Student Accountability

The University of Mount Union community is committed to fostering a campus environment that is conducive to academic inquiry, a productive campus life, and thoughtful study and discourse. The mission of the Office of Student Accountability, Safety, and Restorative Practices is to educate students, reinforce the values of Mount Union, and uphold and educationally enforce the Student Code of Conduct. Additionally, the office works to provide a space for students to repair community harm, encourage healing, and reintegrate back into the campus community. All resolution coordinators foster the development of the student through an educational dialogue grounded in restorative justice to reflect on behavioral choices, academic progress, learning, and ultimately student success. In addition, the conduct process encourages the preparation of students for fulfilling lives, meaningful work, and responsible citizenship.

The Code of Student Conduct as well as the Residence Life Rights and Responsibilities can be found in the Student Handbook.

SUBMIT A CONCERN

Concerns about Academic Honesty

Academic Honesty Reporting Form

The University of Mount Union strictly probits violations of the Academic Honesty policy.

Unless clearly documented with citations indicating otherwise, all academic work is expected to be the student’s own. Plagiarism and/or any other form of cheating or dishonesty will subject the student involved to sanctions ranging from failure of an assignment to possible suspension or dismissal from the University. Academic work comprises all activities including, but not limited to, examinations, tests, assignments, group work, projects, and presentations. Academic work also incorporates timeframes of before, during and after an academic activity.
Conduct or Behavioral Issue

Conduct or Behavioral Issue Reporting Form
Please use this link if you are aware of a violation of the Code of Student Conduct or have a behavioral concern that you would like reviewed. Please note that while you may be contacted for further information, FERPA does not allow for information about the case resolution in most situations.
Concerns about Hazing

Hazing Reporting Form

The University of Mount Union strictly prohibits hazing. This form should be used to report concerns pertaining possible violations of hazing.

Hazing is defined under Ohio Revised Code as “doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation into any student or other organization or any act to continue or reinstate membership in or affiliation with any student or other organization that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person, including coercing another to consume alcohol or a drug of abuse, as defined in section 3719.011 of the Revised Code.”

Hazing typically involves behavior that is seen by a reasonable person to endanger the physical health of an individual or cause mental distress. Hazing includes any planned/executed action or activity, by or against any active member, associate member, new member, pledge or potential member of a student organization or a University affiliated group that inflicts (whether intentionally, unintentionally, forcefully or recklessly) physical or mental harm, distress, anxiety, or which may demean, degrade, endanger, embarrass or disgrace any person, regardless of location, consent or intention of participants.
Concerns about Bias Behavior

Concerns about Bias Behavior Reporting Form
Incidents of bias, harassment, and discrimination undermine our efforts to create an inclusive campus that welcomes everyone. We are committed to maintaining an environment that values equity, inclusion, and mutual respect. The information received via this report is reviewed to determine appropriate follow-up in accordance with university policies and regulations. Due to confidentiality and privacy regulations, our ability to follow up with you regarding a specific response to this matter is limited. We understand incidents like this can have an impact and encourage members of the Mount Union community to explore some of the following campus resources for additional support:
- Office of Counseling Services, counselingservices@mountunion.edu or (330) 823-2886
- Office of Diversity and Inclusion, diversity@mountunion.edu or (330) 823-2138
Concerning Student Behavior

Concerning Student Behavior Reporting Form
The University of Mount Union maintains a CARE Team (Collaborate - Assess - Respond - Engage) that provides guidance and assistance to students who are experiencing a crisis, displaying odd or unusual behaviors, or engaging in other behaviors that may be perceived as being harmful (either to the student individually or to others).

The CARE Team accepts referrals and responds to students (and their families, faculty, and staff) when concerns for a student's health, welfare, and safety are identified.

Please utilize this form if you need to report a student who is struggling with academic, personal, or emotional difficulties or who may be exhibiting hostile, worrisome, or other concerning behaviors. This will create a referral to the CARE Team.
Sexual Misconduct

Sexual Misconduct Reporting Form
The University of Mount Union is committed to creating an environment free of harassment and sexual misconduct as well as complying with all requirements as set forth by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX). Discrimination on the basis of sex or gender will not be tolerated by any of the University’s education programs or activities. This includes, but is not limited to sexual harassment; sexual violence; sex or gender-based bullying; hazing; stalking; relationship violence (including domestic violence and dating violence); as well as failure to provide equal opportunity in admissions, activities, employment or athletics. Sex and gender violations will be addressed by Title IX complaint protocols which are jointly coordinated by the offices of human resources and student affairs.

This form should be used to report concerns pertaining to possible violations of Sexual Misconduct such as gender-based discrimination, dating violence, domestic violence, hostile environment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, stalking, retaliation, or other forms of sexual misconduct. Use the link to view the University’s Interim Policy for Equal Opportunity, Harassment, and Nondiscrimination for all Faculty, Students, Employees, and Third-Parties.

Student Accountability Resources

View current student conduct related resources.

Appeals Process

Appeal requests are limited to the following grounds:

A procedural or substantive error occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing (e.g. substantiated bias, material deviation from established procedures, etc.)
To consider new evidence, unavailable during the original hearing or investigation, that could substantially impact the original finding or sanction. A summary of this new evidence and explanation for why it was not available at the time of the original hearing and its potential impact must be included.
The sanctions imposed are excessive or substantially outside the parameters or guidelines set by the University for this type of offense or the cumulative conduct record of the responding student.

Appeals must be filed from the student’s Mount Union email with the executive director of student accountability, safety, and restorative practices or designee (via studentconduct@mountunion.edu) on the appeal form within five business days of the notice of the outcome to the hearing, barring exigent circumstances. Any exceptions are made at the discretion of the associate dean of students.

The executive director of student accountability, safety, and restorative practices or designee will refer the request(s) to the University’s designated appeal review officer, the associate dean of students. The executive director of student accountability, safety, and restorative practices or designee will also draft a response memorandum to the appeal request(s), based on the appeal review officer’s determination that the request(s) will be granted or denied, and why.

The appeal review officer will conduct an initial review to determine if the appeal request meets the limited grounds and is timely. They may consult with the executive director of student accountability, safety, and restorative practices or designee on any procedural or substantive questions that arise.

If the appeal is not timely or substantively eligible, the original finding and sanction will stand and the decision is final. If the appeal has standing, the appeal review officer determines whether to refer the appeal to the Appeal Panel, the vice president for student affairs/dean of students or to remand it to the original decision-maker(s), typically within 3-5 business days. Efforts should be made to use remand whenever possible, with clear instructions for reconsideration only in light of the granted appeal grounds. Where the original decision-maker may be unduly biased by a procedural or substantive error, a new administrative hearing officer or Student Conduct Board Hearing Panel will be constituted to reconsider the matter, which in turn be appealed once. Full re-hearings by the Appeal Panel is not permitted. Where new evidence is presented or the sanction is challenged, the appeal review officer will determine if the matter should be returned to the original decision-maker for reconsideration or if it should be reviewed by the Appeal Panel or the vice president for student affairs/dean of students or designee with instruction on the parameters regarding institutional consistency and any applicable legal guidelines. In review, the original finding and sanction are presumed to have been decided reasonably and appropriately, thus the burden is on the appealing party to show clear error. The Appeal Panel or the vice president for student affairs/dean of students or designee must limit its review to the challenges presented.

On reconsideration, the Appeal Panel, vice president for student affairs/dean of students or designee, or original decision-maker may affirm or change the findings and/or sanctions of the original hearing body according to the permissible grounds. Procedural or substantive errors should be corrected, new evidence should be considered, and sanctions should be proportionate to the severity of the violation and the student’s cumulative conduct record.

All decisions of the Appeal Panel or vice president for student affairs/dean of students or designee are to be made within five days of submission by the appeal review officer and are final, as are any decisions made by the original hearing body or officer as the result of reconsideration consistent with instructions from the appeal review officer.

Student Conduct Board

The Student Conduct Board is comprised of a pool of qualified faculty, staff, and student board members. For each hearing of the student conduct board, the board shall consist of three (3) student board members, one (1) faculty board member, one (1) staff board member, and the executive director of student accountability, safety, and restorative practices or designee serving as a non-voting chairperson. If the charged student is a graduate student, at least one of the students on the board will be a graduate student and at least one of the faculty members will teach at the graduate level. In situations where the executive director of student accountability, safety, and restorative practices must present the case or must excuse themself, the dean of students may appoint another administrator to sit on the board.

The student conduct board may act on all possible violations of non-academic University policies and regulations by a student, group of students, or student organization affiliated with the University. The student conduct board may also serve as the appeal body for a conduct case.

Students interested in applying to be on the Student Conduct Board must complete an application form and interview process that is generally held during the Spring Semester but can also occur at other times in the academic year.