Individuals believed to be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct will be subject to disciplinary action. Any faculty, staff, or student may register a complaint and/or complete an Incident Report if he/she believes that one or more violations of University policy occurred. Incident Report forms are available from the Office of Student Development and must be submitted to the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life as soon as possible. Allegations of misconduct will be addressed by one of the following:
- A meeting with the student and the designated hearing officer or the Assistant Dean of Students. Most allegations of misconduct are addressed in this manner.
- A meeting with the student and the Vice President for Student Development
- A meeting with a conduct committee for situations that are of an extraordinary nature.
- The President of the University reserves the right to assume direct authority of any conduct matter at any stage of the process.
The first meeting is called a disciplinary review. In this meeting your designated hearing officer will walk you through the conduct process, inform you of your rights, and discuss the incident of concern. During the disciplinary review students do have the ability to accept responsibility for violating policies of the Student Code of Conduct and bypass the hearing process.
If a case moves forward after the disciplinary review it will turn into a Disciplinary Hearing. This is a more formal process which allows a student to defend the allegations against them, provide evidence, and have witnesses participate on their behalf. The decision of a Disciplinary Hearing can be appealed. (please see section on appeals process). As a result of the hearing a student will be found either responsible or not responsible for violating the Student Code of Conduct.
The standard with which the hearing officer makes the responsible or not responsible determine is based on a preponderance of evidence. This means that if there is a greater than 50% chance that the allegation is true it will result in a responsible finding.
The cases heard by a designated hearing officer may be appealed to the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life. Cases heard by the Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life may be appealed to the Vice President of Student Development. Cases heard by the Vice President of Student Development may be appealed for a committee review. The decisions of the appellate are final. Any decisions rendered by the University President are final.
The student’s class schedule will be taken into consideration when scheduling a meeting or hearing. Students who fail to appear for a scheduled meeting or hearing will have their cases decided in absentia and forfeit their right to an appeal. Students are permitted to request witnesses to attend and/or participate in the meeting or if the case advances to a hearing. Students requesting witnesses are expected to invite them and inform them of the date/time/place. Students inviting witnesses are expected to inform the hearing officer of their desire to have witnesses in attendance at least 24 hours in advance prior to the hearing time. Character witnesses are not allowed to participate in the hearing process, but they can provide a written statement.
The University reserves the right to invoke an interim suspension. This means to suspend a student immediately, pending a disciplinary review or hearing, when necessary to protect the health, safety, or welfare of others. Such students are responsible for their own accommodations. Any sanction may be imposed individually or in combination with one or more sanctions as deemed necessary and/or appropriate.
The student will be informed of the hearing decision via the student’s IW student email within five business days.
Students found in violation or responsible for policy violations are subject to the following sanctions:
- Admonition: An oral statement to the student(s) that he/she/they is violating or has violated University rules and that further instances of unsatisfactory conduct may be cause for more severe disciplinary sanctions.
- Work hours to be completed under the supervision of a University department or outside agency.
- Restitution: A full and complete reimbursement for damages to/destruction of or misappropriation of the property of the University or others.
- Reprimand: A written notice to a student for a violation of specific regulation, including notice that further violation of the same or other regulations will result in more severe disciplinary sanctions.
- Letter of Apology: A formally written letter of apology, either private or public, to an individual, an outside agency, or the University.
- Monetary fines: The assessment of money against individual students for violation of University rules and regulations. Monetary fines will be billed directly to student accounts and will not exceed $300 per violation, per incident.
- Developmental/Educational Sanctions: Fulfillment of behavioral contracts and/or other educational sanctions which would be designed with the goal of creating an opportunity for the student to learn from the experience.
- Counseling or Chemical Dependency Assessment, including but not limited to treatment as deemed necessary and appropriate by a qualified chemical dependency counselor.
- Written warning: Written notification to students that the University does not condone the misappropriate behavior and is concerned. Should another violation occur while a student is on disciplinary warning, he/she would be placed on disciplinary probation.
- Probation: A written notice placing conditions upon the student’s continued attendance at Iowa Wesleyan University. Disciplinary probation shall serve to give the student notice that further misconduct while a student at Iowa Wesleyan University may result in his/her immediate dismissal. The conditions of the disciplinary probation may include, but are not limited to any of the following:
- Removal from and/or restriction of access to specified campus facilities.
- Loss of privileges such as to be an active participant in, and/or to be in attendance at any or all public events; to represent the University in specified manners; or to hold office in any or all University-approved organizations.
- Required attendance at meetings and/or completion of projects.
- Required participation in certain groups and/or programs.
- Termination of Residence Hall Contract —This sanction involves removal from campus housing for conduct that is a serious violation of residence hall rules or regulations. Termination may also result from less serious, but repeated, incidents of misconduct.
- Serious violations are generally considered those behaviors that are dangerous, highly disruptive and/or belligerent. Such termination may be permanent or for a specific period of time. In Residence Hall Contract Termination, the student will be given 24 hours to vacate campus housing. Residence hall contracts are for the entire academic year. As a result, the student will be held accountable for 50 percent of the remaining room portion of the bill for the academic year. Iowa Wesleyan University reserves the right to terminate any student’s residence hall contract, without refund of any monies, for failure to comply with residence hall regulations, or if the student’s actions are found to be detrimental to the mental or physical welfare of other students.
- Suspension: Defined as a temporary termination of student status and exclusion from further enrollment for a designated time frame, generally a minimum of one full semester. Students suspended may reapply for admission after completion of the terms of the suspension. Applications must be approved by the Office of Student Development. Suspensions may be reviewed, modified, and/or extended as deemed necessary and appropriate.
- Dismissal: Termination of student status and exclusion from further enrollment.
- Students charged with a felony are subject to immediate suspension.
- Drug Policy Violations: The specific process and sanctions are stated in the Drug Policy section of the Student Handbook.
- Parental Notification – Parents may be contacted if a student is in violation of the Code of Conduct, especially the alcohol/drug policy, if the University believes it is in the best interest of the student to do so.