Sanctions and Submissions

A student’s hearing officer or board considers the following factors when developing sanctions for any findings of responsible:

• Typical sanctions for each violation as part of the current incident
• Choices, risks, harms, mitigating, and aggravating factors in the current incident
• Previous disciplinary history, including prior findings of responsible, dates of policy violations, and any patterns of behavior
• Any current disciplinary status

No. Sanctions are not an evaluation of character, but rather the choices and behaviors during a specific incident. As such, character statements, academic achievement, student involvement, and other similar factors are not considered as a part of the process for developing sanctions.

Sanctions will always include a disciplinary status and typically include educational, reflective, and/or restorative actions. Depending on the nature of the incident and behaviors, additional action items may be assigned such as an assessment with a licensed healthcare provider, a fine, reimbursement for damages caused.

Official Warning

An official warning is the lowest disciplinary status level for social policy violations of the Code of Conduct. An official warning is a notification to a student(s) that they have been found responsible for a Code of Conduct violation and that any other violations may result in more serious sanction.

Disciplinary Probation

Disciplinary probation is a status imposed for a specific time period during which a student can remain on campus, attend classes, and participate in certain programs and activities but is not in good standing and may not participate in study abroad/away programs and student leadership positions. A student is expected to show a positive change in behavior. Disciplinary Probation serves as the official notice that future violations of the Code of Conduct may result in more severe outcomes, including the possibility of suspension or permanent separation.

Disciplinary Suspension

Disciplinary suspension is the removal of a student from the university for a specific period of time. The student may apply for readmission, but will not be approved unless all other assigned outcomes are completed and deadlines have been met.

While a student is suspended, they may not return to the campus or participate in any programs or activities of the university without written permission from the associate vice president for student life / dean of students (or designee), or the associate provost for academic excellence and operations. If a student returns to the campus without written permission during the suspension period, their eligibility to return to Elon in the future may be jeopardized and the student may be issued a legal trespass order.

Permanent Separation

Separation is the permanent removal from the university. Students separated from the university will be refunded board and tuition only, using the refund schedule outlined in the Academic Catalog. All other fees and charges are forfeited.

If a student is permanently separated from the university, a notation will be made on the official transcript.

Students who are permanently separated from the university for violations of the Code of Conduct may not return to the campus or participate in any programs or activities of the university without written permission from the associate vice president for student life / dean of students (or designee), or the associate provost for academic excellence and operations. If the student returns to the campus without written permission, they may face criminal charges for trespassing.

Alcohol Discussion Workshop

Students attend a peer group workshop focused on alcohol risk-reduction strategies.

AlcoholEdu for Sanctions

AlcoholEdu for Sanctions is an online program to help students evaluate their current choices related to alcohol. It is a science-based course designed to teach students about the effects of alcohol on the body and mind and assist students in making safer, healthier decisions.

Alcohol eCHECKUP TO GO

eCHECKUP TO GO is an evidence-based online alcohol education program that is focused on reducing high-risk drinking behaviors on college campuses and strengthen a culture of safety and health.

BASICS Alcohol Education Program

As part of the BASICS program, students are asked to examine their own drinking behavior in a private, judgment-free environment with a trained facilitator. The goals of the BASICS program include reducing risky behaviors and harmful consequences to self and/or others.

Marijuana 101

Marijuana 101 is a two-part online drug education course that will provide an overview of marijuana, its impact on the body, laws, and potential consequences of engaging in substance use.

Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention

This online course is designed to provide information related to prescription drug use and provide knowledge to prevent drug abuse. It provides information and activities designed for students found responsible for Code of Conduct violations related to prescription drug use.

Fine

Fines go to support financial impact on the University resulting from the impact of a student’s behavior and choices, educational goals, resources, and initiatives, such as substance use education, alcohol-free programming, and intervention strategies.

Reimbursement for Damages

Students are provided information to reimburse the University or an impacted party(ies) for damages, misappropriation, or loss of property.

Substance Use Assessment and Completion of Recommendations

Students are asked to complete an assessment with a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor and complete any treatment and/or education recommendations. Here is a list of available providers near Elon University.

Monthly or Random Drug Test

Students are asked to complete a drug test monthly or at random for a specified length of time.

University Housing Probation

A student is placed on university housing probation for a specified length of time. Probation allows students to reflect upon their choices and behaviors and demonstrate the ability to support residential community standards, policies, and expectations. Any violation that occurs while on this status may result in reassignment or loss of University-assigned housing.

University Housing Reassignment

A student is administratively reassigned from their current housing assignment to a residential location based on availability and recommendations.

Loss of University Housing

A student is removed from University-owned or leased housing.

For any finding of responsible, students are required to complete a reflective and/or educational opportunity. This might be a general reflection paper about the incident, creating a presentation about a specific policy, or something else that the hearing officer and student agree would be a good opportunity for educational or reflection. Students are encouraged to share educational or reflective activity ideas with their hearing officer that they think would be beneficial to their growth.

When an incident affects other individuals on campus, or the student is temporarily removed from campus, students will then often be assigned sanctions to assist that reflect the connections and/or relationships that might have been affected. The purpose of these sanctions are to rebuild and restore meaningful connections and relationships within the campus community.