Sanction and Restorative Outcome Guidelines
Sanctions and restorative outcomes preserve individual and institutional integrity and, whenever possible and appropriate, help students to learn from their mistakes, repair harms, and regain their standing in the community. Student Conduct maintains all records of disciplinary hearings, sanctions, and restorative outcomes applied, and these are admissible in subsequent student conduct proceedings involving the student(s) in question.
SANCTIONS | RESTORATIVE OUTCOMES
Sanctions
Sanctions represent institutional action taken regarding a student’s status and access to certain spaces and functions on campus. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, those described below. Each listed sanction may be imposed alone or in combination with one or more other restorative outcomes.
Parent/guardian notification: An official written notification to the student’s parent/guardian(s) that aims to establish a partnership in reducing serious student misbehavior such as, high risk drinking and drug use. When the College contacts parent/guardian(s), tips are provided for beginning a non-judgmental, open, helpful dialogue between parent/guardian(s) and students. Students that indicated at the time of enrollment or through the registrar’s office that educational information should not be released to their parent/guardian may be exempt from this outcome, as well as students who are over the age of 21.
Warning: An official written notice that the student has violated College policies and that greater conduct action will result should the student be involved in other violations while the student is enrolled at the College.
Points: Points were developed in order to make the disciplinary sanctioning process clearer and more consistent for students. Points are cumulative over the course of a student’s time at Skidmore College. Previous violations are always considered before points are assigned for violations.
- Accumulation of points – Students who accumulate 10 or more points will be recommended for immediate suspension. The Dean of Students/Vice President for Student Affairs (DoS/VPSA) or designee makes final decisions with regards to suspension;
- Point Expiration – Points will expire one year after they are assigned provided all other sanctions pertaining to the incident result in the points have been completed.
Disciplinary Probation: If determined appropriate by the CA or Hearing Officer, a student may be placed on disciplinary probation meaning the next violation is likely to result in suspension or expulsion. The CA or Hearing Officer will take into consideration the student’s total conduct record, severity of violation, and any other mitigating circumstances prior to placing a student on probation. Note that some campus organizations do not permit their members to serve in leadership positions or hold campus jobs if they are on disciplinary probation. Probation may also affect eligibility for study abroad, attending conferences, or representing the College at an official function, event or intercollegiate competition as a player, manager, or student coach, etc.
Specific Restriction(s): The CA or Hearing Officer may impose specific restrictions on an individual to prevent either access to an area of campus or participation in one or more College or College-recognized or sponsored programs or activities (e.g. Commencement).
No Contact Directive: The CA or Hearing Officer may impose a prohibition against having any avoidable contact with one or more identified persons, in person or through telephonic, electronic, written or other means. A no contact directive may include additional restrictions and terms.
College Housing Reassignment or Suspension: The CA or Hearing Officer may reassign the student to another College housing facility, or may remove the student from College housing for a specified period of time, including permanent removal.
College Suspension: The CA or Hearing Officer may recommend suspension to the DoS/VPSA. During the suspension period, the student is prohibited from being present on or at College property, functions, events, and activities without prior written approval from the CA. The CA or Hearing Officer may also assign specific sanctions, such as community service, for completion during the suspension period. While suspended, students may transfer up to 18 credits taken at another institution, subject to the usual review by the Registrar. The College follows the refund practices for personal leaves. Further information may be found on the Bursar’s Office website at https://www.skidmore.edu/bursar/withdrawal/index.php. A decision for suspension constitutes a recommendation to the DoS/VPSA, who will consider whether to accept or modify the recommendation either during the appeal process or during a review if no appeal is submitted. Students wishing to return from a suspension must contact the CA by the date specified in their outcome letter in order to commence the readmission process.
College Suspension in Abeyance: In cases of suspension, the CA or Hearing Officer may decide that there are circumstances that mitigate against the immediate separation of the student from the College. For example, they may allow the student to complete the current semester’s coursework and begin their suspension period at the semester’s end. However, should the student be found in violation of the Honor Code or the Code of Social Conduct during the period of abeyance, the abeyance may be lifted and the suspension shall take effect immediately and continue through the originally scheduled expiration date for the suspension (subject to any additional sanctions that may be imposed as a result of the new violation).
Expulsion: The CA or Hearing Officer may recommend expulsion to the DoS/VPSA. The student is prohibited from being present on or at College property, functions, events, or activities. Expulsion is a permanent status. The Responding Student must leave the College immediately and cannot register again as a student without going through a full readmission process. A decision for expulsion constitutes a recommendation to the DoS/VPSA, who will consider whether to accept or modify the recommendation either during the appeal process or during a review if no appeal is submitted.
Degree Revocation: In the event of serious misconduct committed while still enrolled, but found responsible after the Responding Student has graduated, the College may revoke that student’s degree. The student will be asked to return the diploma.
Restorative Outcomes
Restorative outcomes represent a variety of educational and trust-building assignments that a student must complete to show growth, remorse, and a desire to restore trust in them from the community. Restorative outcomes may be imposed alone or in combination with one or more other restorative outcomes or sanctions.
Apology: The CA or Hearing Officer may require the Responding Student to provide a written apology to any parties they have harmed. Apologies are to include:
- What Happened: A description detailing the harm caused by the incident
- My Role: An acknowledgment that the student was responsible for the incident
- How I Feel: An expression of remorse or regret in causing harm
- What I Won’t Do: A statement of commitment to responsible behavior and causing no further trouble
- What I Will Do: A statement of commitment to make amends for the harm caused
Restitution: Restitution is monetary payment or services that pay(s) for financial losses. Restitution is intended to compensate the Harmed Party for the estimated losses incurred by the Harmed Party. Restitution agreements seek to meet the needs of the Harmed Party, but may also take into account the Responding Student’s ability to pay. Staff in the Bursar’s Office are able to work with students to establish a payment plan in many instances.
Community Service: Volunteering in the community is a way to be helpful to others, show that one is socially responsible, and rebuild the trust that is lost through misbehavior. Community service should be meaningful and rewarding, potentially serving as a platform for personal development. Community service serves two important goals: making amends to the community and demonstrating good citizenship. Rather than focus on specific hours, the CA or Hearing Officer will help the Responding Student design a service project that best meets these goals.
Counseling Evaluation: A Responding Student may be required to engage in activities including, but not limited to, seeking academic counseling or substance abuse screening, anger management counseling, or similar evaluation and/or assistance. The CA or Hearing Officer does not diagnose psychological problems or specify treatment; however, they may require the student to seek consultation and follow any recommended treatment plan.
Follow up Meetings: A Responding Student may be required to meet regularly with one or more members of the community for mentoring, support, and reassurance to the community that the student is complying with sanctions and College policies.
Educational Program: The CA or Hearing Officer may require the Responding Student to attend, present and/or participate in a program related to the violation. It may also be a requirement to sponsor or assist with a program for others on campus to aid them in learning about a specific topic or issue related to the violation for which the student or organization was found responsible. Students may be required to complete a workshop, online education courses, research or reflection paper articulating the harm caused by their actions and/or strategies they may adopt to prevent further disruptive behavior. Examples of educational programs include, but are not limited to:
- Attending BASICS (Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention) for College Students. BASICS involves two one-on-one sessions with the BASICS provider. The Responding Student will also have a few assignments to complete between the two sessions.
- Attending a workshop with a focus on responsible decision-making, alcohol use, bystander intervention, etc.
- Completing online alcohol and/or drug education. These courses are an individualized lesson that utilizes interactive exercises designed to influence behavior change around alcohol and drug use.
- Receiving an alcohol and/or drug assessment from a local substance abuse counselor.
- Designing a poster or brochure related to the violation that the Office of Residential Life could use on-campus to educate other students about Code of Social Conduct violations.
- Writing a research or reflection paper based on a prompt provided by the Hearing Officer.