Student Conduct Reporting Overview

If you have ever been expelled from, suspended from, or placed on probation at any high school or college for academic dishonesty or for sexual misconduct, you must answer ‘Yes’ to that question and provide a descriptionof the incident(s) and the outcome(s) or anticipated outcome(s).

If, either as an adult or as a juvenile, you have been found legally responsible for a sexual offense, or if you have sexual offense charges pending against you at this time, you must answer ‘Yes’ to that question and provide adescription of the incident(s) and outcome(s) or anticipated outcome(s).

The University of Minnesota is committed to maintaining a scholarly, educational environment characterized by safety, respect, and integrity. As part of this commitment, the University requires undergraduate applicants to supply information about their conduct.

We believe that selecting students for admission to the University of Minnesota Twin Cities requires a very careful, individual, overall assessment of each student's application materials. Each application is reviewed holistically, based on primary and secondary review factors, to determine whether a student is admissible. After the admissions committee has reviewed the application materials and determined that an applicant is academically admissible, only then does the admissions committee consider any responses regarding student conduct or sexual offense charges and convictions. More information about how those responses factor into an admission decision is in the next question.

The following factors—which were developed, reviewed and approved by representatives from the following University of Minnesota departments and offices including the Office for Community Standards, the Office of the General Counsel, Housing and Residential Life, the Police Department, the Office for Student Affairs, the Office of Undergraduate Education, and the Office for Equity and Diversity—are considered in our review of any “Yes” answer to the conduct questions. These factors are tied to the University of Minnesota’s commitment to maintaining a scholarly, educational environment characterized by safety, respect, and integrity.

• Pattern of repeated behavior
• Recency of conduct
• Evidence of responsibility
• Severity of incident or crime (serious/minor harm)
• Nature of incident or crime (person/property; intentional/negligent/reckless; violent/nonviolent; sexual offense)
• Age at time of offense (juvenile/adult)
• Punishment served (fully served, probation, etc.)
• Conditions on probation or parole (order for protection, no contact with minors, etc.)
• Evidence of rehabilitation (work, treatment, school, community service)
• Particular incompatibility with University program where seeking enrollment

Answers provided to these questions are considered only if a student is first determined to be academically admissible; then, only after an applicant is determined to be otherwise academically admissible, will scholastic dishonesty issues or reported sexual offense convictions or pending charges be reviewed. If an applicant is not academically admissible, the applicant is denied admission, and the conduct information is not considered.

The description of the circumstances will be reviewed by the committee. If the description is sufficient and the circumstances around the conduct are clear, an admission decision will be made. If the description is not clear or additional information is needed for the committee to complete its review, a follow-up questionnaire is sent to the applicant. The completed and signed questionnaire is required before a complete review of the application can be made. A representative from the Office of Admissions may contact an applicant’s former institution or a background check may be performed to verify information provided by the applicant, or to obtain further information.

We may defer a decision until after the charges have been resolved. Please contact the Office of Admissions to discuss your individual situation. You can reach Mr. Bill Cleveland, Associate Director of Holistic Review, at [email protected] or 612-625-0082.

Applicants reporting scholastic dishonesty, sexual misconduct, prior sexual offense convictions, or pending sexual offense charges, are never automatically barred from admission to the University. The case details are reviewed by a campus-wide committee, based on the factors listed above (see "How do these responses factor into an admission decision?"). This committee is composed of representatives from the following University departments and offices; the Office for Community Standards, the Office of the General Counsel, Housing and Residential Life, the Police Department, the Office for Student Affairs, the Office of Undergraduate Education, the Office of Equity and Diversity, and the Office of Admissions.

In rare cases when the circumstances raise concern about academic integrity or the overall safety of the campus community, it may be determined that admission cannot be granted.

Reported offenses and incidents that require further review are referred to the campus-wide committee, which meets on an as-needed basis to review these cases. This committee carefully reviews all the application materials provided by the applicant, and will make a recommendation based on review of the factors listed above. A determination is then made by University officials as to whether admission is granted. The decision is then communicated to the student.

Due process is provided to any student denied admission. A student may appeal the deny decision. An appeal of a decision is a request for a different decision, on the basis of new information that was not initially included in a student’s application.

Appeals should include:

1. New information that was not previously shared at the point of application AND,
2. Compelling information that an additional review and new decision is warranted.

Please contact us to request an Appeal Form that needs to be submitted along with the new and compelling information.

A separate, campus-wide appeals committee will review the application, supporting materials and appeal information to determine whether an appeal should be approved and admission granted. The student will be notified in writing of the decision. The appeals committee may include members from the Office for Community Standards, the Police Department, Housing and Residential Life, the college to which the student is seeking admission, the Office of the General Counsel, the College of Continuing Education, the Office for Equity and Diversity, the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, and the Office of Admissions.