FAQs for Students

I have received a letter from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. What does it mean?

The letter that you have received states that you have allegedly violated one or more policies of Purdue University’s Student Code of Conduct. You can review this document by clicking here. The letter states which policy may have been violated, and it provides a brief description of how the policy may have been violated. The letter also indicates the time, date, and location of your student conduct conference. You are required to attend your conduct conference, and it is expected that should you like to request an adjustment to your conduct conference time based on an academic conflict, you will contact the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities at 765-494-1250 a minimum of 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.

Many students are apprehensive about attending this conference. The letter you have received also states that you may contact the OSRR at osrr@purdue.edu to set up a student conduct conference information session with a staff member to discuss the OSRR process and ask questions about the student conduct conference.

What are my rights as a student in the conduct conference process?

Students at Purdue University have many rights. For a detailed review of your rights, please click here. Here is a brief overview of your rights in the student conduct process at Purdue University:

The right to be informed of the allegations that have formed the basis for the charges;
The right to make a statement regarding the allegations and the charges. The student may choose to not make a statement regarding the allegations and the charges. The decision not to make a statement will not be held against the student in determining whether or not they are responsible for committing a policy violation;
The right to be informed of any witnesses that the University will call as part of the disciplinary proceeding;
The right to present witnesses as part of the student’s response to the allegations and the charges. Students may present witnesses in person, with the exception of character witnesses, which will be considered in written format only. It is the responsibility of the student to present witnesses at the time of the scheduled disciplinary proceeding. Postponement or rescheduling of student disciplinary proceedings due to the availability of a witness will not be permitted.
The right to have one person of the student’s choosing serve as an advisor to the student during the disciplinary proceeding;
The right to be informed of the outcome of the student disciplinary proceeding; and
The right to appeal the decision of the Conduct Officer subject to the eligibility criteria and procedures set forth in Subsection C(8) (Appeal of the Disciplinary Decision).

What is a student conduct conference information session?

Any student who has received a letter notifying them of a conduct conference is invited to request a student conduct conference information session. This meeting will give you an opportunity to:

Review your conduct file
Meet with a staff member to discuss your rights
Talk about the student conduct conference process
Discuss the range of sanctions that may be imposed
Have your questions answered

This meeting is mandatory for students who are facing sanctions that could separate them from school (expulsion or suspension). Please note that at a conduct conference information session, your conduct officer will share information and answer questions, but will not discuss the particulars of your case with you and cannot tell you what the outcome of your hearing will be, as your conduct conference has not happened yet.

You may schedule an information session by calling our office at 765-494-1250 or emailing osrr@purdue.edu.

Where did you get the information that you charged me with?

The OSRR receives reports from the Purdue University Police Department, West Lafayette Police Department, other law enforcement agencies, University Residences, Faculty/Staff members, and other members of the community. To view the specific report(s) used in your case, please make arrangements to come to our office between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday to view your file. While no appointment is necessary to view your file, we do encourage you to contact our office at 765-494-1250 so that we may do our best to have your file prepared for you upon your arrival. Additionally, you may take any notes on separate paper to take with you, however, no copies will be provided to you, nor can you take any photographs. The OSRR is located in Helen B. Schleman Hall, Suite 216.

What will happen during my student conduct conference?

The student conduct conference is a time for you to tell your side of the story. In order for the student conduct officers to make the best decision possible, they need a full picture of what happened. This is your time to officially respond to the allegation(s) and the information in your case file. When you arrive for your student conduct conference, you will have the opportunity to review your conduct file if you have not viewed it prior to the student conduct conference.

Preliminary Information

If you did not have a student conduct conference information session, the staff member(s) who are adjudicating your case will meet with you to review the allegation(s) against you, briefly review your rights, the range of sanctions that could be imposed, and to answer any questions that you may have. You will also be asked whether or not you accept responsibility for the allegation(s). You may accept responsibility or not accept responsibility for the allegations that have been assigned to your incident. If you choose to not accept responsibility, you may be found responsible by the student conduct officer(s) for the student regulation(s) violation.

Acknowledgment of Responsibility

You will also be asked whether or not you accept responsibility for the allegation(s). You may accept responsibility or not accept responsibility for the allegations that have been assigned to your incident. If you choose to not accept responsibility, you may be found responsible by the student conduct officer(s) for the student regulation(s) violation.

If you accept responsibility or are found responsible for the charge(s) assigned to you, then you will be issued an appropriate sanction(s) based on your involvement, which will be detailed in your outcome letter. If you are found not responsible for the charge(s), this will also be detailed in your outcome letter.

Response to the Allegation(s)

You will then have an opportunity to explain your perspective on the incident that has been documented. You will have a chance to explain what you agree with, what you disagree with, and to explain your involvement with the documented incident. The student conduct officer(s) will then have some questions for you about the incident documented.

Presentation of Witness(es)

You will also have the opportunity to present any witnesses or additional supporting information that you have pertaining to the incident. (See witness FAQ for additional information).

Next Steps

Your student conduct officer(s) will then conclude the student conduct conference by explaining that you will receive a follow up letter from the OSRR reviewing your incident, the finding(s) of the student conduct conference, your sanction(s) (if any), and the appeals process where applicable.

The student conduct officer(s) will then answer any last questions that you may have before concluding the student conduct conference.

On average, student conduct conferences last between 30-60 minutes.

How do you decide if I violated one of the Student Regulations?

Purdue University uses a standard of evidence called Preponderance of Information to determine if a violation of the Student Regulations has occurred.

Preponderance of Information means more likely than not. This is a different, and less strict, standard of evidence, than is used in the criminal court system. Our student conduct conferences at Purdue University are not criminal proceedings, nor do they follow the same guidelines as a criminal proceeding.

Another way to think about Preponderance of Information is to ask yourself the questions: Is it more than 50% likely that a Student Regulation violation occurred?

If I did violate one or more of the Student Regulations, what will the outcome of the conference be?

There are several factors that are taken into consideration by the student conduct officer(s) when deterring what an appropriate sanction(s) for a student is. The student conduct officer(s) will examine the following:

The nature of the violation
Previous conduct history
Aggravating, mitigating, or relevant circumstances surrounding the violation
The motivation for the behavior
Impact of the conduct on the university, community, and/or impacted parties
The developmental and educational impact of the assigned conduct conference outcome

Please refer to the Purdue University Student Code of Conduct by clicking here for specific disciplinary sanction definitions.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?

The letter you received actually tells you what the most extreme sanction could be if you accept or are found responsible for violating the student code of conduct.

Administrative Conduct Conference

When meeting one on one with your conduct officer for a conduct case, you are not facing separation from Purdue University. In this type of meeting, the highest disciplinary sanction that can be assigned is Probated Suspension (see “Possible Sanctions”), in addition to other education sanctions. You can further identify this type of letter by noting that it has only scheduled you for one meeting time with an individual person.

Community Standards Board

In some instances, students may be recommended to be separated from the university in another type of conference known as the Community Standards Board. These sanctions are defined as suspension and expulsion in the Student Regulations. If this is the process that you will be going through, your letter will explicitly state that sanctions may include suspension or expulsion from Purdue University. This letter will also list two dates and times that you are expected to appear. The first meeting is a mandatory information session to prepare you for the Community Standards Board Conference, and the second time is your actual Community Standards Board Conference.

If I have had previous violations, will that make things worse for me?

Your previous disciplinary record is not considered in determining whether or not you have violated a student rule. Previous discipline is only considered once you have been found responsible or accept responsibility for a rule violation. You may receive a more severe sanction if you have had a previous violation.

Can I have someone with me during my student conduct conference?

Absolutely. Students are permitted to have one advisor present with them during their student conduct conference. Students that are involved in the same incident or who are serving as a witness in a proceeding may not serve as an advisor for the alleged student. Aside from that exception, the advisor may be anyone of the student's choosing (friend, faculty member, parent, attorney, clergy, etc.). However, this advisor is not permitted to represent or speak for the student during the student conduct conference. They may provide advice or support to the student, but under no circumstances will they be permitted to speak for the student during the student conduct conference. Postponement or rescheduling of student disciplinary proceedings due to availability of an advisor will not be permitted.

Students are also required to sign a privacy release form that permits another individual to be present during their student conduct conference.

What types of witnesses can I bring?

Students are permitted to present two types of witnesses during their student conduct conference. Your conduct officer(s) will allow you to do this during your student conduct conference.

A witness of fact is a person who has direct knowledge of the alleged incident and can speak to any of your potential involvement in the incident. You may ask your witnesses to either make a statement on your behalf or to answer questions that you ask them about your incident. Your student conduct officer(s) may then ask your witnesses questions based on the statements that they make during your conduct conference. Witnesses must be available at the time of your Conduct Conference. Postponement or rescheduling of student disciplinary proceedings due to availability of a witness will not be permitted.

You will be required to complete a privacy release form that permits another individual to be present during your student conduct conference prior to being able to present witnesses.

A character witness is a person who may not have direct knowledge of the alleged incident but is someone who knows you well and can speak to who you are as a person outside of this incident. You are not required to disclose any information about the alleged incident to your character witness(es). Character witness(es) must present their information in the form of a written statement submitted directly to the OSRR at osrr@purdue.edu at or before your scheduled conduct conference time. Character witness statements will be considered by your student conduct officer when determining sanctions, if found responsible.

Who will know about the incident that I have been involved with?

As a student you are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99). FERPA is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. You may discuss your case with anyone. The university is restricted to discussing the case only with you, those you designate that we can communicate with, and those with an educational need to know.

You may choose to sign a waiver that will release your student conduct file to those of your choosing. This is done by completing a release form with our office. It is required that you complete a release form when you wish to have an advisor or witness present during your student conduct conference or when you wish to have someone contact the OSRR office to discuss your case.

I know others that have done the same thing I did, but they did not get caught, what about them?

The focus of your student conduct conference is you and your alleged behavior. The OSRR moves forward with cases that are brought to our attention by many members of the Purdue University community as well as individuals external to Purdue University. Please be assured that there are other students who are also going through the conduct process as well, very possibly for similar behavior that you are alleged to have exhibited. You are not alone.

What if I do not agree with the outcome of my student conduct conference?

You can appeal our decisions on three factors:

The university failed to follow established procedures
There is new information that was not available at the time of the conduct conference
That the sanctions are disproportionate to the violation

Students may not appeal a written warning or educational sanctions. The appeals process information will be shared with you during your student conduct conference information session and student conduct conference, and it will be outlined in decision letters where a student has been placed on disciplinary probation, probated suspension, suspended, or expelled. Please note that failing to attend your conduct conference is not grounds for appeal.

What happens during the appeal?

An appeal is a written document submitted by the student within 5 business days of the date of the decision letter. Appeals received after the deadline will not be considered. The appeal will be forwarded to an appeals officer for consideration. The appeals officer will then send the student a formal notification to their official Purdue University e-mail address notifying them of their decision. There is no other appeal. The decision of the appeals officer is final. A student’s sanction will not be increased as the result of an appeal.

What happens if I have a pending OSRR student conduct conference and a pending criminal citation?

You will need to resolve both issues separately. Students have a separate relationship to the University that is different from their responsibilities as citizens. The student conduct conference at the OSRR office will only resolve conflicts with the Purdue University policies. For questions about how court proceedings and how to respond to criminal matters, you are encouraged to review information provided by Student Legal Services.

What if I do not show up or respond to the letter?

A decision will be made in your absence based on the contents of your disciplinary file. Our system does track whether or not you have opened your letter, and it is also an expectation of Purdue University that students read their Purdue University e-mail. Typically, we will place a Hold on your registration, transcripts and graduation (where applicable) and will require you to attend a meeting with your conduct officer as well as complete any past due sanctions.

What do I do if I have class during the time my student conduct conference is scheduled?

You may contact the OSRR at 765-494-1250 within 1 business day prior to your appointment, and request to reschedule your appointment. Rescheduling your appointment may cause a delay in our ability to meet with you as we work with many students. We do our best to avoid scheduling student conduct conferences during class times; however, at times it becomes necessary. If you are missing a test, please contact our office as soon as possible to inquire about the possibility of rescheduling the student conduct conference.

Who can I contact if I have more questions?

Please contact the OSRR at 765-494-1250. You also may stop by our office during business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. We are located in Helen B. Schleman Hall, Suite 216. You may also contact us via email at osrr@purdue.edu.