Procedures and Policies

Disciplinary Procedures

The disciplinary committee of the Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies operates as part of the University’s disciplinary system, described in the Student Information Manual. Students should familiarize themselves with the material in this manual.

When a question of possible misconduct arises that, in the judgment of the Student Affairs Office in the School, is substantial enough to warrant convening a disciplinary committee, the DGS will appoint a committee. The committee will consist of the DGS (or his/her appointed representative), two faculty members from the School, one person from the Office of the Dean of Students in the University (who serves as a non-voting member) and, if the accused person so wishes, a student in the School elected by the student body of the School or a member of the elected representatives of HSO. The Student Affairs Office in the School also is present as a non-voting member of the committee.

The Student Affairs Office in the School will inform the student in writing of the disciplinary questions raised and of the committee’s meeting time and place. The accused student may bring individuals who have direct knowledge of the situation under discussion as well as someone to provide support. The student should, however, be prepared to speak to the committee on his or her own behalf. The accused student may wish to provide the committee with a written statement. In advance of the meeting, the student will be provided with all of the written material furnished to the committee. If the committee wishes to hear from other individuals during the proceedings, the accused student may choose to be present when those individuals are heard.

Disciplinary sanctions available to the committee are those set out in the Student Information Manual. https://studentmanual.uchicago.edu/area.

When the committee has reached its decision, the student will be informed of the decision as soon as possible; a confirmatory letter will be sent to the student, DGS and the Office of the Dean of Students in the University will be informed of the action.

If the committee imposes a sanction, the student may have the committee’s decision reviewed on one or more of the following grounds: if 1) prescribed procedures were not followed; or 2) the sanction will have unforeseen consequences for the student that are harsher than intended; or 3) that new and substantial evidence, unavailable to the committee, bears importantly in the student’s favor.

For a review, the student must make a request in writing to the Office of the Dean of Students in the University not more than 15 days following the written notification of the decision of the School’s committee. A review board convened by the Dean of Students in the University or his/her appointed representative, one member of the School’s faculty and a student from the School conduct the review. The student presents to the review board written materials that support his request for review. He or she may be granted an additional 15 days to prepare these materials.

The review board, whose decision is final, does not conduct a rehearing of the matters that came before a disciplinary committee. Nor does the student ordinarily appear before the board, although the board reserves the right to ask the student to appear in order to clarify aspects of his/her request. The board, acting on the basis of the student’s written materials may sustain or reduce the sanction; or, if satisfied that new and material evidence not available to the committee might have resulted in a different decision, may require a second hearing.

Grievance Procedures

https://harris.uchicago.edu/student-life/dean-of-students-office/policies

University Policies

General links to the University Student Manual: