When the Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices (CERP) receives a report of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes that may need to be used to resolve any violation of A-level policies, review of the incident begins with an investigation. If you have received notification from CERP that an investigation regarding your alleged conduct is under way, this page is intended to help you to participate actively and fully in the investigation phase of the incident review process.
In addition to reading this page carefully, you should read the University of Lynchburg Honor and Student Conduct Codes and Regulations.
What is an investigation?
When a possible A-level violation of the University of Lynchburg Honor and Student Conduct Codes, review of the incident begins with an investigation conducted by the Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices. An investigation is intended to collect additional, clarifying information regarding the alleged incident; however, it is not an exhaustive search for every detail directly or indirectly related to an alleged infraction. Often, the investigation consists simply of contacting the student who reportedly engaged in misconduct and inviting the student to share their account of what occurred. An investigation may also include contact with other witnesses.
How do I know that an investigation is underway?
If an incident in which you possibly violated the Honor and Student Conduct Codes is being investigated, then you will receive correspondence from the Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices notifying you that the investigation has been initiated. The correspondence details how you can participate in the investigation and your deadline for providing information. Read the investigation notification carefully, and keep it for future reference.
I’ve received notice of an investigation from the Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices. Does that mean that I’ve been charged with something?
No. The investigation notice indicates that the reported incident is being reviewed and that you have the opportunity to give your account of what happened. After the investigation is completed, either the matter is closed without disciplinary action, or the address of the incident continues with charges of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes being issued to you.
How do I benefit from participating in the investigation?
By providing your eyewitness account of what occurred and why it occurred, you help the case specialist from the Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices (CERP) to review the reported incident and to understand what happened. Based on information collected from you, the original incident reports, and through the investigation, the case specialist decides whether to issue charges of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes to you. Sometimes, by providing incident information during the investigation, a student helps the case specialist understand that the student did not violate any policies, and the case specialist closes review of the reported incident without need for disciplinary action.
Am I required to participate in the investigation?
No, you are not required to provide information for the investigation, but doing so helps the case specialist to address the reported incident accurately. Regardless of whether you participate in the investigation, decisions will be made about charges of possible infractions to be issued to you and how they should be resolved. Without your account of what occurred, these decisions will be made based solely on reports from other witnesses (e.g., Residential Experience staff, Campus Safety Officers, a professor, or other students).
What happens after the investigation is completed?
When the investigation is completed, the case specialist reviews all of the information collected, including the incident report(s) received initially, and decides whether charges of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes should be issued to you.
- If no charges are issued to you, then you will be notified that the matter has been closed.
- If charges are issued to you, then you will be notified in writing of the specific charges and given an option of how you wish to have the charges resolved.
- Option #1 – Charges are resolved through an Administrative Handling
- Option #2 – Charges are resolved through a Board Hearing
- If the charges will be resolved through a board hearing, then you will be notified of the date, time, and location of the hearing (typically by a separate letter) so that you may attend and participate in the hearing.
What is the difference between the Student Judicial Board and the Administrative Board?
All members of the Student Judicial Board are University of Lynchburg students. Staff and faculty serve on the Administrative Board. Both judicial boards follow hearing procedures described in the Honor and Student Conduct Codes and Regulations.
Are my parents notified that I am involved in an investigation?
The Office of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices does not initiate contact with parents or legal guardians during the investigation phase of the incident review process. However, the outcome of the student disciplinary process may necessitate parental notification. (See Notification of Parents Concerning Student Discipline).
Regardless of whether University policy requires parental notification, you are encouraged to communicate with your parent(s) or legal guardian, informing them of the incident investigation.
What do I do if I have additional questions?
The following are helpful sources of information about University of Lynchburg’s student conduct review process:
The Hornet student handbook
Community Expectations and Restorative Practices
125 Hundley Hall
434.544.8765
Student Judicial Board Office
113 Drysdale Student Center
