Transition to a professional staff-led Conduct Board begins

The University’s professional staff-led Conduct Board system went into effect on Aug.12, marking the end of an over 100-year tradition of student leadership in adjudicating student code of conduct violations.

An email sent to the UNC community on July 17, signed by Provost Chris Clemens and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Amy Johnson, stated that the shift to a conduct board model is consistent with peer institutions within the UNC system and nationwide.

The email also stated that student adjudicators faced "significant workload[s]" in their roles and referenced an "increasingly complex legal landscape" for students to handle. The University plans to align the Student Code of Conduct, Alcohol and Drug Policies and Community Standards and Amnesty rules into a system easier for students to navigate. 

In an interview with The Daily Tar Heel on July 24, Johnson said that there was no relation between the system change and pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus last semester, also saying that students would represent themselves in the new system.

A document released by the University on July 22 stated that under the new conduct board model, students will have the opportunity to serve as advisers to their peers, participate in hearing boards and contribute as members of an advisory panel designed to guide student affairs around policies, student success and equitable outcomes.

The updated policies for Student Code of Conduct and Procedures were released on Aug. 16, with new guidelines providing four pathways for addressing alleged violations.

The pathways include an administrative conference, a formal hearing, a student-instructor alternative resolution, or a large scale case resolution. The options cover meeting with a hearing officer, meeting before a conduct board, resolving matters directly with instructors, or allowing cases to be resolved through a proposed agreement.

The newly implemented Student Conduct Board process will be evaluated by Student Affairs and Chancellor Roberts, with adjustments being made as needed.

Aidan Hunt, class of 2023, served as an Honor Court council member on the Attorney General Staff as an underclassman. During his tenure, the structure of the Honor Court was student-led, with students holding positions such as undergraduate Attorney General and council members. 

While Hunt said he does not necessarily disagree with the notion of more faculty inclusion, he said there needs to be a “checkered balance” of student involvement in making decisions.

He said continued student involvement is essential to maintaining the system’s fairness and effectiveness, comparing the system to the idea of a trial by jury.

“It’s supposed to be a jury of your peers, and what that means is always debatable, but I think we can agree that a fellow student is a peer and a faculty member is not,” he said. “So there should be at least some people that are in the same general position as you as a student.” 

Kara Dugan, a UNC sophomore and member of Student Government, said thatshe was shocked by the quick turnaround of the new changes, only being notified of them a day or two before the official announcement was made. 

Dugan said she thinks that because of rising tension between students and administration, the confidence level in the new system would be lower compared to years past, with the end of the tradition of student governance potentially creating a rift within the UNC community. 

She said that the people she knew on the Honor Court had a sense of pride in being a part of the tradition of student-led adjunctions. 

“Deteriorating those traditions points to a decline in the sense of community in Chapel Hill between students, faculty and the university as a whole,” Dugan said.

Specific members for the new system have not yet been selected. Students interested in joining the board should fill out the form on the Student Conduct website.

CLARIFICATION: The Daily Tar Heel has edited to this story to reflect that the University's disciplinary system is now referred to as the Conduct Board System.

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