Frequently Asked Questions

To file a report, please submit our Student Conduct Report Form. This form can be filled out anonymously.

YES. You can be held accountable for violating the Student Code of Conduct, even if you are not on campus. The Student Code of Conduct always applies to you as a student at Boise State, regardless of where an incident occurs.

A student may be arrested and charged for a crime AND be required to go through the Boise State conduct process for the same alleged conduct.

There are significant differences between the criminal justice system and the conduct process at Boise State:

• To determine if the Student Code of Conduct was violated, we use the preponderance of evidence standard, which is not as high as the standard used in criminal justice proceedings.
• When evaluating evidence to reach a hearing decision, we do not follow rules of evidence that one would find in a civil or criminal court. Rather, we ask only that the evidence be relevant to the allegations at issue.
• While students can have an attorney as an advisor, the student always must represent themselves in the hearing process (i.e., they must speak on their behalf).
• Overall, students should find our process to be less formal, more engaging and more individually tailored than the criminal justice system.
• In some cases, students risk separation from the university as a result of a conduct process/hearing. Even though our process is not as formal as a criminal justice proceeding, students should nonetheless take it seriously and conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner.

Adapted from The Ohio State University’s Understanding the Conduct Process

Graduate and professional schools, state bar associations, government agencies, and/or independent agencies may request a clearance to review your conduct history while attending the Boise State University. Evaluators of these applications are looking for what students have learned from their experiences, so it is important to be honest about your history on our campus if asked.

Students found in violation of the Student Code of Conduct are able to appeal the violation and/or the sanction(s) within 10 business days of the outcome notice. In order to file an appeal, you must submit the Student Conduct Appeal Form with a written statement explaining your reason(s) for appeal. Once the appeal is received by the Office of the Dean of Students, it will be reviewed by a Hearing Officer and a decision will be rendered within 10 business days of review. For incidents which have resulted in suspension or expulsion, appeals will be reviewed by the next convening Appeal Board (composed of 5 members, including a combination of faculty, staff, and students). When submitting your appeal, we encourage you to:

• Review Section 9 of the Student Code of Conduct
• Download and fill out the Student Conduct Appeal Form
• Appeals will be considered only when it is clearly established by the respondent or the complainant, in a concise 1-2 page typed statement, that one of the following occurred:

Policy Violation Appeal

A substantive procedural error occurred that significantly impacted the outcome of the hearing.

New information is available (that was unavailable at the original hearing or investigation) that
could substantially impact the original finding(s).

Sanction Appeal

New information is available (that was unavailable at the original hearing or investigation) that could substantially impact the original sanctions(s).

The sanction(s) imposed is (are) substantially disproportionate to the severity of the violation(s).

The appeal form and typed statement must be submitted by the date stated in the original decision letter; late appeals will not be considered. Please send all appeal materials to srr@boisestate.edu.

Appeals Review Process

Cases Handled Through an Administrative Conference or Administrative Conduct Hearing:

Appeals on decisions made by an individual Hearing Officer in either an Administrative Conference or Administrative Conduct Hearing will be reviewed by a Student Conduct Administrator within the Office of the Dean of Students.

Cases Handled Through a Conduct Board Hearing:

Appeals on decisions made by the University Conduct Board for behavioral misconduct violations will be made to the Appellate Board via the Office of the Dean of Students.

Please Note: The Appellate Board convenes in a closed session; neither the complainant nor the respondent is allowed to be present during the appeal review. With the exception of appeals involving new information, the board will limit itself to reviewing the written appeal, hearing documents, and the recording of the hearing.

Judicial sanction holds may be placed for a few different reasons. Here are some questions to ask yourself before contacting srr@boisestate.edu:

• Did I complete my assigned conduct sanctions by the stated deadline?
  • If you submitted your sanctions less than 48 hours ago, take a breath! It is likely that your Hearing Officer has not yet reviewed your submission(s). You will receive email notification stating that your sanction(s) is complete or if there is additional information needed to satisfy the sanction.
  • If it has been more than 48 hours since your submission, please email srr@boisestate.edu for an update.
• Did I receive notification of a scheduled meeting and failed to attend?
  • If you were assigned a meeting with a Hearing Officer but did not attend the meeting, the Hearing Officer has the authority to hear the conduct case without your input. If the Hearing Officer proceeds with the Conduct Hearing Process, you will be notified via your Boise State email account through a decision letter.

The best way to reach our team is via email, either through srr@boisestate.edu or by contacting your Hearing Officer directly. While we are monitoring the main phone number, our team may not be able to answer when you call. If you reach our voicemail, please leave a message including the following information: (1) your full name, (2) your student ID number, (3) a callback number, and, (4) the reason for your call.

Conduct records are maintained by The Office of the Dean of Students for 7 years, with the exception of incidents resulting in suspension or expulsion which are maintained indefinitely. Information about student conduct records may be disclosed to external entities with the written consent from the student involved. Conduct records may be disclosed to other University officials on a need-to-know case-by-case basis (ex: Financial Aid and Registrar’s Office may need to be informed of a student’s conduct record to move forward with processes in those areas).

To request your conduct records, please submit a Public Records Request.

Student conduct records are considered part of your educational record, and therefore, they are covered under FERPA. In order to provide your parents/guardians with access to your conduct record, you will need to submit a Release of Information form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.

The Amnesty Protocol is in place to address situations that may involve illegal activities, such as underage drinking and/or drug use, BUT also involve help seeking behavior(s) for those in need of medical assistance.

To learn more about Amnesty Protocol, click here.

Instructors, in fulfilling their professional and contractual obligations, may dismiss students from courses consistent with university policy.