Advisor's Role

An advisor may accompany a student to a disciplinary conference. Advisors fall into two categories: non-attorney advisor and attorney-advisor. An attorney is defined as anyone who has an active or inactive license to practice law. A non-attorney is defined as anyone in the campus community: student, faculty, staff, or administrator. Students may bring parents or legal guardians as their non-attorney advisor as well. If a student elects to bring an attorney-advisor, the student must give the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities five (5) days’ notice of the name, phone number, and e-mail address of the attorney-advisor. The roles of the attorney advisor and non-attorney advisor in the student disciplinary process are the same. 

The role of an advisor will be limited to: 

• Asking process-based or procedural questions, if permitted by the administrator
• Conferring with the student before and after the proceeding
• Conferring quietly with student during the proceeding, if permitted by the administrator

Even if assisted by an advisor, a student must respond to inquiries from the Student Conduct Administrator or an assigned Designee. 

The Advisor shall not: 

• Address the Administrator or an assigned Designee in an effort to respond on behalf of the student;
• Ask questions about the investigation or its findings;
• "Coach" the student on what to and what to not say in the disciplinary proceeding; 
• Question witnesses;
• Participate in another other activity that disrupts the educational conversation that occurs between the Administrator or an assigned Designee and the student (as determined by the Student Conduct Administrator)

The Student Conduct Administrator, Hearing Officer, or an assigned Designee will generally not delay a disciplinary proceeding due to the unavailability of an advisor. 

NOTE: Pursuant to Executive Order 1098, Article IV(B)(4)(b) and at the discretion of the Student Conduct Administrator or an assigned Designee, an advisor may be asked to leave during the proceeding if the advisor materially disrupts the meeting to ensure that the process remains informal, educational, and fair.