5. CROSS-CANADA SURVEY
Survey of 16 Canadian Universities shows…
12 - Peer Conduct/Appeal Boards
11 - Mixed Boards
8- Peer Conduct Advisors
4 - Student Residence Life Staff able to assign sanctions
1 – Adjudicate cases
1 - Education / Awareness
6. BENEFITS OF INCLUDING STUDENT
LEADERS IN CONDUCT PROCESS
What are the benefits of
including student leaders in the
student conduct process at the
University level?
7. BENEFITS OF INCLUDING STUDENT
LEADERS IN CONDUCT PROCESS
More inclusive process if representatives of all
community members involved
Shared responsibility for success of community
Student engagement/investment in campus life
Students may perceive that University is taking them
more seriously and that their views are valued
8. BENEFITS OF INCLUDING STUDENT
LEADERS IN CONDUCT PROCESS
Encourages student self-governance
Helps to rebut notion of us against them (staff versus
students/student organizations)
Enjoyable for student conduct professionals to be
exposed to student leaders as well as struggling
students
9. RESEARCH STUDY
Chassey, Richard A. “Development of Critical Thinking Skills
among Student Judicial Board Members.” Journal of Student
Conduct Administration, 2009.
Extensive review revealed only 3 studies on student board
members
Chassey’s own research showed:
Rapid change in cognitive and communication skills amongst
student board members
Significant increase in their level of critical thinking ability over
academic year
Increase in self-reported skills:
Perspective taking
Listening to others
Working with others
Improved confidence
10. RESEARCH STUDY
“…the correlations indicate that the increase in critical
thinking ability was more closely associated with
number of semesters of board membership than with
class year. This suggests it is membership on a board,
not a board member’s academic experience, that was
driving the increase in critical thinking ability.”
(Chassey, 2009)
11. RESEARCH STUDY
“Learning how to take the perspective of others and
how to listen effectively were consistent themes across
the responses to the survey. This suggests experience
as a board member breaks through the lingering
egocentrism sometimes found in late adolescents and
young adults.”
(Chassey, 2009)
12. CHALLENGES OF INCLUDING
STUDENT LEADERS IN CONDUCT
What are the challenges of
including student leaders in the
the student conduct process?
13. CHALLENGES OF INCLUDING
STUDENT LEADERS IN CONDUCT
Lack of maturity to address challenging/complex cases
Intimidated by student participants
Scheduling
High rate of turnover
Inability to ask necessary/pertinent questions
Tendency towards black/white thinking
Gender imbalance
14. STUDENT LEADERSHIP
BEST PRACTICES
1. Learning Outcomes
2. Assessment/Evaluation
3. Training
4. Ongoing Professional Development
5. Encouragement/Affirmation
15. 1. Learning Outcomes
Perspective Taking Open Mind
Listening to Others Calm Emotions
Working with Others Responsibility
Critical Thinking Leadership
Confidence Persuasion
Communication Objectivity
Patience Empathy
(Chassey, 2009)
16. RESEARCH TOOL
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher
Education (CAS). CAS Self Assessment Guide for Student
Conduct Programs. CAS: 2009.
Suggested learning outcomes include:
Knowledge acquisition, integration, construction and
application
Cognitive complexity
Intrapersonal development
Interpersonal competence
Humanitarianism and civic engagement
Practical competence (ex. communication skills,
professionalism)
17. 2. Assessment/Evaluation
CONTENT
Learning and development of student conduct board
members and advisers/mentors/educators
Effects of educational programming/campaigns
Effectiveness of student conduct boards targeting special
groups (e.g. residence and student organizations)
Recidivism rates
FEEDBACK
From student leaders about student conduct system
From student participants in conduct processes
From staff and faculty involved in conduct cases
From persons harmed in cases
18. Assessment/Evaluation
CAS suggests periodic performance evaluations of individual
hearing boards including:
Whether student conduct boards accurately follow the institution’s
procedural guidelines
General impressions of the student conduct system according to
students, faculty, staff and the community
Developmental effects on students and student conduct board
members
Annual trends in case load, rates of recidivism, types of offenses,
efficacy of sanctions
Effects of programming designed to prevent behavioural problems
Unique aspects of special function or special population student
conduct boards (eg. student organization boards, residence boards)
(CAS, 2009)
19. Assessment/Evaluation
CAS suggests the assessment process include:
Establishing a process and review team (staff, faculty
and students)
Compiling and reviewing documentary evidence
Judging performance
Creating action plan for future improvements
(CAS, 2009)
20. 3. Training
Training for Student Conduct Boards could/should include:
Content
Philosophy
Critical Thinking
Process
Preparation
Hearing Decorum
Questioning Skills
Evidence
Standards of Proof
Sexual Misconduct / Relationship Violence
Format
Retreats
Multiple Training Days
Mock Hearings
(National Centre for Higher Education Risk Management, 2011)
21. Conduct Board Training
An overview of all judicial policies and procedures
An explanation of the operation of the judicial process at all levels
including authority and jurisdiction
An overview of the institution’s philosophy on student conduct
Roles and functions of all student conduct bodies and their members
Review of constitutional and other relevant legal rights and
responsibilities
An explanation of sanctions
An explanation of pertinent ethics (ex. privacy, bias)
A description of available personal counseling programs and referral
sources
An outline of interactions which may involve
police, attorneys, witnesses, parents, media
An overview of developmental and interpersonal issues likely to arise
amongst students
(CAS, 2009)
22. Other Training
Training for Advisers/Mentors/Educators could include:
Advising/Mentoring Philosophy
Communication Skills
Helping Conversations
Diversity
Citizenship
Communication Campaigns
Enough is Enough
23. 4. Ongoing Professional
Development
Asking Questions
Writing Reasons
Decision Letter Writing
Restorative Justice
Conflict Resolution
LGBT Awareness
Diversity
Mock Hearings
24. 5. Encouragement / Affirmation
Mid/End of year celebrations
Certificates
Awards nights/ceremonies
Co-curricular transcript
25. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chassey, Richard A. (2009). “Development of Critical Thinking Skills among Student
Judicial Board Members.” Journal of Student Conduct Administration. Longwood
University.
Commission for Student Conduct and Legal Issues of the American College Personnel
Association (ACPA). (2010). Student Conduct Board Manual and Reference.
Retrieved from http://www2.myacpa.org/publications/internal-publications.
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). (2009). CAS
Self Assessment Guide for Student Conduct. Retrieved from
https://store.cas.edu/catalog/index.cfm
Dublon, Felice. (2008). “Demystifying Governance: The Influential Practitioner.”
Student Conduct Practice: The Complete Guide For Student Affairs Professionals.
James M. Lancaster and Diane M. Waryold, eds. Stylus.
Pavela, Gary. (2008). “Can We Be Good Without God? Exploring Applied Ethics with
Members of Student Conduct Hearing Boards.” Student Conduct Practice: The
Complete Guide For Student Affairs Professionals. James M. Lancaster and Diane M.
Waryold, eds. Stylus.
41 standards based on profession areas Counselling, Career services, Academic advising, Student Activities, Student Leadership, Registrarial services, 6 domains listed here are not exclusive to student conduct programs – they apply to all student leadership programming areas- incumbent on individual conduct programs to adjust learning outcomes to suit their program and processLearning outcomes may be adjusted based on the roles that student leader plays in the processStudent Leader who is acting as an advocate may have a slight different set of learning outcomes than say someone is who makes decisions on their own or sitting as a part of a panel or another student who is doing educational awareness programming