Judicial Affairs at Guilford College

Q & A

Why did I get an email from the Office for Campus Life?

Students receive emails from our office because their names are included in an incident report we received.  The email contains information about the pending charges and an appointment date and time for a "judicial meeting” with a Campus Life staff member. 

What if I was not involved in this incident?

Because your name was connected with the incident in our documentation, you will still need to attend the appointment for the judicial meeting.  If you are not responsible, the charges will be dropped.

What is a judicial meeting?

The judicial process at Guilford begins with a one-on-one meeting between you and the Campus Life staff member assigned to your case.  The staff member will want additional information about what happened and to understand the incident from your experience or perspective as well as answer any questions you may have about the process.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the staff member will make a determination about whether or not you are responsible for the violation(s).  If you are found responsible, the next step is a "hearing".  If you are clearly not responsible, the charges will be dropped and will not continue to be part of your permanent student record.

What is a hearing?

Once you have accepted responsibility or been found responsible, the next step is either an administrative or judicial board hearing.  Administrative hearings are done for all Level I violations and Level II or III violations where the student accepts responsibility and is not disputing the facts of the case.  Students have a choice of returning to meet with the staff member for the hearing within three working days of the judicial meeting or conducting the hearing immediately following the judicial meeting.

During the hearing, the staff member will decide the level of the violation (I, II, or III) and the sanctions (consequences).

If the pending violations include the possibility of being found responsible for Level II or III violations, the staff member will speak with you during the judicial meeting about contacting one of the judicial advocates. 

Who are the judicial advocates and how to I get in touch with them?

Judicial advocates are faculty and students who have trained through the advocacy program here at Guilford.  The role of the advocate is to make sure students are clear about the judicial process and student rights, as well as provide support through the judicial process.  Students may have the opportunity to decide, with the assistance of the advocate, whether to return to meet with the Campus Life staff member for an administrative hearing or to request a judicial board hearing. 

If you would like to speak with an advocate, contact Will Pizio at 316-2418 or wpizio@guilford.edu.

What is the judicial board?

The judicial board is a group of five students, and two faculty or staff who have been trained to hear cases.  A judicial board hearing is a formal process where students are permitted to present witnesses and submit evidence in their defense and the board, by consensus, will determine whether the student is responsible and assign sanctions.

 

What if I have athletic practice or have to work?  Can I reschedule?

No, we schedule judicial meetings and hearings around students’ class schedules only.  We will reschedule only for academic reasons for which you will need to provide documentation and/or athletic events off-campus (this applies to intercollegiate sports only, not intramural or club sports).

What will happen if I do not attend the scheduled judicial meeting?

Failure to attend the scheduled appointment will result in additional judicial charges, a $50 fine, and a hold will be placed on your account.  The hold will prevent you from registering for classes, participating in the housing lottery, and receiving transcripts among other things.

Can I have or see a copy of the incident report?

Yes, students are given access to this information during the judicial meeting by making a request to the Campus Life staff member with whom they are meeting.

Can you provide me with more information on my charge?

The incident that occurred and the pending charges are discussed in detail with you during the judicial meeting.  We encourage students to refer to the student handbook for a complete list of the violations, their definitions and possible levels prior to attending the judicial meeting.  The sanctioning guidelines are also found in the student handbook; although it is important to note that sanctions are assigned at the discretion of the Campus Life staff member and may vary from the list.

Why can’t you provide me with more specific details of my violation?

Because of time constraints and confidentiality concerns, it is not possible for the administrative assistant to discuss all the details of the violations over the phone or via email.  The purpose of the judicial meeting is to provide students with detailed information as well as to give the Campus Life staff member the chance to hear from the students involved.  Judicial meetings are scheduled so that we can give adequate time to the process without interruptions.

I am aware of this incident, but at the time I was told this was only a warning.

Please be aware that public safety officers, RAs and HDs are required to document all possible violations of the student code of conduct and are not authorized to give warnings.  Any information to the contrary is incorrect. 

I am taking a leave of absence/withdrawing from Guilford so I will not be attending this meeting.

Files/cases that are unresolved because individuals leave the college are kept active until they are heard.  Before you can receive transcripts or return to Guilford, the case will need to be resolved.  You can contact the Director of Student Judicial Affairs for information about resolving the case.