Residential Student Conduct

Residential Conduct Process

Each student at Michigan State University is afforded various rights and responsibilities as outlined in Spartan Life, including specific guidelines for on-campus living outlined in the On-campus Housing Handbook, General Student Regulations and University Housing Regulations. The regulations and policies aim to provide on-campus students a safe and inclusive environment where they may live, learn and lead to impact the world. The Student Conduct process provides a space for students to take accountability for their actions, learn about university policies, and repair harm caused in the community.

What happens if I was documented?

The below information outlines the process initiated when an incident is documented for an alleged policy violation while living on campus.

Graph explaining residential conduct process

Definitions

Incident Documented:

In order to maintain a safe and secure living environment, multiple levels of staff (resident assistants, assistant community directors and community directors) document behavior observed that may violate policy. The documentation is called an incident report (IR).

Staff Reviews Report

There are staff within Residence Education and Housing Services (REHS) who review incident reports each business day to determine next steps. Depending on the type of behavior documented and a students’ documented history, staff can send a policy reminder email or send an email inviting the student to a meeting.

Policy Reminder Email

A student may receive a policy reminder letter via email that discusses the documented behavior and educates students on university policies.

Meet with Staff

This meeting is an opportunity for a student to share their perspective on what might have happened, discuss community rights and responsibilities, and learn about possible next steps. Additionally, the meeting is an opportunity to connect with a REHS staff member to discuss a student’s on-campus living experience and learn about various campus resources.

What is a conduct meeting and how can I prepare?

The purpose of the meeting is to review the information documented, discuss community rights and responsibilities, and determine next steps moving forward. We do not assume a student is responsible and the meeting gives you the opportunity to voice your perspective about your involvement in the incident and discuss the alleged violation of the policies.

It is common for students to want to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Our staff have limited availability so it may be a week or two until your scheduled meeting.

There is not anything you need to do to prepare for the meeting other than show up at the allotted date and time! However, if you would like to do something prior to the meeting below are some suggestions:

Reflect on the incident that occurred. What was your involvement, if any, and who may have been impacted?
Review university policies. You may have seen these, but not taken the chance to review in-depth.
Think about how you want this situation resolved moving forward.

Who will I meet with?

There are many staff members who meet with students. The majority of residential students will meet with a graduate or full-time staff member who works in their residential community or neighborhood. The meeting is an opportunity to connect with a REHS staff member to discuss a student’s on-campus living experience and learn about various campus resources. A student may also meet with a member of the Residential Care and Community Expectations Team or Office of Student Support and Accountability.

Submit a Potential Policy Violation

If you believe someone has violated a university policy and would like to report the behavior, take one of the following actions:
- For On-Campus Students: On-campus residents are encouraged to initiate the complaint process by speaking with their Community Director, who may also provide more immediate support and resources. Find your community director's contact information on your residence hall or apartment page. You may also email rsc@rhs.msu.edu.
- For Off-Campus Students: Students who do not live on-campus, faculty, staff and members of the general public may report alleged misconduct by students via the Office of Student Support and Accountability’s public reporting tool. However, as the student conduct system at MSU is complainant driven, we encourage you to contact us 517-884-0789 or via email at conduct@msu.edu prior to submitting a report.
For reports involving the Anti-Discrimination Policy, Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Policy and/or Title IX, please file a report with the Office of Institution Equity (OIE).
For more information about the University’s Student Conduct Process and appeal options, visit the Office of Student Support and Accountability’s website.