Frequently Asked Questions

The Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities (OSRR) receives referrals from all over campus including Residence Life, Faculty, University Police, and Staff. When a referral is received the OSRR reviews the documentation and determines if it constitutes a potential violation of the Student Code of Conduct.

If a violation is alleged, you will receive a link in your student e-mail to a secure letter that will give you a date and time for a disciplinary conference with the Assistant Dean for Student Rights & Responsibilities or the Dean of Students. If you receive a notice from our office you will be contacted with a scheduled time for a meeting that fits your current academic schedule. Meetings are generally held between the hours of 8:00AM and 5:00PM Monday through Friday.

We are located in Siemens Hall, Room 211 and our phone number is 707-826-3504.

Please follow this flow-chart that highlights the key components of the student conduct process.

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A disciplinary conference is an opportunity for you to discuss the incident with the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities or Dean of Students. Disciplinary conferences are usually scheduled for an hour. You will be able to present any relevant information, evidence, or witnesses. Sanction recommendations will take into account honesty, cooperation, the preponderance of evidence and your disciplinary history.

At the conclusion of a disciplinary conference, appropriate sanctions may be proposed if it is believed that a violation of the Student Code of Conduct occurred.  These sanctions are proposed in the form of a settlement agreement that you would be given the opportunity to sign if you agreed with the terms of that agreement.  If a resolution is not reached in a disciplinary conference, the matter will proceed to a hearing.

If you elect to go to a hearing or do not respond to the request for a disciplinary conference, your entire student conduct file will be reviewed by a hearing officer. Hearing officers are faculty or staff at Humboldt that are trained in hearing student conduct cases. You will have a chance to present witnesses and information to the hearing officer for their consideration. You are able to have a person with you to serve in an advising capacity, but you will be responsible for presenting your own case to the hearing officer. The hearing officer's decision is then sent to the Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs for review. That decision can be upheld, rejected, or modified.  You will then get the outcome of the hearing sent to you electronically by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. Failure to attend the conduct hearing can result in the hearing proceedings taking place without your input into the matter. 

Our approach to sanctioning is driven by an educational philosophy that aims to address student conduct policy violations through a developmental lens. We administer the disciplinary process through a fair and impartial process with the goal of fostering ethical development, the personal integrity of students, due process and fair resolution for violations. The Assistant Dean or Hearing Officer may impose one or more sanctions as appropriate for the student and the community well-being. The following sanctions may be applied;

1. Restitution. Compensation for loss, damages or injury. This may include appropriate service and/or monetary material replacement.
2. Loss of Financial Aid. Scholarships, loans, grants, fellowships and any other types of state financial aid given or guaranteed for the purposes of academic assistance can be conditioned, limited, canceled or denied.
3. Educational and Remedial Sanctions. Assignments, such as work, research, essays, service to the University or the community, training, counseling, removal from participation in recognized student clubs and organizations (e.g., fraternities and sororities), and/or University events, or other remedies intended to discourage similar misconduct or as deemed appropriate based upon the nature of the violation.
4. Denial of Access to Campus or Persons. A designated period of time during which the Student is not permitted: (i) on University Property or specified areas of Campus;8 or (ii) to have contact (physical or otherwise) with the Complainant, witnesses or other specified persons.
5. Disciplinary Probation. A designated period of time during which privileges of continuing in Student status are conditioned upon future behavior. Conditions may include the potential loss of specified privileges to which a current Student would otherwise be entitled, or the probability of more severe disciplinary sanctions if the Student is found to violate the Student Conduct Code or any University policy during the probationary period.
6.  Suspension. Temporary separation of the Student from active Student status or Student status.
   1. A Student who is suspended for less than one academic year shall be placed on inactive Student (or equivalent) status (subject to individual Campus policies) and remains eligible to re-enroll at the University (subject to individual Campus enrollment policies) once the suspension has been served. Conditions for re-enrollment may be specified.
   2. A Student who is suspended for one academic year or more shall be separated from Student status but remains eligible to reapply to the University (subject to individual Campus application policies) once the suspension has been served. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
   3. Suspension of one academic year or more, withdrawals in lieu of suspension, and withdrawals with pending misconduct investigations or disciplinary proceedings shall be entered on the Student’s transcript permanently without exception; this requirement shall not be waived in connection with a resolution agreement.
7. Expulsion. Permanent separation of the Student from Student status from the California State University system. Expulsion, withdrawal in lieu of expulsion, and withdrawal with pending misconduct investigation or disciplinary proceeding shall be entered on the Student’s transcript permanently, without exception; this requirement shall not be waived in connection with a resolution agreement.

Sanction recommendations will take into account honesty, cooperation, level of involvement in the violation, actual and/or potential harm, severity and pervasiveness, preponderance of evidence and your disciplinary history. Impairment resulting from voluntary use of alcohol or drugs (i.e., other than medically necessary) will be considered an aggravating, and not a mitigating, factor.

After the incident has been adjudicated and resolved, you are entitled to request and receive a copy of your disciplinary file. You may submit a request to the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. To maintain confidentiality all information regarding other involved individuals will be redacted. 

If you wish to review the report prior to your student conduct meeting or hearing, you may do so by contacting the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. You will have the opportunity to take notes and write down any information that you wish; however, you may not have a redacted copy of the report until the matter is finalized through a settlement agreement or hearing. 

Record and files creating during the disciplinary process are "Education Records" under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and are generally protected from production to third parties without written consent from the student involved in the disciplinary process. Failure to comply with FERPA may result in loss of federal funding for a college campus.

Students may bring an advisor to the disciplinary conference or hearing for support and advice. However, students may not have an attorney as their advisor in the disciplinary conference or hearing. Exceptions to this are made in cases that involve pending felony charges in a court of law, or in which the University is proposing expulsion, or for Title IX cases. In these cases a student may have an attorney to serve as their advisor.  Students may always consult with an attorney before or after any proceedings. When you invite an advisor to a meeting you have provided authorization for that person to hear information regarding the incident in question.  

If a student fails to attend a disciplinary conference or comply with a sanction, a disciplinary hold will be placed on a student’s record until the matter is resolved. The hold will prevent students from being able to add or drop classes or obtain transcripts.

Remember it is your right to due process. Executive Order 1098r (PDF, req. Adobe Reader) contains the student conduct procedure for the California State University system. All 23 CSU campuses must afford students due process as established in Executive Order 1098.

When you are accused of plagiarism or academic dishonesty you will have to meet with the Assistant Dean of Students or Dean of Students. If you are found responsible you may be placed on disciplinary probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Alleged academic violations include collaboration, collusion, copying, plagiarism, utilizing unauthorized resources, etc. These are examples of academic misconduct that can be reported here.

• Link to Form

Alleged behavioral violations by an individual of the Student Code of Conduct (e.g. alcohol, disorderly conduct, drugs, failure to comply, theft, vandalism, weapons, violent acts or threats of violence, etc.).

• Link to Form

Outreach and referrals to appropriate resources for students in need of assistance outside of the classroom and their coursework (i.e., absences due to medical reasons or extenuating circumstances, reports of mental health concerns, basic needs access, and other issues of general concern).

• CARE Referrals from Humboldt Staff/Faculty and Off Campus Community
• CARE Student Self Referrals

Alleged violations of Humboldt's Sexual Misconduct Policy and/or the CSU Systemwide Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment, Retaliation, Sexual Misconduct, Dating and Domestic Violence, and Stalking should be reported here.

• Link to Form

Alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct by a registered student organization or multiple members of a registered student organization as a condition of potential membership (e.g. forced alcohol consumption, required physical activity, physical injury, confinement, etc).

• University Anti-Hazing Policy 
• Link to Form

Students who wish to receive a copy of their student conduct records from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities may do so here. 

• Link to Form

If this is an immediate concern about someone's health or safety - contact emergency services (9-1-1).

If you are unsure if this is a matter for emergency services, please contact U.P.D. at (707) 826-5555 - they will assist in determining the appropriate course of action.

How to Report - What to include and not include

• Select the appropriate category and proceed to fill out the form.
• Information to include:
• Student(s)’s first and last name along with their student identification number.
• Date, time and location (if known)
• Significant and direct quotes from involved parties
• Provide a complete description of the situation, incident/behavior, or concern
• Witness names and contact information (if known)
• If you have any additional documentation such as emails, texts, messages or word documents, please attach to the report.
• If you have concern about suicide or suicide ideation, contact University Police (x5555) who will assist in determing the appropriate course of action.
• Do Not Include:
  • Arm-Chair Diagnoses: Diagnoses must come from licenses individuals operating in their capacity as a health care professional. Unless the student(s) in question have self disclosed a diagnosis to you, please report the concerning behavior only (e.g. "Over the course of several weeks I have noticed the student has extreme mood swings, alternating between enthusiasm and apathy." but not "This student is manic depressive").
  • Opinions/Judgements about the students character, personality, identity or other personal characteristics not related to the concerning issue.

Please note: 

Lack of information will delay processing of referrals. It is extremely important that you include complete and detailed information. Please do not email reports, these reporting forms are a more secure and reliable method of getting us the information. 

Additionally, Students have a right to access their educational records, and these reports are a part of those records. As such, all reports are not confidential.