Student Conduct

Upon admission, students automatically become members of the University community and assume full responsibility for proper conduct until their separation from the institution. Misconduct at the University is not tolerated as it diminishes the overall value of the degrees awarded by Texas A&M University-San Antonio. All students at the University should be involved in ensuring the honesty of all students through their actions and deeds.

Procedures: 

If you suspect a student violates the university policy, you can file the report here and include as much information as possible.

The purpose of the University disciplinary system is educationally based. It is to decide if the student has abused freedoms and failed to accept responsibility for their action, to communicate this failure to the student(s) involved, and to permit the student(s) to respond; to determine an appropriate response by the University, and to assist the student(s) in making a constructive response of self-discipline.

Any student whose conduct has been called into question by any member of the University community or who is alleged to have violated the Code of Conduct and/or any regulations of Texas A&M University-San Antonio or the Texas A&M University System will be notified of the charges by university email as per the Student Handbook by the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Students may request the Student Code of Conduct to use as guidance or visit the Office of Rights and Responsibilities.

When a complaint is filed, the student or organization named in the complaint will be asked to appear before the Student Conduct Officer or designee, who will conduct an investigative meeting to discuss the alleged violation(s) and possible sanction(s). The University will respond to complaints promptly and equitably.

A University hearing is not a trial or a Court of Law. Any attempt to make the hearing something else would seriously impair the educational function of the hearing, which requires open discussion rather than an adversarial debate.

Outcomes and Sanctions: 

Each student who goes through the conduct process will be found responsible or not responsible for the alleged violations. Through a fair process, the University reserves the right to impose disciplinary and academic sanctions on students found responsible for violating the Student Code of Conduct.

The goal of SRR is to turn violations of the Code of Conduct into an educational experience and promote positive behavior and personal responsibility. Several factors are taken into consideration by SRR when determining what an appropriate sanction(s) for a student would be. The student conduct officer will examine the following:

- The nature of the violation
- Previous conduct history
- Aggravating or mitigating circumstances surrounding the violation
- Motivation for the behavior
- The developmental and educational impact of the sanction

Students found responsible will be assigned one or more sanctions. Possible sanctions include the following: 

Texas A&M University-San Antonio abides by the Texas A&M University System Policy 08.01.01, Civil Rights Compliance for Title IX and discrimination cases. The policy can be found at http://policies.tamus.edu/08-01-01.pdf. 

If a student is found responsible for violating System Policy 08.01.01, Civil Rights Compliance, Texas A&M-San Antonio abides by the Model Sanctioning Matrix for Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment violations. The Matrix Model can be found at http://assets.system.tamus.edu/files/policy/pdf/08-01-01-Appendix.pdf.

Appeals: 

Students have five (5) business days from the date of the sent outcome notice from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities regarding the violation report and sanction to submit a written appeal. Appeals are not rehearings and are not granted based on disagreement with the original decision.

Four specific criteria are a valid basis for requesting an appeal. One or multiple criteria in a single appeal may be discussed.

1. Substantial new evidence not available at the time of the original finding of responsibility by the hearing official.
2. Violation of due process rights.
3. The sanction is not commensurate with the violation.
4. The finding of responsibility is inconsistent with the facts presented by the respondent.

After receiving an appeal, The Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs or designee will review all information obtained. A decision to grant or deny an appeal may be made at the discretion of the administrator hearing the appeal. This administrator may impose one of the following actions:

- Affirm the disciplinary decision and thus deny the appeal
- Modify the disciplinary decision
- Return for a new or partial rehearing
- Overturn the disciplinary decision