Philosophy
At ULV, students are regarded as mature individuals who deserve respect, have the potential for growth and development, and are capable of making their own decisions. The freedom to make individualized decisions brings with it the responsibility to accept the consequences for those decisions. The federal and state justice system has recognized that all colleges and universities are educational institutions and are not courts of law. In its educational role, the University is interested in holding students accountable for their decisions and actions. The judicial process is viewed as an avenue for promoting student growth and development by pointing out inappropriate decisions and actions, and promoting good decisions and more appropriate actions. Through focusing on the process of helping students learn appropriate behavior, the University judicial process plays an important role in the development of the whole student.
The University Judicial Process consists of the Student Life Conduct Committee (SLCC), the Judicial Board, and Administrative Review for the main campus, traditional age undergraduates. These three bodies help students involved in inappropriate behavior to think through their actions. They challenge students to look at the effects of their behavior on the community, other individuals, and themselves; to consider other behavior options; and to learn more responsible behavior. SLCC and the Judicial Board decide what sanctions will most likely help the student meet this challenge. Other University programs such as College of Law, School of Business and Global Studies, School of Organizational Management, CAPA, and School of Continuing Education have their own judicial processes including administrative reviews.
The disciplinary process at the University of La Verne is based on the expectation that students will practice self-discipline. If a student or his/her peers have a breakdown in self-discipline, then the role of the peers in the community becomes evident. It is expected that friends would be willing to confront each other and be responsible for each other's action. If a student observes a friend making a wrong decision, it is that student's responsibility to confront the friend before the issue takes on serious consequences.
If the student is a resident and peer discipline does not occur, the living area staff will become involved. The Resident Assistant and the Area Coordinator will assume the confrontive role. It is hoped that most disruptions in community life will be kept to this level of response and confrontation. Inevitably, certain misconduct occurs which will demand an immediate response through a more formal judicial procedure. This may involve a hearing before the Director of Housing and Residential Life, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Dean of Student Affairs, the Student Life Conduct Committee, or Judicial Board to determine sanctions.
