The mission of the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) is to support the university’s educational mission and goals by engaging and empowering students, staff and faculty in the process of creating a safe, orderly and positive university environment. Efforts will facilitate and support community values, standards and expectations which enhance just and fair disciplinary processes, student learning and support student intervention efforts.

All new and returning students are required to comply with the rules and regulations of FVSU to include most specifically the Student Code of Conduct—which governs student conduct both on and off the FVSU campus.  The Student Code of Conduct has been updated for the 2021-2022 academic year to include current language for the following violations:

• Article I, Section 9: Hazing (the Max Gruver Act);
• Article II, Section 1: Disruptive Behavior;
• Article II, Section 2: Intimidation.

Linked below is the newly revised edition of the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct.  Please take the time to review this important document in its entirety. For more info, contact:

Brian Byrd

Office Location: SAC - 212

Phone: (478) 825-6258

Email: byrdb@fvsu.edu

 

All students are responsible for becoming familiar with the Student Code of Conduct.

• Student Handbook and Code of Conduct
• Office of Student Conduct Brochure
• Incident Report Form
• FVSU Student Conduct Hearing Appeal Form
• Parents Guide

For clarification or questions pertaining to the Student Code of Conduct, please contact the Office of Student Conduct or Office of Students Affair and Enrollment Management. Outcomes to violations of the student Code of Conduct generally result in a Student Conduct Hearing and sanctioning. As a result of sanctioning, a student disciplinary file is created and housed within the Office of Student Conduct.

Additional outcomes may include, but are not limited to:

• A disciplinary file, whether sanctioned or not, will remain in the Office of Student Conduct (OSC) for a period of five years;
• A suspension or expulsion is noted on your academic transcript and is a permanent notation;
• Colleges and Universities can request copies of disciplinary records to review to determine admission;
• Failure to complete disciplinary obligations will result in an administrative hold on a student’s account which will prohibit the student from assessing ALL student information (i.e., academic and financial aid);
• In the event of disciplinary probation, a student will not be allowed to participate in University activities during that period

Appeals

Procedures for Student Appeals

When a student is expelled or suspended by action of the Student Conduct Hearing Committee, such student shall have the right to appeal in accordance with the following procedures:

A student may appeal on grounds that the evidence was not sufficient to find him or her in violation of the Student Code of Conduct or other specified relevant grounds (expulsion, suspension, or probation). A student may not appeal sanction in an effort not to pay a fine or perform community service. In either case, he or she shall clearly state his ground for appeal in his or her typewritten statement.

The person aggrieved shall appeal in a typewritten letter to the Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, with a copy to the Office of the Dean of Students within five business days after the receipt of the decision rendered. The Vice President shall review all facts and circumstances connected with the case and shall within five business days make a decision.

The Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management shall be given a recording and/or a written summary of the proceedings in the original hearing of the Student Conduct Hearing Committee. If a verbatim transcript has been made, it should be made available to the Vice President for his or her consideration.

Should the aggrieved person be dissatisfied with the decision of the Vice President, he or she shall have the right to apply in writing to the President of Fort Valley State University for a review which shall be final so far as the institution is concerned.

Any University System student aggrieved by a final decision of the president of an institution, other than those stated above, may apply to the Board’s Office of Legal Affairs for a review of the decision, in accordance with Policy 8.6 Applications for Discretionary Review; provided, however, that an application may be reviewed if (1) the record suggests that a miscarriage of justice might reasonably occur if the application is not reviewed, or (2) whether the record suggests that the institutional decision, if not reviewed, might reasonably have detrimental and system-wide significance. (BOR Minutes, April 2010, February 2015)

All members of the university community are strongly encouraged to report any violations of the Student Code of Conduct. In addition to reporting violations to any administrative offices—including, but not limited to Fort Valley State University Police and the Office of Student Conduct–for referral and subsequent processing, all are encouraged to report violations using the following link: FVSU Incident Report Form