Article VII – Sanctions – To the Point – Student Handbook 2025-2026

Section 1: General Sanctions

Sanctions may be imposed upon a student who has been found in violation of campus regulations include, but are not limited to:
1. Warning: Written or verbal notice that the student has been found in violation of a specific regulation, and that repetition or continuation of this violation may result in further disciplinary action.
2. Restitution: Reimbursement by the student to the College or a member of the College community to cover the cost of damage to or misappropriation of property.
3. Restriction: Withdrawal or restriction of certain privileges for a specified period of time.
4. Work Sanctions/community service as restitution: The assignment of tasks or work appropriate to the violation, which will benefit all or part of the College community.
5. Educational Sanctions: Assignments imposed in an attempt to serve an additional educational purpose. These “educational projects” may include any of the following (this list is not exhaustive): participation in an assigned alcohol or marijuana education class, educational newsletter, developmental meeting with a professional in the community, creating a bulletin board, planning and implementing a program, or writing a paper on a related topic.
6. Mandated Assessments: Mandated assessments are performed at the Wellness Center by trained clinicians. Student Conduct is the referring office for mandated assessments. A referral may be made for a student who has demonstrated a significant history of concerning behavior that may indicate a disposition toward alcohol or drug abuse or addiction, or inappropriate behavior. The referred student will attend between one and three mandated assessment sessions with a clinician. The College Wellness Center does not provide mandated counseling. The above sessions are for assessment purposes only and do not constitute therapeutic intervention.
7. Disciplinary Probation: An official and final warning directing the student to exhibit good conduct during a specified probation period. Further violations will require that the student automatically return to the conduct system and, if found in violation once more, face a more severe sanction. Disciplinary probation may impact a student’s ability to hold certain campus leadership positions and/or to study abroad.
8. Housing Contract Revocation or Deferred Contract Revocation: Temporary or indefinite separation from living in on-campus housing. Housing contract revocation may also involve restriction from all housing facilities. A deferred contract revocation provides one more opportunity to the student before removing their housing privileges. If found in violation of an additional campus policy while on a deferred status, the only sanction available is a Housing Contract Revocation
9. Disciplinary Suspension: A temporary separation from the College with the right to apply for readmission to the VPSA or their designee. The terms of the suspension may be set or indefinite, and special conditions upon readmission may be designated. He or she loses all privileges of a regularly enrolled student and is issued a No-Trespass Order by an authorized official for the duration of the suspension. There is no room refund for students who are removed from housing due to a housing contract violation or judicial sanction (housing revocation, suspension, or expulsion). Students placed on conduct suspension will receive a W for “withdraw” on their academic transcripts. Any suspended student who returns to the campus during the suspension period is subject to expulsion unless he or she has prior written approval from the VPSA or their designee.
10. Deferred Disciplinary Suspension: A disciplinary status where disciplinary suspension is set aside, providing a final warning to the student. If found responsible for any behavioral conduct violation while on this deferred status, the only sanction available to the student is Disciplinary Suspension or Expulsion
11. Expulsion: A permanent termination of a student’s status at the College for disciplinary reasons. No room refunds apply in such cases. However, students are eligible for board refunds according to the College’s established refund policy. When a student is expelled from the College, the parents are notified. Expelled students are issued a No Trespass Order by an authorized official. Any expelled student may submit a written request for access to the campus to the VPSA or their designee no earlier than June 1st, three years after their date of expulsion. Students who are expelled will receive a “W” for “withdraw” on their academic transcripts.
12. Parental Notification: Correspondence from the student conduct officer to the responsible student’s parents or guardians regarding violation(s) of the College Alcohol and/or Drug policy. All correspondence with parents and guardians will be conducted in compliance with FERPA.

Section 2: Student Organization Sanctions

Sanctions may be imposed upon a student organization that has been found in violation of campus regulations as follows:
1. Sanctions listed above.
2. Loss of selected rights and privileges for a specified period of time.
3. Deactivation: Loss of all privileges, including College recognition, for a specified period of time.

Section 3: Minimum Expected Sanctions

The following violations may lead to certain sanctions, depending on any mitigating circumstances.
1. Alcohol violations (each case may be subject to an alcohol citation requiring a court appearance in Leonardtown):
  1. Kegs and other similar multi-liter violations:
    1. First time: parent notification and housing contract revocation.
    2. Second time: parent notification and suspension from the College.
  2. Social Host violations:
    1. First time: $100 fine per social host.
    2. Second time: $200 fine per social host.
    3. Third (and subsequent) time: $250 fine per social host. Fines are assessed per social host and will not be divided among members of the residence.
  3. Other alcohol violations:
    1. First time: warning, parent notification and alcohol education program.
    2. Second time: parent notification, disciplinary probation, and educational project or mandated assessment.
    3. Third time: parent notification and housing contract revocation or suspension from the College. Referral to an alcohol treatment program may be recommended.
2. Pulling false fire alarms:
  1. First time: parent notification and housing contract revocation or suspension.
  2. Second time: parent notification and expulsion.
3. Vandalism/destruction of college property (depending on the severity of the violation):
  1. First time: restitution and work sanction.
  2. Second time: restitution, educational project, and disciplinary probation.
  3. Third time: restitution, parent notification, and housing contract revocation or suspension.
4. Drug violations (each case may be subject to criminal charges requiring a court appearance in Leonardtown): First time: parent notification, disciplinary probation, and educational sanction.
  1. Second time: parent notification, mandatory assessment/counseling and housing contract revocation or suspension.
  2. Third time: parent notification and expulsion.
  3. Sanctions may vary for those who have a repeat violation while on College conduct probation.
5. Pet policy violations:
  1. Resident-student pet owners:
    1. First violation: $250 cleaning/extermination charge, community service, and/or educational project.
    2. Repeat violation(s): $250 cleaning/extermination charge disciplinary probation, and housing contract revocation or suspension.
    3. Students with an approved Emotional Support Animal may be required to remove the animal based on damages or violations of the pet agreement.
  2. Commuter-student pet owners:
    1. First violation: $250 cleaning/extermination charge, community service, and/or educational project.
    2. Repeat violation(s): $250 cleaning/extermination charge, disciplinary probation, and residence restriction or suspension.
  3. Residents who permit unauthorized pets in their room, suite, apartment, townhouse:
    1. First violation: community service project.
    2. Repeat violation: disciplinary probation.
6. Parking policy violations:
  1. First time heard via student conduct (5 or more tickets): Official Warning
  2. Second time heard via student conduct (2 or more tickets following the first hearing): Disciplinary Probation or Parking Probation and vehicle added to the towing list.
  3. Third time heard via student conduct (2 or more tickets following the second hearing): Disciplinary Probation or Parking Restriction/Privilege Revocation and vehicle added to the towing list.

Section 4: Interim Suspension

The VPSA or their designee or a designee may suspend a student for an interim period pending a conduct hearing and/or threat assessment.
The interim suspension may become immediately effective without prior notice whenever there is evidence that the continued presence of the respondent student on the College campus poses a substantial threat to others, or to the stability and continuance of normal College functions.
A student suspended on an interim basis shall be given a prompt opportunity to speak with the VPSA or their designee or designee in order to discuss the following issues only: the reliability of the information concerning the student’s conduct, including the matter of the student’s identity; and/or whether the conduct and surrounding circumstances reasonably indicate that the continued presence of the student on the College campus poses a substantial threat to others or to the stability and continuance of normal College functions.
A student suspended on an interim basis shall be given an opportunity to have a hearing within an expedited time frame. Virtual and/or phone hearings will be available to the responding student, upon request, when travel to campus is not feasible.
In cases where there is an appeal following a hearing concerning interim suspension, the respondent student’s appeal shall be directed to the president of the College or designee.
A student suspended on an interim basis may not withdraw from the College before the conclusion of his/her conduct case.

Section 5: Withholding of Degree

The College may withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the completion of the process set forth in this Student Conduct Code, including the completion of all sanctions imposed, if any. The College may withhold a student’s degree when addressing issues of serious, complex, and/or controversial nature that could reasonably result in a student’s suspension or expulsion if the student is found responsible for the alleged policy violation.