Office of Student Community Standards

Not all conflicts require resolution and not all individuals involved in a conflict desire a resolution.

Conversation to gain understanding and/or independently manage a conflict can occur without the intervention of Ferris administrators. Sharing your concerns/needs/perspective, listening to understand the concerns/needs/perspective of another person, and working toward a solution are important skills.

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Successfully navigating and resolving conflict is a skill that can be developed. Conflict coaching is one-on-one coaching with a trained facilitator to help an individual gain the knowledge and skills to address a conflict. Office of Student Community Standards staff can help students better understand and deescalate conflicts, gain comfort in addressing conflict with peers, and prepare to engage in a dialog to address a conflict. Conflict coaching can also be beneficial when the other party(ies) involved in the conflict is unwilling to engage in conflict resolution.

Request Conflict Coaching

Working with a facilitator to resolve a conflict can help parties gain greater perspective, ensure that everyone is heard, and keep the conversation focused on resolving the conflict at hand. Office of Student Community Standards staff are trained in Social Justice Mediation, in which the facilitator helps parties reach a mutually agreeable solution to the conflict.

Request Mediation

Restorative Practices identify the harm that conflict and/or acts of misconduct cause and focuses on repairing harm for all involved and restoring trust and community. Office of Student Community Standards staff are trained in restorative justice practices.

Request Restorative Practice

Informal Resolution focuses on student education (rather than whether or not a violation of policy occurred). When informal resolution is available to a student, the student will receive an email from either the Office of Student Community Standards or Housing/Residence Life staff with more information.

• Intentional Conversations
  • Some reports of alleged low-level misconduct result in an opportunity to have an educational conversation with staff instead of a student conduct conference. Intentional Conversations focus on student support, education, and expectations.
• Compliance Letters
  • Compliance letters inform the student of a concern that exists and instructions to correct the concern. Failure to address the concern may result in a student conduct conference.
• Waiving the Student Conduct Conference
  • A student may take responsibility for a violation of policy and accept a recommended educational outcome instead of participating in a student conduct conference.

Student Conduct Conferences focus on enhancing student learning, personal development, and a student’s role as a responsible citizen in an ethical community that is focused on academic and personal success. When a Student Conduct Conference is occurring, the involved student will be notified from either the Office of Student Community Standards or Housing/Residence Life staff with more information. The purpose a student conduct conference is to allow the student alleged of misconduct to share their perspective on the  situation. A conduct case manager will determine if it is more  likely than not that a violation of university policy occurred based on the information available. If the student is found to be responsible for violating Ferris policy, the conduct case manager will assign administrative and/or educational outcomes appropriate to the situation and the needs of the student and community.

Process Overview

Appeal Process

Keep an eye on your Ferris email account. You can expect to receive a notification letter via email with more information. Your letter will let you know where, when, and with whom you are meeting with.

Your meeting will be scheduled at least 3 days in advance and will not conflict with your class schedule. Your conduct meeting, on average, will last around 15-30 minutes. If for some reason you are not able to attend your meeting time, please reach out to your case manager or by emailing [email protected] to reschedule. You do not have to attend your meeting, but a decision will be made in your absence.

After your conduct conference, your case manager will review all information gathered and determine if a policy violation occurred. The Office of Student Community Standards uses a preponderance of evidence standard. If found responsible, you may receive actionable outcomes in which you will need to complete to be in good standing with the university. You will receive a outcome letter via email to your Ferris email account with more information.

It is a one on one civil conversation between yourself and your case manager. This is your opportunity to share your side of the story and discuss the alleged policy violations.

A majority of conduct conferences are 15 to 30 minutes long.

We schedule your conduct conference to avoid conflicting with your classes. If you need to reschedule your conduct conference, you must contact your case manager as soon as possible prior to your scheduled conduct conference. Your case manager’s contact information can be found in your letter.

1. The opportunity to read all written reports regarding the circumstances and allegations of the case.
2. The opportunity to attend a conduct conference. A student’s conduct conference shall be scheduled minimally three days after the date of the notice. However, a student may waive their right to this three day provision.
3. The opportunity to give a response to the reports and to offer any additional information which might help in the resolution of the case.
4. The opportunity, during the conduct conference, to review all information related to the case information that may adversely affect the student and to ask questions (or choose not to ask questions) related to this information.
5. The opportunity to present witnesses who may substantiate information related to the incident. A list of witnesses must be submitted no later than one business day before the conduct conference. The Director of Student Community Standards or Conduct Case Manager reserves the right to limit the number of witnesses based on the relevancy to the facts of the case. Character witnesses are generally not considered relevant.
6. The opportunity to have an advisor present during the conduct conference; the advisor may not participate in presenting the case, question witnesses, or make statements during the conference.
7. The student is not required to attend their conduct conference or to answer any questions asked during the conduct conference; the choice to remain silent will not be taken as an admission of responsibility. However, a decision will be made in the student’s absence and based on information available at the scheduled time of the conduct conference.
8. The student will receive written notification of the decision of the conduct conference within ten days, barring unforeseen circumstances.
9. The opportunity to submit an appeal, subject to the conditions of the appeal process, by the appeal deadline stated in the written outcome.

The Code of Student Community Standards outlines all Ferris policies with regard to the student conduct process. Please refer to the Code of Student Community Standards for further information.

An advisor’s role is to support you as a person. They are there to help you feel more comfortable, but may not participate in presenting the case, question witnesses, or make statements during the conference. Your advisor may attend your conduct conference in person or over the phone.

You are responsible for selecting your own advisor, one will not be provided for you. This can be a parent, faculty/staff member, friend, or anyone of your choosing.

Only one advisor may attend your conduct conference with you.

A lawyer may serve as your advisor. As an advisor they will be held to the same expectations as any other advisor and may not present the case, question witnesses, or make statements during the conference.

No, participation in the conduct process is not marked on your transcript. Conduct records are maintained in accordance with federal law and are kept separately from academic records.

Usually no. Your conduct records are confidential and protected by law (FERPA). However, FERPA allows for parents/guardians to be notified if a student under 21 is involved in an alcohol or drug incident.
If you would like the details of your conduct record to be discussed with anyone, you will need to complete a waiver that is available in the Office of Student Community Standards or with your case manager.

The Code of Student Community Standards applies to students whether they are on campus or off.

The student conduct process and the legal process are independent of one another. The student conduct process is designed to be educational in nature and uses a different standard of evidence than the legal system. The outcome of the legal system has no bearing on the student conduct process.

The student conduct process is designed to be an educational experience. When a student’s behavior is not in line with University policy, outcomes are assigned to help a student learn from this incident and make different decisions going forward.

The student conduct process uses the standard of preponderance of the evidence to determine the outcome. This means your case manager will consider the report, the information you shared, and any other information available when deciding whether it is more likely than not that you violated each of the policies listed in your letter.

While a vast majority of cases do not result in a student being suspended or dismissed, there are instances where the severity of the behavior or persistence of the policy violations warrants this outcome.

You have the opportunity to appeal the decision. Appeals must be submitted within seven calendar days of the date of the decision letter and meet the criteria outlined in that letter.

While the specifics of your case will not be discussed until the conduct conference, we welcome you to call the Office of Student Community Standards at 231-591-3619.