When Community Expectations and Restorative Practices (CERP) receives a report of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes that may need to be resolved through a judicial board hearing, review of the incident begins with an investigation. If you have received notification from CERP that an investigation regarding your alleged conduct is under way, this page is intended to help you to participate actively and fully in the investigation phase of the incident review process.
In addition to reading this page carefully, you should read the University of Lynchburg Honor and Student Conduct Codes and Regulations.
What is an investigation?
When a possible violation of the University of Lynchburg Honor and Student Conduct Codes may result in a judicial board hearing conducted by the Student Judicial Board or the Administrative Board, review of the incident begins with an investigation conducted by Community Expectations and Restorative Practices. An investigation is intended to collect additional, clarifying information regarding the alleged incident; however, it is not an exhaustive search for every detail directly or indirectly related to an alleged infraction. Often, the investigation consists simply of contacting the student who reportedly engaged in misconduct and inviting the student to share their account of what occurred. An investigation may also include contact with other witnesses.
How do I know that an investigation is underway?
If an incident in which you possibly violated the Honor and Student Conduct Codes is being investigated, then you will receive correspondence from Community Expectations and Restorative Practices notifying you that the investigation has been initiated. The correspondence details how you can participate in the investigation and your deadline for providing information. Read the investigation notification carefully, and keep it for future reference.
I’ve received notice of an investigation from Community Expectations and Restorative Practices. Does that mean that I’ve been charged with something?
No. The investigation notice indicates that the reported incident is being reviewed and that you have the opportunity to give your account of what happened. After the investigation is completed, either the matter is closed without disciplinary action, or address of the incident continues with charges of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes being issued to you.
How do I benefit from participating in the investigation?
By providing your eyewitness account of what occurred and why it occurred, you help the investigator from Community Expectations and Restorative Practices (CERP) to review the reported incident and to understand what happened. Based on information collected from you, the original incident reports, and through the investigation, CERP decides whether to issue charges of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes to you. Sometimes, by providing incident information during the investigation, a student helps the investigator understand that the student did not violate any policies, and the investigator closes review of the reported incident without need for disciplinary action.
Am I required to participate in the investigation?
No, you are not required to provide information for the investigation, but doing so helps the investigator to address the reported incident accurately. Regardless of whether you participate in the investigation, decisions will be made about charges of possible infractions to be issued to you and how they should be resolved. Without your account of what occurred, these decisions will be made based solely on reports from other witnesses (e.g., Housing and Residence Life staff, Campus Safety Officers, a professor, or other students).
What happens after the investigation is completed?
When the investigation is completed, a representative of Community Expectations and Restorative Practices reviews all of the information collected, including the incident report(s) received initially, and decides whether charges of possible violation of the Honor and Student Conduct Codes should be issued to you.
- If no charges are issued to you, then you will be notified that the matter has been closed.
- If charges are issued to you, then you will be notified in writing of the specific charges and how the charges will be resolved.
- If the charges will be resolved through a judicial board hearing, then you will be notified of the date, time, and location of the hearing (typically by a separate letter) so that you may attend and participate in the hearing.
What is the difference between the Student Judicial Board and the Administrative Board?
All members of the Student Judicial Board are University of Lynchburg students. Staff and faculty serve on the Administrative Board. Both judicial boards follow hearing procedures described in the Honor and Student Conduct Codes and Regulations.
Are my parents notified that I am involved in an investigation?
Community Expectations and Restorative Practices does not initiate contact with parents or
legal guardians during the investigation phase of the incident review process. However, the outcome of the student conduct process may necessitate parental notification. (See Notification of Parents Concerning Student Discipline).
Regardless of whether University policy requires parental notification, you are encouraged to communicate with your parent(s) or legal guardian, informing them of the incident investigation.
What do I do if I have additional questions?
The following are helpful sources of information about University of Lynchburg’s student conduct review process:
The Hornet student handbook
Community Expectations and Restorative Practices
Second floor, Hundley Hall
434.544.8822
Student Judicial Board Office
Second floor, Hundley Hall