Disciplinary Process 

Student Conduct Administration Overview

Being a member of the Mount Aloysius student body is a privilege and not a right. As in every community, there are rules and regulations that must be upheld. Respect for the rights and property of others, and for all individuals, is everyone’s responsibility. Only in such a community of responsible persons can an atmosphere be established that supports living and learning in a productive and mutually supportive way. Any student who fails to support the mission and objectives of the Mount Aloysius community forfeits their right to continued membership in it. The College reserves the right to dismiss any student whose conduct is detrimental to or in conflict with the philosophy and objectives of Mount Aloysius.

Reporting an Incident

Any person may report an alleged violation of College rules, regulations, or policies by submitting a report online at:  https://www.mtaloy.edu/report/.   Additionally, a person can go directly to a member of Residence Life, Campus Safety/Campus Police, or the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. 

Standard of Proof

The standard in all hearings is a “preponderance of evidence.” A preponderance of the evidence exists when a reasonable person, after carefully balancing the available information, would conclude that a violation is more likely than not to have occurred and that the student/organization charged is responsible for the violation. 

Hearing Process

A conduct hearing is an internal review of possible violation(s) of College rules and regulations. The purpose is to determine, based on a preponderance of the evidence, whether violations occurred and to assign sanctions with an educational and reconciliatory purpose. If, in the judgment of the Conduct Officer or Conduct Committee, a student (because of multiple or serious violations, uncooperative attitude, etc.) is not upholding the philosophy and objectives of the College, the student may be dismissed from Mount Aloysius.

The Conduct Officer, or their representative, conducts a hearing with each student who is allegedly involved in a violation of College rules, regulations or policies. The hearing procedures follow:

• The student will receive written notice that their name is mentioned in an incident report for an alleged violation

• The student is offered a hearing meeting to discuss and review the incident report

• The specific violations are summarized and presented to the student, and the student is given the opportunity to discuss their involvement in the violation

• The hearing officer will consider all facts presented and determine the outcome(s) for each student involved in the violation(s). If a student is found responsible, the student will receive a sanction.  If the student does not agree with an outcome or sanction, they may appeal using the appeal guidelines in this document

• In situations where allegations are significant in nature, at the discretion of the Vice President of Student Affairs, the case may be heard by the Conduct Committee from the beginning, rather than by the Conduct Officer.

Failure to Comply with Hearing Meeting

Should the student choose not to meet with the Conduct Officer or their designee, the officer or designee will make a decision in the absence of the student.  If a student is found “responsible in absentia” for a violation, a sanction will be assigned accordingly. The student retains the right to appeal. 

Conduct Committee 

In circumstances where violations may carry a highly impactful sanction, such as dismissal from the institution, a Conduct Committee may be called to partake in the hearing. The Student Conduct Committee includes students, faculty, and administrators. The Conduct Officer or their designee presides over the hearing. The Conduct Officer also serves as a resource to the Conduct Committee and oversees the deliberation process. 

The Conduct Officer, or their designee, schedules a pre-board review to meet with the Conduct Committee to explain the alleged violation and present a verbal synopsis of the charges.

The student has a maximum of two school days from presentation of charges to submit in writing the names of any witnesses (subject to the Conduct Officer or their designee’s determination of relevance to their case) and prepare a case. It is the student’s responsibility to notify all approved witnesses of the date, time, and location of hearing.

A student accused of any violation may be accompanied in their hearing by a Mount Aloysius faculty member, administrator, or student whose role will be advisory in nature. They may make recommendations to the accused individual; however, they may not address the board, act as a representative for the charged student, participate in the hearing in any other way or be disruptive of hearing procedures.

Parents, advisers, or legal counsel from outside the Mount Aloysius community may not be present at any hearing; however, they may assist the student during the pre-board review process. (Note: Residence Life staff members cannot provide representation.)

The accused student is notified of the date, time, and location of the Committee hearing.

After the hearing, the Conduct Committee sends the student written notification of the hearing results within five business days of the hearing's conclusion. 

The Vice President for Student Affairs reserves the right to use an administrative hearing when the full Committee is not available during breaks in the academic calendar or at the end of an academic term, as deemed necessary.

Conduct Committee Hearing Procedure

The Conduct Officer or their designee reviews the case with the Conduct Committee. They also introduce witnesses and direct proceedings so that only pertinent material is introduced. Finally, the Conduct Officer ensures that both the accuser and the accused have ample opportunity to present the facts of the incident—as they perceive them—to the Board members.

The Conduct Committee reviews the case with the Conduct Officer or their designee and questions the student brought before the Committee, as well as any witnesses. The Committee then discusses the case, including all testimony, in private. The Committee determines specific violations and recommends sanctions or finds that no violation occurred. The Conduct Committee need not be unanimous; however, a majority must concur. The Conduct Officer or their designee presents the recommendation of the Committee to the Vice President of Student Affairs. The Vice President of Student Affairs or designee will notify the student of the final outcome within five business days of committee review. Alleged victims of crimes of violence may submit a written request to the Vice President for Student Affairs within five business days of the hearing to learn the outcome of the hearing. All proceedings and results of the Committee's deliberations are confidential.