Revising Discipline

Currently under systemwide Senate review - with comments due by May 19* - are UC procedures for student discipline. Excerpt from cover letter:

...In the spring of 2025, former President Drake requested a review of the student conduct and discipline governance, process, and procedures as defined in systemwide and campus policies and related guidance. Key features of this review included:

• A description of the student conduct and discipline governance, process, and procedures in effect at each UC campus, including average timelines for each stage in the process relative to any policy-required timelines, and any notable or significant procedural differences across campuses.

• In partnership with UC Legal, a review of campus disciplinary investigations and an assessment of consistency.

• An assessment of and recommendations related to systemwide standards regarding student conduct procedures, outcomes, and timely resolution...

One guesses that Drake was motivated by the events of 2024 in calling for the review, although there is no reference to those events in the cover letter. In any case, if the intent was to change the procedures and penalties in response, not much was done. Much of the revision involves compliance with state legislation dealing with misbehavior related to drug or alcohol abuse and creates alternative treatment options. Most of the misbehavior cited involves actions unrelated to the events of 2024: things such as cheating, sexual harassment, etc. There is some reference to obstructing academic activities, but it appears that no changes were made to related rules or processes. There is some added language which allows reasonable, but limited, procedural delay caused by unavailability of an advisor to the student accused of misbehavior.

You can find the cover letter and documentation under review at:

https://senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/underreview/systemwide-senate-review-pacaos-100.pdf.

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*The Senate wants comments by May 19. The cover letter refers to June 11.