1. If you are referred, you will receive a notification of referral letter which will review the nature of the allegations and conduct code violations, a copy of the incident report detailing the alleged misconduct, a copy of the Judicial Expectations Handbook, and a request to meet with the Coordinator of Student Judicial Affairs or designee.

 
2. You will receive a timely hearing.

3. If you are referred, you are STRONGLY urged to attend the hearing. If you do not request a change of hearing time and elect not to attend, the hearing will still occur and sanctions will be applied as appropriate.

4. You are not required to admit accountability for any behavior during a hearing.

5. An Administrative Hearing Officer or a campus judicial committee determines a referred student's accountability in a hearing based on the preponderance of the information and evidence presented.

6. You may, when recognized by the Committee Chair, ask questions of the referring parties or witnesses in your own behalf. Questioning will be conducted in a civil manner as defined by the Committee Chair who will also determine the relevance of questions posed by all parties.

7. Each hearing will be tape-recorded and the tape will be maintained in accordance with the time allocated for potential appeal. In the event of the imposition of suspension or removal from the University or eviction from the residence halls for 10 days or more, or expulsion or dismissal from the institution as sanctions**, this tape will be transcribed. The Coordinator of Student Judicial Affairs will maintain both the original tape and hard copy transcription for the current academic year. All tapes remain the property of Southwest Minnesota State University and appropriate access to these materials is pursued through the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.
**When a referral is also subject to a court proceeding, or when the behavior is such that suspension of more than ten days or dismissal from the University may result as a sanction, the referred student is encouraged to consider having an attorney present.

8. You may bring in a third party to act as an advisor if desired.*** Examples of such an advisor could include another student, a staff or faculty member, or attorney***. This advisor is not an active participant in the hearing and may not engage in questioning or interrogation of other parties. The advisor’s function is one of support to you: the advisor may suggest areas of ques¬tioning for you to pursue, may seek clarification of particular questions so that you might most accurately respond, or may assist you in fully conveying your input to the Committee.
***If a third party advisor is to be an attorney, the student must so inform the Coordinator of Student Judicial Affairs.

9. Reasonable sanctions and expectations will be established which will directly relate to the behaviors that caused the referral.

10. The hearing committee will act in good faith with you and strive to maintain confidentiality regarding judicial referrals and matters discussed within a hearing as permitted by law. You need to understand that you are encouraged to uphold this same standard of confidentiality.

11. You will be provided information on how to pursue the appropriate avenues of appeal.