Policies & Resources

The student has the right to bring an advisor for moral support. This advisor must be a Rollins College student, staff member, or faculty member. Community Standards & Responsibility will also allow a parent to serve in the advisor role. The accused student may request that special permission be given by the Director of Community Standards & Responsibility, in the Director’s sole discretion, for an advisor who does not meet the listed criteria.

The advisor does not speak on behalf of the student, but rather allows the student to be more comfortable and provide guidance when sharing information with the conduct educator. It is the College’s expectation that the advisor be respectful of the conversation that is occurring between the student and the conduct educator. The conduct educator may ask the advisor to leave if he/she hinders the student’s ability to explain him/herself in the conversation.

Prior to meeting with Community Standards, the advisor may contact the office to review the process and ask any clarifying questions. In order for us to be able to discuss information that specifically pertains to the accused student, we must have written permission from the student to disclose information to the advisor.

There are significant differences between the campus judicial and criminal justice procedures. The processes are NOT mutually exclusive. In other words, a student may be arrested and charged in the criminal justice system AND go through the College’s hearing process.

Overall, the campus judicial process is much less formal than criminal proceedings. The Office of Community Standards and Responsibility strives to provide an atmosphere that is both supportive and welcoming. Students will find, though, that more serious charges tend to be accompanied by more formal processes, in an effort to protect the students’ rights.

The campus judicial process is intended to be educational, not punitive. Our goal is to help the student to better understand the impact of his or her actions and to help him or her take steps towards repairing the harm done to the Rollins community. Sanctions are determined based on a variety of factors and are often unique for each individual student.

In the hearing process, charges occur for alleged violations of The Code of Community Standards, which may or may not be violations of local, state or federal law.

Findings of responsible in the College’s hearing process will not result in any criminal record. Additionally, findings of “guilty” or “not guilty” in the criminal system usually have no bearing on the outcome of campus judicial proceedings.

The standard of evidence in determining a student in violation is not as high as that of the criminal process. We use a level of preponderance of evidence (i.e. 51% or "more likely than not"), as opposed to “beyond a reasonable doubt”.

Legal rules of evidence, i.e. whether something is “admissible”, do not apply in campus judicial cases. The hearing officers will gather and utilize any information that is relevant, including hearsay or third party testimony.

Campus judicial cases are confidential, in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law. Criminal records become public records, and information may be shared with the community at large.

While students are entitled to have an advisor present during their hearing, that advisor may not represent that student. Since the hearing process is educational in nature, students are expected to speak for themselves at all times during the process, and any advisors disregarding these rules will be asked to leave any meeting or hearing.

Adapted with permission from The Ohio State University and the ASJA publication, THE STUDENT CONDUCT PROCESS: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS, copyright 2006.

As a student at Rollins, you will experience countless opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. This includes the experiences you will have in your residence hall. Living at Rollins means not only fun and bonding with new friends, but also personal growth and development as you transition to the next phase of your life. In an effort to guide students through their residential experience, the Office of Residential Life & Explorations has created the Guide to Residence Hall Living.

The philosophy behind The Guide to Residence Hall Living is to promote a safe, inclusive, and well-maintained learning environment for its students. Simply put, its purpose is to set expectations for how you can be a good neighbor.

Rollins College recognizes that fear of the student conduct process may prevent students from seeking medical attention for an alcohol or drug related medical emergency. The health and well-being of our students is our primary concern; therefore, we have developed a Responsible Action Protocol.

The Responsible Action Protocol is a joint effort among the following offices:

• Health Care (includes Mental Health Care)
• The Dean of Students Office
• Community Standards & Responsibility
• The Office of Campus Safety
• The Wellness Center
• The Office of Residential Life & Explorations
• The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life
• The Center for Campus Involvement

The Responsible Action Protocol is designed to provide students with amnesty from the hearing process for alcohol or drug related emergencies in which they seek medical attention. It does not apply to any other policy violations (i.e. providing alcohol to minors, damage to property, sexual misconduct), nor does it protect students from arrest or legal action by any law enforcement agency. If a student is suspected to be selling, manufacturing, or distributing alcohol or other controlled substances, the College reserves the right to revoke a student’s ability to utilize the Responsible Action Protocol.

Students who seek assistance for an alcohol or drug related medical emergency will not be charged with an alcohol or illegal substances violation of The Code of Community Standards. In order to use the Responsible Action Protocol, a student must seek medical assistance, participate in a meeting with a conduct educator, and agree to comply with the conditions set by the conduct educator. If the conditions are met, the incident will not become part of the student’s conduct record. If the conditions are not met, the student’s case will then go through the hearing process and the case will become a part of their conduct record.

Every Rollins student has a responsibility to care for one another; therefore, this protocol also applies to individual students who seek help for another student in need. This will allow students who may also be under the influence to care for each other without worry of being charged with a violation of The Code of Community Standards themselves. Students who seek help for one another may also have to meet certain conditions through Community Standards & Responsibility.

Student organizations that are hosting a social event are expected to call for medical assistance if an alcohol or drug related medical emergency occurs during the social event. This act of responsibility will be considered a mitigating factor when potential conduct consequences are being considered. Student organizations do not automatically qualify for use of the Responsible Action Protocol.

It is the expectation of Rollins College that the Responsible Action Protocol will only be used once during a student’s tenure at Rollins. Any subsequent requests for use of the Responsible Action Protocol will be at the discretion of the Dean of Student Affairs or designee.

Current students can access more information on the hearing process and additional resources within MyRollins.