Blueprints: Chapter 5: RSO Policy Violation Process

5.1 General

This chapter outlines the process by which possible RSO policy violations will be
addressed by the Department of Student Activities. For the student organizational conduct
procedures as administered by the Office of Community Standards (for Student Code
Violations), please visit: https://community.uconn.edu/

The procedures noted below, and their outcomes, in no way preclude affiliated recognized
student organizations’ regional/national/international organizations, or the Club Sports Office
(and their governing bodies) from conducting their own conduct processes, when necessary.
Please note: Issues of Sexual Violence and Title IX Concerns must be reported to the University
and should not be investigated by RSOs or affiliated recognized student organizations’
regional/national/international organizations.

Any outcomes and sanctions resulting from any internal review process undertaken by affiliated
recognized student organizations’ regional/national/international organizations, or Club Sports
(and their governing bodies) shall not negate but stand in addition to the outcomes of the
below processes.

5.2 Allegations

Any person may file a report concerning alleged misconduct of a student
organization directly to the Office of Community Standards (OCS) or online at
https://community.uconn.edu/submit-a-referral/.

The OCS is responsible for investigating all allegations of Student Code misconduct regardless of
group involvement or affiliation. Whether an allegation concerns individual and/or
organizational misconduct will be determined by OCS. If it is determined that a RSO’s activity is
not a violation of the University’s Student Code but may have violated Student Activities/other
University policy, the matter will be turned over to the Department of Student Activities (DSA).

The President of the student organization (or designee) is the point of contact on behalf of the
organization. All communication pertaining to the student organization will be sent to
the President’s (or designee’s) University email account and the organization’s UConntact
faculty/staff advisor will be copied.

Sections 5.3, 5.4, and 5.5 apply to instances where an RSO or its members have not violated the
University’s Student Code and are not being investigated by Community Standards but may
constitute a violation of Student Activities or other University policy.

5.3 Interim Administrative Action

The Executive Director of Student Activities or designee may impose interim actions on the
organization pending a final resolution, depending on the severity of the situation. Such interim
sanctions can include but not be limited to: University suspension, an interim Loss of
Recognition/Registration Status, and/or other interim restrictions deemed necessary.

5.4 Organization (Org) Conduct Meeting

All processes will start with an Organization Conduct Meeting.

Organization Conduct Meeting: Once DSA has received a referral and determined that an Org
Conduct Meeting is needed, DSA will conduct a meeting with the organization and their student
representatives. The purpose of this meeting is for the student organization leaders to
comment and provide some perspective on the referral and their actions related to the
incident. Student leaders have the option of accepting responsibility for any alleged actions at
this point.

If an organization accepts responsibility for the alleged actions, the DSA Staff Member, in
collaboration with the student organization, will determine the next steps and any potential
sanctions, resolutions, restorative measures, and outcomes. If an organization does not accept
responsibility, the Org Conduct Meeting process ends, and the matter will be turned over to the
Director for Leadership and Organizational Development, in conjunction with the Executive
Director of Student Activities.

The Executive Director of Student Activities will typically convene a meeting with the DSA staff
member(s) and the student representatives of the RSO. At this meeting, the Executive Director
will seek to understand the facts and views of the parties involved. If a mutually agreed upon
resolution still cannot be identified, based on information obtained, the Executive Director will
determine any sanction, resolution, or measures. This decision will be final.

5.5 Student Organization Sanction Review Process

Note: Student Organizations sanctioned through the Office of Community Standards will need to
fulfill all requirements and sanctions imposed by the Office of Community Standards prior to
being considered in “good standing” with Student Activities. Organizations suspended by OCS
will need to obtain written (email) confirmation from OCS that it has fulfilled all
sanctions/requirements prior to being eligible to register with the Department of Student
Activities.

Following the outcome of the Organization Conduct Meeting process, a student organization
that has been sanctioned will have to fulfill all requirements of sanctioning in order to be in
“good standing” with the Department of Student Activities.

For organizations suspended through DSA, they may be eligible to re-register at the end of their
suspension term, outlined in their official sanction letter from DSA. The lifting/removal of
suspension does not guarantee re-registration.

Procedures
A group of students wishing to re-register a student organization that has been previously
suspended must submit a request to the Director for Leadership & Organizational Development
in the Department of Student Activities. From there, a formal suspension review meeting will
occur. The goal of a Suspension Review meeting is to ensure the circumstances and
organizational culture that led to the suspension are no longer present, including any
information about sanctions or information about a group continuing to operate after
suspension.

Note: If a national organization is requesting to re-register after a suspension through DSA, they
have to follow the same process outlined below.

Outcomes
i. Meet with the students/national organization wishing to re-form this organization to
discuss what led to suspension and provide the students with an opportunity to respond
to that information and any other information the students wish to share about their
group and their desire to pursue re-registration.
ii. Make a determination regarding whether the student organization
shouldbe allowed to re-register on campus and communicate the
decision to the requesting students within one week.
iii. If a group is denied re-registration, they may re-apply for a Suspension
Review Meeting after 6 months.