Judicial Operations

Living and learning is what we’re here for and it takes a lot of people with a lot of tools and a lot of care to make sure your home away from home meets your basic needs. While we can’t guarantee it will always feel just like home, we can guarantee every effort will be made to keep your new home safe, clean, and secure! Our staff is on-call 24/7 from the RA living on your floor to the mechanic who stays awake while you sleep to make sure you enjoy your experience at Salisbury University.

Your Rights and Responsibilities Residence Hall policies are guided by the SU Code of Conduct. Within our Residence Hall Information Guide is listed many policies specific to living within our on campus communities. However, general reference is made to many of these polices in the Code of Conduct, and many of our policies can be applicable to living off campus as well. These guidelines for community living are important as they ensure a safe, secure, and inclusive environment for all residents and students here at SU. While they may appear to be simple rules, these living standards provide you with your rights, but along with the privilege of having these rights come responsibilities which we deem as very important for maintaining the community.

Documented…Now What? Any alleged violation of University policy will typically be documented by an RA. Once the RA collects the information and the names of any student present, the report is submitted to AD/RD of the building for their review. From there, the report is submitted by the Assistant Director for Judicial Management to the Dean of Students. The Assistant Director will assign the incident to an Area Director for judicial action. Please refer to the Code of Conduct for the remaining steps in the judicial process, as it may take different directions depending on options of the students involved.

If you are documented for a violation of policy, please see your AD/RD for more information until you’re contacted by a hearing officer. No decision can be made regarding your guilt or innocence in an incident until a hearing is conducted, so give it time and trust that the Code of Conduct provides for a fair judicial process. If 3-5 days pass before you are contacted regarding a hearing, please contact the Assistant Director of Housing for Operations and Judicial Management, to learn the status of your incident.

Parents Involvement While we respect the fact that you’re an adult, we also know at times your parents may call with questions about your involvement in an incident. If you think your parents might call, then they probably will. Without your signed permission we can’t release any details about your situation. You can see your Area Director to sign a student release of information authorizing us to speak with your parent/guardian regarding your involvement in an incident.

Your parents may also contact the housing office to get more information or clarification of Residence Life policies and the Code of Conduct.

One important point to remember before your parents call is: make sure you give them all the details, including any prior disciplinary conduct you may have.

Residence Hall FinesAt times you, or your living area, may be charged for damages and/or misuse of common areas. If you are notified by your AD/RD that a fine has been imposed, you may appeal this fine to the Assistant Director of Housing for Operations and Judicial Management.

Only appeals from students will be reviewed. Fines received following the conclusion of a semester should be appealed in writing via a letter within 30 days of receiving the fine notification. Fines received during fall or spring semester should be appealed via email to housingoperation@salisbury.edu.

It’s My Roommate, Not Me Living in rooms the size of a standard bedroom in most homes, we know there will likely be times when the roommate is at fault for what’s taken place. The experience we have had is that typically a roommate will take ownership for what they have done without dragging their roommate down with them. To avoid having to go down this road, it’s important to talk to your roommate early on when there are issues in the room which could be a problem later on. A simple conversation about things you aren’t comfortable with, i.e. alcohol, can be much more productive and save you a headache. In most cases, your roommate will listen and be careful about their actions.

In the event this doesn’t happen, then you made need to talk with your RA to get some confidential advice about how to proceed. Every student is troubled by the thought of getting their roommate in trouble. If communication happens early on, this won’t likely happen. And, if it’s early enough, you may be able to privately consult with staff without there being disciplinary action.

Be proactive, rather than reactive! A judicial hearing is not a good place to bring up how long you’ve been dealing with an issue, and at that point it may not be a good defense for why you shouldn’t be held accountable for violations in your room.