Converse has a strong tradition and history of personal honor and accountability. The Honor Tradition clearly states, “This tradition encompasses all areas of student life and is built on mutual trust and responsibility.” Civitas Council is composed of students and staff whose responsibility it is to determine, by measure of preponderance of evidence, whether a student is or is not responsible for violating the Student Code of Conduct. Civitas Council is advised by a member of the Student Development staff who is charged with providing guidance and support to the Civitas Chair to ensure that the process is fair and materially follows the procedure set forth below to ensure adequate due process. The ultimate authority of the Student Code of Conduct and its outcomes resides with the President of the University.
Each student of Converse, by virtue of enrolling, is bound by, commits to abide by, and strives to actively support the Student Code of Conduct for Converse. The strength of our sense of community is based on student mutual respect for and commitment to the ideals of the system. At the beginning of each year, members of the elected Civitas Council will strive to actively remind the student body of the policies and procedures of the Student Code of Conduct.
Civitas Council Members
The Civitas Council has fourteen members composed of the Civitas Chair, four representatives each from the Senior, Junior, Sophomore classes, and two representatives from the First-year class. These members are elected by the members of the undergraduate student body to serve a term of one academic year on the Civitas Council. Methods for these elections are outlined in the Constitution of the Student Government Association. In addition, three members of the University staff will be appointed for staggered three-year terms, upon recommendation of the Staff Council President and the Dean of Students and with the approval of the President.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A VIOLATION
Students are advised to reference the specific infractions to the student code of conduct that is outlined in detail in this document. This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Violations of Converse’s Sex & Gender Discrimination and Harassment Policy that do not rise to the level, meet the jurisdiction requirements, or otherwise fail to meet the criteria to move forward under that policy’s Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedures, and violations of Converse’s Non-Discrimination Policies, may be deemed violations of this Policy and be processed as described in the procedure herein.
REPORTING A VIOLATION OF THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
In order to preserve the effectiveness of the Student Code of Conduct, reporting a violation of the system is of utmost importance. Faculty, instructors, staff, and students are expected to report probable violations, within a reasonable timeframe, to the appropriate individual(s).
- If a faculty member, instructor, student, or staff member suspects a violation, they should document the concerns and confront the student as soon as possible. The accusing person may contact the respondent student(s). The accusing person may explain the charge and ask the respondent student to make contact with the Civitas Chair. The accusing person will then notify the Civitas Chair of the meeting and the charge.
- Documentation of the incident in question should be made by all parties, including key information related to those involved, the nature of the incident with details on where, when, and what. This information may be reported via the incident report form available online, a Residential Life Occurrence Form, a Campus Safety report, or through e-mail to civitas@converse.edu. Additional documents or evidence should be given directly to the Resolution Coordinator (RC) or designee.
- The Resolution Coordinator, in collaboration with the Civitas Chair and/or Vice-Chair, as needed, will review submitted documents and conduct an initial investigation to determine if there is sufficient evidence to move forward with a case.