INSTRUCTORS:
Professors, Program Chair/Directors, and Academic Deans have oversight for classroom conduct. According to the University Catalog.
Enrollment in a class may be terminated by an administrative withdrawal due to unsatisfactory conduct in the class; disrespect of an instructor, faculty member, administrator, or staff member; academic dishonesty; judicial misconduct; or sanctions.
FORMAL NOTIFICATION(S)
A faculty member who wishes to request that a student(s) be administratively withdrawn should inform the department chairperson, support the request with evidence that the student(s) was warned either in writing or verbally and notify the Office of Academic Advising. The Office of Academic Advising will process the Administrative Withdrawal and notify the student in writing. All refund and financial aid policies apply.
STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT REFERRAL(S)
Classroom conduct may be referred, investigated, and addressed under the Code of Student Conduct when the alleged behavior is significantly pervasive and/or severe such that it limits an individual’s ability to participate in educational programs at the University and constitutes a violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Classroom conduct may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator when the alleged behavior may constitute a violation of the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Intervention Steps
The instructor is strongly encouraged to notify the student privately and firmly that the behavior is concerning. Putting the student “on notice” may often result in the deescalation of the problematic behavior. There are two related steps toward addressing the problematic behavior:
Verbal & Written Warning(s)
The student should be informed that the behavior they are engaged in is disruptive to the learning environment. Be specific, give dates and observed examples. Explain to the student that if the behavior continues they may be administratively withdrawn from the course resulting in a “W” on the transcript. A written follow-up by email to the student–copying the department/program chair–should be sent summarizing the discussion, the expectations for corrective behavior(s), and the consequences if the behavior is not corrected.
Documenting the Incident with Evidence
We recommend that instructors file an initial report of the incident and early corrective interventions via Maxient Form (be ready to also submit all evidence and correspondence if you decide to file an incident report). The collection of the evidence is important if/when students dispute the allegation(s) and the decision to administratively withdraw them. Evidence is helpful to show the student was given “due process” (an opportunity to correct the behavior) before the decision was made to administratively withdraw the student if the behavior is not corrected. The evidence is also important if the student escalates the dispute to the provost or pursues litigation.
Withdrawing the Student From the Course
If the behavior continues, the instructor has the right to remove the student with the support of the department/program chair, principally, and the support of the College Dean’s office. We request a written request for administrative withdrawal sent in one of two ways:
1) submission of the Maxient form for the first time, with evidence, and the support of the department/program chair, and college dean. OR
2) via email to advising@laverne.edu if a Maxient form has already been filed and the email is the conclusion of an existing incident.
When faculty, chairs, and deans have decided to administratively withdraw a student, the Office of Academic Advising will formally notify the student about the decision to withdraw them due to disruptive behaviors. The letter is delivered through Maxient, our web-based software that helps us to manage student behavior records, to track incidents, and create letters to students.
