FAQ for Respondents (Accused Students)

The jurisdiction of the Student Code is based on an individual's relationship with the university and the university community’s interest rather than the geographic location of the offense.

No. A police officer is treated like any other witness. The decision-maker in your case will evaluate the credibility of any police testimony or reports and will not simply assume that the police are telling the truth. Nor will the decision-maker assume you are being dishonest because your statement conflicts with that of law enforcement. Decisions will be made based on an objective evaluation of the evidence.

Your legal charges are independent of your disciplinary case. To ensure a prompt and fair resolution to your case, the timeline of your disciplinary case typically will not be affected by concurrent criminal charges.

Law enforcement may be invited to provide witness testimony but are treated as any other witness; the officer may only be present at your hearing to give testimony and answer questions.

In this meeting, your case coordinator will explain the student discipline process, discuss any relevant sections of the Student Code, and give you an opportunity to respond to the allegations against you. The case coordinator may give you a decision at the conclusion of this meeting, continue the investigation by collecting additional information, or inform you that your case will be decided by the appropriate subcommittee on student conduct.

Yes. If you do not schedule a meeting by the deadline or miss a meeting that you have scheduled, we may implement a registration hold, or your case coordinator may make a decision in your case without your input.

Most meetings with your disciplinary officer last 15-30 minutes, but some conversation can last an hour or more.

Yes. You may bring a person of your choosing to the meeting to serve as your advisor, though the role of this individual will be very limited. Your advisor may not answer for you.

Yes. Please refer to the FAQ for Appellants.

The Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Conduct (SUSC) is a hearing body which operates under the authority of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline (SCSD). The SUSC is a group of trained university faculty, staff, and students and is responsible for adjudicating cases involving undergraduates, specifically those who are facing either suspension or dismissal from the university.

The Subcommittee on Graduate Student Conduct (SGSC) is a hearing body which operates under the authority of the Senate Committee on Student Discipline (SCSD). The SGSC is a group of trained university faculty, staff, and students and is responsible for adjudicating cases involving graduate students, specifically those who are facing either suspension or dismissal from the university.

In most cases, your case coordinator will inform you if your case is being forwarded to a subcommittee on student conduct for a formal hearing at your first meeting. In all cases, the Office for Student Conflict Resolution will email you a hearing notice at least five business days in advance of any hearing you are expected to attend.

Most Subcommittee on Undergraduate Student Conduct (SUSC) hearings are scheduled between 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday afternoons via video conferencing (Zoom). Your hearing notice will specify the date, time, and will also provide instructions for participating.

Prior to the hearing, you will have an opportunity to review the materials that will be shared with the committee. In addition, you may meet with your case coordinator to discuss the hearing materials and procedures.

At the hearing itself, you will have the opportunity to present a brief narrative of the incident in question, to answer questions, to suggest questions for any participating witnesses, and to make a closing statement regarding the facts of the case.

If you are found in violation of the Student Code, you will also have the opportunity to provide the subcommittee with a statement of desired outcome, any references you deem important, and a statement of what your education at Illinois means to you. This will only be shared with the subcommittee in deliberation if they determine a violation has taken place.

Subcommittees on Undergraduate or Graduate Student Conduct hearings are not open to the public. Only authorized individuals may attend.

Yes. Your advisor may not speak for you, answer questions, ask questions, or directly participate in any way. If your advisor fails to abide by these instructions or is otherwise disruptive, the Chair of the committee may ask them to leave.

One of your parents may serve as your advisor. Unless an exception is approved by the chair, you are permitted only one advisor, it is expected that no other people be present in the room with you.

You should provide your case coordinator with the identity of any witnesses you believe have relevant information to share about your case well in advance of your hearing. If you bring witnesses with you to the hearing that have not been previously identified and/or interviewed, they may not be allowed to participate.

Although you should feel free to submit character statements as part of your sanctioning materials, we do not allow character witnesses to participate in a formal hearing.

You are strongly encouraged to attend your hearing, but you are not required to do so. If you do not attend, the committee will decide the case in your absence, and you will be notified of their decision by email.

Yes. Please refer to the FAQ for Appellants.

All members of the conduct process are trained in confidentiality and student privacy. Members of the committee are not permitted to discuss your case. Any member of the Subcommittee who is found to have shared information on a case may be subject to their own relevant disciplinary process.

We may place a registration hold on your student account until you submit complete your required sanction and that sanction is approved. This hold will prevent you from changing your schedule, registering for new classes, and graduating. We may also charge you with sanction noncompliance, which could lead to dismissal from the university. If you believe you may not be able to complete an educational sanction on time, you should email your case coordinator immediately.

Contact your case coordinator immediately and ask to speak to them about the situation. They may be able to refer you for assistance or to offer options for alternative sanctions.

The university does not expel anyone. A dismissal means that upon fulfilling the requirements outlined in your dismissal you may petition for re-entry to the university. Please refer to Section 4.02: Student Petitions for more information on the process.