Student
FAQs
General Information
We understand that this may be an intimidating experience if you are unfamiliar with the process or don’t know if the incident is potentially a prohibited conduct. We are here to help! If you have questions about an incident, a notification or the process you may contact the Student Conduct Officer at uhwocode@hawaii.edu.
You can contact the Student Conduct Officer Trudy Asato at:
Email: uhwocode@hawaii.edu
Telephone: (808) 689-2936.
Location: C Building room C 237.
Yes! “The UH West O’ahu Student Code of Conduct shall apply to conduct that occurs on UH West Oʻahu’s premises, at UH West O’ahu sponsored activities, and to off-campus conduct that adversely affects the UH West O’ahu community and/or the pursuit of its objectives.” The Student Conduct Officer shall decide whether the Student Code of Conduct shall be applied to conduct occurring off campus, on a case by case basis, in his or her sole discretion.”
Students can submit a written incident report to the Student Conduct Office located in C – Building, C 240 or by using the online reporting form.
Students who are registered with the Disability Services Office and need reasonable accommodations during the Student Conduct process should contact the Coordinator of Disability Support & Success, Christina Pascua-Galidiano at uhwoada@hawaii.edu or (808 689-2935.
Students who are not registered with the Disability Services Office but have a disability and may need reasonable accommodations during the Student Conduct process should contact the Coordinator of Disability Support & Success, Christina Pascua-Galidiano at uhwoada@hawaii.edu or (808 689-2935.
The Disability Services Office will contact and collaborate with the Student Conduct Office to provide the Student Conduct Office of the student’s reasonable accommodation that may be needed during the conduct process.
Due to limitations under the federal law (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, also known as “FERPA”), as well as the UH System Policy, AP 7.022 (also referred to “Procedures Relating to Protection of the Educational Rights and Privacy of Students”), the Student Conduct Office may be unable to share specific information about any student’s educational records, which may or may not include disciplinary action taken against a previously enrolled student.
The Student Code of Conduct explains, in detail, the procedure that each case will follow as stated in Article IV(A)(1-23), representatives, parents, or authorized campus personnel will only be allowed in this meeting at the discretion of the SCO when deemed appropriate. In addition, a FERPA release must be signed by the Respondent.
If you have questions about the process you may contact the Student Conduct Officer at uhwocode@hawaii.edu for clarification.
Report
Yes! Any member of the UH West Oʻahu community may file a report against a student for (an) alleged violation(s) of the Student Code of Conduct. We encourage you to help us support a positive educational environment that will benefit student success. When a student believes that s/he has been a victim of another student’s misconduct, the student who believes s/he has been a victim will have the same rights under this Student Code of Conduct as are provided to the Complainant, even if another member of the UH West Oʻahu community submitted the report.
The Student Conduct report form has an option to request that your information be kept anonymous. In student conduct cases involving an anonymous reporter, the Student Conduct Officer may be limited in attempting to resolve the issue or holding a student accountable for an alleged violation, unless additional information becomes available.
Potential Violations
Please read the entire notification carefully! All of our notifications have directions and next steps (if applicable). If you still have questions, please contact the Student Conduct Officer at uhwocode@hawaii.edu.
Article III(B) of the Student Code of Conduct, lists the 21 prohibited conduct. Some provisions include acts of dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, and furnishing false information), disruption of teaching or administration, physical abuse or assaults, threats or threatening behavior, sexual misconduct, theft and failure to comply with directions of UH West Oʻahu officials or campus security officers.
Process
The Student Conduct Officer will:
- Conduct an impartial and reliable preliminary fact-finding investigation.
- May meet with the Complainant and/or any available witnesses;
- Make a determination:
- a. If the allegation(s) have merit; or
- i. Send the Respondent a notification of the allegations.
- b. If the allegation(s) has no merit;
- i. Administratively resolve the report.
- a. If the allegation(s) have merit; or
- Consider an informal resolution if either party makes a request, as long as the other party agrees;
- Schedule a meeting with the Respondent or the Respondent submits a written statement.
- Student Conduct Officer reviews the written statement where the Student Conduct Officer will:
- a. Ask clarifying questions
- b. Allow the Respondent to provide any available witnesses, if any.
- c. Make a determination on responsibility based on all the relevant information provided by all parties and witnesses if there was a violation(s) or not.
- Conduct the Student Conduct Officer meeting where the Respondent will:
- a. Be able to provide witnesses.
- b. Be able to provide any relevant information.
- c. Be able to tell their side of the story regarding the alleged incident.
- Make a determination on responsibility based on all the relevant information provided by all parties and witnesses at the conclusion of the Student Conduct Meeting.
The Student Conduct Officer will conduct an impartial and reliable preliminary fact-finding investigation to determine if the allegation(s) have merit and/or if they can be resolved administratively by the Student Conduct Officer.
The Student Conduct Officer may request a meeting with you, as the Complainant, to gather more information and/or ask clarifying questions regarding the alleged incident. The Student Conduct Officer will explain the Student Code of Conduct process and available options to resolve this incident.
If there is sufficient information that a policy violation may have occurred the student is notice for a potential violation under the Student Code of Conduct. However, if there is insufficient information that a policy violation occurred, the report is dismissed.
Educational Opportunity: The SCO will send an email to the student (Respondent) requesting a non-mandatory meeting to meet and discuss the issue and remind the student of their responsibility as a UH West O`ahu student. If the request is declined an email will be sent outlining the reporter’s issue, request, and remind them of their responsibility. If the behavior continues, the student may be notice for a potneital violation.
If the student is notice, the student is required to meet with the SCO for an opportunity to tell their side of the story. If the SCO makes a determines whether “more likely than not” the student either:
Violated the Student Code of Conduct: The student will be formally charged (found responsible) and sanctions imposed. A record of the discipline is placed in the student’s disciplinary file.
Did not violate the Student Code of Conduct: The student will not be formally charged (found not responsible) and the case is dismissed.
Informal Resolution: If either party request for an alternate form of resolution and the other party agrees. The parties will engage in an informal resolution. If the informal resolution results in mutual satisfaction the case is closed. If the case is not resolved, it may be forwarded to the SCO for a formal resolution.
Visual Illustration: The Student Code of Conduct Grievance Process.
Yes! If either party requests an alternate form of resolution and the other party agrees, the parties will engage in an informal resolution.
If the informal resolution results in mutual satisfaction of both parties, then the case will be considered resolved.
If the case is not resolved, the Student Conduct Officer may move to a formal resolution and both parties will be informed.
Note: Informal resolution is available for cases involving Sexual Misconduct [Article III(B)(4)(a-f)] only if a formal complaint has been filed and both parties agree to informally resolve the complaint. However, informal resolution is not available
for cases involving discrimination and/or sex/gender-based discrimination [Article III(B)(5)] unless the Complainant or Victim requests it, and the Respondent agrees to participate.
If you fail to contact the Student Conduct Officer, fail to schedule an appointment, or fail to submit a written statement within five (5) business days of the date listed on the written notification (excluding Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays), a hold will be placed on your account until you respond to the notification, which may result in your inability to register and may delay institution transaction.
The Student Code of Conduct shall apply to a student’s conduct even if the student withdraws from classes at UH West Oʻahu after a report was submitted or while a disciplinary matter is pending.
If an individual has violated the Student Code of Conduct on UH West Oʻahu property while not enrolled as a student at UH West Oʻahu, but then later seeks to enroll, he or she must first contact the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs (VCSA) (or his or her designee). The same Due Process procedures listed in Article IV(A)(1-23) will be followed to determine an admission decision.
Visual Illustration: The Student Code of Conduct Grievance Process.
The people who are involved in the Student Conduct Officer Meeting are the Respondent and the Student Conduct Officer.
The Complainant and witnesses are not present at the Student Conduct Officer Meeting. The Student Conduct Officer will meet separately with the Complainant and witnesses for information regarding the incident before the Student Conduct Officer Meeting occurs.
Failure to complete any of your sanction(s) listed in your “Responsibility Letter” may result in a hold being placed on your student account until your sanction(s) are submitted and accepted, which may delay registration, transcript requests, or other institutional transactions and you may receive a notification for a potential violation; “Failure to complete required sanctions.”
Yes! You and/or the Complainant (Reporter) may appeal a decision reached by the Student Conduct Officer (SCO). The appealing party has three business days to file an appeal. Both parties are provided information on the appeal process in your “Responsibility Letter” along with the link to the online appeal form.
For more information regarding appeals, please refer to Article IV(D)(1-6) in the Student Code of Conduct. There are only 4 basis to appeal.
1. There was a material deviation from the written procedures that substantially jeopardized the fairness of the process; or
2. There was new information that was unknown or unavailable at the time of the meeting, would have resulted in a substantially different outcome; or
3. There was a demonstrable bias by the SCO (this option is only available in cases where there is a digital recording of the SCO’s meeting and it is available to review); or
4. The sanction was substantially disproportionate to the severity of the violation, given the facts and relevant information.
Responsibility/Sanctions
Contact us! We are here to help you! Every sanction has a purpose. Most sanctions are meant to be educational. If you don’t understand what is expected of you or if you have questions about your sanction, please contact the Student Conduct Officer to get clarification.
In cases where an UH West Oʻahu student is found responsible for a violation of the West Oʻahu Student Code of Conduct, UH West Oʻahu will impose discipline that is consistent with the impact of the offense on the UH West Oʻahu community. Article IV(B)(1-7) lists the potential sanctions a student may receive if they have been found “more likely than not” responsible for engaging in prohibited conduct. Some examples may include a written warning, discretionary sanctions, educational sanction, or suspension.
Questions?
If you have questions whether a potential violation occurred or if you are unsure on how to proceed in submitting an incident report, come talk with us.