Students

A:  The Office of Civility and Community Standards sends summons letters and request to appear letters to students either involved in or witness to a policy violation. The letter will provide you with a date and time for a meeting with a staff member. That meeting is your opportunity to provide your perspective on the incident in question, so a staff member may investigate the information provided in the referral, to determine whether a student is responsible for a policy violation, and, if so, what sanction is appropriate.

A:  All Texas Woman’s University students are expected to adhere to: the civil and penal statutes of the State of Texas and the United States, the University’s Regulations and Procedures, Regents' Policies and the Student standards of conduct that are compatible with the University's function as an educational institution.

A:  Yes. Like other colleges and universities across the country, the TWU is subject to a federal law called the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also called "FERPA"). FERPA sets privacy standards for student educational records and requires institutions to publish a compliance statement, including a statement of related institutional policies. Read more about FERPA.

A:  A meeting with a staff member is your opportunity to speak with an Office of Civility and Community Standards staff member to discuss either something you may have witnessed or the allegations made against you in an incident report. At this meeting, the incident report will be discussed and you will be given the opportunity to give your perspective on the incident, present any relevant information, and to ask any questions you may have regarding the allegations. If you have received a summons letter from the Office of Civility and Community Standards, and fail to attend the appointment or do not reschedule the appointment, a decision may be made in your absence, your case may be sent to a hearing, and/or a "hold" may be placed on your enrollment.

A:  Meetings are held with just the TWU student. However, a parent(s) can attend once their student has filled out a consent form allowing the release of confidential information to the specified parent(s). A parent will not be permitted in the meeting without this consent form. During this meeting, the parent will serve in an advisor role. This means that while your parent can attend the meeting with you, the conversation in the meeting will be between you and the Office of Civility and Community Standards staff member. Advisors are not allowed to participate in meetings unless they are an advisor for a hearing under TWU’s Sexual Misconduct Policy.

A:  A hearing is the formal decision-making option you may choose if you dispute the facts alleged in the student conduct meeting and the Office of Civility and Community Standards staff member has recommended a suspension of rights and privileges, suspension, expulsion, or grade penalty. A fair and impartial Hearing Panel will listen to evidence presented by both you and the investigator from the Office of Civility and Community Standards to make a decision on the alleged violations.

If you are accused of academic dishonesty, you may meet with your professor and either accept or deny responsibility. You may be able to resolve your concerns with your professor prior to meeting with a staff member from the Office of Civility and Community Standards. If you choose to dispute the allegation, do not meet with your faculty member, or a staff member feels it would be beneficial to discuss the incident with you, then a staff member from the Office of Civility and Community Standards may send you a summons letter setting a date and time for a meeting.