Please find below, frequently asked questions by students who have been charged through the campus conduct system.
What does it mean to be charged with violating the Code of Conduct?
A charge letter is sent when a complaint or report is filed claiming that you have violated one or more College regulations. The charge letter is the beginning of the formal conduct process. It is not a statement that you are responsible.
Why did my letter come from Maxient?
The campus manages the conduct process through a software platform called Maxient. Communication about your situation may come directly from the hearing officer’s campus email address or through the Maxient system (notifications@maxient.com).
What if I cannot meet at the scheduled time?
Attendance at this meeting is your responsibility; you need to contact the person with whom you are scheduled to meet to propose an alternative date and time.
Can someone be with me during the judicial process?
Yes – that person is called an advisor. The role of the advisor is to support you. While they can be present at any and all parts of your conduct process, they are not active participants. Other than speaking with and supporting you, they are not allowed to speak with others, ask questions, or otherwise join in the conduct process.
What does a conduct warning mean? What does conduct probation mean?
Students with conduct warning or conduct probation retain all the rights and responsibilities of a Potsdam student but the warning or probation serves as a strong notice to a student that their behavior is counter to the behavioral expectations of Potsdam students. Warning and probation differ in that probation is considered more serious and indicates that further violations of the code could result in separation from the Campus. In addition, certain offices or departments may restrict students on conduct probation from serving in student leadership positions.
A conduct warning or conduct probation is different from academic warning or academic probation, which are based on a student’s GPA.
Will my family, faculty, friends, etc. find out about my situation?
You can choose to share the information, but please be careful in how you do so in order to reduce rumors. Please consider how others might share your information.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards from sharing information without your permission.
Note: In order to participate in certain campus activities (for example, student drivers, study abroad, or certain student leadership positions) the approval/application process may include a check of your student conduct history. Similarly, certain occupational fields or graduate programs may also request that you sign a form to release information related to your student conduct history.
What Happens at a formal hearing?
A hearing is a formal process where a Hearing Officer/Board listens to all the facts associated with an incident with the intent of determining what happened. All parties directly involved make opening statements, each witness tells their "side of the story", and the Hearing Officer/Board can ask clarifying questions. After all testimony and evidence is heard, the Hearing Officer/Board will then make a decision about the charged student’s responsibility.
What if I Don't Like the Decision? There are three reasons to appeal a Hearing Officer's/Board's decision:
- That the sanction imposed is too severe for the incident.
- That your due process rights were ignored.
- You have found new evidence that you didn't know about at the hearing
You are not able to appeal a decision reached through the administrative agreement process.
I've been charged by the police and have to go to court downtown. Why have I been charged on-campus as well?
The Student Code of Conduct applies to student behavior both on and off campus. The College’s rules, regulations, and procedures are very different from the court system, and one doesn't take the place of the other. You may be charged through the campus conduct system even though you have to go to court for the same incident. The campus Code of Conduct applies to you as a student on- or off-campus.
Questions?
Should you have additional questions about the conduct system or process, please feel free to contact the Office of Student Conduct at (315) 267-2579 or at studentconduct@potsdam.edu.