Student Conduct (FAQ)
About the Student Conduct Process at Macalester College
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The conduct process is designed to be an educational process to help students learn how to take responsibility for their actions, how their behavior affects others, and how to be accountable to the community that they are a part of here at Macalester College. This process aims to be informal, conversational, non-confrontational, and educational whenever possible; however some violations or repeated violations require a more formal and more direct process.
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Although this is an educational process and not a criminal process, there are rights that students have. Each student has the right:
- To have prior knowledge of the charges and have the charges explained clearly and fully at every level of the conduct process.
- To be present throughout the hearing but not during the deliberation process of the conduct hearing.
- To hear testimony and/or see all written statements concerning the charges.
- To refute oral and/or written statements.
- To remain silent and not testify against themselves, understanding that if silence is maintained, the case will be determined on the information presented.
- To be advised of the appropriate appeal process.
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A hearing officer is a member of the student affairs staff, typically your residence hall director, or in some cases the associate director of residential life or other College staff. These meetings are often informal and are designed to help the hearing officer best understand what happened and best understand you as a student. The Conduct Hearing Board is made up of a group of two students and two staff/faculty who serve on a panel and make decisions (are you responsible or not responsible and sanctions) about student conduct cases. The Conduct Hearing Board (CHB) is typically chaired by a designated staff member. Simply due to the number of people involved, the Conduct Hearing Process is often a bit more formal of a process.
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You may request to have a hearing with a hearing officer (typically your residence hall director if you live on campus) or with the conduct hearing board. If you choose the conduct hearing board, you must make yourself available at the time in which your case is assigned. The conduct hearing board may not always be available (beginning and end of the semester, over the summer), in which case you would be assigned to a hearing officer. If you have repeated violations, or are involved in a case impacting a large number of other students you might be assigned directly to a conduct hearing board.
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Hearings are in most cases informal conversations, whether you appear before a conduct hearing board, or meet with a hearing officer. The purpose of the hearing is to determine the facts of the situation and inform the decision makers so they can make the best decision as to whether or not the person(s) charged is responsible for the violation, and if so what educational sanction is most appropriate. Cases are decided based upon a preponderance of evidence (is it more likely than not you did what is alleged). During the hearing you should be able to ask questions and be aware of all evidence being used to make a decision about the case.
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A Conduct Hearing Board is composed of two staff/faculty members and two students drawn from a pool of prospective members. Staff/faculty are appointed by the Dean of Students, and students are nominated by the Dean of Students and appointed by the Macalester College Student Government. There are 5-6 staff/faculty and 10-12 students in the pool. The Conduct Hearing Board has a chair, appointed by the Dean of Students. The chair is typically a designated staff member.
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You can get questions answered at the Dean of Students Office, from Residential Life staff (your Residence Hall Director or the Associate Director of Residential Life).
The Conduct Process is outlined in the Macalester College Student Handbook.