Student Conduct Information for Families

Our process is designed to be as educational as possible and is completely separate from any legal proceedings that may take place off campus. A student who is found responsible through our conduct process may be placed on community status (warning, probation, etc.) with RISD and will likely be assigned one or more educational accompanying outcomes.

A court proceeding may occur at the same time as our conduct process, but the two processes are completely separate from each other. The only way our process is similar to a criminal process only is that it affords students due process.

The decision to retain an attorney is a personal one that you and your student should decide upon.

RISD does not provide students with an attorney. Legal counsel is only permitted to serve as an advisor to a student for cases involving a concurrent criminal charge or a Title IX process.

If a student is   accompanied by an attorney, the attorney will not be allowed to participate in the hearing or speak on the student’s behalf. Our office will not interact directly with the attorney and will advise all communication from the attorney to go through General Counsel.

Usually the only documents sent to your student will be their meeting notification, which will have the date of the incident, a very brief description of the incident, and the violations in question. They are free to share anything with you they choose.

In administrative conferences students are given access to review and respond to the evidence presented in the meetings but are not allowed to retain copies.

Students participating in a board hearing (which are typically for more serious code violations) will gain access to their case file for hearing preparation .  
Student Conduct and Community Standards will not share any documents directly with you.

Our office will only share information with you if your student has signed a release for us to do so, or in the event of a health or safety emergency. Your student may share as much information with you as they wish. 

The most important role you can play in this process is to be supportive of your  student. Unless you were a material witness to the incident(s) under review, you will not be asked to participate in the process. However, with your student’s permission you attend any hearing with your student for support but will need to wait in a waiting area during the proceedings.

You can assist your student by providing support throughout the process. You should encourage your student to ask questions if they are unsure of something about the process and to seek on-campus support resources such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Disability Support Services, Health Services and Residence Life. Your student’s hearing administrator can assist them in making a connection to any of these resources.

Your student can expect to receive extensive information from our office both in-person, and electronically. They can expect to be assumed to be not responsible for violating the Code of Student Conduct unless a hearing body determines otherwise. We are available to answer any questions they have and to take their feedback about the process seriously.

After the hearing or review meeting, regardless of the outcome, our staff remains committed to your student’s development and well-being and remains available to answer questions, provide information, and connect your student to needed resources. If your student is separated from RISD following a hearing, they should expect staff support if they return to campus.

Your student’s conduct record may greatly impact their future and success, depending on the details of the case. Our office shares information with outside entities (certain employers, other schools, government agencies) when asked, so it is possible that others will have access to this information, even if nothing appears on the transcript.

For violations that result in serious outcomes, your student may be denied admission to other institutions or be considered ineligible for certain government positions. It is important to discuss this with your student so they can prepare for this potential impact.