Student Conduct Code
Recent events have led faculty to call the office to ask about the student conduct code, potentially violent students, and how to file complaints.
Student Conduct is governed by the Student Code of Conduct policy, which can be found at http://www.pdx.edu/dos/conduct. Therein lies the procedure for any member of the community to address student misconduct issues.
The procedure requires the complainants to identify themselves; the online Student Conduct Complaint Form (https://pdx-jams.symplicity.com/public_report/) explicitly states that the form will be read by the student. Unfortunately, there are no provisions for confidentiality, nor are there exceptions for complaints against students who are potentially dangerous and who may retaliate for the filing of a complaint. While the procedure has specific provisions for sexual offenses and academic dishonesty, there is no special provision for offenses that involve weapons or violence.
When a complaint is filed, it is reviewed by a “Senior Conduct Officer.” If this individual does not find the complaint “reasonable,” it is dismissed. After the filing of a complaint, the policy does not provide for the complainant to get any feedback or response from the university regarding outcomes, including whether the complaint has been dismissed. A complainant trying to address a potentially dangerous student will never know if the danger was contained or dismissed. While the process is supposed to “make an effort to consider the rights and needs of the Complainant in decisions related to sanctions such as restitution,” it is not required to communicate about those efforts. This is disturbing when one considers there appears to be no prohibition against retaliation for the filing of a complaint. Further, the policy does not guarantee or even speak to the safety of the Complainant.
There are procedures for emergency action “if the Dean of Students determines that a Student presents a significant risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of the Student or others.” (577-031-0138)In light of recent campus violence across the country, the Association is concerned that “significant risk of substantial harm” may no longer be a reasonable measure to contain potentially dangerous students. Is a significant risk acceptable if the harm is not substantial? The parents of our students would expect that threshold to be any harm, and the risk threshold to be substantially lower than significant.
Student Conduct is governed by the Student Code of Conduct policy, which can be found at http://www.pdx.edu/dos/conduct. Therein lies the procedure for any member of the community to address student misconduct issues.
The procedure requires the complainants to identify themselves; the online Student Conduct Complaint Form (https://pdx-jams.symplicity.com/public_report/) explicitly states that the form will be read by the student. Unfortunately, there are no provisions for confidentiality, nor are there exceptions for complaints against students who are potentially dangerous and who may retaliate for the filing of a complaint. While the procedure has specific provisions for sexual offenses and academic dishonesty, there is no special provision for offenses that involve weapons or violence.
When a complaint is filed, it is reviewed by a “Senior Conduct Officer.” If this individual does not find the complaint “reasonable,” it is dismissed. After the filing of a complaint, the policy does not provide for the complainant to get any feedback or response from the university regarding outcomes, including whether the complaint has been dismissed. A complainant trying to address a potentially dangerous student will never know if the danger was contained or dismissed. While the process is supposed to “make an effort to consider the rights and needs of the Complainant in decisions related to sanctions such as restitution,” it is not required to communicate about those efforts. This is disturbing when one considers there appears to be no prohibition against retaliation for the filing of a complaint. Further, the policy does not guarantee or even speak to the safety of the Complainant.
There are procedures for emergency action “if the Dean of Students determines that a Student presents a significant risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of the Student or others.” (577-031-0138)In light of recent campus violence across the country, the Association is concerned that “significant risk of substantial harm” may no longer be a reasonable measure to contain potentially dangerous students. Is a significant risk acceptable if the harm is not substantial? The parents of our students would expect that threshold to be any harm, and the risk threshold to be substantially lower than significant.
posted by PSU-AAUP at
5:36 PM
3 Comments:
On top of this, there are students on campus with criminal records and ongoing probation issues. I have found that submitting a concern about a student's conduct often gets lost or diluted in the lengthy and undefined process. The student with the criminal record is very expert at making those Senior Conduct Officers (or others) feel sorry for him/her. That's why they have the criminal record. Turns out, one mention of their conduct to the local police and that person would be prohibited from stepping foot on campus.
In the huge effort to protect the criminal we endanger all the other students who are trusting us with their personal safety while they give us their time and money. Hmm...
Thank you very much for summarizing this helpful information. I note, however, that it only addresses the issue from the perspective of the University's Student Code of Conduct.
From the perspective of faculty and staff, it seems that this is a workplace safety issue. In most circumstances, faculty members would not choose to continue having interaction with a threatening student. They feel forced to because it is a requirement of our job. When faculty members feel fearful of coming to work and performing their duties because of the behavior of a student, what labor protections are available to employees? Does Oregon or federal law afford any procedures that we can avail ourselves of under these circumstances?
Unfortunately neither State or Federal Workplace Safety Laws address the issue, nor do we have any PSU regulation or guideline. Our contract, however, has some language in Article 24 Section 4- but that only provides for a reassignment, and that after a period of time. I believe the issue that prompting this language is a toxic room, not a toxic dangerous student. We may wish to strengthen this language in the future. Until then, the student code of conduct complaint procedure, as anemic as it is, is the expected recourse.
Post a Comment
<< Home