HEARING OFFICERS
The conduct system involves hearing officers from the Dean of Students Office and Student Living & Learning, hearing/appeal boards, Advisors, and the Provost. The Dean of Students Office shall have initial jurisdiction in alleged violations of the Student Conduct Code. The object is to settle issues as informally as possible but to ensure fairness to all parties. Disciplinary cases are heard first in the Dean of Students Office, and civil cases (including student government disputes) are heard first by the Judicial Board. Hearing officers will issue determinations of responsibility and assign sanctions, either of which may be appealed to a board. All decisions of boards are recommended to the Dean of Students Office for implementation. The standard of proof in RPI's conduct system is a preponderance of the evidence. 

HEARING BOARDS
There are several hearing boards that will hear and/or review the decision of the Dean of Students Office or other Institute action. In certain instances, these boards may hear a case without a judicial inquiry; these are:

• Cases between students or student groups, including all student government disputes.
• Cases referred directly to a hearing board by the Dean of Students Office. However, such a referral would only be due to rare and/or extenuating circumstances.
• Cases involving appeals of parking tickets issued by RPI Office of Auxiliary Services.

Hearing boards will hear cases depending upon their nature and may issue determinations of responsibility and assign sanctions. Both parties involved have the option to accept the decision of the hearing board or, where an appeal is allowed, appeal to the Review Board. If both parties accept the board's decision, it stands as final.

Hearing boards are governed by their own bylaws. To request a hearing of one of these boards you must provide a written request, per the previous specifications, within three (3) Institute business days of notification of the prior judicial decision.

JUDICIAL BOARD (“J-BOARD”)
The Judicial Board has jurisdiction in alleged violations of the Student Conduct Code by students or groups except where other Institute policies or procedures grant jurisdiction to other panels (e.g., Sexual Misconduct Policy), and in cases between students/groups. The Judicial Board is comprised of seven students. Further responsibilities of the Judicial Board may be defined in the RPI Union Constitution.

APPEAL BOARD
The finding issued and sanction(s) assigned within the Student Conduct System may be appealed as defined below. A student may request an appeal to the appropriate appeal-level judicial body through the hearing officer or Director of Student Conduct. Appeal requests must be submitted in writing from the appellant specifically, within the time limit designated; must include the specific reasons/rationale and supporting information for requesting an appeal and can be only for the reasons/grounds stated subsequently. Upon receipt of the appeal request, the appropriate appeal-level judicial body will proceed accordingly. If an appeal request is not submitted according to the above requirements and by the date and time designated, or not accepted by the appeal-level board, the previous decision stands as final and the matter cannot be further appealed.

ADVISOR
All students and organizations involved in the Student Conduct process have the right to seek assistance from a member of the full-time faculty, professional staff, or from a full-time RPI student or Student Judicial Advisor (SJA) if they desire. This advisor may attend the hearing and/or appeal with the student but may not speak for (in place of) the student or otherwise participate in the process. Each student may have only one individual serving as advisor.

Individuals external to the campus may not participate or be present throughout the student conduct process except as authorized by the Director of Student Conduct.

LEGAL COUNSEL
Requests for an attorney to be present to advise an accused student will be considered only in instances where the student has been arrested or has had a criminal complaint filed against them. If it is determined that a student will be permitted to have an attorney present, the student must notify the Director of Student Conduct in writing, a minimum of 72 hours in advance of the hearing, indicating the name, business address, and phone number of the attorney who will be in attendance.

The role of an attorney is limited in the student conduct process. The attorney may be present only to advise the accused student and can confer with the student during the student conduct proceeding. However, the attorney is not entitled to address the hearing officer or board and may not communicate specific questions, responses, or statements for the student. Moreover, all correspondence regarding the judicial matter, including the filing of an appeal, must come directly from the student(s) involved. Institute officials involved in the student conduct system may elect to discuss procedural matters with attorneys. However, as a general practice, communication and inquiries from attorneys will be referred directly to Institute Legal Counsel.