The student conduct system exists to protect the rights of the Boston College community and provide a fair process for resolving student conduct complaints. We want to help students develop a sense of responsibility for their actions and their experience at BC, while supporting and fostering their social, intellectual, and personal growth.
Contact Us:
Maloney Hall, Suite 448
Phone: 617-552-3470
studentconduct@bc.edu
The Conduct Process
General Information
The Student Code of Conduct is applicable to all Boston College students, including those on or off campus, online, or abroad.
All of our official emails surrounding conduct proceedings come from Maxient, and contain buttons within to access the correspondence. This is the correct email from our office, and you should read any such letters as soon as you receive them.
Procedural Information
Students may have one advisor of their choice present during any conduct hearing. The role of an advisor is limited: they are allowed to confer with the student at any point and are not permitted to ask questions, interject, coach, formulate responses, advocate for, or otherwise speak on a student’s behalf during the hearing. Students needing assistance finding an advisor may contact the Office of the Dean of Students.
The standard of proof for finding responsibility in conduct proceedings is a "preponderance of evidence." For more information, see the Code of Conduct, Section 1.5.
Students found responsible for conduct violations will receive sanctions that are designed to deter students from similar future behavior, prevent further misconduct, address the misconduct’s effect on the community, promote safety, and provide education. Sanctions are commensurate with the severity of the violation and a student’s conduct history.
Students can appeal a responsible finding based on procedural violations or previously unavailable information that may have adversely impacted the conduct finding. Appeals are due within five business days of the resolution letter.
Policy Information
When students contact emergency responders or university officials for assistance, neither the caller nor the impacted party will receive a status sanction related to substance use, but the student receiving medical treatment will be required to complete certain educational and/or counseling interventions.
Parent / Guardian
Boston College will not notify parents/guardians when a student is charged with an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct. However, Boston College may inform parents/guardians in writing of violations of laws governing alcohol or controlled substances for students under 21.
Boston College will not share specific conduct information with parents/guardians unless their student signs a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) waiver consenting to the information that can be shared. Students can access the FERPA Release Form here.
Outcomes & Records
Please use our Request Your Record form and note where you would like your record sent. You can also upload third-party clearance forms here for our office to complete.
Certain entities like graduate schools or employers may request students disclose their conduct history and request a disciplinary clearance from the University.
Conduct records are maintained for a minimum of seven years from the date of the incident. Students who are suspended or dismissed from university may have records retained indefinitely.
University Suspension or Dismissal sanctions are noted on the academic transcript, while other conduct outcomes are not.
Unless a student is suspended from housing or banned from living in the Mods, conduct outcomes do not impact their room selection process or lottery number. Student conduct outcomes also do not impact course selection times.
Certain sanctions, such as University Probation or higher, may impact a student's eligibility for leadership roles, employment, or specific University programs. Each program, organization, or employment opportunity may have individualized conduct standards and expectations for participation.
Students issued sanctions of University Probation or higher (i.e., University Suspension or University Dismissal) are no longer in good standing status during the term of the probation or suspension. A student who is not in good standing may not be eligible for certain University leadership roles, employment, or other University programs, including study abroad and retreat programs.
Withdrawing from Boston College with pending conduct charges may result in a hold placed on the student's account until a resolution of the matter.
Online Forms
Conduct Records
Student disciplinary records remain on file in the Office of the Dean of Students for seven years from the date of the incident. See the University’s record keeping policy for information on what will be reported. You can view the policy online at the University Policies page.
Appeals
Students may submit an appeal of a decision reached in a conduct matter brought under the Student Code of Conduct, whether the decision was the result of an administrative hearing, a hearing board, or any other conduct proceeding administered under the auspices of Student Affairs. If accepted, an appeal will result in an administrative review of the decision; only in rare circumstances will an appeal result in a new hearing or other new adjudication of the case.
Please review the Student Code of Conduct for full details on the appeals process.
FERPA Release Form
Boston College will not share specific conduct information with parents/guardians unless their student signs a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) waiver consenting to the information that can be shared.
Students may authorize the release of personal information and educational records to individuals and/or agencies of their choice by submitting a form of acknowledgment releasing their information.