A hearing shall be conducted before a hearing officer or a hearing committee at the discretion of the Director of Student Conduct.

1. A hearing officer is generally an employee of the University who has received training to act in such capacity. A hearing committee may include employees and/or students of the University. Please note that the majority of hearings are conducted by an individual hearing officer rather than a hearing committee. A hearing officer will follow the same hearing procedures as a hearing committee in a condensed and non-scripted format as described below.
2. A University Committee on Discipline (UCD)  hearing committee shall consist of three members, including one student, one faculty member, and one staff member, with the committee selecting either the faculty or staff member to preside as the committee chair.
   1. The UCD shall be selected by the Director of Student Conduct from a hearing committee list containing names of at least five students, five faculty, and five staff members.
   2. No UCD hearing shall be held unless all three members of the hearing committee are present. If any member of a hearing committee is unable to be present or should request to be excused from serving for any good cause, another committee member shall be selected from the hearing committee list and/or the hearing postponed.
   3. The decision of the UCD will serve as a recommendation to be approved by the Director of Student Conduct or the Dean of Student Life.
3. The hearing officer or committee’s presiding chair, in consultation with any other members, shall maintain necessary order and shall make all rulings necessary for the fair, orderly, and expeditious conduct of the hearing. The hearing officer or committee may question all witnesses. When it appears necessary to avoid undue hardship, the hearing officer may, at his/her discretion, grant a reasonable continuance of the hearing.
4. At the hearing, the Director of Student Conduct and the charged student may present and question witnesses, present other evidence, and question other witnesses. The student charged with a violation may respond to the charges but shall not be ordered to respond by the hearing officer or committee, nor shall failure to respond be considered an admission of responsibility. The burden of proving that the student has committed the violation(s) as charged shall be upon the University.
5. The decision of the hearing officer or committee shall be based solely upon matters presented and introduced at the hearing and must be based upon a preponderance of the evidence. A committee decision shall be made by majority vote.
6. The hearing officer or committee shall make a finding as to whether the student has committed only the violation(s) as charged. If the hearing officer or committee finds that the student has committed the violation(s), the hearing officer or committee shall, after review of any disciplinary record the student may have, require one or a combination of the disciplinary sanctions enumerated under this code.
7. Within ten University business days after the conclusion of the hearing, the Office of Student Conduct shall render a written decision of the hearing and outline any sanctions imposed.
8. If the student fails to attend the hearing after proper notification by the Office of Student Conduct, the hearing will proceed and a decision may be made in his or her absence. Or if the accused student withdraws from the institution prior to the adjudication of his/her case and the former student chooses not to appear, the hearing will proceed and a decision may be made in his or her absence. A representative may not appear in lieu of the charged student.
9. When an extension of time appears necessary to avoid undue hardship, the hearing officer or committee may extend the time to enable a student to respond to an accusation or prepare a response.