Student Judicial Policies and Procedures

2. Introduction

The judicial system of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth as herein defined is designed to encourage the ideal of student self-government and student self-discipline. Its purpose is to provide due process and to ensure that any student or University affiliated student organization, defendant to an action for which discipline has been recommended, is afforded the opportunity to have their cases reviewed and the right to appeal cases, as defined in section 5.3-1, to a “higher” board or judicial entity. A higher University judicial entity may, in reviewing a case, dismiss, reduce, uphold, or increase the sanction of a lower judicial entity for further consideration.

There shall exist the following judicial levels and administrative hearing officer entities exercising judicial authority: (a) at the original level depending upon the jurisdiction involved: the Director of Housing and Residential Life or his/her designee; the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or his/her designee; the Academic Matters Judicial Board or the designee of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. (b) At the appellate level - the University Appellate Board or the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs or Academic Affairs or their respective designees, as appropriate.

The judicial process for students of UMass Dartmouth exists within the legal framework of the University that gives to the Board of Trustees the ultimate and final authority to govern the University. Authority possessed by the various judicial entities set forth in this document comes from the power of the Board of Trustees to so delegate such authority.