Depending on the severity of the offense, students who are arrested while attending Purdue face either a Community Standards Board (CSB) panel hearing or a conduct conference. If you are arrested and the Purdue Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (OSRR) requires you to attend a CSB panel hearing, it means that the allegations are considered severe enough to warrant a possible suspension or expulsion. Because the panel hearing can lead to such serious consequences, it's important to prepare for the meeting in advance.
About CSB Panel Hearings
CSB panel hearings include a series of two meetings. The first is an information session, and the second is a hearing with a panel of three students and two Purdue faculty members. The OSRR assigns a CSB panel hearing when the allegations against the student are severe enough for possible suspension or expulsion from the university. Offenses that may result in CSB panel hearings include criminal mischief, battery, dealing in a controlled substance, dealing marijuana, theft and repeated university violations, such as those that take place while you are already on probated suspended or on disciplinary probation.
How it Works
If you are assigned a CSB panel hearing, you will first receive a notification letter from the Office of the Dean of Students. The letter will describe the alleged Student Conduct Code violations and will inform you of the dates and times of the two required hearings.
At the first meeting, you and a representative from the university will review the applicable sections of the Purdue Student Conduct Code as well as the range of possible consequences so that you have a better understanding of the hearing process. The second meeting is a Community Standards Board panel hearing, which is similar to a trial. A panel comprised of three students and two faculty members will serve as the de facto jury. During Phase 1 of the panel hearing, a member of the OSRR will act as a prosecutor and present the evidence against you. You will then have the opportunity to address the panel, present any evidence, and call relevant witnesses. At the end of the hearing, the panel will decide whether you will be held responsible for the charges against you.
If you are found responsible for the charges, Phase 2 of the hearing will begin. The OSRR representative will suggest possible sanctions or penalties. You will also have the opportunity address the panel, present letters of recommendation and any other evidence in support of a lesser penalty. The panel will then deliberate and decide which sanctions to impose. Possible penalties include:
Suspension
Expulsion
Probated suspension (which means the student will remain in enrolled subject to certain conditions)
Disciplinary probation
In addition to one of the punishments above, you may also face secondary sanctions, such as:
Restriction from campus buildings
Restitution
Apology letters
Reflective writing assignments
Community service
Mental health evaluation
Drug/ Alcohol evaluation
Your Rights
The Purdue Student Code of Conduct governs CSB hearings. During the panel hearing, you will be subjected to questioning. You have the right to address the charges laid against you, call your own witnesses and present evidence of your own. However, you may choose to remain silent. You also have the right to bring an advisor with you, such as a criminal defense attorney.
An Experienced Lawyer Can Help
An experienced Lafayette, Indiana criminal lawyer can help prepare you for the panel hearing while protecting your rights in any criminal case. Reasons to retain an attorney who is experienced in representing Purdue students in panel hearings include:
The panel hearing will take place while the criminal case is pending, often even before the Initial hearing. In deciding whether to give a statement at the panel hearing, you must consider the criminal case.
Students have the right to remain silent. However, if you give a statement it must be truthful. If you make false statements at the panel hearing, you may face additional disciplinary sanctions.
Students may be nervous and inexperienced in responding to the nature of the questioning. An experienced attorney can prepare you for the hearing, including the procedures and whether there are concerns regarding the criminal case.
Students and parents spend a lot of money on college expenses. It is important to handle this matter correctly in order to protect this investment.
CSB Panel Hearings often arise from criminal charges that are filed as felonies. You may have a viable defense to a criminal case that could be jeopardized by making statements at the tape-recorded panel hearing.
A Lafayette attorney experienced in representing students at Purdue CSB panel hearings can help defend the student while protecting their rights in the criminal case.