Guide to Policy Violations
(Frequently Asked Questions)
I have been referred to the Dean of Students office because I was in an incident. What happens next?
You will be contacted by the Dean of Students office via e-mail or phone to set up an appointment with
your Area Coordinator, Peer Conduct Board, or a member of the Dean of Student’s staff. Typically, you
will be contacted a few business days after the incident has occurred. Thus, if you were in an incident
that occurred over the weekend, you will be contacted by Wednesday or Thursday. Call the Dean of
Students office at (203) 254-4211 with any questions or to make an appointment.
What do I need to do to prepare for my meeting?
Before your meeting, you should review the Code of Conduct. It explains your rights as a student and
goes over the process in detail.
What happens at this meeting?
The purpose of the meeting is to give students the opportunity to be heard and to review/explain your
involvement in the incident. Our goal is not to be punitive, but to provide a space for the student(s) to
explain the behavior, decision-making process, and how the incident impacts the community. The
professional member will listen to the student(s), read the report, and make a decision of responsibility.
If the student(s) are found responsible, the administrator will assign appropriate sanctions.
How will sanctions be determined?
Once all information has been shared, the staff member or Peer Conduct Board will make a decision
regarding the policies and if appropriate, issue sanctions. Sanctions are intended to be educational in
nature so that students learn from the experience and behavior(s) are not repeated in the future. Please
review the sanctions chart as a guide for the range of sanctions based on your history and violation. The
Dean of Students office (or agent of the office) has full discretion when deciding on sanctions.
When do I have to pay a fine?
Fines are typically assigned to student(s) who are found responsible for violating our guest policy, off
campus misconduct policy, alcohol and drug policies, and health and safety policies. Higher fines are
given when students are engaging in risky behavior, such as using and abusing hard alcohol. Fines must
be paid within 20 days of their issuance.
What if my case is referred to the Peer Conduct Board?
The Peer Conduct Board enables students to undertake the responsibility of self-discipline. Selected,
trained, and charged by the Office of the Dean of Students, the Peer Conduct Board can serve as a
student conduct hearing body for alleged violations that could result in a penalty of less severity than
dismissal. The dean or designee(s) may refer cases to the Peer Conduct Board or accept a student’s
request to have the Peer Conduct Board hear his or her case.
Will my parents be notified?
Possibly. FERPA (Family and Educational Rights and Privacy Act) makes exceptions for disseminating
information to students’ parents or legal guardians. By way of example, parents of students under the
age of 21 will be notified of behavior determined to be in violation of Fairfield’s alcohol or drug policies.
Such notification occurs at the conclusion of the student conduct process. Further, the Office of the
Dean of Students reserves the right to notify parents or guardians in the event of a health or safety
emergency regarding their student. It is recommended that students inform their parents of all incidents
that result in conduct sanctions.
What happens if I’m arrested off campus?
Since the standards of conduct apply to all students of the University both on and off campus, students
arrested for criminal offenses (misdemeanor or felony) are subject to disciplinary action on campus.
Police or court reports or documents, reports from University officials, or student complaints may be
considered when reviewing allegations of off-campus misconduct.
If I am referred to the DOS office, will there be a record of this incident?
Conduct records will be kept, per federal regulations, for seven years after graduation. Students should
be aware that they may be asked to report disciplinary records to employers, study abroad programs,
graduate schools or other stakeholders.
Do I get in trouble if I call to help out my friend in need?
If a student brings another student to the Health Center or calls Public Safety because of concerns about
alcohol or drug consumption, if a student brings him/herself to the Health Center for such reasons or
calls Public Safety for help, or if a student initiates getting help for another student by contacting
University officials, those students generally will not be subject to formal disciplinary action. The fear of,
or concern about, the potential student conduct process should not deter students from seeking
appropriate medical or personal assistance.
Can I appeal the Code of Conduct decision?
Students may appeal a disciplinary adjudication within seven business days from the date the student is
informed of the original decision. The appeal must be in writing and submitted to the vice president for
student affairs. Appeals may be made by either the complainant or the accused on the basis of newly
discovered evidence that was not available at the time of the original disciplinary hearing, or based upon
a substantial error in the disciplinary proceedings. Students cannot appeal a sanction.