Sanctioning | Student Conduct

What is a sanction?

A sanction is any status or requirement resulting from being found in violation of a University policy or the proscribed conduct outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. A student or student organization may receive more than one sanction for any policy violation. Sanctions can include a change in status (such as loss of privileges, removal from campus housing, suspension or expulsion), or a requirement to do something (such as community service, a research project, pay a fine, etc.). A list of the types of sanctions possible can be found here in the Student Code of Conduct.

How sanctions are assigned

Sanctions are assigned on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature of the policy violation, the behavior of the student or group involved, if the student or group takes responsibility, the impact the behavior had or may have had on the University community and any prior history of conduct violations. After a student or student group has been found in violation of a policy, the Student Conduct Board that is processing the hearing will determine appropriate sanctions for each student or student group involved. Because of the varying factors listed above, sanctions may be different for each student involved. In general, students who have been found in violation of policies previously will be assigned more significant sanctions.

How to turn in a completed sanction

Once a sanction has been assigned, the student or student group will be notified via email with the hearing outcome and sanction details. For sanctions that require work to be submitted, instructions for the deadline and how to turn in the sanction will be included in the message. Most of the time, sanctions will be submitted to the Conduct Administrator/Assistant to the Dean (Student Life Office, studentconduct@pacificu.edu, 503-352-2200).

Fines and fees as sanctions

Fines of up to $500 may be assigned as sanctions resulting from violations of University policy. These would be instituted based on the severity and degree of each violation and by taking into account the student’s conduct record. Such penalties will be in addition to the costs of restitution deemed appropriate. Additionally, the Conduct Board may institute an administration fee for a sanction that involves the use of University resources, such as a course or meeting with University staff.

The Conduct Board may also impose other obligations in place of or in addition to fines. Fines are charged directly to the student’s account at the University. Failure to pay fines or fulfill other obligations may prevent registration and graduation and may provoke more serious penalties.

Community service as sanctions

Students may be assigned to perform community service with a non-profit or government organization. We allow some exceptions for those who volunteer with a for-profit company if that company provides services to the community and involves volunteers, such as a for-profit hospital, a for-profit hospice or a for-profit retirement community. If you are assigned community service as a sanction, it is your responsibility to find an appropriate community service provider. Once you find a service provider, you must submit your site for approval via the Community Service Site Submission Form (you will need to log in with PUnetID and password to complete) AND receive confirmation back from a Conduct Staff member that your site is approved.

Service Sanction Requirements

You may not receive pay, course credit, or other compensation (tickets, meals, admission, etc) for performing community service hours.
Community service supervisors may not be related you.
Community service may not be done at your place of employment. Service related to campus clubs or organizations are not often approved, but may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine impact.
Prior to performing any service, you must submit your service site for approval using the Community Service Site Submission Form (you will need to log in with PUnetID and password to complete) AND receive confirmation back from a Conduct Staff member that your site is approved.
1. Hours of service performed prior to receiving approval will not count toward this sanction
Perform your service
Once your service is complete, you will need to have your community service supervisor send communication to our office including:
- Your full name
- The type of service you did
- The number of hours you performed and approximate dates of your service
- This communication must be sent from the organization's email account to studentconduct@pacificu.edu or on the organizations letterhead by mail to:
  - Office of Student Conduct, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, UC A102, Forest Grove, Oregon, 97116.

In addition, students are often required by the Board to write and submit a written reflection on their community service hours. Essay length requirements and instructions will be included in the student's hearing outcome notification and should reflect the student's best efforts at writing and critical thinking. Students should keep the Office on Student Conduct updated on the progress of their service completion.

For a helpful tool, please refer to the Community Service Completion Guide.