Issues of Violence

The table below presents typical sanctions for violations that relate to violence. Normally allegations of these violations result in hearings before the Vice President for Student Affairs or his designee. The sanctions indicated below are typical for the offenses and may vary according to the individual history of the responsible student and the circumstances surrounding the event. These offenses seldom occur as isolated incidents, but are usually part of a set of violations that may increase the severity of the event and also the sanction.

Violence Related Offenses and Sanctions
Violation Qualifier Sanction Circumstances

Aggravated Sexual Assault
Genital fondling, penetration
University suspension or expulsion
Mitigating circumstances might suggest that a future return to the university is possible.

Assault - 1 Unprivileged touching, no hitting or other attack
Residence or university probation
Depends on circumstances surrounding incident and individual’s history.

Assault - 2 Any attack on persons
University suspension or expulsion.
Mitigating circumstances might suggest that a future return to the university is possible.

Assault – 1 or 2 University official (including R.A.’s and other student workers.)
University suspension or expulsion
Mitigating circumstances might suggest that a future return to the university is possible.

Mutual Assault “Mutual Combat” –no clear instigator
Residence or university probation or suspension
Depends upon severity of incident (injuries, duration, etc.) and individual records

Possession of Prohibited Weapons
Listed in Anti-Violence Policy
University probation Individual history, knowledge of policy and type of weapon.
There’s a difference between a jackknife that happens to be too long and a pistol.

Sexual Assault Unwanted touching,fondling
Residence suspension/university probation
Depends upon individual record

Threat – Directed Used in attempt to intimidate an individual
Residence or university suspension
Depends upon individual history

Threat Not directed – tossed out as general comment
Residence or university probation
Depends upon severity and individual history

Use of prohibited weapon
Any act of violence using a prohibited weapon
University suspension or expulsion
Mitigating circumstances might suggest that a future return to the university is possible.

Any repeated offenses would be likely to result in university suspension or expulsion.

All conduct code violations that relate to violence are reported to the university’s Anti-Violence Team. Students or staff members are required to participate in any counseling or program the Team mandates after reviewing the reports of an incident and a person’s record of reports. The Anti-Violence Team may act before disciplinary proceedings are concluded. It also receives reports regarding behaviors that indicate a tendency toward violence even if these are no violations of the code of conduct and may refer students or staff to a meeting as a result of those reports.

Students are responsible for the conduct of their guests. If your guest is responsible for an act of violence, as noted above, then you are responsible for a violation of the guest policy. How severely you might be sanctioned would depend in large measure of the care you were taking to exercise some control of your guest and to what extent you were also a part of the incident. If you are with your guest when the incident occurs, trying to keep the guest in line but not succeeding, that is less serious than if you are across campus and exercising no control whatsoever. Of course, there are levels of responsibility in between those extremes.