A Dean’s Warning is an informal admonition that does not become part of an individual’s permanent record, but that may be taken into account in judging the seriousness of any future violation.  If you authorize the University to release your disciplinary record to a third party, the University will provide to that third party information relating to Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, and Expulsion. The University normally will not provide information to a third party regarding infractions resulting in a Dean’s Warning.

If the only infraction on your record resulted in a Dean’s Warning and you are asked (for example, in a graduate school application) if you have a disciplinary record, you can answer honestly that you do not have a disciplinary record.
 

A Reprimand is a stronger admonition than a Dean’s Warning, intended to signal that you have committed a minor infraction, conveying that you must be vigilant against future infractions, and providing a disincentive against future infractions, in that a Reprimand will not become part of your permanent record unless there is a subsequent infraction, at which point the Reprimand will be formally recorded on your permanent record.  If you authorize the University to release your disciplinary record to a third party, the University will provide to that third party information relating to Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, and Expulsion. The University normally will not provide information to a third party regarding infractions resulting in a Reprimand.

If the only infraction on your record resulted in a Reprimand and you are asked (for example, in a graduate school application) if you have a disciplinary record, you can answer honestly that you do not have a disciplinary record.
 

Disciplinary probation is a more serious admonition assigned for a definite amount of time. It implies that any future violation, of whatever kind, especially but not exclusively during the specified probationary time, may be grounds for Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, or, in especially serious cases, Expulsion. Disciplinary Probation will be taken into account in judging the seriousness of any subsequent infraction even if the probationary period has expired.

Disciplinary Probation appears on your permanent record at the University (but not on the transcript) and may be disclosed by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students in response to requests for which you have given permission or as otherwise legally required.

When you are on disciplinary probation, your status as an enrolled student is not affected and you continue to take classes and participate in co-curricular activities. Generally, you are not disqualified from participating in any programs or activities or holding leadership positions in student organizations. However, a Varsity Athletics team may impose their own restrictions on a student for a disciplinary violation. In addition, Disciplinary Probation may be considered in the awarding of University prizes or the appointment of certain University leadership positions. On occasion, in cases involving interpersonal misconduct, restrictions on a student’s activities may be imposed. 
 

Suspension (Not Served) is imposed in situations where conduct violations are otherwise serious enough to merit a one-semester Suspension, but where the appropriate disciplinary body determines that the immediate separation of the student from the University may not be warranted. Relevant factors that may be considered include, but are not limited to, the nature and seriousness of the violation, the nature and/or seriousness of any prior violation(s), or other circumstances that the body applying the sanction finds sufficient to permit Suspension (Not Served).  

If you are issued a Suspension (Not Served) as a sanction, you will not be separated from the University, provided that you are not found responsible for a subsequent significant policy violation.  If you are issued a Suspension (Not Served) as a sanction and you are found responsible for a subsequent significant policy violation, you will be required to serve both the Suspension from the first infraction and the Suspension from the subsequent infraction; this would likely result in a separation of one or two years, or Expulsion. 

A Suspension (Not Served) is recorded on your transcript even if you do not have a subsequent infraction and therefore do not serve the Suspension (i.e., they are not separated from the University).  Relevant information remains on your permanent record at the University and may be disclosed by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students in response to requests for which you have given permission or as otherwise legally required.

If you are issued a Suspension (Not Served), your status as an enrolled student is not affected and you continue to take classes and participate in co-curricular activities. Generally, you are not disqualified from participating in any programs or activities or holding leadership positions in student organizations. However, a Varsity Athletics team may impose their own restrictions on a student for a disciplinary violation. In addition, Suspension (Not Served) may be considered in the awarding of University prizes or the appointment of certain University leadership positions. On occasion, in cases involving interpersonal misconduct, restrictions on a student’s activities may be imposed. 
 

A Suspension means you are removed (unenrolled) from the University for a specified period of time. A Suspension is recorded on your transcript. Relevant information remains on your permanent record at the University and may be disclosed by the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students in response to requests for which you have given permission or as otherwise legally required. Any Suspension will be considered in judging the seriousness of any subsequent infraction.

Your Suspension normally begins in the semester that the infraction is adjudicated .  For example, if an infraction occurs and is adjudicated during the fall semester, your Suspension begins that fall semester, the spring semester would be an administrative leave of absence, and you would return as an enrolled student the following fall semester. More specifically, if a case is fully resolved (including any appeal) before the end of week nine of the semester, your Suspension begins that semester and you would not receive any credit or grades for classes taken during that semester. In such situations, you would be expected to leave campus within approximately 48 hours of the final decision. If the case is fully resolved (including any appeal) during weeks 10-12 of the semester, you are typically given the option of either: 1) finishing the semester (receiving credit and grades for all the courses in the current semester) and serving the Suspension in the following semester; or 2) applying the Suspension to the current semester, in which case you would not receive any credit or grades for classes taken during that semester.  If your case is fully resolved (including any appeal) after the last day of classes, then you must finish the semester and your course grades for the semester will appear on your transcript.

If you are suspended for one semester during the fall semester and your Suspension will apply to the fall semester, the spring semester will be an administrative leave of absence and you will be eligible for reinstatement the fall of the following academic year.  If you are suspended for one semester during the last week of classes of the fall semester and you choose to finish the fall semester, then your suspension will apply to the spring semester, the following fall semester will be an administrative leave of absence and you will be eligible to return the spring semester of the following academic year.  

If you are suspended for one semester, then the term following your Suspension will be recorded on your transcript as an administrative leave of absence.  For more information about policies governing leaves of absence, please see this Undergraduate Announcement. 

Students who receive Suspensions are automatically eligible for reinstatement following their separation, unless specific conditions are attached to their return (e.g. restitution for property damage, return of stolen property, etc.).  
 

Having an infraction on your permanent record means that the University maintains a record of your disciplinary infraction. If you are found responsible for a subsequent violation, it will likely result in a more severe penalty, especially if you are serving a term of Disciplinary Probation when you commit the subsequent infraction. 

Yes, if you authorize the University to release your disciplinary record to that third party, the University will provide to that third party information relating to Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, and Expulsion. The University normally will not provide information to a third party regarding infractions resulting in Disciplinary Probation or an informal admonition such as a Dean’s Warning or a Reprimand. However, if you are placed on Disciplinary Probation for a first infraction and have a subsequent violation resulting in Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, or Expulsion (due in part to the fact that you were on probation), the information provided regarding the sanction may reference that you were suspended or separated in part because you were previously on Disciplinary Probation. 

Please contact Amy Ham Johnson, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students ([email protected]) and Olga Ekshtut, Judicial Coordinator ([email protected]) to make this request. Please submit any such requests at least two weeks in advance of the deadline and specify in your email the due date.

You should always be honest. However, exactly how you answer this question is for you to decide. But we can advise you that if you authorize the University to release your disciplinary record to that third party, the University will not provide information about your infraction to these third parties where the penalty was a Dean’s Warning, Reprimand, or Disciplinary Probation (except in the limited circumstance described above).

If you authorize the University to release your disciplinary record to a third party and your record includes Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, or Expulsion, we would typically write a letter with a short description of the infraction and the penalty you received. We typically include either the category of infraction or a description of the conduct and the penalty that was issued (if the penalty was Suspension (Not Served), Suspension, Withheld Degree, or Expulsion). We also offer context around the infraction, as appropriate. For example, if you have had no other infractions in the remainder of your time at the University, we would provide that information. If you have a suggestion about how we describe the infraction, please reach out to Dean Amy Ham Johnson ([email protected]) for further discussion.