Sanction Deliberations and Disciplinary Records (2023 Charter)

Process of Deliberations

After the Hearing Panel has finished asking the Responding Student (RS) questions about the impact of potential sanctions, it will ask the Reporting Party (RP) if they have further comments. The Panel will also ask the Conduct Investigator (CI) if there are mitigating and/or aggravating factors in the case that have not yet been presented. And finally, the Panel will ask the (RS) for final comments. This will be the last opportunity for the RS to speak to the panelists about anything else relevant to their case that has not been presented before.

The Panel will then adjourn to deliberate in closed-door session, and the RS, the RP and the CI will again be excused.

Getting a Decision

Sanction deliberations usually last between 15–45 minutes, but some have lasted for several hours. The RS, the RP and the CI will be invited to return to hear the decision, although attendance of the RS and RP are not mandatory. If the RS and/or the RP choose to leave once deliberations have begun, the CA will notify the RS and the RP of the outcome via email immediately after the hearing is concluded.

Confidentiality

Please note that Hearing Panel deliberations are confidential; thus, the CA (who sits in and is available to answer process or procedure-related questions the panelists might have) will not be able to provide information other than what is contained in the Hearing Report.

Impacts on Disciplinary Records & Transcripts

If a student is found responsible, the following records are kept:

Alternative Resolution concerns - No disciplinary record. Internal record kept for tracking purposes in case a student is considered in a subsequent case.
Mid-Level Review concerns - Disciplinary record until final degree conferral at time of sanctioning.
High-Level Review concerns - Disciplinary record indefinitely.

OCS will not disclose a student’s individual disciplinary record(s) unless required by law and/or in cases of student/community safety (per Confidentiality bylaw adopted Winter 2023).

If any third parties are requesting a student’s disciplinary record, the student will be contacted from OCS to sign a Release of Information (ROI) form to the requesting body. OCS issues a Dean’s Certificate that would denote whether the student has a disciplinary record, details of the violation, and the length of time. More information about a Dean’s Certificate can be found here.