As outlined by the Student Organization Conduct Policies and Procedures, the disciplinary process for alleged infractions of the policy include the following elements.
Report Received
Any student, faculty, staff, student organization or other individual may submit a written complaint against a student organization for behavior on- or off-campus.
- Based on information reported, it is possible that both individual and organization conduct action(s) may occur as appropriate.
- Any alleged violation of other MSU policies (such as the Policy on Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct or the Anti-Discrimination Policy) by a student organization or its members must be reported to the MSU Office for Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance.
- Information reported in violation of an office or department policy (such as the Office of Spartan Experiences or MSU Fraternity & Sorority Life) will be shared with the appropriate office provided no other policies are alleged to have been violated.
- Non-registered organizations may also be held accountable through these procedures.
Review for Temporary Restraining Actions (TRAs)
Upon receipt of a report, the Office of Student Support & Accountability will review the report. If a concern regarding safety of persons and/or property is identified while conducting this review, a meeting will be held to determine if any TRAs need to be implemented to maintain safety of persons and/or property while an investigation into the reported behaviors occurs.
Administrative Meeting
During this meeting, a staff member(s) from the Office of Student Support & Accountability (OSSA) serving as the investigator(s) for the case will meet with representatives from the student organization.
- Prior to this meeting, the organization will receive notice of the nature of the complaint (a summary of reported materials and a list of if true, the policies the reported behaviors would violate under the Student Organization Conduct Policies and Procedures).
- During the meeting, the organization will be notified of their rights and responsibilities during the investigation.
- During the meeting, the organization will be shown available materials (report, available supporting documentation, etc.).
- During the meeting, the organization will have an initial opportunity to respond to the allegations by accepting or denying responsibility for each alleged policy violation. The organization may also opt to request additional time and respond to the alleged violations in writing.
- Organizations which either do not schedule this meeting OR do not respond within the requested additional time may either be placed on an interim suspension until a meeting occurs between the organization and OSSA or a decision may be made by the investigator with the information known.
Accepting Responsibility
If an organization accepts responsibility for a violation, the investigator will work toward a resolution which incorporates as many participating parties as possible in the development of appropriate status, restorative and educational sanction(s). The investigator may choose to speak with additional individuals associated with the organization through interviews or other means as appropriate to ensure understanding of information. The intent of any restorative and/or educational sanctions is to address the root cause of the behavior which led to the violation in promotion of positive decision making in the future.
Denying Responsibility
If an organization denies responsibility for a violation, the investigator may take a variety of next steps as appropriate to the investigation.
- If the investigator has enough information to make a decision on the report, they may do so at this time.
- If the investigator has determined more information is needed, they may schedule interviews with individuals associated with the organization. An organization may be asked to provide a current and up-to-date roster or to suggest members with relevant knowledge and or reason to be able to speak to the contents of a report by the investigator.
- These interviews may be held in a variety of methods based on the size of the organization, number of individuals to speak with, and/or the responsiveness of requests for additional information. Some methods may include surveys, in-person interviews, Zoom interviews and/or phone calls.
Issuing the Decision
The investigator will issue a decision including a rationale that outlines information learned during the course of the investigation and their decision on whether each listed policy in the report results in a finding of responsibility. If there is a finding of responsibility for one or more policies listed, the organization will be issued sanction(s) in the same written communication by the investigator. The preponderance of the evidence standard is used for decision making regarding responsibility.
Appeals
Following the issuance of a decision, an organization has five (5) class days to submit a written appeal to ossa.soconduct@msu.edu.