Office of Student Conduct

Possible Sanctions

The philosophy of the Office of Student Conduct staff is a simple one: Ensure that each individual student, through counseling and judicial intervention, has pertinent information regarding future outcomes and consequences to make positive, informed choices around behavior and has the opportunity to seek out those support services on campus to become positively re-invested in their community.

A variety of sanctions may be implemented in order to help students be successful at Ferris. These may include the following:

OFFICIAL REPRIMAND
An official reprimand is a written reprimand informing a student that they have been found in violation of the university policy and that they should understand that further violations could result in harsher sanctions. With an official reprimand, a student should have a clear understanding of the University’s expectations for their future behavior.

DISCIPLINARY PROBATION
This probationary condition is in effect for a specified period of time and may involve the loss of specified privileges. Disciplinary Probation is the highest level of warning a student may be placed on while still actively attending the University. Further violation of University policies at any point during the probationary period will be viewed not only as a violation based upon the act itself, but also as a violation of the probation, which shall result in further action up to and including Suspension or Dismissal.

SUSPENSION
A student may be prohibited from participating in all aspects of University life for a specified period of time, usually a semester or a full academic year. When a student is suspended from the University, the suspension applied to all campuses of the University and prohibits that student from entering the grounds of all University campuses. When the term of the suspension has ended, the student may apply for readmission. Should a student choose to reapply and be readmitted to the University, the student would be placed on Disciplinary Probation for the remainder of their academic career at Ferris.

DISMISSAL
A student may be dismissed from the University permanently.

Please Note : For those individuals who are either suspended or dismissed from Ferris, an AW (Administrative Withdrawal) will be placed on the student’s transcript prior to the deadline for withdrawal from classes published by the University. This means that no grades will be issued for that semester in which a student was suspended or dismissed. After the deadline for withdrawal an AW/F (Administrative Withdrawal/F Grade) will be assigned in the same manner as other students who withdraw after the deadline. That is, after the Withdrawal deadline, a suspended or dismissed student would receive a grade of F for the semester in which they were suspended or dismissed.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
A student may be required to participate in a specific program such as a counseling program, a program designed to stimulate good citizenship within the University community, an alcohol or other drug program such as AOD Program or Harm Reduction, or any other activity which would provide educational outcomes, promote civic responsibility or address safety issues. Additionally, a student may be required to organize and facilitate a program of his/her own that meets these goals.

AOD On-line Education
AOD On-line Education is an alcohol education or drug education program that encourages students to look at their everyday choices regarding alcohol or drug use. This exercise is for first time offenders who have violated residence hall or University alcohol and drug policies or for students that have made poor choices while intoxicated. The goal of this experience is to share with students the risks involved in misuse of alcohol or drugs, and assist students in gathering information to make more informed choices about their habits. There is a $100 programming fee for this on-line experience.

HARM REDUCTION PROGRAM
This group is for students who have run into recurrent difficulty relating to alcohol and other drugs on or off campus. The Harm Reduction Program’s goal is for students to learn a set of practical strategies that reduce negative consequences of Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drug use. All students are required to attend one (50 minute) individual appointment with a counselor and then six (50 minute) group sessions. The small group format allows for discussion and facilitation by a trained professional. There is a $200 programming fee for the class.

OTHER POSSIBLE SANCTIONS

PARENTAL NOTIFICATION
A letter may be sent home to the parents or guardians of any student found in violation of an alcohol or drug violation. The intent of this letter is to ensure that the student, parent, and institution are able to work in partnership regarding individual student success. The parental notification letter informs the parent or guardian that a student’s relationship with the University is tenuous and may be severed if the student’s behavior is not altered.

COUNSELING/INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS
A potential sanction for students could be a visit with the Counseling Center here on campus. Often, judicial problems arise because students are going through difficult times. The Counseling Center can help students with these problems to ensure that future behavioral issues do not occur. These situations are handled in complete confidentiality.

EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER COUNSELING REFERRAL
A student may be in the judicial process as a result of academic and personal challenges. Through a discussion with his/her hearing officer, it may be determined that the student may benefit from participating in a two-part strategies program with an Educational Counselor.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
Community service provides the opportunity for a student to give back some of their time and energy to their community in restitution for their previous behavior. The student usually will have the opportunity to choose the type of service they would like to perform and have the opportunity to work with staff at the Student Volunteer Center to find service opportunities that are meaningful to them.

MEDIATION
Mediation is an opportunity to peacefully and appropriately resolve differences with another individual or individuals through the assistance of a trained, unbiased, third-party facilitator. A student or student organization(s) may be encouraged or required to attend mediation in lieu of formal adjudication or as a result of formal adjudication.

RESTITUTION
A student may be required to pay the costs for replacement or repair of any property damaged by the student.

HOUSING TRANSFER
An on-campus student may be required to transfer to a different residence hall or apartment when there exists a need to ensure the safety or the security of a specific person(s) or location where it does not warrant expulsion from Housing.

OTHER SANCTIONS
The university may impose other sanctions singularly or in combination with any of the above.