Residence Life Conduct

Housing and Residence Life’s primary method of contact is through students’ UNF email. Meeting locations and times are communicated through letters sent from Maxient to a student’s UNF email account. The Hearing Officer assigned to each case is communicated within the letters sent to a student’s UNF email account. Maxient can also send students a text message notifying them there has been a letter sent to their UNF email account. It is in your best interest to keep up with your UNF email correspondence as requested by UNF.

Residence Life Coordinators and Assistant Residence Life Coordinators hold conduct meetings in each of their offices. Meeting locations and times will be communicated through conduct letters sent from Maxient to a student’s UNF email account.

Hearing Officers are Residence Life professional staff – you can Meet the Staff on the Housing and Residence Life website.

The Housing and Residence Life Conduct System includes policies published in the Housing Contract, Terms and Conditions, Resident Handbook, Student Handbook and other official University publications.

Infraction/Initial Meeting Notification:

• The charged resident will receive an email notification of the alleged charges and the initial meeting or Administrative Hearing details at least 48 hours in advance.
• During this meeting, the student can review the conduct process, their rights, hearing options, charges, and case documentation.
• The student may choose to have an immediate hearing or schedule it for a later date.
• Decisions are based on hearing information and incident reports.
• If the resident misses the initial meeting, the hearing is scheduled, and the resident is notified by email. If they miss the hearing, it may proceed without them, or be forwarded to the Dean of Students Office.
• New charges discovered during the hearing will result in a new charge letter and 72-hour notice before a separate hearing.
  
  

Hearing Outcome:

• The resident will receive the hearing outcome via email within 14 class days.
• They can appeal the decision within five class days from the outcome letter date.
  
  

Advisor Rights:

• Residents have the right to an advisor throughout the conduct process.
• The advisor's name and email must be provided to the Hearing Officer two class days before the hearing.
  • If the advisor is an attorney, the Hearing Officer must be notified two class days prior.
• Advisors may be removed if disruptive and cannot serve as witnesses.
• Hearings won't be delayed due to advisor scheduling conflicts.
• Parties must address the hearing administrator directly but may consult with their advisor without disrupting proceedings.
• Advisors may only speak on behalf of their party if expressly authorized.

Throughout the Residential Conduct process, students have the right to:

• Ask questions
• Have an advisor present
• Have a private Residential Conduct process
• Appeal conduct decisions
• Review incident reports and any other supplemented photos/documentation and the alleged charge(s) outlined in the initial meeting/infraction letter
• Review and choose their hearing type:
  • Immediate Administrative Hearing
  • Administrative Hearing (scheduled for a later date)
  • Hearing Waiver

The charged resident shall receive notification of their Initial Meeting. This meeting will allow the student to meet with their Hearing Officer and review the Conduct process, Student Rights, hearing options, charge(s) and case documentation.

During the initial meeting, a student can elect to have an Immediate Administrative Hearing or schedule an Administrative Hearing for a later date.

All Housing and Residence Life hearings will follow established procedures for the Department of Housing and Residence Life. Failure to complete with a Residential Conduct process may lead to escalated disciplinary action being taken, and/or immediate referral to the University Dean of Students Office.

1. Immediate Administrative Hearing – Following the Initial Review Meeting, a student may elect to immediately move forward with a Hearing and respond to the charges.
   1. Students are asked to state “Responsible” or “Not Responsible” for each charge.
   2. Students will have the opportunity to provide their perspective of the case.
   3. Students will review possible sanctions/outcomes of the case, dependent on decision.
   4. Students will receive a decision letter via their UNF email within 14 class days.
      
      
2. Administrative Hearing (scheduled) – Following the Initial Review Meeting, a student may elect to schedule a formal Administrative Hearing with their Hearing Administrator.
   1. Students are provided a minimum 3-class day prior notice for their Administrative Hearing.
   2. Students are asked to state “Responsible” or “Not Responsible” for each charge.
   3. Students will have the opportunity to provide their perspective of the case.
   4. Students will review possible sanctions/outcomes of the case, dependent on decision.
   5. Students will receive a decision letter via their UNF email within 14 class days. 

When Housing and Residence Life is in receipt of a report concerning a student’s alleged involvement in actions that may constitute violation of the Resident Handbook, a Hearing Officer may send a Reprimand Letter.  This letter allows the student to accept responsibility for violating the policy/policies and do not need to attend a meeting with a Hearing Officer if they accept responsibility and choose not to.

Conduct Records

Housing and Residence Life Conduct Records are retained by the Department of Housing and Residence Life and will be shared with University Officials as needed.

A Housing-related record of a Residential Conduct outcome and any imposed sanction(s) will not appear on a student’s official University academic record. A student’s Housing Contract case record is maintained within the Department of Housing and Residence Life.

The Housing and Residence Life staff reserves the right to forward any individual and/or conduct incident to the Dean of Students Office. Housing and Residence Life abides by confidentiality as required by FERPA.

In considering the facts and circumstances of each case, the following sanctions, or combination of sanctions (with or without appropriate modifications) may be imposed upon any student and/or groups found responsible for violating the Housing and Residence Life Rules and Policies:

• Written Warning
• Educational Activities - attendance at educational programs, preparation of bulletin boards, reflective papers, interviews with appropriate officials, planning and implementation of educational programs or other educational activities
• Visitation Restrictions (limit or loss of visitation privileges)
• Restitution
• Fees
• Probation - A period of time during which a resident is expected to demonstrate appropriate changes in behavior. Any further violations of the Rules and Conduct Procedures may result in more serious sanctions being imposed. Some of the restrictions that may be placed on the student during the probation period include, but are not limited to: participation in student activities, participation in leadership positions (RA/RHA), entrance into residence halls or other areas of campus, or contact with another specified person(s)
• Change in residence hall/apartment assignment
• Exclusion or Trespass (either temporary or permanent) from University residence halls/apartments.
• Contract Termination - If a resident's Housing Contract is terminated as the result of disciplinary action, the resident will remain fully responsible for all rent due for all signed Housing Contracts.

This is not a complete list of possible sanctions.

Residents electing to appeal a Housing and Residence Life Conduct outcome must submit an Appeal Request Form appeal within five (5) class days of the date noted on the Outcome Letter.

Residents are entitled to one appeal per incident. Appeal decisions are considered the final decision of the Residential Conduct process. Appeal decisions are determined by the Director of Residence Life

Students have the right to appeal the outcome of their Residential Conduct case based on the following

1. Errors in the hearing proceedings that substantially affected the outcome of the hearing.
2. The sanction(s) is (are) extraordinarily disproportionate to the violation(s)found responsible.
3. Presentation of new information that was not readily available at the time of the original hearing, which may substantially affect the outcome of the hearing.

Failure to complete a Housing and Residence Life Conduct sanction(s) may result in an escalated disciplinary action, and/or immediate referral to the Dean of Students Office. Please review the University's Student Code of Conduct for additional information regarding University Conduct Procedures.

NOTE: As a result of a case referral to the Dean of Students Office, failure to complete a sanction may result in a Disciplinary Hold being issued to the student's account. Holds will not be lifted to accommodate schedule changes, registration, transcript requests, etc. until the student has successfully completed required sanction(s).