Misconduct Procedures
Community Standards and Code of Conduct: Student organization officers and members serve as role models at the University of Baltimore. All students are expected to follow the University of Baltimore Code of Conduct found in the Student Rights and Responsibilities Guide at http://www.ubalt.edu/campus-life/student-handbook.cfm.
Any violations of the UB Code of Conduct will be adjudicated through the student conduct process in accordance with university policy.
The University of Baltimore’s jurisdiction shall extend to all behavior by any undergraduate or graduate student and/or student organization that occurs on University property, at University-sponsored activities, on University-sponsored trips or functions, and to off-campus conduct detrimental to University interests.
Therefore, the University of Baltimore may impose sanctions against a student or student organization for the violation of any student regulations that occur on campus. 9.2.2 Sanctions also may be imposed against a student or student organization for the violation of any regulations that occur off campus when the alleged conduct would impair, interfere with, or obstruct the missions, processes or functions of the University, or when the alleged conduct would, if true, endanger the health, safety or welfare of the student or others, or would endanger any University property.
Violations of the Student Organization Handbook will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
When a potential violation occurs, the involved student(s) and/or student group executive members will be required to attend a meeting with a Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion staff member. After that meeting, the staff member will determine if a violation occurred and assign sanctions as appropriate.
Sanctions can include, but are not limited to: warning/reprimand, involvement restrictions, loss of privilege, suspension from organization activities, and/or removal from office.
Students will be notified in writing of the decision and any sanctions assigned. Appeals of student organization policy violations may be submitted, in writing, to the Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion within five business days of the decision letter.
All communication and information regarding a policy violation will be stored in the organization’s file within the Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion and may be shared with the organization’s advisor.
Potential violations may be reported to CSEI in writing by any member of the UB community; a formal written report may also be written by CSEI staff following verbal notification of a potential violation.
Community members who need to report a possible violation should contact the CSEI at studentorgs@ubalt.edu.
Once a report is received, the Director (or designee) will review all information, and if warranted open an investigation.
Notice of Potential Violation: If information in a report or subsequent investigation indicates a violation may have occurred, written notice outlining the potential violation will be given to the involved parties and the advisor of the organization involved. The parties involved will be given five (5) business days to review the allegation and respond.
A conference (or conferences) with the involved parties, the advisor, and Director for the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee) will be scheduled to discuss any potential violation, hear any rebuttal/response to the allegation, and gather additional information regarding the allegation.
Failure of any party to attend a scheduled conference will result in the conference proceeding in the absence of that party. Rescheduling of conferences is at the discretion of the Director and is generally limited to academic conflicts, work commitments and emergency situations.
Within five (5) business days of the final conference pertaining to the allegation, the Director for the Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee) will issue a written decision outlining the resolution of the allegation. If no violation is found to have occurred, the decision will indicate as such and no sanctions will be applied to those parties found without violation. If a preponderance of the information available indicates a violation occurred, the decision will outline the specific nature of the violation and any sanction(s) being applied.
When a potential violation is found to involve the Student Code of Conduct, State or Federal Law, or if it is otherwise recommended by CSEI, the Office of Student Success and Dean of Students and/or the University of Baltimore Police Department will be notified before a decision is made.
Sanctions may be issued by the Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee) when it is found that a violation has occurred. Below is a list of possible sanctions that CSEI may apply.
The sanctioning official has discretion to determine what sanction is appropriate to the violation. Repeated or egregious violations generally result in sanctions of increased severity. Situations involving multiple violations generally involve sanctions of increased severity or number.
Common sanctions issued to individuals and/or organizations are listed below. Available sanctions are not limited to those listed.
In the event of suspected criminal behavior or potential threats to health and/or safety, CSEI, in consultation with the Office of Student Success and the Dean of Students, may immediately issue sanctions up to and including suspension of an organization’s active status and/or suspension of an individual’s organizational membership without following the above resolution procedures. In these instances, a conference will be scheduled to resolve the matter as soon as is practical and the interim sanctions will remain in effect pending the outcome of that conference.
The involved parties have the right to appeal all decisions made by the Director of Student Engagement and Inclusion (or designee).
All appeals must be submitted in writing to the Director, Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion within five (5) business days of the date the written decision is issued.
Appeals should indicate the specific grounds on which the appeal is based and present supporting information for that claim. Acceptable grounds for appeal include
1) New information, not available at the time of the conference, which may have an impact the outcome
2) Procedural error which impacted fairness of the process
3) Severity of sanction assigned is incongruent with the offense.
Once an appeal is received, the Director will first determine whether valid grounds for appeal exist. If the grounds for appeal are found to be valid, the Director will reconsider the matter or designate a staff member in CSEI or another University office to do so.
University of Baltimore non-discrimination statement and policies
Student organizations must comply with the University non-discrimination statement and policies:
The University of Baltimore is committed to providing a working and learning environment, free from all types of discrimination prohibited by State and Federal laws, including discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. State and Federal laws prohibiting discrimination on these bases include, but are not limited to: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as amended ("Title IX"); Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and Title 20 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland..
Title IX prohibits sex discrimination and provides, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The University’s requirement not to discriminate on the basis of sex extends to admission and employment.
The University has implemented policies prohibiting discrimination on these bases and procedures for resolving complaints of discrimination. Inquiries or complaints regarding sex discrimination prohibited by Title IX, including Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct should be directed immediately to the Title IX coordinator, Suzanne Tabor, phone: 410.837.5036, T9@ubalt.edu. Please see the Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct Policy. Inquiries or complaints regarding Title IX may also be directed to the Assistant Secretary for the Department of Education. The local Office of Civil Rights for the Department of Education is located at: The Office of Civil Rights, Philadelphia Office, U.S. Department of Education, The Wanamaker Building, Suite 515, 100 Penn Square East, Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323, OCR.Philadelphia@ed.gov. Please visit the Sexual Harassment and Other Sexual Misconduct Policy for a listing of other external offices that accept and review complaints of sex discrimination.
Inquiries or complaints regarding other forms of discrimination, such as complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or other legally protected characteristics should be directed immediately to the following offices: For complaints of discrimination perpetrated by a student: Dean of Students, Office of Student Support, Academic Center, Room 112, phone: 410.837.4755, studentsupport@ubalt.edu; please see the Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedures – Complaints Against Students. Complaints of discrimination perpetrated by an employee or third party: Office of Human Resources, Charles Royal Building, Third Floor, 410.837.5410, hr@ubalt.edu; please see the Non-Discrimination Policy and Procedures – Complaints Against Non-Students. Please visit these non-discrimination policies for a listing of external offices that also accept and review complaints of discrimination on these bases.
Student Membership: Student organizations may set GPA and judicial requirements for members to hold leadership within their organization. Any such stipulations should be outlined in the student organization constitution. Student organization officers are responsible for ensuring compliance with any such requirements by requesting members to submit copies of transcripts.
In order to avoid a conflict of interest, students who are permanent or contractual, full-time or part-time employees of the University of Baltimore, excluding student assistants and graduate assistants, may not run for, or serve in an executive position in a student organization. Executive positions include, but are not limited to, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (or equivalent). These employees may, however, participate in student organizations as non-executive members, and are therefore eligible for any benefits non-executive members receive.
Affiliated Membership: Organizations may find value in having staff, faculty, alumni or community members participate in the organization’s activities; however, these individuals cannot hold voting rights or hold an officer position.
