Office of Student Judicial Affairs

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I received a Student Summons from University Police, what will happen now?

If you received a Student Summons, it means that you have been cited for an alleged violation of the Code of Student Conduct. University Police will send all available documentation to Student Judicial Affairs to begin the judicial process. It is likely that a pre-hearing conference or formal hearing may be scheduled to resolve the allegations. You will be notified of your pre-hearing or hearing via an email sent to your official ODU email account. You should check your email daily to ensure your timely receipt of this notice.

What is a Pre-Hearing Conference?

A Pre-Hearing Conference is a meeting with a representative of the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and an accused student. At the pre-hearing conference, a student will be given an opportunity to discuss and review all evidence as well as ask questions about the charges and options available for resolution. During the pre hearing conference the student will be presented with the following options:

To plead in violation to the charge(s), waive all rights to a formal hearing and appeal, and accept a sanction or sanctions imposed by the hearing officer; or
To request a formal hearing with the right to appeal.

Students who fail to attend the pre-hearing conference will be considered in violation of the charges and an appropriate sanction will be imposed. In such cases, the decision is final and not subject to further review or appeal.

May I bring my parents and/or an attorney to my hearing?

All hearings are closed, which means only accused student(s), advisers, witnesses, and the Hearing Officer(s) or Student Conduct Committee members are permitted to attend the hearing or appeal. (In cases involving sexual assault, the accuser is permitted to attend the hearing and appeal, if any, and an advisor may accompany the accuser as set forth in the Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures).

The accused student may have an adviser of the student's choice present during the hearing or appeal. However, all advisers must be University community members (current faculty, staff, or student), must have no other role in the hearing (such as a witness) and may not be lawyers. Therefore, parents may not serve as advisors unless they are also a current member of the faculty, staff or student body.

A lawyer will only be permitted to serve as an adviser when related criminal charges are filed and pending. In cases where a lawyer serves as an accused student's adviser, the student is responsible for any lawyer's fees incurred.

Why has the University Hearing Officer placed a hold on my account?

Three types of holds from a University Hearing Officer exist and are usually encountered when trying to register, view transcript or grades, or process degree evealuation to graduate. More information can be found on the Registrar's website. Holds are generally applied when a student has failed to complete sanctions by the assigned due dates. For more infromation, visit our Sanctions page.