Students
Reporting a ConcernProcess for a Concern
Reporting a Concern
Thank you for consulting the Office of Judicial Affairs about a possible concern. Although not as frequent as concerns by faculty or staff, student concerns under both Stanford’s Honor Code and Fundamental Standard are possible and encouraged when appropriate.
While at our website, we encourage you to also see the Student Judicial Charter of 1997 that, among other things, outlines the rights of a reporting party in the judicial affairs process at Stanford.
The Judicial Officer is responsible for investigating concerns. In submitting a concern information that would be helpful typically would include the following:
- Letter/email summarizing the concern (e.g., the incident, the date of incident, the class, the assignment, staff involved, how it came to your attention, what the problem is, what has been done with the concern thus far, etc.)
- Relevant materials (e.g., documents, photographs, copy of written or other work, etc.)
Be aware that all information provided to THE JUDICIAL OFFICER is considered evidence, shared with the RESPONDING PERSON, and eventually given to a panel if the CONCERN results in a charge.
The Charter recommends that your concern be submitted to our office within sixty days of the date of the incident. However, in order to accomplish the educational goals of the process, to provide timely due process, and to avoid unnecessary complications to the investigatory process (because witnesses and/or evidence may no longer be available, memories fade, etc.), you are strongly urged to submit your concern immediately upon discovery.
Beyond the formal concern, should you wish to discuss the process informally, please do not hesitate to call/meet with the Judicial Advisor and/or the Judicial Officer.
Note the Charter also states: "all parties are expected to be respectful of the confidential nature of any knowledge or information they may have about a judicial case or the other parties involved".
Please check out the rest of our website, which also includes a graphic flow chart of the student judicial affairs process.
Investigation of a Concern
Once the Judicial Officer receives a letter of concern, the Judicial Officer will contact the individual implicated as the responding person in order to schedule a preliminary meeting. At this meeting, the responding person will hear the concern and will be shown whatever documentation the Judicial Officer has. He/she will also:
- Meet with the Judicial Advisor to be informed of his/her rights and responsibilities,
- Meet with the Judicial Officer for a full interview, and
- Be asked to submit a written statement about the incident.
This may conclude the investigation, since the responding person may acknowledge that the concern is an accurate representation. The Judicial Officer will then file a formal charge, which moves the case to a Judicial Panel hearing.
In a case where the responding person denies the allegation, his/her statement serves as an alternative explanation of the incident. The Judicial Officer will show the statement to you. If the student denies the allegation and the Judicial Officer believes that a violation occurred, the Judicial Officer must decide whether a Judicial Panel would likely agree with the assessment. (The burden of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt.")
If she believes that a panel would likely agree, the Judicial Officer will charge the student, moving the case to a hearing. The Judicial Officer will keep you informed as she makes these decisions.
Note that if the Judicial Officer does not charge a student, and you disagree with her decision, you have the right to request that a Judicial Panel hearing be convened in order to hear the evidence (see the information below about this type of hearing).
Although the Judicial Officer will strive to keep you apprised of the status of the investigation, please do not hesitate to contact her if you have any questions about the case or about the process in general. The Judicial Officer can be reached at (650) 723-9610 .
A Reporting Party Preparing for a Hearing
If a case will proceed to a hearing by a Judicial Panel, then the Judicial Assistant will arrange the hearing and will contact you to discuss dates that work with your schedule, as well as with that of the responding person.
A hearing involves a presentation of the facts of the case:
- You summarize your concern and point out any information that may have become pertinent as a result of the investigation and/or the person's response
- Panelists and the responding person may ask you questions
- The responding person presents his/her position
- Panelists may ask the responding person questions
- The panel adjourns for deliberations, at which time you are free to leave (it takes about 20-45 minutes in an uncontested case)
- The Judicial Advisor will notify you, via e-mail, about the outcome.