Purdue Community Standards Board Hearings
Depending on the severity of the offense, students who are arrested while attending Purdue may face either a Community Standards Board (CSB) panel hearing or a conduct conference. All Tippecanoe County based law enforcement agencies notify Purdue of its arrests of Purdue students. If you are arrested and the Purdue Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) requires you to attend a CSB panel hearing, the allegations are considered severe enough to warrant a possible suspension or expulsion from the university. Because the panel hearing can lead to severe consequences, hiring an attorney experienced in CSB panel hearings is in your best interests.
Offenses that may result in CSB panel hearings include battery, dealing a controlled substance including marijuana, theft, resisting law enforcement, or any other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any other person, whether or not such conduct occurs on Purdue property.
If you are assigned a CSB panel hearing, you will receive a notification letter from the Office of the Dean of Students. The letter will describe the alleged Student Conduct Code violations and willinform you of the dates and times of two hearings.
At the first hearing, you and a representative from the university will review the applicable sections of the Purdue Student Conduct Code as well as the range of possible consequences so that you have a better understanding of the hearing process. No decisions are made at this first hearing.
The second hearing is the CSB panel hearing, which is similar to a trial. A panel of three students and two faculty members will serve as judge and jury. During the first part of the panel hearing, a member of the OSRR will act as a prosecutor. The OSRR member presents the evidence against you. You will then have the opportunity to address the panel, present any evidence, and call witnesses in your defense. At the hearing’s conclusion, the panel will decide whether you will be held responsible for the charges against you.
If you are found responsible for the charges, the second part of the hearing will begin. The OSRR representative will suggest possible penalties to the panel. You will also have the opportunity to address the panel. You are allowed to present letters of recommendation and any other evidence in support of a lesser penalty. The panel will then deliberate and decide which penalties to recommend to the Dean of Students. Possible penalties include:
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Probated suspension (the student remains enrolled subject to certain conditions)
- Disciplinary probation
In addition, you may also face secondary penalties, such as:
- Restriction from campus buildings
- Restitution
- Apology letters
- Reflective writing assignments
- Community service
- Mental health evaluation
- Drug/Alcohol evaluation
The final decision regarding penalties is made by the Dean of Students. However, the panel’s recommended penalties are normally adopted by the Dean.
You also have the right to bring an advisor with you to the panel hearing, such as a criminal defense attorney. However, your advisor is not allowed to speak on your behalf during the hearing. You can consult with your advisor at any time during the hearing to make sure that you do not make a mistake.
An experienced criminal lawyer can help prepare you for the panel hearing while protecting your rights in your criminal case. Reasons to hire an attorney who is experienced in representing students in panel hearings include:
- The panel hearing will take place while the criminal case is pending, often even before your first court date. In deciding whether to give a statement at the panel hearing, you must consider the criminal case. You may have a defense to your criminal case that could be jeopardized by making statements at the tape recorded panel hearing.
- Students have the right to remain silent. However, if you give a statement, it must be truthful. If you make false statements at the panel hearing, you could face additional, disciplinary sanctions.
- Students will be nervous and inexperienced in responding to the questioning and procedure of the hearing. An experienced attorney can prepare you for the hearing, including the procedures and whether there are concerns regarding the criminal case.
- Students and parents spend a lot of money on college expenses. The panel hearing needs to be handled correctly in order to protect this investment.
An attorney experienced in representing students at Purdue CSB panel hearings can assist the students during the disciplinary process while protecting their rights in the criminal case. If you are a Purdue student that has been arrested, we are experienced and available to assist you in both your criminal case and your Purdue discipline proceeding.
Filed to Ask a Lawyer, Purdue University
Back to Blog