This message was sent to a group of student organization presidents and their advisors.
Dear Student Organization Leaders and Advisors,
Last week, you received letters from the Dean of Students Office about the Student Conduct Process following the removal of the encampment. In any Student Conduct Process, our goal is to educate our students about university policies and instill an understanding of their responsibility as a member of our DePaul community. I understand you may have questions about our process and wanted to share more information to clarify our intended outcomes.
Your student organization was one of eight that received letters because it was identified as having a role in establishing the encampment. In the letter we sent, we asked you to schedule an initial meeting with the Dean of Students Office by Friday of this week. We very much appreciate you all responding promptly to our request.
The purpose of this meeting is to explain the Student Conduct Process, including your organization’s rights and answer your questions. Additional information about what to expect as part of this first conversation can be found in the Initial Meetings section of the Code of Student Responsibility in the Student Handbook.
I would like to note that the Student Conduct Process covers individual students and student organizations. We are currently pursuing this process only for student organizations. The process will determine whether a student organization violated university policies. If an organization is found in violation of policy, any sanction would be issued to the organization, not an individual member of the organization. You can learn more in the Student Organization section of the Student Handbook.
I also want to address questions about the advisor’s role in the process. The advisor is responsible for keeping the best interests of the student organization in mind. At times, the advisor may need to remind the student organization about university policies and guidelines to avoid violations. The role of an advisor is not disciplinary. For more information, please visit the Advisor Expectations & Responsibilities page on the Student Involvement website. At this time, it is important that our advisors be aware of the correspondence issued by the Dean of Students Office and understand the next steps in the process.
When the Dean of Students Office meets with your organization, you can discuss the advisor’s role and expectations throughout the rest of the process. You may decide to select another individual to serve as advisor in the conduct process. Please note that an advisor in the conduct process must be a member of the university community. This individual may attend related conduct meetings to advise the organization president but may not directly engage in the hearing process. For additional information, please see Definitions: Advisor.
Ultimately, as a result of participating in this process, we hope the organizations will better understand how university policies help ensure a safe environment where everyone has access to university life and an opportunity to learn and thrive. I hope this information is helpful and addresses the concerns shared. Should you have any additional questions or concerns I encourage to contact the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@depaul.edu.
Sincerely,
Veep Gene