VCOM College Catalog and Student Handbook

majority either way and requires a final “tiebreaker” vote to determine a majority. K. Preponderance : Superiority in numbers or having greater weight; greater than 50%. L. Recuse : To disqualify oneself from proceedings to avoid any perceived bias. M. Retaliate : To take revenge for a perceived wrong. Retaliation is considered unethical behavior and constitutes a separate violation of the VCOM Honor Code. N. Unanimous : In complete agreement; all members vote the same. To dissent or abstain indicates a disputed (not unanimous) opinion. Specific practices and policies relating to suspected violations and associated sanctions may be found in the Constitution of the Honor Code Council or by contacting honor@vcom.edu. To report a suspected violation, obtain the procedures if accused of a violation, or identify the members of the Honor Code Council, contact honor@vcom.edu. The Professional and Ethical Standards Board (PESB) shall be convened if the Honor Code Council either determines a Category II or Category III violation of the Honor Code has occurred, or if the Campus Dean or Provost recommends suspension or expulsion. A PESB may also be convened if the Campus Dean or Provost determines a suspected violation warrants a direct referral to the PESB, instead of the Honor Code Council. Upon the initiative of the Campus Dean or at the request of any member of the faculty or administration, the Campus Dean will designate a representative from administration to act on his/her behalf to conduct an investigation. If reasonable probability exists from that investigation that a violation has occurred, the Campus Dean may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student. If a member of the faculty or administration orally requests an initiation of disciplinary proceedings, the oral request must be confirmed in writing within 72 hours. In determining whether disciplinary action is warranted, the Campus Dean and his/her representative from administration may conduct an informal investigation of the matter, which may include, but is not limited to, interviewing the affected student(s). If the Campus Dean determines that disciplinary action is warranted, the PESB shall be convened. Notice of Possible Suspension While Under Review Pending a formal review of the case, if the Campus Dean or his/her representative determines that the presence of the alleged offender would be disruptive to the school or would endanger the institution, patients, or the public, the Campus Dean or representative may suspend the student in question from the institution until all appropriate information is obtained. Choices for Review by the PESB, Three-Person Panel, or Campus Dean When notified of the need for a PESB, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will notify the student that a student, in lieu of a formal PESB review, may elect to have the matter heard by a Three-person Panel appointed by the Campus Dean or may request that the matter be heard and decided solely by the Campus Dean. The Dean may then accept or not accept the responsibility to hear the case solely by him/herself. If the Dean determines that he or she is not comfortable hearing the case solely, then the student must choose between having the case heard by the three person panel or the full PESB. If the student fails to respond within five calendar days as to their choice for review, the Campus Dean shall decide whether the matter will be reviewed by the PESB or a three-person panel. Professional and Ethical Standards Board (PESB)

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