures described below, which include fact-finding, discussion, complaint resolution, and assignment of sanctions, support these goals. They are, however, only guidelines, for the board depends on the participants' honesty, integrity, and commitment to resolving complaints and decides each case according to its own merits and the disciplinary precedents that may apply.   

Integrity Board: An IB hearing is composed of one faculty (in cases of social integrity) or two faculty members (in cases of academic integrity); four students, including the chair; and one other member of the College administration or staff. The Committee on Faculty Governance (CFG) appoints faculty to overlapping two-year terms, and the Conduct Administrator schedules eligible faculty for hearings as needed. The DoSA appoints administrators and staff to the IB. The SGA selects student IB members to serve a one-year term through a willingness-to-serve process. The SGA typically makes appointments in the spring semester after the fall registration period, and in the beginning of the fall semester as needed.  

Administrative Hearing Board (AHB): The DoSA may impanel the AHB to hear cases deemed unsuitable for the IB, such as cases of sexual misconduct, or when the IB is unable to meet, such as during vacation periods or study days. The membership of the AHB includes three board members from the administration, staff and/or faculty appointed by the DoSA. In academic cases, the AHB will include at least one faculty member. The Conduct Administrator will act as non-voting advisor to the hearing process. The DoSA advises the IB chair(s) of all AHB cases.  

Board of Appeals (BOA): At the discretion of the DoSA, the BOA may review cases heard by the IB and AHB. BOA membership includes two faculty members appointed for two-year terms in alternate years by the CFG and two students drawn from the IB pool who did not participate in the IB hearing. The DoSA or his or her designee chairs the BOA.  

Conduct Administrator (CA): The CA provides the board with information and answers questions about policy and procedure.  The CA receives violation reports and acts as an advisor to the complainant and respondent in the preparation of a case.  The CA helps the complainant present the case to the board and explains procedures to the respondent.  The CA, in consultation with the co-chairs, as the designee of the DoSA, determines whether a hearing is necessary because of the seriousness of the alleged violation, because of a pattern of repeat or multiple violations, or because issues of fairness and equity would best be determined through a hearing process. The CA also works with the IB or AHB chair to ensure an orderly hearing process. In most cases, the Dean of the Faculty for Academic Advising serves as CA for academic cases heard by the IB and AHB and an administrator from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs' Office serves as CA for social integrity cases heard by the IB and AHB. 

Chairperson: The co-chairs provide administrative oversight of the IB and are responsible for ensuring a fair and reasonable hearing. The co-chairs control the tone and pace of the hearing and lead the board through its decision-making process. The chair works with the CA to inform the complainant about procedures, inform the respondent orally and in writing of the board's decision, and to follow up on implementing decisions. If the chair cannot attend an IB hearing, any student member of the IB can serve as chair.  

Complainant: The complainant is the person alleging a violation of the Student Code of Conduct or the Honor Code. In certain cases, the CA acts as the complainant on behalf of the College. Thus, the College may pursue a violation of the Honor Code or codes of conduct in the absence of a specific complainant, when a complainant is reluctant to do so, or when the alleged violation is of an especially serious nature and/or indicates a pattern of inappropriate behavior.  

Respondent: The person charged with violating the student Code of Conduct or the Honor Code.  

Support Person: The complainant and the respondent may each bring a support person to the hearing. The support person is an ally who provides comfort and helps the complainant or respondent present his/her perspective. The support person is not a character witness or advocate, and should not present information or perspective on behalf of the respondent or complainant, for in all cases the board must hear representations from those directly involved. The support person may speak to the character of the complainant or respondent, but is not to defend his/her character in the context of the offense. The support person may be any member of the Skidmore community (student, faculty, or staff); a list of trained support volunteers is available from the CA. The selected support person must meet with the CA prior to the hearing.  

Affected Party: The complainant, respondent, and CA may involve affected parties or individuals with professional expertise (from within the Skidmore community only) in a hearing process when such parties can shed light on the issues the board is considering.

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Basic Principles for Integrity Board Hearings

The IB decides every case on an individual basis. The board listens to all the opinions presented and weighs extenuating circumstances. The board conducts hearings in a fair and reasonable manner, respecting the rights and needs of all participants, while also considering the importance of honoring the community value system.

A student accused of violating the Honor Code or the Code of Conduct will receive a written copy of the alleged violation at least three days before the hearing. Respondents may appear when the board is hearing their case or submit a written explanation of the alleged violation to the board. If a student fails to attend the hearing, the hearing proceeds without the student present.

At the hearing, respondents have an opportunity to offer information, present materials and witnesses on their behalf, and pose questions about statements made by the complainant and his or her supporting witnesses.   

The board bases its decision on the information presented at the hearing. The standard of decision used by the board is preponderance of the evidence. In other words, board members must conclude it is more likely than not that the violation occurred. While the board members seek full consensus in reaching their decision, in disputed decisions a simple majority vote may decide the case. The CA maintains a recording of all hearings while the respective student(s) matriculate at Skidmore College. Upon written request, the College will provide a copy of the recording to the complainant or respondent.

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Guidelines for Sanctions

Sanctions preserve individual and institutional integrity and, whenever possible and appropriate, help offenders to learn from their mistakes. The DoSA maintains a record of all disciplinary hearings and sanctions applied, and these are admissible in subsequent student conduct proceedings involving the student(s) in question. Violations of the Honor Code may have an impact on eligibility for academic prizes and honors, eligibility to hold a student leadership position, participation and/or status in the room selection process, law school applications, security clearances, etc.  

The board may sanction students found in violation of the Honor Code in a variety of ways. Most sanctions either restrict student activities or require the student to complete specific reparative tasks within a specific timeframe. During the period from hearing to completion of sanctions the student is on "Disciplinary Probation."  

As determined by the board or the DoSA, a student on Disciplinary Probation may not be eligible to register for the ensuing semester of study at Skidmore or pursue work at another academic institution, or participate in Skidmore room selection or in the off-campus draw. A student who violates the Honor Code while on Disciplinary Probation or fails to comply with assigned sanctions will generally receive additional, more substantial sanctions. In the case of graduating seniors, students may not receive diplomas or transcripts or participate in the graduation ceremony until completion of all sanction requirements, unless specifically permitted by the IB.

• Essays: Students may be required to complete a research or reflection paper articulating the harm caused by their actions and/or strategies they may adopt to prevent further disruptive behavior.

• Apology: The board may ask students to provide a spoken and/or written apology to any parties they have harmed. Apologies must include (a) an acknowledgment of responsibility and remorse for the violation; (b) a demonstrated understanding of the harmful consequences of the behavior; (c) a commitment to comply with the Honor Code, and (d) an apology.

• Community Service: The board may direct students to work a specified number of hours within a specified timeframe for a College department or a community service agency. Whenever possible, the board links community service assignments to the nature of the offense.

• Mediation: In cases of ongoing conflict between parties, the board may recommend a formal mediation by a trained mediator to help resolve the conflict. Mediation is a voluntary process, and cannot be required.

• Grade Penalties: In cases of academic integrity, the IB may make a recommendation to the appropriate faculty member about grade penalties. However, the faculty member has final say about any grade assigned in his or her course.

• Specific Restriction(s): The board may impose specific restrictions on an individual to prevent either access to an area of campus or participation in some aspect of the College's operation and life. Note that some campus organizations, such as SGA, do not permit its members to serve in leadership positions if they are on Disciplinary Probation. 

• Suspension: The board may recommend suspension to the DoSA. The board may also assign specific sanctions, such as community service, for completion during the suspension period. While suspended, students may transfer up to two courses (maximum of eight credit hours) taken at another institution, subject to the usual review by the Registrar. The board may recommend suspension in cases where:       

  1. public safety or disruption of the academic and educational process is a concern;

  2. the respondents demonstrate an unwillingness to take responsibility for their behavior by failing to complete sanction-related tasks or by committing new social or academic violations;

  3. the respondent's infraction is too egregious relative to the College's academic or social value system; or       

  4. the respondent has committed multiple offenses that warrant a serious sanction.

• Suspension in abeyance: In cases of suspension, the board or administration may decide that there are circumstances which mitigate against the immediate separation of the student from the College. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to the timing of the violation or the student's intent at the time of incident. However, should the student be found in violation of a College rule or regulation during the period of abeyance, the abeyance will be automatically lifted and the suspension shall take effect immediately for the remainder of the original sanction.

• Dismissal: The board may recommend dismissal to the DoSA. Dismissal is a permanent status. The respondent must leave the College immediately and cannot register again as a student. Dismissal is warranted when the student's conduct is so disturbing to community values that making amends is not possible.

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