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The Office of Judicial Affairs Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Office of Judicial Affairs

All students are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and appropriate manner at all times. This includes complying with federal, state and local laws. In order to support the academic environment, faculty members are expected to report all alleged violations of the Student Conduct Code to the Office of Judicial Affairs.

The Dean of Students is responsible for the administrative process designed to respond to allegations of student misconduct as set forth by Board of Curator policy. The process is designed to ensure accused students are afforded the right to due process.

If you believe a student has violated the Student Conduct Code, please contact the Dean of Students at 516-5211. You may also go the website, download and print a referral form and fax it to 516-5221.

What can I do in order to avoid situations of misconduct in my class?

• Treat students’ in a respectful and professional manner
• Respond to students inquiries in a timely manner
• Set expectations regarding behavior in the syllabus and model this behavior at all times
• Hold all students accountable for their behavior

How can I deal with situations immediately?
If you have students within the classroom who are:

• argumentative or challenging – respectfully attempt to calm the student.
• threatening or disruptive – immediately contact University Police at 516-5155

DON’T HESITATE! If you are unsure of whether or not an action is in violation of the Student Conduct Code, please contact the Dean of Students at 516-5211 or via email at student_affairs@umsl.edu . We are here to help.

Procedures for Disruptive Student Behavior

Preventing Disruptive Behavior
When students’ behavior interferes with teaching, the instructor should address it right away. It’s best to start with a classroom environment that makes disruptive behavior more difficult. Here are strategies that others have found helpful:

• Treat colleagues and students respectfully and professionally.
• Be sure each course syllabus states expected classroom behaviors. Sample statements are available.
• Discuss expectations on the first day of class and send reminders as needed.
• Ask students for their input as expectations are discussed with the class.
• Acknowledge that addressing unacceptable behavior is the responsibility of everyone in the class or lab.

Responding to Disruptive Behavior
Unfortunately, even with prevention strategies in place, inappropriate behaviors may occur. It is important to address disrespectful, disruptive, sexist, or racist comments or behavior appropriately and quickly.

• Tell the student either in class or in private that their behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated (Privately is often better at first, if possible).
• Deflect aggressive questions to the class (“What does everyone else think?”).
• Use humor or ask the student to explain his/her reasoning.
• Ask the student to leave the room if the behavior continues.
• Report disruptive behavior to Student Affairs so that the incident can be documented and investigated.

If you perceive that the situation is threatening to you or your students or if the behavior is escalating to that point, contact Campus Police at 314.516.5155 or
call 911 and report the incident immediately.

Campus Contacts
When faced with an incident of disruptive behavior, contact the Office of Judicial Affairs within Student Affairs located in 301 Woods Hall at 314.516.5211 as soon as possible. Once an incident is reported, Judicial Affairs conducts a thorough investigation and makes a decision on how to proceed. Academic misbehavior (plagiarism, cheating, etc.) must be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs (Tanisha Smith Stevens at 314.516.5304). If you need support for enhancing your classroom environment, feel free to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning (ctl@umsl.edu or telephone 314.516.4508).

When to Contact
Promptly documenting and reporting disruptive behavior allows early intervention so that students get the help they need to prevent these behaviors from escalating. Contacting the Office of Student Affairs helps to establish a pattern of conduct and provides faculty with information on appropriate disciplinary actions. The Center for Teaching and Learning is always available as a faculty resource.

Revised 6/2007