The following Disciplinary Procedure is designed to preserve the mission of Hillsdale College and the health and safety of its students.  This policy outlines the basic structure of the Procedure for Student Discipline.  If a unique issue should arise, the appropriate dean shall act at his/her discretion.  The deans may seek input from the president of the College at any time.  The president of the College may choose to effect any disciplinary decision, at his discretion, including immediate removal of any student in appropriate circumstances.

1.  Notification of Student Violation: The Dean of Men’s or Dean of Women’s Office receives a report about a student’s violation of school policy.  Reports of student violations are generated by, but not limited to, resident advisors, house directors, security and public safety officials.  The dean will notify a student of the violation report.  The dean's will provide details of the violation, consequences for the violation, and a deadline for the satisfaction of the described consequences.

2.  Consequences:  The administration reserves the right both to define the severity of the violation and to choose the appropriate consequences.  Typically, fines and community service hours are issued to students who violate school policies or local citations, but for more serious violations, students may be suspended or even expelled. 

3.  Appeal Process:  Each student subject to disciplinary action may formally appeal that action (after paying the fine) by obtaining an appeal form from the dean of men/dean of women and filing that form, which must present new evidence, with the appropriate dean.  The deans, at their discretion, may require the student to file other materials in addition to or in place of the aforementioned appeal form.  Upon receipt of an appeal, the appropriate dean will oversee a background investigation of the violation in question.  This may, at the dean’s discretion, result in a hearing before Men’s Council or Women’s Council.  The dean will notify the student of the administrative decision on the appeal.  

In instances of suspension or expulsion, the student may file an appeal with the administrative office that supervises the dean who made the initial disciplinary decision.  Any reversed decisions will result in a refund of the originally paid fine. 

4.  Social Probation:  A student is placed on social probation when he/she has accumulated three violations of the same type in one year’s time; has been cited, arrested, and/or convicted of violating a local, state or federal law, or has committed serious infractions of the Regulations for Proper Student Conduct. Social Probation typically requires a student to remain free of violations for the remainder of the semester and possibly the following semester; to pay a fine and to complete service hours.  If a student violates the agreement of Social Probation, the student may be immediately suspended from school.

5.  Suspension and Expulsion:  Suspension means the student will be removed as a student from Hillsdale College.  The length of suspension depends upon the violation and discretion of the appropriate dean.  Expulsion means the student will be removed permanently as a student from Hillsdale College and his/her matriculation is terminated.  The College reserves the right to deny readmission for cause to any student.

6.  Parent Notification:  Hillsdale College reserves the right to notify the parents of a student’s violation at the dean’s discretion.