Administrators adjust student suspension record retention period, among other significant changes.
The UCSD Office of Student Conduct proposed a set of revisions to the Student Conduct Code and Regulations, effective Fall Quarter 2014 — pending final approval.
The changes include the addition of new domestic violence protocol, dating violence regulations and revised language for stalking standards in the Conduct in Violation of Community Standards.
Additionally, the changes would, if implemented, reduce the period of maintaining suspensions on students’ permanent records from permanent status to seven years.
These changes were reviewed and discussed by the Student Conduct Standards Group, including Director of Student Conduct Ben White.
“Overall, the revisions provide greater clarity for key processes affecting students, including Student Conduct Reviews and record retention,” White told the Guardian. “The revisions also incorporate systemwide student conduct revisions relating to the standards of conduct, specifically domestic violence, dating violence and stalking.”
The Student Conduct Code and Conduct Regulations were revised in terms of wording. The changes mentioned are part of the annual review of the Student Conduct Code, which keep the policies current.
“[Originally] Student Conduct Reviews have been managed and organized by either the Office of Student Conduct (Community Standards Board, Review Officers) or the respective Dean of Student Affairs office (College Judicial Boards),” White said.
This year, the Office of Student Conduct will organize and manage all Student Conduct Reviews. These include those conducted by college judicial boards.
The changes to suspension records were made with the student’s personal record in mind; ideally, a student who was suspended could continue without worrying that it would remain on permanent record.
“Given that most suspensions are for less than a year, typically a quarter, [The Council of Deans of Student Affairs] were concerned that suspensions would continue to impact students well into the future,” White said.
Further details on the proposed changes can be found online at the conduct code’s webpage, http://studentconduct.ucsd.edu.
