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Community Standards

Community Standards
Office of Community Standards

2.4 | Community Standards 

2.4.A | The Office of Community Standards enforces behavioral standards developed by the University community for students, student organizations, and the related procedures for addressing misconduct. Students should be aware that the Student Conduct process is not a criminal or civil court proceeding.

2.4.B | The attendance of a student at a university is a voluntary entrance into the academic community. By such entrance, the student voluntarily assumes obligations of performance and behavior reasonably imposed by the University. These obligations are generally much higher than those imposed on all citizens by the civil and criminal law. A university may discipline students to secure compliance with these higher obligations as a teacher method or to sever the student from the academic community.

2.4.C | Students and student organizations are responsible for actions that constitute misconduct, and violate rules outlined within the Student Handbook. Any student or student organization found responsible for misconduct may be subject to Student Conduct sanctions. The University provides a fair and equitable Student Conduct process, utilizing a thorough, neutral, and impartial investigation, from which a prompt resolution is generated.

2.4.D | The Office of Community Standards, and related offices, seek to educate students about their rights and responsibilities while prompting holistic development, self-worth, and mutual respect for all members of the University community. Freedom of discussion, inquiry, and expression is also fostered by an environment in which the privileges of citizenship are protected, and the obligations of citizens are understood.

2.4.E | The Office of Community Standards is committed to an educational and developmental process that balances the interests of individual students with the interests of the University community. No student will be found in violation by university policy, procedure, or rule without sufficient information, and evidence showing that it is more likely than not that a violation occurred. Any sanctions will be proportionate to the violation's severity and to the student's cumulative conduct history.

2.4.F | The Office of Community Standards exists to protect the interests of the community and to challenge those whose behavior is not in accordance with our rules. Sanctions are intended to challenge students' moral and ethical decision-making, and to help bring their behavior into accord with our community expectations and values. When a student is unable to conform their behavior to community expectations, the Student Conduct process may determine that the student should no longer share the privilege of participating in this community.

2.4.G | Disciplinary Authority: The authority to enact A&M System policy is vested in the Board of Regents. The responsibility for implementing and enforcing System policy and regulations and imposing penalties is delegated to the President of the University and any university officials and President designates. The Vice President (VP) for the Division of Student Affairs, or designee, shall implement the student discipline procedures. The VP of Student Affairs, the Assistant VP of Student Affairs, or designee, will assume responsibility for the investigation of an allegation of misconduct to determine if the complaint has merit.

2.4.H | Jurisdiction: The Student Handbook shall apply to conduct that occurs on university premises, at university-sponsored activities, or at any other activity which adversely affects the University community and/or the pursuit of its objectives and mission. This action may be taken for either affiliated or non-affiliated activities.

  1. Using their sole discretion, the VP of Student Affairs, or designee, shall decide whether the Student Handbook shall be applied to conduct occurring outside of university premises.
  2. The University may act in situations occurring off university premises involving:
    1. Student misconduct demonstrating flagrant disregard for any persons; or
    2. When a student's or student organization's behavior is judged to threaten the health, safety, and/or property of any individual or group.

2.4.I | Timeline: It is recommended that reports of alleged violations of the Student Handbook should be received by the Office of Community Standards within ten (10) university working days of the alleged incident to initiate Student Conduct procedures.

  1. There is no time limit on reporting vioaltions; however, the longer someone waits to report an offense, the more difficult it becomes to obtain information and evidence regarding the incident(s).
  2. Incident(s) should be resolved within sixty (60) days of notice regarding the incident, not including appeal. This timeline may vary depending on the availability of students to participate in the process, availability of evidence, delays for concurrent criminal investigations, breaks between academic semesters, and other delays.

2.4.J | Notice: Notice is deemed to have been properly provided when written notification is sent to the student's official assigned WTAMU email address, placed in First Class U.S. Mail, campus mail, or personally delivered to the student no less than five (5) university working days prior to the scheduled appearance. The failure of a student to receive notice which is properly delivered does not prevent the Student Conduct proceedings from being carried out. After proper notice has been given to the student, the Student Conduct officer or designee may proceed with the review process and may issue a failure to comply code violation against the student. Note: Students are required to keep their most current email address, local address, permanent address, and cell phone number updated in the student records system at: https://www.wtamu.edu/webres/File/Reg%20Change%20of%20Stu%20Info%20Form%202_6_2019.pdf. 

2.4.K | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Annually, WTAMU informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), as amended. This act, with which the institution intends to comply fully, was designated to protect the privacy of education records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings, and to submit an explanatory statement for inclusion in the education record if the outcome of the hearing is unsatisfactory.

  1. Students have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act Office of the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the act. Written complaints should be directed to:
    1. Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202-5920.
  2. Local rule/procedure explains in detail the procedures to be used by the institution for compliance with provisions of the act. Copies of the policy may be obtained at the Office of the Registrar, located in Old Main, Room 103 on the WTAMU Campus. Students have the right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.
  3. A school official is:
    1. A person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff);
    2. A person or company with whom the University has contracted (such as attorney, auditor, or collection agent);
    3. A person serving on the Board of Regents; or
    4. A student serving on an official committe, such as disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing their tasks.
  4. A school official has a legitimate education interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill their professional responsibility. Upon request, the University discloses education records without the consent of officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
  5. According to FERPA, the University may release information without the student's written consent to the following:
    1. School officials, as identified by the University, determined by the University to have a legitimate education interest.
    2. Officials of the other institutions in which the students seek to enroll.
    3. Persons or organizations providing to the student financial aid or determining financial aid decisions.
    4. Parents of the student who have established that student's status as a dependent according to IRS code of 1986, Section 152.
    5. Persons in compliance with judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena.
    6. Persons in an emergency, if the knowledge of information, in fact, is necessary to protect the health or safety of the student and/or other persons.
    7. Directory information may be disclosed unless the students or parents' request, in writing, the specific information not be divulged. Requests must be filed with the Office of the Registrar by the twelfth (12th) class day of each semester. For more information go to: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/ferpa/index.html. Directory information includes a student's name, gender, local, and permanent address, telephone number, date, and the place of birth, marital status, major field of study, classification, enrollment status (full-time, part-time, undergraduate, graduate) participation in recognized activities and sports, height and weight (if a member of an athletic team), date of attendance, degrees, awards, and honors received, the most recent educational institution attended, and other information which would make the student's identify easily traceable.

2.4.M | Reporter: While WT maintains the individual confidentiality of reporters, the Office of Community Standards can disclose the source who reported the alleged misconduct. Reporters are broken down into one of the following sources:

  1. Student
  2. Staff/Faculty/University Police Department
  3. Alumni
  4. Community Member