When an incident occurs on or off-campus a report may be submitted to our office using our online reporting form. This initial report is typically reviewed within two (2) business days and is opened as a new case in the Office of Student Conduct (OSC), the Office of Residence Life (ORL), and/or referred to one of the following offices based on the behaviors described:

• Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO): Handles internal and external complaints of discrimination and/or sexual misconduct.
• Center for Support and Intervention (CSI): Provides holistic and collaborative support to students through assessment of needs, identifying barriers to access, and connection to campus and community resources.

With cases that are opened in the OSC or ORL, staff members review the details of the case and begin an investigation to gather additional information (i.e. camera footage, card swipes, police reports or citations) about the situation. Sometimes, these investigations require meeting with students for more information about the situation from the student’s perspective.

After reviewing the information, if there is an alleged policy violation, the OSC or ORL will send a letter via a UKY email to the student inviting them to come to an informal meeting. This letter will be sent at least three (3) business days in advance of a scheduled meeting and will outline the alleged policy violation, an incident summary, and the details of when and where the informal meeting is scheduled for. Students can access their letters by entering their UKID numbers, as the letters are sent through a secure platform. 

Interim Measures

Under certain circumstances, the Dean of Students or their designee may impose interim measures prior to the completion of the student conduct process to ensure the safety and well-being of members of the UK community, ensure the student’s own safety and well-being, or to ensure that the normal operations of UK are not disrupted. 

While any measures are considered, the most common interim measure is interim suspension from the UK premises.  

When any interim measure is taken, the Dean of Students or designee will notify the student immediately in writing, including the reasons for the interim measure and the rights to an interim measure hearing within three business days. More information on Interim Measures can be found in the Code of Student Conduct.

An informal meeting is an invitation for a student to meet one-on-one with a conduct officer (either from OSC or ORL) to discuss the initially reported situation and alleged policy violations. Informal meetings are closed; however, a student may have up to two (2) support people in attendance. These meetings typically include the following:

1. Rapport Building
2. Student Reviews their Rights
3. Conduct Officer reviews the Case Processing Form which outlines the meeting process
4. Conduct Officer reviews the incident report(s) and any supporting documentation (i.e. camera footage, images, etc.)
5. Student shares their perspective on the incident that led to the meeting
6. Conduct Officer determines responsibility for alleged violations based on Preponderance of the Evidence (including information in the report and the student’s shared account of the situation)
7. If there are Responsible findings, Conduct Officer walks through suggestions for Restorative Action Plans (RAPs).
   1. RAPs typically include:
      1. Community Engagement and Support
      2. Active Accountability
      3. Thoughtful Reflection
      4. Self-Development and Education
8. Student chooses one of the following options:
   1. Accept Responsibility and the RAP – when this is selected the decision is final
   2. Accept Responsibility but not Accept RAP – when this is selected the student will move to either an Outcome Review or a Formal Hearing (See Step 4)
   3. Do not accept responsibility or RAP – when this is selected the student will move to either an Outcome Review or a Formal Hearing (See Step 4)

When a student does not accept an outcome in their informal meeting, they will either move to an Outcome Review or a Formal Hearing. If the suggested RAP includes disciplinary suspension, disciplinary expulsion, cancellation of housing contract, or revocation of student organization registration, the student is eligible for a Formal Hearing. All other cases are eligible for an Outcome Review.

• Outcome Review 
  • An Outcome Review by another conduct officer in the Office of Student Conduct, typically the Associate Director or Director of Student Conduct, may be requested in matters where informal resolution is not reached and the recommended restorative actions do not include includes disciplinary suspension, disciplinary expulsion, cancellation of housing contract, or revocation of student organization registration. A student may request an outcome review if:
    • The conduct officer determines sufficient information exists to support the preponderance of the evidence for an alleged violation and the respondent does not accept responsibility for the alleged violation; or
    • If the conduct officer determines sufficient information does exist to support the preponderance of the evidence for an alleged violation and the respondent accepts responsibility for the alleged violation but does not accept the restorative actions.
  • The decision made in an Outcome Review is final.
• Formal Hearing
  • In cases where the potential outcomes include disciplinary suspension, disciplinary expulsion, cancellation of housing contract or revocation of SO status and when informal resolution is not reached, the matter will be referred to a formal hearing. Formal hearings are closed meetings that permit UK, the respondent, and other appropriate parties to address the alleged violation and/or restorative actions with a hearing board. Only individuals with a legitimate role in the hearing process are permitted to attend or participate in a hearing.
  • Information on the formal hearing process and the related appeals can be found at: https://regs.uky.edu/administrative-regulation/ar-ar-due-process-interim.
• Appeal
  • A student or student organization may appeal when a formal hearing results in a finding of responsibility for a violation of the Code of Student Conduct and the imposed sanction includes any of the following: (a) disciplinary expulsion; (b) disciplinary suspension exceeding three (3) days; (c) revocation of status as a registered student organization; or (d) termination of the respondent’s residence in campus housing. The decision made in an Appeal is final.