University Judicial System

Responsible behavior is expected of all Piedmont students at all times. Violations of the Student Code of Conduct may result in varying degrees of consequences. The University is not designed nor equipped to rehabilitate persons who pose a threat to the campus community or disrupt the learning environment. It may be necessary, therefore, to separate those individuals from the campus and end their relationship with the University.

When a student is observed violating a campus policy, a campus official (e.g., residence life professional staff member, resident assistant, faculty/staff member, Campus Police officer) will complete an incident report, available from the Office of Student Life. Students who witness a violation of campus policy should contact a campus official for assistance. 

Judicial Process

Student disciplinary matters are to be reported to the office of Student Life and Leadership. The Vice President of Student Life and Leadership, the Dean of Students/Director of Residential Living, and the Associate and Assistant Directors of Residential Living are the primary campus officials who address policy violations along with the support of campus police. It is the goal of the university to deal with all disciplinary matters in a timely manner and include a meeting with the student to discuss what occurred, if any violations occurred, and discuss possible sanctions.  Students found responsible for Student Code of Conduct violations will be adjudicated and assigned sanctions.  

Student Conduct Conferences shall be conducted by the guidelines listed below. Accused students subject to less severe sanctions may, at the discretion of the Dean of Students, be afforded but are not guaranteed the guidelines outlined below. These guidelines are as follows:

1. Student Conduct Conferences will typically be conducted in private and may involve joint conferences where two or more students are charged in the same fact pattern.
2. The accused student is expected to attend the entire portion of the student conduct conference at which information is received (excluding deliberations) provided the accused student and the accused student’s advisor appear at the designated time and do not inhibit the proceeding. Admission of any other person to the student conduct conference shall be at the discretion of the Dean of Students or their designee.
3. In student conduct conferences involving more than one accused students may be permitted in the student conduct conferences concerning each student to be conducted either separately or jointly.
4. There will be no finding of responsibility solely because a student remains silent during a student conduct conference. Accused students are responsible for presenting their own information.
5. The accused student and the Dean of Students may arrange for witnesses to present pertinent information.
6. An accused student, witness, or other participating party who is verbally abusive, disruptive to the process, or persists in trying to inappropriately and substantively participate in the process after being warned to cease and desist may be asked to leave and may be precluded from attendance at future meetings.  The University has the right at all times to determine what constitutes appropriate behavior.
7. Pertinent records, exhibits, student impact statements and other written statements may be accepted as information for consideration. Student impact statements and other documents determined at the discretion of the chairperson shall be reviewed during the sanction phase only.
8. The focus of inquiry in student conduct proceedings shall be the determination of whether a violation of University rules occurred and, if relevant, collect information to inform factors that are considered for issuing sanctions. In all initial student conduct proceedings, the burden of proof shall rest with the University, and said burden of proof shall be by a preponderance of the information. Preponderance of the information is defined as the greater weight and degree of credible information admitted in the conference. A determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the accused student violated the Student Conduct Code.
9. The accused student shall be informed of the outcome of the Student Conduct Conference in writing.
10. If an accused student with notice, does not appear at a student conduct conference, the information in support of charges shall be presented, considered, and a decision may be made. Reasonable accommodations can be requested in order to provide access for students with disabilities.
11. The appeal must be submitted in writing within three calendar days of the date on the sanction letter to the Dean of Students or Vice President of Student Life and Leadership.  

Student conduct standards as outlined in the Student Handbook shall be administered by the Vice President for Student Affairs and/or designee. Violations of Residence Life or campus rules that are specified in the Residence Hall or University Housing Contracts will be within the jurisdiction of Residence Life and/or Campus Police.

1. The focus of student conduct proceedings is to determine whether the University’s standards of conduct have been violated. To this end, student conduct proceedings attempt to balance an understanding and knowledge of the students’ needs with the needs of the University community.
2. Individuals may bring a complaint against a student for alleged violations of the Student Conduct Code.  Any complaint should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place.  Such complaints may be submitted to the Student Life Office.
3. An investigation may be initiated to determine if the complaint has merit.  Complaints may result in charges, a form of alternative dispute resolution, or dismissal of complaint. These decisions are made at the sole discretion of the University.
4. All charges shall be presented to the accused student in written form. The accused student will be given at least one (1) University business days to prepare for a conference. In all student conduct proceedings, the accused student shall be presumed not responsible until it is proven that a violation of the University rules occurred by a preponderance of the information standard.

Conduct Hearings/Student Conduct Conference

The hearing is an official proceeding of the Piedmont University Student Discipline system. It is an informal hearing with the mission to determine:

1.       what occurred

2.       if what occurred is a violation of University regulations, and

3.       to impose an appropriate sanction if a violation has occurred.

The Hearing is not a Court of Law where allegations must be proven “beyond a reasonable doubt”. During the hearing, the allegations must be proven based upon “a preponderance of evidence.”  While all referred students are encouraged to participate in the hearing process, PU will adjudicate all cases and render a decision regardless of referred student participation. A notice of allegations will be sent to each student upon completion of the hearing process.

Hearings can be completed by Associate Director of Residence Life, Assistant Director of Residence Life, Dean of Students, Vice President of Student Life and Campus Police or their designee. If it is academic in nature, the Academic Dean of that college or their designee could also be included. Typically, Associate and Assistant Directors of Residence Life will hold hearing conferences for first offenses and the Dean of students, et. All, will determine the best route for 2^nd offenses or more serious acts of violence or federal and state law violations.

Students have the right to appeal the outcome of the decision to the Vice President for Student Life and Leadership. This appeal must be requested and submitted in writing within three calendar days of the date on the sanction adjudication letter.

Appeal Process

A student may appeal an assigned sanction when:

•        The student was not accorded their procedural rights as outlined in this Handbook;

•        New evidence that was unknown or unavailable at the time of the initial hearing has become available which would have significantly altered its results; or,

•        The sanction imposed is substantially disproportionate to the offense (including any consideration of the student’s prior offense(s)).

The appeal must be submitted in writing within three calendar days of the date on the sanction letter to the Dean of Students or Vice President of Student Life and Leadership.  

Sanctions and Penalties

University Sanctions: Any member of the Piedmont University faculty, staff, or student body who violates the Code of Conduct shall be subject to corrective disciplinary actions and penalties up to and including expulsion from university academic programs, termination of employment, and referral to the appropriate state, federal, or local authorities for prosecution in the courts.

State, Federal, and Local Sanctions: In addition, depending on the nature of the crime, persons convicted of violating federal and state laws prohibiting the unlawful use, possession and distribution of illegal alcohol or drugs may face sanctions such as heavy fines; incarceration for various periods of time, including life; forfeiture of assets; and suspension or loss of drivers, business, or professional licenses.

The following are possible disciplinary actions which may be assigned for an infraction of the Code of Conduct. This list is not exhaustive and may modified to meet the particular circumstances of any given case.

Community Service- A specified number of hours of work to be performed by the student to give back time taken away by the action of the party involved in the violation. Assignments of Community Service hours will be emailed following sanctioning. They may include: student Life and Leadership/Housing/Student Success Center, Maintenance/Daniel Hall or off campus entities pre-approved by the Dean of Students or VPSL.

Counseling-Students may be required to receive counseling by a Piedmont University counselor, local provider, or community support group depending on the circumstances of the violation. They may request that the student meet a specified number of sessions for issues including, but not limited to, anger management, substance abuse, and personal circumstances.

Citation-Written documentation for violation of a state or federal law

Disciplinary Suspension- Temporary severance of the student's relationship with the University for a specified period of time.

Drug Testing-Random summons to look for the presence of one or more illegal or prescription drugs

Drug Testing Consequences-The threshold for THC/Cannabinoids (regardless of source marijuana or CBD supplements) as 150 ng/ml.  Therefore, Piedmont University has established the following departmental guidelines for those who are tested. Any traceable amount of THC in their system under 150 ng/ml will be treated as a first offense sanction. For those that have 150 ng/ml will be treated as a second offense level or above sanction. Failure to submit a drug test will be considered a positive test and may also be subject to additional athletic sanctions. 

Disciplinary Probation-A student might be given a period of time where if further violations occur there could be additional and more serious sanctions. Violations pertaining to conduct regulations while on probation may result in severe disciplinary sanctions, to include suspension or expulsion from the institution. Notice to the student that any further, major disciplinary violation may result in suspension. Disciplinary probation might also include one or more of the following: the setting of restrictions, the issuing of a reprimand, or restitution.

Education Assignment-Assignment given to help educate and prevent continued behavior. These can be in the form of written, practical, workshop, training, or online.

Expulsion- Permanent severance of the student's relationship with the University. This severance includes being barred from campus.

Fines- A specific financial penalty charged to the student responsible. Students may be fined for damages or tampering with university property depending on the severity of the violation.

Health and Safety Check-Randomized entry into a space to identify any potential hazards or safety violations in the campus owned space.

Immediate Suspension- The student may be required to leave the campus immediately if, in the opinion of the Vice President of Student Life and Leadership, the student's presence on campus would be detrimental to the institution. Suspension without a hearing shall continue until the disciplinary process is completed. Best efforts will be made to schedule and complete the disciplinary process as promptly as possible.

Limited Suspension- A student may be denied certain privileges for a specified period of time. These privileges may include, but are not limited to, class attendance, housing, parking on campus, participation in extracurricular activities, ID card privileges, access to institutional facilities, and access to the campus.

Pets-Piedmont University is responsible  for assuring the health and safety of all employees. In keeping with this objective, Piedmont University does not permit students to bring their household pets to campus. To request accommodations regarding the help of a service animal, please visit the office of Accommodations to complete the necessary steps.

Reprimand-(either written or verbal)An official written or verbal notification that a student’s behavior is in violation of university regulations or standards and clarifies expected behavior in the future.

Restitution- Reimbursement for damage to or misappropriation of property. This may take the form of appropriate service, apology, or other compensation.

Room Entry and Searches-The university reserves the right and the students as part of their housing agreement, agree to allow the University to enter student rooms for the purpose of:

• Health and safety inspections
• Enforcing University policies as outlined in the student handbook, code of conduct and residence life housing contract
• Facility improvements and routine maintenance.
• Managing rooms in the event of an epidemic or emergency that jeopardizes the well-being of the occupant or other students.
• Maintaining a quiet environment where residents may sleep and study
• Unscheduled/reasonable suspicion room inspections to ensure policies in the student handbook and housing contract are being followed

Sanctions Chart

The following are the recommended sanctions for each conduct violation within the Student Code of Conduct. Note that depending on the situation additional sanctions can be implemented in addition to those listed below and is to only be used as a guide of possible sanctions.