Residential Policies & Conduct

Residential Life Rights & Responsibilities

Living successfully together on campus leads to the development of personal integrity, civility and citizenship. This requires a commitment to observe the Community Living Principles and the Residential Life Rules, which show respect to the balance between your rights as a community member, and your responsibilities as a community member. The Residential Life Rights & Responsibilities Guide outlines the policies specific to living in our Residential communities, in addition to our Housing Procedures & Housing License expectations.

Residential Life Conduct Process

Addressing Alleged Violations

When a Residential Life staff member or a UMBC police officer becomes aware of an alleged violation of the Code of Student Conduct or the Residential Life rules, they will address all students involved and refer them to either Student Conduct and Community Standards or the Residential Life conduct process. If the incident occurred in the Residence Halls, the incident will be referred to the assistant director for residential student conduct or the community director, who will work to determine how to follow up with the student.

Policy Notification Letters

A Policy Notification Letter is sent to students at the community director’s discretion when a minor Residential Life rule is allegedly violated. The policy notification letter is intended to be an educational reminder about the student’s rights and responsibilities. There are no sanctions or conditions which follow this action.

Charge Letter

Students charged with allegedly violating a Residential Life rule will receive a letter notifying them of the charges indicating what the student needs to do in order to resolve the charges. The letter will also include the date and time of the student’s Residential Life conference, the first step in resolving the charges. The student may request a Behavioral Ambassadors for Restorative Communities meeting be scheduled to address the charges in lieu of the conference.

Residential Life Conference

The student will meet with a Residential Life staff member at the requested date and time in an attempt to resolve the charges. During this meeting, the student will have the opportunity to provide their statement and to either accept responsibility or not accept responsibility for the alleged rule violation(s). If the charged student accepts responsibility, then the student and the staff member will discuss sanctions and conditions. If the charged student does not accept responsibility and the staff member feels that the student may be responsible, the case will be referred to the Behavioral Ambassadors for Restorative Communities.

Behavioral Ambassadors for Restorative Communities

A student may choose a hearing with the Behavioral Ambassadors for Restorative Communities (BARCs) instead of meeting with a Residential Life staff member. BARCs is the student group that hears alleged violations of the Residential Life Rules. All Council members are resident students who are in good academic and judicial standing. The BARCs will hear a case when a student chooses a hearing or does not accept responsibility during a Residential Life conference and the staff member believes a violation may have occurred. The BARCs hearing is more formal than a Residential Life conference. The BARCs also hears cases when a student fails to attend their scheduled Residential Life conference with the Residential Life staff member.

Representation

The charged student may be assisted by an advisor throughout the residential conduct process.  The advisor may be a friend, parent, faculty member, attorney, etc. The advisor may attend in a support capacity only. The advisor may not address the judicial body (Residential Life staff members or BARCs) or give testimony for the charged student at any time. An advisor may be asked to leave should they become disruptive or fail to follow the prescribed limitations.

Residential Life Sanctions and Conditions

If a student is found responsible or accepts responsibility for violating a Residential Life rule the following sanctions and conditions may be imposed by the Residential Life staff member or BARCs. At least one of the sanctions and any number of educational conditions may be imposed.  Sanctions and conditions may be appealed through the appeal process outlined in this section.  The student’s sanctions and conditions will be documented in a decision letter. The following list of conditions is not inclusive.

Residential Life Reprimand – The resident student is informed that their behavior is inappropriate and a violation of Residential Life rules.  Further violations may result in Residential Life probation, or resident contract termination.

Residential Life Probation – The student is informed that their behavior is a serious violation of Residential Life rules. This sanction places the charged student on a probationary status during which further violations of Residential Life and/or University rules may result in resident contract termination, disciplinary probation, and/or suspension from the University.

    • Meet with Staff Member  – This condition mandates that the student meet with a Residential Life staff member to discuss their behavior related to the incident.
    • Educational Project – This condition mandates the charged student complete a project related to the violation in an attempt to gain a better understanding why the behavior was inappropriate.
    • Community Education – This condition mandates the charged student complete a project which provides education and information to their community about.
    • Class – This condition mandates the charged student complete a class on a topic related to the violation. This may be a one-time online or one-time in-person class.
    • Community Restitution – This condition mandates that a student complete a set number of community restitution hours.
    • Fine/Restitution – This condition mandates that the charged student pay for part or all of the damages incurred during the incident(s) in which the rule was broken.
    • Visitation Restriction – This condition places a restriction on the charged student with regards to either being permitted to have guests or to visit another residential community for a designated period of time.
    • Loss of Ability To Re-License with Residential Life – This condition is a recommendation to the director of residential life that the charged student should not be allowed to re-license.
    • Loss of Privilege – This condition renders the student unable to use a certain facility within the residential community (i.e., computer lab) or unable to use a particular device in their room/apartment (i.e., radio).
    • Failure to complete a condition received as a result of a responsible finding through the Residential Life conduct process will result in a hold on the student’s account until the completion of the sanction or condition, and or a subsequent Code of Student Conduct charge of “Abuse of the Judicial System.”

     

*NOTE: The sanctions and conditions above are assigned in response to a responsible finding for a violation of the Residential Life rules. If a student is found responsible or takes responsibility for a violation of the Code of Student Conduct, the possible sanctions and conditions that may be assigned can be found at conduct.umbc.edu

Appeal Process

The charged student may appeal the decision and/or the sanction and conditions given to them by a Residential Life staff member or Behavioral Ambassadors for Restorative Communities (BARCs). The student must submit their appeal, in writing, within four working days of receiving the original decision. The appeal will be heard by an appellate BARCs board, composed of BARCs members and one Residential Life staff member, none of whom have been involved in the case to this point. The student shall receive written notification of the appeal outcome. The appeal decision is final and conclusive.

Parental/Legal Guardian Notification

Residential Life may, depending on the nature and severity of the incident, notify the charged student’s parent/legal guardian, in writing or by phone, of an incident involving alcohol and/or drugs. Notification may also occur if a student has already had a previous violation of alcohol and/or drugs.

Documentations During 24 Hour Quiet Hours

Students documented during the 24-hour quiet hour period (occurs at the end of each semester) must schedule a meeting with their community director within one business day of receiving the 24-hour quiet hours documentation for a meeting to take place within two working days or before the student leaves for the semester, whichever comes first. Failure to do so may jeopardize their Residential Life license for the following year or a student’s ability to receive their diploma should they be graduating.