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The Dean of Students Department Hours: Part of the |
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Student FAQ
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Q. I received a charge letter, what does this mean? |
| A. It is alleged that you have violated the Student Conduct Code. You must call the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities at 644-5136 within 5 class days of receiving the charge letter to set up an appointment for an information session. At this point, no decisions regarding responsibility have been made regarding the alleged violation. |
Q. What is an information session? |
A. An information session is a time for you to meet with a representative from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities to discuss your rights as an FSU student. It is not a hearing, but an opportunity for you to become more informed about the disciplinary process. During the information session, you will: a. review the materials that will be considered at your hearing |
Q. What if I am also facing criminal charges? |
| A. The criminal system and FSU are separate entities. The FSU process focuses on University violations. If a student has been charged with a violation of the Student Conduct Code, it must be resolved through the University student conduct process regardless of the outcome of the legal process. |
Q: This incident happened off campus. Why is the university involved? |
| A: The university has an interest in maintaining a safe community and appropriate standards of conduct for its students. This includes both on-campus and off-campus behavior, which can have an impact on the university community and the university mission. |
Q. If my charges have been dropped by the City of Tallahassee or another agency, will they also be dropped by FSU? |
| A. No. The University falls under the Student Conduct Code and is separate from processes. Your Student Conduct Code case will proceed regardless of what happens outside of the university. |
Q. Do I need an attorney present during the University judicial process? |
A. No, but you may have an attorney present if you choose. As an FSU student, you have the right to have an advisor accompany you throughout the student conduct process. This can be an attorney, friend, parent, faculty member, or whoever you choose. Student Government sponsors a Student Defender who can advise you throughout the judicial process. Regardless of who you choose to serve as your advisor, you are the only one allowed to speak on your behalf. Advisors cannot speak for students in their hearing unless authorized to do so by the hearing body. Students are only allowed to have one advisor present during their judicial hearing. Students will need to complete and submit the "Role of Advisor" form to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities at least two class days prior to their hearing in order for an advisor to be present at the hearing. |
Q. Why do I have a judicial hold on my registration? |
| A. The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities may place a hold on your University records and registration if you have an outstanding case. This may mean that you have been charged with an alleged violation of the Student Conduct Code but have not contacted our office to initiate the process, that you have not picked up your decision letter, or that you have incomplete sanctions. While these are the most common reasons for judicial holds, there are various other reasons a hold can be placed on a student’s account. Your hold will not be lifted until you contact our office and resolve the situation. |
Q. I received a letter stating interim disciplinary action has been taken against me and that I am not allowed to attend classes pending the decision of a disciplinary hearing. Is the university withdrawing me from classes? |
| A. The university does not initiate a withdrawal process when a student is issued interim disciplinary action. It is up to the student to decide whether or not to withdraw from classes. If a student does withdraw, student conduct code charges may still be brought against the student. For more information about the withdrawal process, contact 644-1741.
Please also note, if a student has received notice that he/she is being charged with an alleged violation of the Academic Honor Policy, the student is not permitted to withdraw or drop the course unless the final outcome of the process indicates that no academic penalty will be imposed. |
Q. Will this charge stay on my record? |
| A. If you are found responsible for a violation of the Student Conduct Code, the University will maintain a record of the violation in compliance with Florida Records law (some exceptions may apply). |
Q. Who has access to my disciplinary file? |
| A. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, we are not allowed to disclose your disciplinary file to anyone but you. Some exceptions may apply. Typically, in order to disclose your disciplinary history to anyone (including parents), we must have a signed waiver from you. |
Q. What is the FSU Parental Notification Policy? |
| A. The Parental Notification Policy at FSU states that we can notify parents in emergency situations or when students are engaging in high risk behavior. In addition, we will notify parents of students who are found responsible for possession or consumption of alcohol as an underage student twice within one year. |
Q. Why do I have to go through this process if I did not do anything wrong? |
| A. Upon entering FSU, you signed an agreement stating that you would abide by the Student Conduct Code. If a report has been received by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities stating that you allegedly violated the Student Conduct Code, the matter will need to be addressed. The judicial process allows us to address the allegation. Remember, cases are not decided before they are heard. The hearing provides you with an opportunity to present your side of the story and respond to the charges. |
Q. What sanctions will I be given? |
| A. Each case is treated individually, therefore, educational sanctions will vary from case to case. Our intent in sanctioning is to educate students on policies and decision making. Educational sanctions are determined based on the severity of the charge(s), a student's judicial history (if any), a student's developmental needs, and the Student Conduct Code. |
Q. What if I do not agree with the decision of the hearing? |
| A. As an FSU student, you have the right to an appeal. An appeal request must be submitted in writing to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities within five class days after receiving a copy of the decision letter. An appeal request must be based on one of the reasons listed in the Student Conduct Code. |
Q. I have been called as a witness in a disciplinary hearing, what does this mean? |
| A. Witnesses are called to provide testimony regarding student disciplinary cases. Individuals called as witnesses will be asked to give a brief statement regarding their involvement in the situation. They may be asked questions by both the hearing body and the charged student. Individuals serving as witnesses are typically required to be present at the hearing. However, witnesses may participate via telephone due to extenuating circumstances if approved by the Director of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (or designee). Due to the nature of the hearing procedures, witnesses may be required to attend the hearing for a lengthy period of time. This will depend on the number of people involved and the extent of information available. |
Q. What if I feel I am a victim in an incident or want to file a report? |
| A. If you feel a violation of the Student Conduct Code has occurred against you or you have witnessed an incident, you may contact the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities to file a report in the form of a signed, written statement. The office will then determine if the information warrants student conduct code charges. You may contact the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities or the Victim Advocate office to gain additional information about the judicial process and your rights as a victim in this process. You are also encouraged to file a report with the FSU Police to determine if what has occurred is a violation of any laws and to allow police to investigate the incident. FSUPD will forward a copy of their report to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities after the case is closed. |
Q: I am applying to graduate, professional, or law school and I need to have a Dean Certification or Verification form filled out about my disciplinary history. What do I do? |
| A: Since the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities maintains student disciplinary records, we frequently receive requests from students and institutions to which our students have applied for Dean Certifications. Because this is such a frequent occurrence, we have developed a form that we complete upon receipt of a Dean Certification request.
If you need a form filled out, you can bring the form to our office or fax it to 850-644-0687. If the institution to which you are sending the form requires that the completed form be mailed back, you must provide us with a stamped envelope and the address for the institution. If the form can be faxed back to the institution, we can easily fax the form as long as we have the appropriate fax number. |