Amherst Disciplinary Procedures
Criminal complaint procedures:
The sensitive crimes officer assists victims in completing a formal criminal complaint. In conjunction with Amherst Town Police, they conduct an investigation.
To whom complaint is made:
Students may seek advice regarding a complaint by speaking to:
- residential life staff (Resident Counselor or Area Coordinator)
- the Sexual Assault Counselor (542-8180)
- the Dean of Students Office (class deans, Dean of Students, Dean for Student Conduct) (542-2337)
Disciplinary options:
- Informal complaint—The Dean for Student Conduct, the Sexual Assault Counselor, Area Coordinators, and the Dean of Students can work with the victim/survivor to formulate responses to an alleged offense.
- Formal complaint—The Dean for Student Conduct will hear a complaint and determine whether it constitutes a violation of The Code of Conduct. In cases of sexual assault, the case will be heard by the Committee on Discipline (a student/faculty panel). Appeals are made to the President of the college.
Time Frame:
Normally a complaint must be made within 90 days from the date of the offense, but in cases of sexual assault, and when otherwise warranted, the normative 90 days to initiate a complaint may be extended.
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Hampshire Disciplinary Procedures
New information to come.
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Mount Holyoke Disciplinary Procedures
To whom complaint is made:
Students may seek advice regarding a complaint by speaking to:
- Office of Associate Dean of the College
- the Council on Student Affairs/Judicial Board (538-2550)
Disciplinary options:
- Informal complaint—Associate Dean of the College, in connection with other offices/staff involved, can work with the victim/survivor to formulate responses to an alleged offense.
- Formal complaint—Complaints can be heard by the Assoc. Dean of the College or the Council on Student Affairs (CSA)/Judicial Board (7 students/Staff Judicial Advisor). If case is heard by CSA, students may not bring a lawyer, but can have an advisor from the Mount Holyoke College community. In addition, if there is a court case pending outside of the college, the CSA hearing may be postponed until a legal decision is made. Appeals are made to the Dean of the College’s Office.
Time Frame:
14 days to file a complaint with Council on Student Affairs (CSA) and then CSA will respond within 7 days to a complaint filed*.
*Complaints can also be filed with the Assoc. Dean of the College at any time.
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Smith Disciplinary Procedures
To whom complaint is made:
Dean of Students, the College Judicial Board Advisor (585-4940)
Disciplinary options:
- Informal complaint: Dean of Students
- Formal complaint: Complaints may be filed with the College Judicial Board (students trained in judicial procedures assisted by an advisor to the board). Based on information presented in the written complaint, the board decides if there is enough information to proceed to a hearing. The College Judicial Board maintains confidentiality in all cases. More complete information concerning the judicial process is found in the Smith College Student Handbook.
Time Frame:
There is no established time frame for filing a complaint. Once the college Judicial Board has reviewed the complaint, if it deems a hearing necessary, the hearing is normally held within 7-10 days.
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UMass Amherst Disciplinary Procedures
To whom is complaint made:
Complaints can be made to Residence Hall Staff or Dean of Students Office, Whitmore Administration Building, 545-2684. All judicial proceedings will be handled by Dean of Students Office Staff.
Disciplinary Options:
- Informal procedures - First step may be a judicial conference between the Associate Dean and the accused student. If no agreement can be reached in this meeting, the case proceeds to a judicial hearing.
- Formal procedures - Judicial Hearing
Who makes these decisions:
Associate Dean of Students
Composition of judicial board:
Boards consist of 5 hearing officers representing students, staff, and faculty.
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