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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? What 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, the next step is to determine what topics and issues to address during 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?

Lots of questions…This course will provide answers to the many questions regarding training for your student conduct boards.

Course Outline:
Participants will first be provided a brief but informative history to judicial affairs that will address how judicial cases were handled starting in the colonial period, moving through the 20th century to today.

The class will then be asked to review their own boards and answer many of the questions that have been posed above. During this work they will be asked to offer their opinions on what works well for their boards on their campuses, and what they would change if they could. Participants will also be provided with literature regarding different conduct board structures (including a review of Stoner and Lowery’s Model Student Conduct Code) and student development theory, and asked to posit on what does or could work best for their campuses from the examples provided.

Finally, the class will be provided with 2-3 case studies whereby board members are confronted with difficult and complex cases, and subsequently must participate in lengthy and heated dialogue in order to reach resolution.

Topics will be explored in depth on the Discussion Board where we will "come together" at times convenient for all members for what should be thought- provoking interchange.

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

Participant Expectations:
Participants should plan to spend approximately 2 to 3 hours per week in this course. This will include time to read materials, complete on-line exercises and surveys and participate in asynchronous on-line discussions. Participants will need to log on for course content that will be posted weekly. In addition participants will need to respond to questions posted on the discussion board each week. As the discussion board is asynchronous, students may check in and post at their convenience. This learning tool will be an important part of participant's learning experience.

Instructor Bio:
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 has been a member of ASCA 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.

Click here to go to registration form.