Procedures : Parent Information
Parent Questions
- Will I be notified if my student gets in trouble: i.e., if my student is charged with violating the Student Code of Conduct?
- We encourage students to speak with their parents and believe that as adults, students should take responsibility for initiating the conversation. We also encourage students to sign releases that allow us to speak with parents about a situation, so that we can all work together to resolve it and help the student. (a release form can be obtained at the following address: http://sja.osu.edu/forms.asp). We may notify parents if their student has an alcohol violation or a drug violation as allowed by the amendments to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This act governs the release of educational records. In addition, you may be notified if there is an imminent risk to the student's health, safety, or welfare.
- If my student is charged with violating the Code of Student Conduct, what happens?
- The student will be asked to set up a meeting with a Judicial Affairs staff member to discuss the University judicial process. If the student is charged, they will choose from among 3 options regarding how their case is adjudicated: Administrative Decision, a hearing before a Hearing Officer, or a hearing before the University Judicial Panel. For more detailed information, please see the Code of Student Conduct. The university reserves the right to choose an option if the situation warrants such a choice by the university.
- What is my role in the university judicial process? How can I help my student?
- You can help guide the student through the process and be supportive, while holding the student accountable to your expectations and the university's. You can also help identify and provide necessary interventions, such as alcohol or drug evaluations, anger management, and others, so that your student can be successful at Ohio State. Allow and expect the student to set appointments, attend meetings, and fulfill sanctions. It is usually not helpful to the educational development of the student, or resolution of the matter, for you to try to manage the process for your student.
- Can I be present in a disciplinary meeting, conference, or hearing with my student?
- The student may have an advisor present throughout the judicial process, who may be a parent. The student must complete a FERPA release beforehand for the parent to be present. The role of the advisor is to support and advise the student but not to speak for or represent the student.
- Do I need to hire an attorney to represent my student?
- Students may have an attorney serve as an advisor but may not be represented by counsel. Students most often hire attorneys when there are criminal charges that relate to an incident.
- How are sanctions decided?
- Sanctions are determined by considering the following factors and others: nature of the violation, the student's role in the incident, the effect of the incident on others and on the student, the student's developmental and educational needs, and the student's prior disciplinary record. Mitigating and aggravating circumstances are considered.
- Can my student appeal a disciplinary decision?
- A student found to have violated the Code of Student Conduct has the right to appeal the original decision. Please see the appeals section for more detailed information.
- Does the outcome go on my student's record?
- If a student is suspended from the university, a notation will be placed in the student's academic transcript for the period of the suspension. If the student is dismissed, a notation will remain on the transcript permanently. For any student receiving a sanction less serious than suspension or expulsion, notations are not placed on the academic transcripts. However, the student may have a disciplinary record that is maintained in the Office of Student Judicial Affairs.
- My student was charged criminally. Why go through the University Judicial Process too?
- The criminal justice system and the OSU Code of Student Conduct are not mutually exclusive. By virtue of being a student, your student is held responsible for upholding the standards of behavior in the Code of Student Conduct, as well as public laws.
For more general information, you may wish to see the article, "The Student Conduct Process: A Guide for Parents," from the Association for Student Judicial Affairs.