When a student is found Responsible, or when deemed applicable, the Review Officers will determine what sanction(s), if any, is necessary to:
- Provide an educational experience for the student,
- Assist the student in understanding and accepting the consequences of personal actions and decisions,
- Give the student an opportunity to give back to the community, and
- Uphold the safety of the PLU learning community.
Sanctions depend upon the particular circumstances of each incident and may be imposed singly or in combination, as appropriate for the circumstances. In determining a sanction, the Review Officer(s) may consider the student’s conduct history at PLU, as well as other information available to it which PLU deems, in its sole discretion, relevant.
Repeated violations of the Student Code of Conduct will result in a cumulative effect for sanctioning. Thus, continued violations of policy may result in more severe sanctions, and may culminate in the removal of the student from the university.
Repeated violations of the Student Code of Conduct will result in a cumulative effect for sanctioning. Thus, continued violations of policy may result in more severe sanctions, and may cumulate in the removal of the student from the university.
A student who is defined as being in “good standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities” is a student who is not expelled, suspended, on deferred suspension, or on disciplinary probation. A student is not in good standing if they have a Student Conduct Hold on their student accounts.
- A Student Conduct Hold may be placed on a student’s account for reasons that include, but are not limited to: incomplete sanctions, participation in an ongoing sexual misconduct process, or failure to attend and complete the SRR process.
- Student Conduct Holds prohibit students from registering from classes, acquiring transcripts, accessing student accounts, and grade reviews. When possible, students will be notified via email if this action is taken.
A student is also not in good standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities if they fail to complete sanctions by the stated due date. If a student is not in good standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, they may be restricted from all or any part of campus facilities, activities, programs, leadership positions, or other restrictions as deemed appropriate by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, depending on the nature of the violation.
Students who fail to complete assigned sanctions in the timeline given are not in good standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and will be placed on a Student Conduct Hold. Additionally, students who fail to complete sanctions are subject to the imposition of more severe sanctions, up to and including removal from the university.
PLU reserves the right to inform parents or guardians when students are referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, provide parents/guardians information on the alleged violation, and/or notify parents or guardians of outcomes and/or imposed sanctions.
If the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities believes the student will benefit from an alternative course of action (i.e., referral to a community resource), some sanctions may be imposed and then deferred. If the student fails to follow through with alternative options proposed, or is involved in a new infraction during the deferral period and is found to have engaged in misconduct, the deferral may be removed at the sole discretion of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and the original sanction reinstituted. In addition, the sanction for the new misconduct may be more severe than the original sanction.
Overview of Sanctions
The following is a list of the most commonly utilized sanctions. This list is not exhaustive, and other sanctions may be determined by PLU in its sole discretion, to be necessary and appropriate.
A written notice to the student that they have been found responsible for a policy violation in the Student Code of Conduct. Students who receive a warning are subject to more severe sanctions, should future violations of the Student Code of Conduct occur.
Students may be sanctioned to attend an educational session relevant to the violation. Students are responsible for any follow-up assignments and fees as a part of the educational workshop. These sanctions may not be deferred.
Students may be assigned a reflection paper that allows the student to reflect on their experiences and future actions. Paper length and other requirements will be determined by the Review Officer.
A Review Officer may require students to initiate and complete a supervised and meaningful project on campus or in the community. Results of the project are placed in the student’s file. If a paper, survey or poster is required, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities may utilize the product for educational programs and/or trainings. This sanction may not be deferred.
Fines may be imposed when appropriate. Proceeds from all fines and fees will be contributed to the payment of educational modules and campus health and wellness education.
- PLU reserves the right to charge students whose behavior involves damage or destruction of university property. Restitution may also be required when an individual’s behavior requires university staff or external agencies to perform tasks above and beyond normal work responsibilities. When such restitution is possible, it is expected and required, not as a substitute for, but in addition to, a sanction. PLU will not be responsible for assisting any student in obtaining restitution from any other student or from the university. Fees for classes, assessments, or events assigned as a sanction will be at the student’s expense.
Certain restrictions may be placed on a student’s activities for a specified period of time. Specific restrictions may include, but are not limited to the residence halls (i.e., removal of amplifying equipment or instruments, loss of kitchen privileges, loss of eligibility to participate in hall social activities and exclusion from seeking or holding appointive or elective positions within the residence halls), student employment, and co-curricular involvement (i.e., exclusion from seeking or holding appointive or elective positions in student government or clubs and organizations, or varsity athletic participation). This sanction may be stated for a specified period of time and may be deferred.
Consistent with the nature of the violation, a student may be assigned an assessment (i.e., substance use, anger, mental health) to be provided by a state accredited/certified provider. All resulting recommendations from the assessment are required for sanction completion. All costs associated with the assessment and resulting recommendations must be paid at the student’s expense. Students will be required to release their conduct file prior to meeting with a provider guided by a review meeting sanction.
Disciplinary Probation indicates that a student’s continued enrollment at PLU is conditional for a specified period of time. It requires the student to demonstrate that they can act in a manner consistent with the university standards to which they agreed upon when accepted into this university. Students on Disciplinary Probation are not in Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Disciplinary Probation may include restrictions or obligations on the student. If restrictions or obligations are to be included, this information will be included in written communication to the student with their determination letter. Examples of restriction include, but are not limited to, restricting participation in university activities such as athletics, living on campus, studying away, performing in recognized PLU groups, social events, and elective or appointive student offices. Examples of obligations include, but are not limited to, informing faculty or other advisors about Disciplinary Probation status, and requiring attendance at specific meetings, counseling sessions, or assessments at the student’s expense. The university, in its sole discretion, will decide what restrictions apply in a given case. Should the student fail to fulfill specified conditions, the student shall be referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities for further disciplinary action. This sanction may not be deferred.
Suspension is the separation of the student from the university for a specified minimum period of time, with conditions imposed for the student’s reinstatement to PLU. Suspended students are not in Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and will not return in Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities until they have met the conditions of their suspension (see below). The conditions may be imposed by the Review Officers or the Dean of Students, and may consist of any requirement deemed appropriate under the circumstances. The Dean of Students, in their sole discretion, will determine whether the conditions have been met prior to reinstatement.
Restrictions associated with suspension include (but are not limited to):
- The student may not attend classes, use university facilities, attend university events or visit the campus except when engaged in official business approved in writing by designated Student Life staff.
- Students suspended from the university are required to pay all university fees owed for that semester. Refunds for tuition and/or room and meals will not be issued.
- Parents or guardians of students who have been suspended will be notified as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). A notice of suspension will be placed on the student’s official transcript until they are reinstated to Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. If a student is not reinstated to Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, or chooses not to seek reinstatement, the notice of the suspension will remain on their transcript for three years after the minimum period of time for the suspension has passed.
Only the Dean of Students or the Vice President for Student Life may impose suspension. The Review Officers may recommend to the Dean of Students a sanction of suspension.
Suspension may be deferred when PLU, at its sole discretion, determines that circumstances in a particular case warrant it. Only the Dean of Students or the Vice President for Student Life may defer suspension. Students on Deferred Suspension are not in Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Deferred Suspension may include restrictions or obligations on the student. If restrictions or obligations are to be included, this information will be included in written communication to the student in the student’s determination letter. Examples of restrictions include, but are not limited to, restricting participation in university activities such as athletics, living on campus, studying away, performing in recognized PLU groups, social events, and elective or appointive student offices, Examples of obligations include, but are not limited to, informing faculty and other advisors about the Deferred Suspension status, and requiring attendance at specified meetings, counseling sessions, or assessments at the student’s expense. The university, in its sole discretion, will decide what restrictions apply in a given case. Failure to fully abide by all conditions of deferral within the timeframes indicated will result in removal of deferred status and immediate implementation of the suspension.
Reinstatement From Suspension
When the minimum period of time for suspension has ended and the student has complied with the conditions of their reinstatement and completed sanctions accompanying the suspension (if any), the student must submit a letter to the Dean of Students, requesting reinstatement. This letter must include details of how the student has used their time while suspended, reflect upon what they have learned and provide evidence that they have satisfied the conditions of suspension.
The Dean of Students may take any of the following actions (without limitation) in their sole discretion:
- Determine whether any conditions imposed at the time of suspension have been met, and identify next steps;
- Extend the suspension because the conditions for reinstatement have not been met;
- Return the student to Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and permit the student to enroll in classes, or
- Permit the student to enroll in classes, but place the student on Disciplinary Probation for a stated period of time.
Expulsion is the permanent and total withdrawal of the privilege of attending PLU or participating in the PLU community. Expulsion may be recommended as a result of very serious violations or for repeated violations.
- Expelled students may not visit the university premises under any circumstances.
- Students expelled from the university are required to pay all university fees owed for that semester. Refunds for tuition and/or room and meals will not be issued.
- Parents of students who have been expelled will be notified as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- A notice of expulsion will be placed on the student’s official transcript indefinitely.
Only the Dean of Students or the Vice President for Student Life may impose expulsion. The Review Officers may recommend to the Dean of Students that a student should be expelled. This sanction may not be deferred.
Expulsion is the permanent and total withdrawal of the privilege of attending PLU or participating in the PLU community. Expulsion may be recommended as a result of very serious violations or for repeated violations.
- Expelled students may not visit the university premises under any circumstances.
- Students expelled from the university are required to pay all university fees owed for that semester. Refunds for tuition and/or room and meals will not be issued.
- Parents of students who have been expelled will be notified as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- A notice of expulsion will be placed on the student’s official transcript indefinitely.
Only the Dean of Students or the Vice President for Student Life may impose expulsion. The Review Officers may recommend to the Dean of Students that a student should be expelled. This sanction may not be deferred.
A Review Officer may recommend to the Dean of Students that the graduation date of a student be deferred for a stated period of time. Generally, this is done when a senior student commits a violation for which suspension may be justified, and allows the Review Officers to postpone the student’s eligibility for graduation until after a specified period of time has passed.
A student facing disciplinary action, or with Incomplete Sanctions, may make a written request to the Dean of Students for permission to withdraw from the university. Only the Dean of Students may grant such permission. Refunds for tuition and/or room and meals will not be issued to students withdrawing from the university under these circumstances.
Incidents involving students, who withdraw with or without permission prior to the Review Meeting, will be placed on a Student Conduct Hold for PLU. Students will need to follow through with their Review Meeting and/or sanctions before continuing their status as a student at Pacific Lutheran University, should they choose to re-enroll. Notification of the hold will be made by PLU email. Under the sole discretion of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, a student who has withdrawn may have their alleged violations reviewed (with or without the presence of the student) by a Review Officer, and a decision made.
The Dean of Students may require that students with sanctions complete them prior to withdrawing from the university, or may waive the need for completion. A student granted “permission to withdraw,” who wishes to return to the university, must make written application to the Dean of Students for reinstatement to student status and to Good Standing with respect to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The requirements for this application are the same as those for students seeking reinstatement following suspension. The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities shall place a notice of withdrawal, with the permission of the Dean of Students, on the student’s official transcript. If not reinstated, this notice shall remain on the transcript for three years after the student withdraws from the university. If reinstated, the notice will be removed from the student’s transcript.
Alcoholic Beverages Sanctions
Violations of the PLU’s Alcoholic Beverages Policy may occur whether or not a student has been consuming alcohol. Therefore, sanctions for Alcoholic Beverages Policy violations are educational in nature and will challenge and support all students to uphold their personal values of safety, legality, and community. The following sanctions will generally apply, however, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities in its sole discretion, may alter or add to the requirements for each sanction.
Students that are present in a room while a policy violation is occurring are responsible per PLU policy. Based on compelling circumstances and taking into consideration each individual, a Review Officer may choose not to sanction students who are found responsible for a first-time alcohol violation. However, the violation will still remain a part of the student’s record.
Required completion of an online educational module, with an included fee of $100.00. Required completion of a reflection paper, and a follow-up meeting with Review Officer.
Pending the nature of the incident, the student may be required to complete a substance use assessment and comply fully with any resulting recommendations. This assessment must be administered via a state accredited substance treatment program and will be done at the student’s expense.
The Review Officer may require that parents/guardians of students who have been found responsible for a first alcoholic beverages violation be notified of their student’s behavior. Such notification will take place as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and will include possible sanctions that will be imposed if the student violates the Alcoholic Beverages Policy in the future.
Students who are found responsible for a future violation, regardless of the nature of their involvement, will be sanctioned as required for a second violation. Additional future violations will be sanctioned at subsequently higher levels.
Required completion of an Ethics Workshop, with an included $75.00 workshop fee. Parental/guardian notification will be required, as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and will include possible sanctions that will be imposed if the student violates the Alcoholic Beverages Policy in the future.
Pending the nature of the incident, the student may be required to complete a substance use assessment and comply fully with any resulting recommendations. This assessment must be administered via a state accredited substance treatment program and will be done at the student’s expense.
Pending the nature of the incident, the student may be placed on Disciplinary Probation and may therefore be ineligible to retain campus housing, participate in study-away programs, hold elected or appointed student offices and/or participate in athletic or performance groups. Academic advisors of students who are on disciplinary probation may be notified.
Students who are found responsible for violating PLU’s Alcoholic Beverages Policy a third time will be placed on Disciplinary Probation, with all restrictions outlined above. Parental/guardian notification will be required, as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and will include possible sanctions that will be imposed if the student violates the Alcoholic Beverages Policy in the future. Required Behavioral Agreement with the Review Officer/Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, in addition to educational sanctions as deemed appropriate.
Pending the student’s prior sanction record, the student will be required to complete a substance use assessment and comply fully with any resulting recommendations. This assessment must be administered via a state accredited substance treatment program and will be done at the student’s expense.
A student who violates PLU’s Alcoholic Beverages Policy a fourth time demonstrates either a blatant disregard for PLU’s policies and/or behaviors that raise concern for their own personal well-being. Therefore, the Review Officer(s) will recommend suspension from the university for a minimum of one semester. The suspension may be deferred, and if deferred, the Review Officer(s) will recommend additional sanctions as appropriate. Parental/guardian notification will be required, as allowed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
PLU expects students to seek help for friends who need medical attention regardless of the circumstances.
The university is concerned about the safety and well-being of students who require emergency medical attention and/or are transported to the hospital due to alcohol misuse. Such students will meet with a member of the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and may be offered a written alternative course of action to the Student Conduct process (i.e., referral to Counseling or Health Services). If the student fails to follow through with the recommendations made, or is involved in an additional incident, the matter will be formally referred to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. All documentation related to emergency medical attention and/or hospital transportation will be included in the student’s file.
Illegal Drugs Sanctions
The following sanctions will generally apply, however, the university in its sole discretion, may alter or add to the requirements of each sanction.
Required completion of an online drug education module, including a $100.00 module fee. Required completion of a reflection paper and follow-up meeting with the Review Officer.
Pending the nature of the incident, the student may be required to complete a substance use assessment and comply fully with any resulting recommendations. This assessment must be administered via a state accredited substance treatment program and be done at the student’s expense.
Parents or guardians of students who have been found responsible for violating the illegal drugs policy will be notified of their student’s behavior. Such notification will take place as allowed by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and will include possible sanctions that will be imposed if the student violates the illegal drugs policy in the future.
Required completion of Ethics Workshop, and included $75.00 fee. Parental/guardian notification, as allowed by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Students may also be required to complete a Behavioral Contract, or a substance use assessment by a state accredited substance treatment program and be done at the student’s expense.
Pending the nature of the incident, students found responsible for violating PLU’s Illegal Drugs Policy a second time may be placed on Disciplinary Probation. Probationary status may make a student ineligible to retain their campus housing, participate in study-away programs, hold elected or appointed student offices and/or participate in athletic or performance groups. Academic advisors of students who are on disciplinary probation may be notified.
A student who violates PLU’s Illegal Drugs Policy a third time demonstrates either a blatant disregard for PLU’s policies and /or behaviors that raise concern for their personal well-being and/or the university community. Therefore, Review Officers will recommend suspension from the university for a minimum of one semester for any student who violates PLU’s Illegal Drugs Policy a third time. The suspension may be deferred. If deferral is recommended, the Review Officers may impose additional sanctions as appropriate.