Student Conduct Committee discusses Senate’s Student Collective Resolution

This is the committee that the Board of Trustees established to replace the former Senate committee, when they took power for student discipline away from the faculty back in 2015. Its mission:

The Student Conduct Committee shall be responsible for recommending to the Board of Trustees of the University of Oregon policy or administrative changes in any aspect of the Student Conduct Program …

a. With the consent of the President of the University, the Student Conduct Committee may sub-delegate jurisdiction to handle violations of the Student Conduct Code to University officials, committees or alternative processes. In all instances such sub-delegation shall be defined by the Committee in terms of specific jurisdiction, enforceable regulations, and maximum disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed.

The Board wants to consider changes to the Student Conduct code in March. Sandy Weintraub runs the meeting in the absence of a quorum to elect a chair. There are two Emerald reporters here.

There is some preliminary discussion of the Senate resolution, which states:

2.3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate calls on the the Student Conduct Code and Community Standards Committee to ensure that the Student Conduct Code is revised to include student peers in judgements on disciplinary cases involving free speech, as required by the Policy on Academic Freedom. Given the importance of free speech and academic freedom, the Senate urges the Committee to develop Student Conduct Code procedures distinct from standard discipline charges; and

The wonderful “I hit it first” episode comes up as an example of how the exercise of free speech may inspire multiple charges from the Conduct Office. Link here.

Discussion revolved around the possibility to use the appeals process to get peer representation. But there are very limited opportunities for appeal in the current code, which essentially gives the Student Conduct Code Administrator the power to reject a University Appeals Board decision.

The Committee agreed to postpone additional discussion until the next meeting, with student members present. The committee will meet again Feb 16.