Description:
How do you prepare your conduct board? Questions that need to be addressed probably include: who comprises the board? Is it students, faculty, or staff? Maybe it’s a combination of all three. And then we must ask… are they returning board members who are already familiar with the conduct process? How many of them are brand new and will require additional training? If students are involved, do you allow them on the board if they have a judicial record? If so, do you identify violations whereby students may not serve on the board (e.g. if a student was on probation, can they still apply to be a board member? If suspended?). How is it determined whether a case goes to your board, or is heard by an administrator? Do students who have allegedly violated policy have a ‘say’ in who hears their case?

These are all important questions that require much consideration in order to ensure a fair and just hearing process.

Once the above questions are answered, you would obviously have to determine what topics and issues to address during your training. Will your board hear cases involving alleged sexual assaults? Does your board hear drug cases? What about academic dishonesty issues?

And finally, what can your board determine? Is your board making a decision on responsible/not responsible only? Can it determine sanctions, or can they recommend outcome and sanctions only?

This webinar will attempt to answer the above questions and more through lecture via PowerPoint presentation and active activities whereby participants will be asked to answer some of the questions from their campuses. We will also take time during and after the session to answer as many questions as possible.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Identify early practices of judicial education and the ideal code of conduct as it relates to using conduct boards
• Identify topics that should be addressed during board training sessions
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in their own board practices
• Learn how to incorporate appropriate theory into their board trainings
• Determine whether their board is working as educationally and productively as possible
• Determine whether their current board composition and ideal board composition can effectively adjudicate cases through case studies

Instructor Bios:
Shawn McGuirk has worked in Student Affairs for 16+ years. He has worked at public and private institutions, and is currently the Assistant Dean of Students at UMass-Amherst. He was a member of the Association for Student Conduct Administrators for a number of years, and served as Circuit 1 Representatives and on the Board of Directors. He was also a co-founder of the region one RD Judicial Institute, and is currently a member of NASPA. When not at work he enjoys spending much time with his kids, reading, and a good cup of coffee.

Shawn De Veau has worked in Student Affairs for 15+ years. He has worked full-time at private institutions including Adelphi University (NY) and Merrimack College (MA), where he served as chief student conduct officer for a number of years as well as Dean of Students for over four years. In his current role at UTMB, he is supervising the Records and Registration area for the University’s Student Services area as well as the Student Life department. He is also a member of NASPA and currently serves on the NASPA Region I Advisory Board.