Interim Suspension Process

Should you wish to appeal this interim action, you may request, in writing, an appeal of the interim action by submitting this request to the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities at StudentRights@siu.edu. This request should detail why you believe the interim action is unnecessary. The Director will review the appeal generally within two days of the date of the request. 

If the appeal is denied, students shall remain off-campus grounds until the student conduct process has been completed. Failure to do so may incur additional charges, as well as additional violations of the Student Conduct Code, including but not limited to, Failure to Comply, and Unauthorized Access.

As determined appropriate by the University, this restriction may include classes or any other University activities or privileges for which the student/organization might otherwise be eligible. At the discretion of the Dean(s), faculty, etc., and under certain circumstances, it may be possible for the student to pursue alternative coursework options to ensure as minimal an impact as possible on the responding student.

It is imperative that you reach out to your instructors immediately. Students still have access to their SIU email while on an interim action.

After an interim suspension is issued, students have the right to appeal this action (see Appealing Interim Suspension Tab). Whether the appeal is approved or denied, an administrative conference will still be scheduled for the student. This will vary depending on the severity of the incident, as it may take time for a full investigation is completed. Students will be expected to remain off-campus during this time.

Once Student Rights and Responsibilities receives the full investigation report, typically a police report, the office will schedule a meeting with the student. This meeting will occur no earlier than three business days from the time of the email delivered to the student. All communication will be done through the student's SIU email, which will still be enabled through this process. Emails sent from non-siu email will generally not be answered. 

Once an administrative conference has occurred, the office has generally three business days to render and send out a decision to the student. From there, the student has three business days to appeal this decision, found in the decision letter sent to the student. 

Once an appeal has been submitted, the office will compile all information and send it over to the Appellate, generally designated to be the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Typically, no other meeting will be called for the appeal, so all information the student wishes to give must be submitted with the appeal form. The Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs has generally five business days to render a decision, though this timeline may fluctuate. 

Once a decision has been made, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will send the appellate's decision to the student. This decision is final and there is no further avenue for appeal for the student. 

Please note this is an abridged version of the Student Conduct Process. For a full outline, please refer to the Student Conduct Code, located here.

An Administrative Conference is a meeting where students are allowed to speak with an administrator to review, and discuss their alleged involvement in an incident, which resulted in violations of the Student Conduct Code. 

During these proceedings, students can expect the following:

1. The opportunity to discuss and understand all allegations and the conduct process in a civil manner. Failure to maintain appropriate decorum may result in removal from the conference, the conference will proceed in the student’s absence;
2. The expectation to speak truthfully about the events in question, cover details extensively and discuss responsibility or lack thereof in the situation;
3. Have an advisor present for the conference.
   1. Advisors or witnesses who are disruptive or otherwise do not maintain appropriate decorum may be removed from the conference proceedings and the conference will proceed in their absence;
4. Have relevant witness statements considered as part of the proceeding.
   1. The university reserves the right to set a reasonable limit to a number of witnesses.
   2. The administrator shall have the right to disallow any witness, as outlined above.
   3. Witnesses may submit written statements in lieu of attendance at the administrative conference.
   4. A witness must be a person who has direct knowledge of the event or actions in question.
   5. Character witnesses are generally not necessary as allegations are a question of a student’s behavior, not a question of a student’s character;
5. Refuse to answer any questions or make a statement.
   1. The refusal to participate shall not be presumed to be an admission of responsibility; the administrator shall make a decision on the basis of all information available at the time of the conference;
6. At the administrative conference, the administrator will present any witnesses and evidence relevant to the alleged violations. Following this presentation the student will have an opportunity to present any witnesses and evidence pertaining to the alleged violations.

Students may elect to not attend this administrative conference, however, that does not stop the conference from continuing. Students will be marked as in absentia, and the administrator will conduct the meeting without their presence. A decision will be made based upon the information provided to the administrator at that moment.

 Students should review these procedures before attending their meeting.

If you need to return to campus to gather any belongings from your room in the residence hall, you must contact the Department of Public Safety to have an officer escort you to and from your room. You may contact them at 618-453-3771.

Post-decision

After the student conduct process has concluded and a final decision has been made, the following may occur.

A student is found responsible and is removed from campus through suspension or expulsion:

A student who removed as a student can no longer be on campus property and is considered trespassed. Students will be removed from class by the Registrar's office after receiving notification from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Other offices around campus may also be notified, including University Housing. It is imperative that a student work with University Housing to remove any possessions left in the room, otherwise University Housing may consider it abandoned property and follow their procedures accordingly. Additionally, students must check out with University Housing to avoid continuing charges for future semesters. 

A student who is found responsible and is not removed from campus:

A student in this category who is found responsible but not removed from campus may be allowed back onto campus, but may have limitations or restrictions. Please read through the letter received from Student Rights and Responsibilities to ensure compliance. Students will be allowed to return to campus immediately and may need to pick up their belongings from DPS or University Housing, if they live in the residence hall. 

A student who is found not responsible:

Students who are found not responsible may return to campus immediately and will have no restrictions or limitations.