Student Accountability Process

The University of Virginia is committed to developing responsible citizen leaders by providing a learning environment that is guided by our foundational values of honor, integrity, trust, and respect. The Policy, Accountability, and Critical Events (PACE) team supports this commitment through the Student Accountability Process.

This process provides students with an educational, fair, and impartial means for resolving reports where a student may have violated the Standards of Conduct or University policies. It balances the rights of students with the expectations of the University and community. Students are treated with care and respect while being afforded the opportunity to be heard. This process also offers a continuum of resolution options, many of which are educational and restorative.

Student Self-Governance

The Student Accountability Process does not replace or supersede the University of Virginia’s long-standing, time-tested system of student self-governance. Rather, this process outlines how Policy, Accountability, and Critical Events (PACE) will resolve any reports that Student Affairs receives where a student may have violated the Standards of Conduct or University policies.

As further articulated below, any cases requiring formal resolution will be referred to the Honor Committee or University Judiciary Committee. The Honor Committee and University Judiciary Committee maintain their own constitution and bylaws that establish procedures for the formal resolution of reports that are referred to each committee.

Students, faculty, staff, and community members may also submit reports of alleged student misconduct directly to each committee.

Navigating the Process

Once a report has been received, Policy, Accountability, and Critical Events (PACE) will review the report to determine if there is reasonable cause to believe the Standards of Conduct or University policies have been violated. If so, students can expect the following to occur:

1 Notice: A letter will be sent to the student’s University email address outlining that a report has been received alleging behavior that potentially violates the Standards of Conduct or University policies. The letter will include steps the student must take to resolve the report, which may include scheduling a meeting with PACE.
2 Meeting: If a meeting is requested, the student will schedule a meeting with PACE to discuss the report. The goals of this meeting are as follows:
  • Discuss the Report: Details of the report will be shared with the student, and the student will have the opportunity to share their perspective on information in the report.
  • Review Community Expectations: All relevant Standards of Conduct and University policies will be reviewed with the student to ensure they understand our community expectations.
  • Reflect on Decisions: The student will reflect on the report, the decisions they made that were cause for concern, and future decisions they can make to ensure their safety, well-being, and compliance.
  • Share Resources: Appropriate supportive resources will be shared with the student.
3 Resolution: Following the meeting, PACE will determine if the report will be resolved through informal resolution or formal resolution. Reports involving serious or recurring violations of the Standards of Conduct or University policies are typically ineligible for informal resolution.
  • Informal Resolution: The student will enter an agreement with PACE where they accept responsibility for their actions, agree to abide by community expectations, and commit to participating in educational interventions. If the student honors such an agreement, no disciplinary record will result.
  • Formal Resolution: The student will be referred to the Honor Committee or University Judiciary Committee for adjudication. More details regarding formal resolution processes can be found on each committee’s website. If there is a finding of responsibility by either committee, a disciplinary record will result.

If at any point you have any questions about the Student Accountability Process, please contact PACE at [email protected].

Amnesty through Responsible Action

The University encourages students to act responsibly by calling Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for themselves or others when there is an alcohol or other drug emergency. Accordingly, the University will provide amnesty to students for minor policy violations (e.g., illicit use of alcohol or other drugs) when students do the following or the following is done for them:

Call 911 immediately.

Care for fellow students by staying with them until EMS or University officials arrive.

Cooperate with EMS and University officials if they ask you questions, request more information, or seek your assistance.

Amnesty is not intended to shield or protect students who repeatedly violate or engage in serious violations of University policies. In such cases, the University reserves the right to hold students accountable on a case-by-case basis.

Important Topics

Accommodations

The Student Disability Access Center (SDAC) provides reasonable accommodations to the University’s programs and services, including the Student Accountability Process. For more information on SDAC services, please visit their website or contact them at [email protected].

Advisor/Support Person

Students may have an advisor or support person accompany them to any meetings with our team. An advisor or support person can be a family member, friend, attorney, or any other individual so long as they are not a party or witness to this matter. The student must submit an Authorization and Release Form to have an advisor or support person present during any meetings. 

Students must speak for themselves during the meeting and the advisor or support person cannot advocate on behalf of the student. All communication to our team must originate from the student, and our team will not solely communicate with an advisor or support person—including attorneys. Advisors or support persons may be reminded of these expectations or, if necessary, asked to leave the meeting if they cause a disruption.

Participation

Students must attend any meetings requested or scheduled by the Policy, Accountability, and Critical Events (PACE) team. After a reasonable period of time passes, a hold may be placed on a student's account for failing to attend such meetings–which may prevent the student from registering for classes or receiving their degree.

During the meeting, the student may choose not to share any additional information with our team. However, we may proceed with our inquiry and make decisions without the benefit of the student's participation, potentially bypassing the opportunity for informal resolution and referring the student to the Honor Committee or University Judiciary Committee for adjudication.

Privacy

We are committed to protecting student privacy to the greatest extent under the law. All information related to this matter will be handled in accordance with the regulations established by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

To allow our team to discuss this matter with any other person, including a family member, attorney, or friend, the student must submit an Authorization and Release Form.

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

The Title IX Office within Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) responds to, investigates, and resolves any reports implicating the Policy on Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence. For more information regarding their process, please visit their website or contact them at [email protected].

Discrimination and Harassment

Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) responds to, investigates, and resolves any reports implicating the Preventing and Addressing Discrimination and Harassment (PADH) policy. For more information regarding their process, please visit their website or contact them at [email protected].

Helpful Links