Students will still be able to repeal all charges.
All conducts violations will still be able to be appealed despite proposed changes to the university’s revised Student Code of Conduct.
Vice President for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi will continue to review all cases, said Carl Edward Smith III, president of Graduate Student Senate.
The proposed change would have allowed Lombardi to only review cases that have suspension or expulsion as a possible outcome.
Lombardi often reviews appeal cases, said Martha Compton, director of the Office Community Standards and Student Responsibility, in a previous Post report.
When an Ohio University student violates the Code of Conduct, a hearing officer will first investigate the alleged infractions. Next, if the student denies the charges, he or she will have an administrative hearing with university officials, Compton said.
If a student doesn’t agree with the decision from the hearing, he or she can plea to an appeal board, she added.
Compton said, if the student doesn’t agree with the appeal board, the final step of the process would be appealing to Lombardi.
University officials, including Lombardi and Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones, agreed to keep the last stage of the appeal process.
“There has been dialogue happening, in both Student Senates, which caused them to examine the issues further,” Smith said. “We want protections in place.”
Graduate Student Senate will again discuss the changes to the Student Code of Conduct at its bi-monthly meeting on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
GSS will also consider a resolution that supports international students in light of Megan Marzec’s bucket challenge response in which she asked the university to divest from Israel.
Funding for “Grad Fest,” a social event for graduate students, will also be discussed. The first
Grad Fest took place Sept. 12 and the next one is planned for Oct. 10.
@megankhenry
mh573113@ohio.edu
