Office of Student Conduct

Following a conduct outcome, a notice to your parents or guardian may be sent home if you are found responsible for violating the alcohol and/or drug policy. The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives West Chester University limited ability to notify parents when students under the age of 21 violate any law or policy concerning the use or possession of alcohol or a controlled substance. If you are independent, you can file a Proof of Independent Status form with our office to prevent the outcome from being sent.

Part of the mission of West Chester University is to educate students on civic engagement by becoming socially responsible citizens. Students who choose to live in off-campus housing in the Borough of West Chester are encouraged to be good neighbors who practice responsible citizenship and are respectful of the rules and laws that govern our community.

To ensure responsible citizenship, the WCU Student Code of Conduct encompasses both on-campus and off-campus behaviors which include violation of Borough, state and federal laws. A student is responsible for their behavior, regardless of where they live, and violations will be processed in accordance with guidelines as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct 

The University is dedicated to the goal of students being engaged into the rich fabric of our diverse West Chester community through their positive contributions and conscientious behavior as representatives of WCU.

You may pay via TouchNet or over the phone at 610-436-2552 (Bursar's Office).

You will find the fine amount you are to pay in your Outcome Letter.

A hold from Student Conduct would have been placed on your account if you did not complete one of your sanction conditions by the required due date. If you have a question about this you should contact your University Hearing Officer. This person is listed on your Outcome letter. Once your Hearing Officer verifies you have completed the sanction, he/she can contact the Office of Student Conduct to remove the hold. If you are unable to get in contact with your Hearing Officer, you can contact the Office of Student Conduct in 200 Ruby Jones Hall or 610-436-3511.

Your disciplinary record is private. You can choose to release information about your conduct records to specific individuals (i.e. parents/guardians) by completing a Student Release of Information form. You can find more detailed information about the release of disciplinary records in the Student Code of Conduct, Disciplinary Records and Retention section (typically found on the last page).

• Some on-campus jobs require your consent to check your disciplinary history as part of their application process (i.e. Resident Assistants and Orientation Leaders).
• Some programs (i.e. Study Abroad), graduate schools, professional schools (i.e. medical and law), and jobs requiring the handling of sensitive information (i.e. US Government positions) often ask for you to obtain disciplinary clearance as part of the application process. See the Disciplinary Clearances page for more details.
• Additionally, if you are a member of an Athletic Team or serve on the Executive Board of your organization or club, your Coach or Organization/Club Advisor may also be notified.

You have the option to appeal. At the bottom of your Outcome Letter you will find a link to the Appeal form you need to complete. There will also be a date by which you need to submit your appeal. You can appeal based on:

• Violations of procedures;
• Severity of the sanction is not supported by the evidence;
• Lack of substantial evidence upon which a determination of guilt can be based; and /or
• New evidence that was not previously available, and that might substantially change the nature of the case.

 Please see the iCare page and complete the appropriate form.

As the organization’s leadership, you are responsible for representing your organization to the University, including during conduct proceedings. The conduct officer you meet with is going to want to gain an understanding of what happened, who was present, and what actions did the organization take following the alleged incident.

If you are receiving a meeting notification letter requiring you to meet with the Office of Student Conduct on behalf of your organization, the meeting will be focused on the organization’s alleged conduct NOT your individual conduct record. However, there are times when individual members face conduct proceedings related to their individual actions within an organization-related incident. In these types of incidents, you would receive a separate meeting notification to discuss your individual student conduct.

The purpose of the conduct meeting is to discuss the information filed, understand your perspective about what happened, and to discuss the potential outcomes if your organization is responsible for violations of policy. If appropriate, you will have the option of:

1. Accepting responsibility for the violation(s) and the proposed sanctions;
2. Accepting responsibility for the violation(s) but not the proposed sanctions and requesting a Sanctioning Hearing;
3. Requesting a formal University Hearing to contest responsibility for the violation(s); or
4. Requesting time to gather additional information to review with your conduct officer.

Each alleged violation is reviewed individually and your organization can choose to accept responsibility for some violations while contesting responsibility for others. You are also able to request time to review and consider options and can schedule a follow up meeting with your hearing officer.

You are absolutely able, and encouraged, to bring one advisor to accompany you to the conduct meeting. This could be a coach, an organization advisor, a member of the Athletics or Fraternity & Sorority Life staff, another organization member, or an individual who you would like to assist you in the process. It can be beneficial to bring an individual who is familiar with the organization

At some point in the process, they will be notified. We encourage you to notify them yourself as advisors and coaches typically prefer to hear about conduct concerns directly from their students rather than the Office of Student Conduct. It can also be beneficial to proactively involve them in the process.

If found/accepting responsibility for violations of the Student Code of Conduct, the sanctioning decision depends on a variety of factors including, but not limited to: severity of the incident, self-reporting, the group’s history of violations, etc. If taking responsibility, group leaders should come to their conduct meeting with ideas about conditions of sanctioning, as they know what will work for their organization’s needs.

Engage in a mature and honest conversation with your conduct officer and work in partnership with any advisors (and national headquarters, if appropriate). The goal of the group conduct process is to ensure that student organizations are contributing to a safe and inclusive campus environment. Thinking about where your organization thrives and where there may be areas of growth is beneficial for having a productive conversation that will help your organization and the community to continue to be a welcoming and safe place for students.