AboutUST

Committees

Student Life Committee

The Student Life Committee, like the Grievance and Discipline Committees, is a committee of the university. As such, it includes students, faculty and administrators. Its functions and authority are defined below.

  1. The committee shall actively seek to improve the quality of student life at the university in nonacademic areas in these ways:
     
    1. The committee may formulate modifications in the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities and recommend them for approval by the student, faculty and administrative bodies. Proposals for such modifications also may be initiated by the appropriate student, faculty and administrative bodies.
       
    2. In the area of student life, the committee may recommend rules and policies on student conduct, athletics, and on- and off-campus functions sponsored by a university organization.
       
    3. The committee may recommend and promote programs it considers helpful in enhancing student life and contributing to an improved spirit of understanding and cooperation among members of the university community.
       
    4. The committee may discuss matters involving on- or off-campus residency and make recommendations to the appropriate authority.
       
    5. The committee shall not make rules pertaining to student residencies.
       
    6. None of the above limits the authority of the Dean of Students to establish policies and rules in the area of student affairs.
       
  2. The actions of the committee in A.2 and A.3 above will go into effect upon approval by the Dean of Students.
     
  3. Proposal under A.1 above will go into effect if approved by the three bodies specified. The All College Council, faculty and administration will each set up its respective body and methods for approval. When one of the bodies suggests modifications of a proposal, the Student Life Committee will act as a conference committee to arrive at an acceptable resolution.
     
  4. The Student Life Committee shall consist of five students, four faculty and three administrators, plus the Dean of Students as a nonvoting member.
     
    1. The committee shall elect its own chair annually.
       
    2. Four student members of the committee will be appointed for a two-year term in a manner so designated by the All College Council. The fifth member shall be the president of the ACC who shall serve a term of one year.
       
    3. The four faculty members of the committee shall be chosen for a term of four years in a manner designated by the Faculty Organization Plan.
       
    4. The three administrators on the committee shall be appointed for a term of two years by the president of the university.
       
    5. All terms shall begin on April 1.
       
    6. In the case of vacancies, each of the above groups shall determine its own method of making appointments for the unexpired terms. Also, the faculty and administration may decide, if either wishes to do so, to have two members chosen for one-year terms in the initial formation of the committee.

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Committee on Undergraduate Studies

The Committee on Undergraduate Studies is charged with interpreting the general academic requirements of the undergraduate college and has the authority to grant exceptions and waivers when warranted. It is composed of five faculty members, two students and the Director of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

Students should submit a formal letter along with the completed petition form to Michael C. Jordan, Director of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, campus mail AQU 110. Petition forms and further information about the Committee can be found at: http://www.stthomas.edu/committees/studies/.

The petition form should be signed by the student's faculty adviser. If the request involves a decision or action of an instructor, a statement from that instructor should accompany the student's request.

Requests concerning major or minor field requirements should be addressed to the appropriate department chair.

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Grievance Committee

There is a committee of the university called the Grievance Committee which is available to ensure students' rights. The committee is composed of three undergraduate faculty members, three graduate faculty members, three students, three administrators and graduate faculty representatives. Annually, one of the faculty members is elected as chair. Each panel selected to hear an individual case will consist of one student member, one administrator member, one faculty member and the chair, who is nonvoting, who will preside at meetings and who will see that parties involved are given a fair and impartial hearing. The chair may take part in the questioning and discussion. Once a panel has been selected all of those voting members plus the chair must be present in person to hear the case.

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Committee on Discipline

The Committee on Discipline shall be the board of appeal for all decisions regarding academic misconduct which are reached at an administrative level by the dean of the College (or designee) and for all decisions regarding violations of the Rules of Conduct which are reached at an administrative level by the Dean of Students (or designee). Each special hearing panel shall have the authority to investigate the facts of the particular case which has been appealed and may:

  1. Affirm the original decision and sanction;
     
  2. Affirm the original decision and reduce or increase the original sanction;
     
  3. Reverse the original decision; or
     
  4. Disallow the original decision and order a new hearing by the dean of the College (or designee) or the Dean of Students (or designee).

The committee shall consist of five faculty members, two administrators and four students. The Dean of Students (or any designated hearing officers) shall not be a member of the committee. The five faculty members shall be chosen in accordance with the Faculty Organization Plan, except that the terms of office shall commence on June 1. The four student members of the committee shall be chosen for terms of one year, commencing on May 1, in a manner designated by the All College Council. The two administrators shall be appointed for terms of two years, commencing on May 1, by the president of the university. In the case of vacancies, each of the above groups shall determine its own method of filling the unexpired terms.

The committee shall elect a chair annually from among the committee's faculty members. It shall be the chair's duty to select, from among the members of the committee, a special five-member hearing panel for each disciplinary case. Each such special hearing panel shall consist of two faculty members, one administrator and two students. The chair shall arrange for the meetings of each such panel, preside at these meetings, and see that the accused student is given a fair and impartial hearing. The chair may take part in the questioning and discussion, but shall not have a vote. The chair shall appoint, from among the committee's faculty members, a vice-chair who may take over as chair of a special hearing panel. In this case, the vice-chair must preside at all meetings of that panel. No meeting of a special panel shall be held unless the chair (or vice-chair) and all five voting members are present in person and not by substitute. If this proves impossible, a new panel shall be selected to hear the case again from the beginning.

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein or as otherwise provided in the document titled Committee on Discipline Procedures, the meetings of the special hearing panels shall be closed unless the chair (or vice-chair) decides otherwise.

The chair of the Committee on Discipline shall maintain a set of continuing records of all cases considered by the special hearing panels. These shall be available to faculty and administrators.

The Committee on Discipline, through the chair, may require witnesses to appear before the committee to present evidence on cases when the committee deems it appropriate.

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