Answers to questions from parents of accused students:

1. At what point, or under what circumstances, will I be notified of my student's judicial status?

In accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), the University cannot contact or share information about a student's judicial record without the student's written permission.

2. Since I pay for my student's tuition/housing/etc., shouldn't I have the right to know about any trouble he or she may get into?

Adjudicating officers are always available to discuss general information about the discipline process, University regulations, and related laws. It is important to know that Federal law prohibits staff from releasing any information about a student's involvement in the discipline process without the student's written permission, even to family members. Click here for an authorization form.

3. How can parents help a student who has been accused of a rules violation?

As with any other activity, students need varying amounts of assistance from family members. Some students want direct family involvement for emotional support, case preparation, advice, and decision-making. These students may wish to have a family member serve as their advisor. Some students inform family members of their circumstances, but prefer to handle the matter independently. These students may need your emotional support and general advice, but prefer to make decisions on their own. Occasionally, a student may not want to inform family members about his or her involvement in the discipline process. Students are adults and, as such, the adjudicator must respect a student's decision regarding the involvement of others in the discipline process.

Parents who are contacted by their student about pending disciplinary action may want to suggest that the student sign an authorization allowing the adjudicating officer to talk with their parents about the case.

4. How can parents help a student avoid becoming involved in the discipline process?

Parents can be proactive with their student by discussing with him/her some of the various situations they will encounter on campus (e.g., those related to alcohol use and abuse, roommates/neighbors, members of the opposite sex, personal safety).

5. Should my student have an attorney?

A student who has been accused of a rules violation may have an advisor accompany him/her to any meetings with an adjudicator or at a hearing before the campus judicial board. The advisor may not represent the student, only advise them. An advisor can be another student, instructor/professor, attorney, parent, or friend (e.g., anyone the student chooses to bring with them). When a student is facing concurrent criminal or civil charges, the assistance of an attorney could be beneficial. Student's who retain attorneys do so at their own expense.

6. Is there legal assistance available to students on campus?

No. The University does not provide legal services to students.

7. What can I do if my student is not getting along with their roommate(s)?

Parents should encourage their student to discuss the situation in confidence with their Resident Assistant (RA) and seek advice. If this intervention is unsuccessful, advise your student to contact their Coordinator of Residence Education (CRE) or Residence Manager if they live in non-college affiliated housing (e.g., the Village, Camper Park, UCSC Inn, UTC, Family Student Housing)

8. What is an Enrollment Hold?

An enrollment hold is placed by an adjudicating officer to block further registration, graduation, or issuance of a diploma until a disciplinary matter has been resolved. Once the matter is resolved, the hold will be lifted. Questions pertaining to an enrollment hold should be directed to the adjudicating officer or, if unavailable, the Associate College Administrative Officer (ACAO) for the student's college.

9. How long does the adjudication process take?

10. What are some of the more common violations of the Code of Student Conduct?

11. What is the range of sanctions a student can be given?

Sanctions are imposed only if a student has been found responsible for a violation. The primary goals of sanctions are to protect the safety of the University community, to educate students about the inappropriateness of their misconduct, and to provide opportunities for students to learn new behaviors. Sanctions are designed to reflect the individual student and the impact of the violation(s) on the community. Possible sanctions include: written warning, disciplinary probation, restitution, fines, restriction from areas of campus, attending classes or workshops, educational projects, community service, relocation or removal from housing in accordance with the housing contract, removal from specific courses or activites, no contact provisions, suspension or dismissal.

Records of all sanctions remain on file for a minimum of seven academic years. Suspension and dismissal notations are placed on the responsible student's transcript for the duration of the sanction.

12. Is the discipline process confidential?

Yes. Staff will not release any personally identifiable information about a student without authorization from the student. However, there are times when the identity of persons involved in the process or details of the alleged misconduct may become known outside the process. This may occur if there is a public record of the incident, such as a police report, if the incident was widely witnessed, or if records are subpoenaed as part of civil or criminal proceedings. If information about a complaint becomes public knowledge, a student may need additional support. If this should occur, Student Judicial Affairs staff are available to talk with students and their families.

13. My son/daughter is also in trouble with the courts. Can the campus proceedings be delayed until the conclusion of the criminal process?

Student Judicial Affairs is obligated to move forward with all disciplinary matters as soon as it has collected sufficient information to do so. The University is not required to defer to the timeline of the criminal courts and will not typically grant requests made on this basis. Please remember that the University is not attempting to determine if a student committed a crime…only to determine whether or not the UCSC Code of student Conduct has been violated.

14. The police officer/staff member said that my son/daughter wouldn't get in trouble. Why is Student Judicial Affairs pursuing this incident?

Many students allege that staff have assured them they will not get in trouble. The fact is that only Student Judicial Affairs or the adjudicating officer has the authority to determine whether or not a violation of the Code of Student Conduct may exist, and therefore whether or not to pursue the incident.

15. My son/daughter is being held accountable by the University for an incident that took place off campus. How can the University do this?

The University reserves the right to assert jurisdiction for any incidents that take place off campus that are in the interests of the University and/or community to pursue. Such incidents are typically those including theft, vandalism, physical violence, sexual misconduct, drugs, and/or weapons.

16. My son/daughter has been the victim of an offense by another student. What are his/her rights?

Information about the rights of victims can be found here.

17. I am concerned about sending my son/daughter away to school. Is UCSC a safe campus?

UCSC is a community of over 14,000 students, located within an urban setting of over 100,000 people. As such, UCSC faces the same issues of any comparably sized community. UCSC is, relatively speaking, strict about the enforcement of behavioral standards within our community. Student Judicial Affairs is committed to the education and development of its students, but does realize that some students may need to be removed from the campus community because of the potential threat they present to themselves and/or others, because of the seriousness of their actions, and/or because of their inability to learn from previous mistakes. Student Judicial Affairs maintains close and collaborative relationships with both the UCSC Police Department and the city of Santa Cruz Police Department. For information on crime statistics, please visit the individual police agency web sites.

Are there other questions that you would like to see answered here? If so, please send us an email.

18. A Final Note

Those of us responsible for the student disciplinary process at UCSC take our responsibilities seriously, and are here to insure a fair and unbiased process for all students. It is recognized that cases which also involve criminal and/or civil charges can be exceptionally difficult for students. None-the-less, the University is also committed to a timely process that considers the welfare of all our campus community members, not just one or two people.

Should you find yourself in need of additional information on the student disciplinary process, please review the rest of this web site or contact the Office of Student Judicial Affairs at (831) 459-4446.