About the Hearing Boards

Why does Carnegie Mellon use hearing boards as part of its community standards violation process?

Regardless of the means by which community standards violation incidents are processed, the ends remain the same: to redirect the behavior of the student into acceptable patterns and to protect the rights of the community. The question becomes one of choosing the most effective means of maintaining conduct which is acceptable for an academic community. The unique advantage of our boards lies in the opportunity for students, staff and faculty members to play a part in making recommendations in terms of what happens in our community. Without question, peer influence, exercised through the community standards violation process, can often be more effective in redirecting the behavior patterns of students than any other method.

There is no substitute for fairness, objectivity, and good judgment. The success of a community standards violation process is contingent upon the conviction of its members to maintain a nurturing, academic environment while affording individual students maximum personal freedom within institutional guidelines.

* Note: Adapted from the ACPA Commission XV Model Training & Selection Manual.

What are the different hearing boards?

Carnegie Mellon has three hearing boards: University Committee on Discipline (UDC), Residence Hall Board, and Greek Community Board. These boards operate under the same philosophy, but have different jurisdictions.

University Committee on Discipline (UDC)

The University Committee on Discipline consists of two faculty members, one staff member and two students. The faculty members will be appointed by the Faculty Senate and serve for two years. The staff members will be appointed by the Staff Council and serve for two years. The student members will be appointed with the concurrence of the Student Government.

The University Committee on Discipline has jurisdiction in the following cases:

1. All cases of alleged violation of university regulations for which suspension or expulsion may be a penalty.
2. Appeals from penalties imposed by a university adjudicator, university staff members taking summary (administrative decision) or by other student disciplinary boards.
3. Situations in which a member of the campus community files charges against a Carnegie Mellon student for an alleged violation of the university community standards and personal harm.
4. Other cases in which the facts of the situation are in dispute.

Residence Hall Board

The Residence Hall Board is selected through a nomination process. Students who serve on this board represent the residential students (students who have University Housing contracts). All nominees must be approved by the Student Dormitory Council and the Dean of Student Affairs. When a hearing is called, the Board will be composed of five representatives from the appointed Residence Hall Board group.

The Residence Hall Board has jurisdiction in the following cases:

1. Cases of alleged violation of university regulations for which removal from University Housing may be the greatest penalty.
2. Cases in which the student involved does not accept responsibility for the policy violation.
3. Cases in which the student is a repeat offender.
4. Situations in which a member of the residential community files allegations against another member of the residential community for an alleged violation of community standards.
5. Roommate conflicts (under rare circumstances).

Greek Community Board

Selection of the Greek Community Board is through nomination to the Dean of Student Affairs. Each fraternity is given the opportunity to nominate one member. Each sorority is given the opportunity to nominate two members. All nominees must be initiated members of a fraternity or sorority which is recognized by the Carnegie Mellon University Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils. When the Greek Community standards violation Board is needed, three of the appointed representatives from the fraternities and two of the appointed representatives from the sororities will be chosen to hear the case. These five individuals, from different chapters, will be chosen randomly.

The Greek Community standards violation Board has jurisdiction in the following cases:

1. Cases of alleged violation of university regulations associated with fraternities or sororities.
2. Cases in which the Greek letter organization involved does not accept responsibility for the policy violation.
3. Situations in which a member of the Greek community files allegations against another member of the Greek community for an alleged violation of community standards.
4. Cases in which the Greek letter organization is a repeat offender.

• Note: Cases of a more severe nature in which the highest possible sanction is removal of the organization from university housing will be automatically referred to a UDC.