Based on the ambiguous nature of the Student Code of Conduct, students are not “given general notice of prohibited behaviors”, Student Handbook, pg. 62 and in some cases stripped of their rights. Most troubling the Code provides the University with the ability to infringe on student rights, with clauses such as,

“Due to the nature of certain cases and circumstances, the University’s failure to follow these procedures to the letter does not automatically invalidate the outcome unless the Respondent or the Complainant is placed at a substantial and definitive disadvantage.” Student Handbook, pg. 66, Rights & Responsibilities.

The most egregious failing of the Student Code of Conduct is its failure to specify specific penalties for violations of the code. Simply listing the possible penalties, while also reserving “the right of the University to take necessary and appropriate action to protect the safety and well-being of persons…” Student Handbook, pg. 64, Authority for Student Conduct Matters, falls far short of the purported due process requirements set forth in the Code. Bluntly stated, the penalty in many matters , far exceed the alleged violations.