There are those at Guilford who are all too familiar with the judicial process. They have been through it enough times to have it memorized. You get the write up. You get the email. You get the punishment. And it may just be routine to some, but for those who aren’t part of that select few, here’s what happens: When someone violates the Student Code of Conduct, a complaint is filed against that student. This can come from an R.A., a Public Safety officer, or a student filing a complaint against someone.

People that believe a violation has occurred must file a written Incident Report with the Public Safety Office, or the Office for Campus Life.

After reviewing the complaint, Alyson Kienle, Associate Dean for Campus Life, will provide the student with a written notice no more than seven working days after the incident. This will let the student know the nature and origin of the charges.

“Seeing those emails is the worst feeling in the world, but you have to pay for your actions and take the consequences,” said senior William Morrison.

Next, Kienle will meet with the student and give a full explanation of the situation. The student may elect to resolve the charges in an administrative hearing, or have the case brought in front of the judicial board.

Information that is discussed during these meetings is confidential and is not discussed with anyone else, unless the students involved submit a written statement giving permission to release information. This is to comply with a provision of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

If the case is referred to the judicial board, both parties, the accused and the accuser, receive information on the time and place of the hearing. From this point the case is treated as if it is a real court hearing. The judicial board listens to both parties and makes a decision. If the board finds the accused guilty, the board decides the punishment.

There are a number of students and faculty who are on the judicial board, but there are only five students and two faculty members that are present during any one hearing.

Students and faculty are all trained at the beginning of the semester and are educated with all the material that will ensure a fair and just trial.

“The way they take care of business is the right way here at Guilford,” said Brad Fortier, a Criminal Justice major. “It is as realistic and similar to the criminal justice system as it can possibly be.”

There are three levels of violation at Guilford:

A level-one sanction can entail up to one year of disciplinary probation, 15 hours of community restitution, monetary damages, and parent and/or coach notification.

A level-two sanction can include all possible level-one sanctions, and up to one year’s suspension, up to 40 hours community restitution, educational sanction, monetary damages, removal from college housing, decrease of institutional merit, and parent and/or coach notification.

A level-three sanction includes all possible level-one and -two sanctions, suspension from college, and monetary damages.

Students can refer to the student handbook on pages 31-40 for a more detailed explanation of the judicial process. Kienle advises all students who have received judicial notices to review this information prior to their hearings.