Resources, policies, and forms

Office of Community Standards, Rights, and Responsibilities

College is a time of experiencing new freedoms and responsibilities. One responsibility as a university student is to know all of the policies found in the Student Handbook. One of the freedoms is to have new options and to make choices, including whether or not to follow University policies. But for each choice you make, you need to be ready to take personal responsibility for its consequences. This resource page was prepared to help answer questions about the Office of Community Standards, Rights, and Responsibilities.

Academic integrity violations strike at the heart of the educational mission of the University of Maine System. The academic community of the University of Maine System recognizes that adherence to high principles of academic integrity is vital to the academic function of the University. Academic integrity is based upon honesty. All students of the University are expected to be honest in their academic endeavors. All academic work should be performed in a manner that will provide an honest reflection of the knowledge and abilities of each student. All members of the academic community should regard any breach of academic honesty as a serious offense.

In accordance with the System’s mission, campuses within the System have increased cooperative programs with each other to provide better access to courses and programs for students. Students are taking University courses while still in high school, the number of non-traditional students is increasing as is enrollment in on-line and asynchronous courses, and students are increasingly taking courses from multiple campuses during the same semester. All of these factors represent positive change because they represent increased educational opportunity for all students. These factors also require that the University of Maine System adopt this System Academic Integrity Policy to set forth specific and uniform standards of academic integrity that will apply to all courses on all campuses within the System.

Each University campus may adopt procedures for carrying out the provisions of this Policy within the guidelines set forth by this Policy as described below, as long as those campus procedures are consistent with this Policy. Professional schools, such as the School of Law, having a professional code of ethics may adopt additional procedural provisions to be applicable to their own students, as long as they are consistent with this Policy and all procedural requirements of this Policy are met.

Find out what counts as academic honesty/dishonesty and UMaine’s procedures for dealing with individual violations.

University of Maine System Academic Integrity Policy

University of Maine Student Handbook

UMS Academy Academic Integrity Module

Find study tips, test preparation guides, and note taking tips by visiting this site.

Visit this website to the Fogler Library page for an introduction to the functions and options available through the campus library (such as request an interlibrary loan or reserving a study space).

Visit this website on the Fogler Library page to view useful tutorials to assist with scholarly searches.

This website will direct you to the “ask a librarian” page for assistance and troubleshooting of specific issues related to accessing resources and information from Fogler Library.

This website includes information for students on how to properly cite resources according to academic discipline.

This is website to a popular citation generator that has the flexibility to span across multiple citation styles

This website is a resource for students striving to build research skills in academic environments.

If a student is found responsible, they may be asked to complete educational interventions, more commonly known as sanctions. Examples of such interventions include, but are not limited to, attending a Student Resource Center (SRC) class, volunteering through the Bodwell Center for Service and Volunteerism, or participating in alcohol and other drug counseling sessions.

BASICS Class: A one-time class, the Brief Alcohol Screening Intervention for College Students (BASICS) class is a program used by students to explore their drinking in a non-judgmental environment.
BASICS Individual Session: For repeated or more serious violations, students will be asked to attend individual meetings. To schedule a meeting with the Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor, please click here.
Community Service: Students assigned this intervention can sign-up for a project online. It is incumbent on the student to complete their sanctioned hours in a Bodwell Center approved project and turn-in a completed tracking sheet. (Click here for a blank tracking sheet.) After a student has completed their assigned community service, students are encouraged to continue volunteering with the Center.
Student Resource Center (SRC) Classes: Classes are put on by the staff in the First Year and Transfer Center. For classes, students are asked to pick one listed in their resolution letter and attend in good faith. The staff will report back a student’s attendance for this intervention to be marked as complete. Topics include the cost of conduct, time management, and SMART goals.
Student Resource Center (SRC) Individual Sessions: An individual session is scheduled with Katie Taylor, the Assistant Director of Residence Life. The appropriate contact information for the sanction would be found in a student’s resolution letter.

It is the responsibility of the student to manage and track their required educational interventions. In order for most interventions to be considered fulfilled, the students needs to participate in good faith in the assigned activity and either sign in on the attendance roster or complete the service form.

Visit the Educational Interventions site for specifics on UMaine’s list of educational interventions.

If you behave in a manner that encompasses common sense, fairness, honesty, and civility, then you will likely do well. But becoming informed will clarify the details. An outline of our community standards can be found in the Student Conduct Code. A copy may be obtained from the Memorial Union’s Information Center, from Student Affairs’ Office, or from your residence hall staff.

Student Conduct Code

Guide to Campus Living

Student Handbook

It is a document promoting the pursuit of activities which contribute to the intellectual, ethical, and physical development of the individual. It protects the free and peaceful expression of ideas and assures the integrity of various academic processes. For the full Conduct Code visit: http://staticweb.maine.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Student-Conduct-Code-2018-Complete-accessible.pdf?0d0f03

It is a written document, generated by a member of the University community, who has witnessed or become aware of a possible violation of the Student Conduct Code. Students are members of the University community and may come to the Community Standards Office to complete a report. For more information visit: https://umaine.edu/communitystandards/how-to-report/

In some cases, a Resident Director or faculty member may choose to handle the case. Otherwise, the reports are forwarded to the Director of Community Standards. After reviewing the report, she will then send the student an allegation letter.

It is a letter outlining which parts of the code have allegedly been violated. For most cases, it will state the time and date of a hearing with a Conduct Officer.

Call the office at 581-1409 and reschedule. The hearing is your opportunity to share your side of the story, so it is in your best interest to follow through.

Wrong. If you choose not to attend, a Judicial Decision will be made in absentia (your absence) and you will receive a letter notifying you of your disciplinary status.

Only a few violations are serious enough to result in suspension or dismissal. Our discipline system is based on an educational model, therefore the majority of sanctions are structured to be learning experiences. Ideally you will reflect on what happened and make better choices in the future.

The hearing officer will review the charges with you and gives you an opportunity to share your story. Together you discuss the situation and what you learned from it. They may talk about expectations for the future. The Hearing Officer also provides support and referrals for students who may need additional assistance.

It is the final outcome reached by the Hearing Officer. A student is found either not in violation or in violation of the Student Conduct Code. A Summary Letter is sent to the student. If the student is found not in violation, then that ends the process. If the student is found in violation, then sanctions are assigned.

It is a letter sent to the student which summarizes the outcome of his/her conduct process.

They are members of the University community with a legitimate need to know the outcome of a specific case. For example, if the person lives on campus, it would include their Community Coordinator.

It represents the consequences of violating the Student Conduct Code. Sanctions may affect one’s status (being placed on probation or suspension); privileges (being prohibited from operating an automobile on campus or participating in privileged activities); finances (being required to make restitution for property damages); and allocation of time (being required to attend substance abuse, anger management, or study skills workshops). In most cases, a combination of sanctions is utilized to meet the needs of the individual within the community. More about educational interventions.

Yes. If you are suspended or dismissed from the University, then your record is kept permanently. If your conduct status is less than suspension, your discipline record is expunged seven years after the last violation.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) makes a student’s disciplinary record part of her/his educational record. This record may be accessed by a) you (the student), b) if you sign a waiver, c) by your parent(s) if you are their financial dependent or if you are a minor, or d) in response to a court order. This educational record may also be shared with those members of the University community who have a legitimate need to know. More about FERPA.

Yes. It is common to do a background check for applicants seeking a position working with children (such as education), in the field of law enforcement or in the government.

Contact the Office of Community Standards at 581-1409 and schedule an appointment with the Director.

You have the right to appeal and have a hearing before the Student Conduct Code Committee. The appeal must be made within seven days of receiving the decision.

They could decide that you are not in violation. But if they find you in violation, they can also change the sanction. The sanction might increase, decrease, or remain the same.

If misconduct occurs off-campus during the course of a university function, the Student Conduct Code applies. Actions which adversely affect the university and/or the pursuit of its objectives may also be adjudicated on-campus.

Yes. Students sometimes find their conduct reviewed by two or more authorities. This is not “double jeopardy”, which is a legal concept regarding being tried twice in a criminal court. The university’s discipline process focuses solely on determining if a person should remain as a member of our academic community and, if so, under what conditions.

Please contact the Director of Community Standards. The phone number is 581-1409 and the office is located in Student Affairs’ Office on the third floor of the Memorial Union.

Academic Dishonesty Sanction Guidelines (PDF)

Academic Integrity Decision Letter Template (PDF)

If you cannot access these forms, please contact our office for a paper copy.

Ensuring integrity in your classroom is probably best approached as a two-part assignment. The first part involves educating the students about your expectations for the integrity of their work in that class. This should include the basic elements that are expected by the University, along with those expectations that are specific to your class or discipline. The second part of ensuring integrity in the classroom involves actively preventing academic misconduct and confronting situations where you believe academic misconduct might have occurred. Below are tips that you might find helpful in creating and maintaining an environment of integrity in your classroom.

More information about academic integrity in the online environment can be found here.

Provides instructions on how to address and report issues of academic misconduct in the classroom. This page includes a link to the appropriate paperwork, including Academic Integrity Facilitation Guide.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with faculty by offering in class or online presentations on a variety of Student Life related topics.

Academic Integrity

General Conduct

Bystander Intervention

Health and Wellness

Service and Volunteerism

Diversity and Inclusion

See more Here

Did a student disclose to you that they experienced harassment, relationship violence, sexual misconduct, or stalking?

You may have an obligation to report that behavior to the university, even if the student asks you not to. There’s no need for you to investigate, decide what happened, or arrive at any conclusions — simply report. If you are a Responsible Employee, reporting to UMaine’s Title IX Coordinator is required.

Students who are in crisis or who are exhibiting concerning or worrisome behaviors often need additional attention in order to ensure they are safe, the community is safe, and that they continue to be successful while at UMaine. The Office of Community Standards works closely with other campus partners to help identify and support these students.

Click here to access the University of Maine’s Counseling Center Website

If you think an immediate emergency situation exists, contact 911 or Campus Police at 207-581-4040 and report the behavior you have observed.

While some classroom disruptions can be signs of a student in distress, many are simply acts of ignorance or disrespect that do not indicate a higher level of concern. Please visit the university’s Counseling Center website for a helpful guide on managing classroom disruptions, including differentiating between classroom disruptions from concerning behaviors.

It is important that you become familiar with UMaine’s policies regarding the release of student educational records. Educational records include everything from student grades and assignments to emails regarding the student.

Consultation	Referrals	Research
We are available to consult on individual cases, before a faculty member decides whether to pursue charges. We are also available to consult in the creation of departmental and college policies in the area of academic misconduct.	When appropriate, we can provide a number of referral services within the university Community. Faculty or staff who are unsure who to talk to about a particular issues are encouraged to discuss the matter with someone from our office. We will do our best to direct you to the appropriate office and act as an advocate to your needs.	We have a limited ability to generate reports comparing certain variables related to student conduct. Contact us to discuss disclosure of this data and collaboration.

Information for Attorneys/Advisors

While attorney’s have in depth understanding of the American legal system, there are some differences between the legal system they know and the student conduct process. These differences are outlined here along with informative court cases that inform our understanding of the student conduct process.

The student conduct process promotes learning and student development by adjudicating alleged student misconduct; contributes to the educational mission and core values of the university community through adjudication of the Student Conduct Code; and assures standards of acceptable behavior that protects students’ health, safety, welfare, and property. Unlike the criminal justice system, the worst consequence a student may face from a campus student conduct process is not incarceration, but rather that they would no longer be able to attend the institution.

The student conduct process is not comparable to a court of law, criminal proceeding or civil proceeding and therefore the role of the attorney is also dissimilar. The role of the attorney/advisor is one of a friendly observer. This friendly observer is not an active participant and may not participate in the hearing. They can attend the hearing as a support to the student and can guide or advise the student on what questions to ask or answer during their university hearing.

Attorneys or advisers assisting students as they navigate the student conduct process are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Student Conduct Code . This document describes in detail, the scope of the code of conduct, procedures, prohibited conduct, and possible sanctions.

Foundations of a Campus Disciplinary Process

Courts have consistently delineated the right of academic communities to discipline students for behavior that violations the Student Conduct Code, independent of any criminal process and regardless of the outcome of any criminal investigation.

The courts have also determined and defined the differences in due process between an educational institution and a criminal system, as follows:

“… the attempted analogy if student discipline to criminal proceedings against juveniles and adults is not sound. The nature and proceedings of the (campus) disciplinary process… should not be required to conform to the federal processes of criminal law, which are far from perfect, and designed for circumstances and ends unrelated to the academic community. By a judicial manage to impose on the academic community and student discipline the intricate, time-consuming, sophisticated procedures, rules, and safeguards of criminal law would frustrate the teaching process and render the institutional control impotent.”

44 F.R.D. (142) (W.D. Mo.)

General Order on Judicial Standards of Procedures and Substance of Student Discipline in Tax-Supported Institutions of Education

A number of landmark cases have helped establish the basic rules and standards of due process required in university disciplinary processes.

Some of the information here was taken from an article written by Tamara King, J.D. and Benjamin White, J.D. called “An Attorney’s Role in the Conduct Process.” This was published and distributed by Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA).

Frequently Asked Questions for Attorneys and Advisors

In each of the preceding cases, courts have clarified the differences between a criminal proceeding and a campus disciplinary system, as well as setting the minimal procedural safeguards necessary in a campus proceeding. Some more significant differences are listed below:

Students are expected to take an active role in responding to allegations of misconduct. Therefore, it is in the student’s best interest to be engaged in the process. An attorney may be present during conduct proceedings to advise his/her client, but are not allowed to participate directly in the hearing. For example, an attorney is prohibited from questioning or cross-examining witnesses or “arguing” his/her client’s case. The Office of Community Standards, Rights, and Responsibilities prefers to communicate with the student, which is part of the educational experience. A third party, such as an attorney or parent, may receive information about the case or copies of correspondence if the student signs a release form.

The student may review his or her case file during regular office hours, 8-5, Monday through Friday. Copies of case files are not provided as a matter of policy in order to protect confidentiality and the privacy of other students involved in the conduct matter. However, a student may permit a third party to review a redacted copy of the file if he/ she signs a release form.

It is in the best interest of the involved student and the campus community to address complaints in a timely fashion. The disciplinary process is not criminal in nature and findings of responsibility do not include criminal penalties. Therefore, double jeopardy does not apply to disciplinary sanctions, and delays do not fit the educational nature of the process and are only granted in extraordinary circumstances.

University of Maine may move forward with the conduct process in the student’s absence and make a determination of responsibility based on the case file and witness statements. Students may choose to remain silent recognizing that they give up their opportunity to explain their side of the story.

University of Maine has retained the right to discipline students for off-campus conduct that is detrimental to the University’s mission. The Standards of Conduct for Students states that students are expected to uphold these standards both on and off campus and acknowledge the university’s authority to take disciplinary action. The purpose of the standards and processes is to educate students and protect the welfare of the community.

The burden of proof in conduct hearings is a preponderance of the evidence. A student will be found responsible for the alleged misconduct if it is more likely than not they violated the University’s rules or regulations.

Institutions of higher education do not function as courts of law; therefore, the conduct proceedings are less formal and weighted toward the educational process. Nevertheless, conduct procedures at the University of Maine comply with the Due Process Clause’s essential requirements of notice and an opportunity to be heard.

Resources for Parents, Guardians, and Students’ Families

The Office of Community Standards, Rights, and Responsibilities makes every effort to outreach to our students in a variety of ways before issues arise to the level of going through the conduct process. Though we try our best, inevitably some situations will require us to contact a parent or guardian for disciplinary reasons. We try to be as open as possible with students and their families so that we can be educational in correcting disruptive behavior(s).

In order for us to be able to effectively communicate with a student’s family they will need to have a FERPA waiver on file. The Student Records website contains more information about FERPA, as well as the Student Information Release Form which you and your student will need to complete for us to talk with you about their disciplinary history.

Our staff and hearing officers may assign “Parental Notification” when the outcome of a case is reached. A parental notification can occur in one of four ways:

We may have the student call you during the meeting so you can be involved in the conversation
A staff member might call you after meeting with your student to update you on the conversation and answer any questions you may have
You might receive email notification of the students case history – this could either be the outcome letter or a separate parental notification letter
- A hard copy letter might be “snail” mailed to you if there is no email on file
We would ask the student to contact you and explain the situation from their perspective and have you either call or email the hearing officer to answer any follow up questions

The Office of Community Standards, Rights, and Responsibilities staff also rely on parents, guardians, and families to let us know if their student needs additional support throughout the year. A parent, guardian, or family member can always reach out to our staff at communitystandards@maine.edu or call 207.581.1406.

Any students brought to our attention will be met with and referred to the appropriate campus resources to ensure they have the greatest chance at success while at UMaine.

For more information about students needing extra support please see our Concerning Behaviors page.

Policies and Forms

Academic integrity reporting form

student conduct reporting form

Title IX Reporting form

dean’s certificate and disciplinary records request form

generative AI for teaching and learning

UMS Academic Integrity policy

UMS Student conduct Code

UMS Board policies

student conduct code appeal form

Campus Eye police report form

residence Hall guide to campus living

student handbook