Student Conduct Records

The Dean of Students (DOS) office maintains student conduct records. A typical student conduct record contains documents related to the initial incident report, correspondence between the student conduct administrator and involved parties, allegation and findings letters issue to the student, interview summaries, evidence collected throughout the student conduct process, outcome letters sent to appropriate faculty and/or staff with an educational need to know, and copies of completed sanctioning assignments.

Records Retention

All student conduct records are maintained in an electronic format in an online student conduct database. UAS also maintains printed copies of student conduct records if 1) a student has been assigned major sanctions as a result of the student conduct process or 2) a disciplinary record has been the subject of litigation or a complaint against the university.

Disciplinary records for students or organizations will be destroyed seven years from the date of the most recent incident within the disciplinary record. However, UAS retains disciplinary records for 50 years from the date of the most recent incident if 1) a student has been assigned major sanctions as a result of the student conduct process or 2) a disciplinary record has been the subject of litigation or a complaint against the university. 

Access to Student Records

While all students hold the right to view the student conduct records as they pertain to them, students may also make requests to receive a copy (in either electronic or paper form) of those records as well. In either situation, students are required to submit a written request and the DOS maintains the authority to decide which portions of the student conduct record must only be viewed in the office and which portions, if any, may be released for viewing outside of the DOS office. Additionally, in both situations, there may be information within a record that is not eligible for student view, regardless of how and where the student views that information. While the DOS maintains the authority to decide the disclosure of this information, these situations typically arise in areas firmly defined by FERPA (i.e., personal or unrelated information about other students within a record) or in areas related to intellectual or proprietary information (i.e., an exam or lab manual). In both types of instances, the DOS redacts the protected information and/or allows only an in-office viewing of that portion of the record. 

Good Disciplinary Standards

UAS considers a student to be in good disciplinary standing if the student is not currently on disciplinary probation or serving a suspension, has never been expelled or had their degree revoked.

Disclosure of Student Records

If the DOS receives a request for information regarding a student’s disciplinary record, the disclosure is limited to incidents wherea student received disciplinary probation, was suspended or expelled, or had their degree revoked. 

Five years after an incident or in a student’s final semester before graduation, students may request that the DOS not disclose their student conduct history to a third party. To request this, students would need to submit a written request to the Dean of Students, who would then review the record, making a determination based upon 1) the student’s conduct history as a whole, 2) the length of time since the incident occurred, 3) the severity of the incident or incidents included in the record, 4) whether or not the student completed all of the sanctions assigned to them in a timely manner, and 5) the reasoning given by the student in their request.

If the student’s request is granted, a note would be placed in the electronic file that indicates that that student’s record is not to be disclosed unless it is explicitly stated by law that the DOS needs to provide the information. In general, incidents that will most likely not be eligible for this policy are as follows:

• Assault/causing personal injury;
• Hazing;
• Significant property damage;
• Providing alcohol to minors;
• Distribution of drugs;
• Violations of the weapons policy;
• Sexual misconduct:
• Discrimination or harassment;
• Criminal behavior; and
• Incidents that lead to suspension, expulsion, or revocation of degree.

The DOS makes reasonable efforts to notify the student in advance of a release of information from a student disciplinary record unless a subpoena expressly restricts the DOS from doing so. A reasonable effort includes a phone call and, if needed, a follow-up email. If the student does not respond to either attempt at communication within 72 hours, a notice is sent to the student using certified mail.

Processing Time

Processing time to review a student conduct record is up to 45 calendar days.