To all Counseling students:
University Board Student Appointment
DePaul University’s University Hearing Board reviews non-academic violations of University policies by students. This includes alleged violations of the University’s Sexual and Relationship Violence Prevention and Response Policy, the Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, and the Code of Student Responsibility. The Office of the Dean of Students, Student Affairs, convenes the Board as needed. Board members serve as requested by the VP for Student Affairs and do not have specific terms.
Each University Hearing Board is staffed by a panel composed of one Faculty representative, one Staff representative, and one Student representative. Together, Board members are responsible for assisting in resolving allegations of University policy while upholding our commitment to providing an educational experience for student-parties and safeguarding student rights. For each hearing, one member of the panel, traditionally a faculty member, serves as the Chair.
Student Representation: Open – 12 Student members from across the University.
Term: One year, renewable by application.
Meeting Time: As needed. Hearings generally occur on Fridays and may take place either in person or via Zoom as requested by the Office of the Dean of Students.
Training Requirement: Students must complete annual training prior to serving on a University Board. Training is an 8-15-hour commitment.
Workload: Hearing Board members may serve 15 to 25 hours per year outside of training and hearing preparation. Case materials are sent to members in advance of the hearings and must be reviewed prior to the hearings.
University Board Chair: Ellen Herion Fingado, Dean of Students
University Board Ex-Officio: Leslie Watland, Asst. Dean of Students
University Board Ex-Officio: Gina Nunez, Asst. Dean of Students
University Board Ex-Officio: Dan Amato, Asst. Dean of Students
University Board Member Expectations
- Review the names of the involved parties and report any concerns of conflict, bias, or perceptions of bias to the Office of the Dean of Students immediately upon review.
- Review the entirety of the Final Investigative Reports, case files, or related documents prior to the hearing.
- Prepare initial questions for parties, investigators, and/or moderator.
- Arrive on time for the scheduled briefing before the hearing and be prepared to be fully present during the hearing.
- Approach each hearing without bias or a predetermined outcome. University Board members cannot presume that the referred student/student organization is in violation.
- Listen thoughtfully to each party, withholding any judgment until all available information has been presented and considered as a University Board.
- Review information from the Final Investigative Report and University Board hearing to determine if a referred student/student organization is found in violation or not in violation of University policy.
- Be thoughtful and thorough in your discussion related to sanctioning for referred student/student organizations found in violation.
- Engage in a meaningful discussion regarding the facts of the case during deliberation, even if your view is not shared by the majority. Full participation is critical in sound decision-making.
- All information is to be treated as confidential information. While the referred student/student organization or reporting party may make public comments about the conduct process and decision outside of the hearing, University Hearing Board members may not comment about the hearing to anyone, as student information is protected by FERPA. Although cases involving student organizations are not protected by the same law, it is still expected that you will keep confidential all information pertaining to decisions.
- Treat all complainants, witnesses, referred students/student organizations, advisors, and fellow board members respectfully and consistently.
- Each University Board hearing requires one board member to serve as the Chair. This member is usually the faculty member, but may also be a staff member. Chairs read the University Board Hearing Script, and determine relevance of questions during the hearing process. During the hearing, questions and concerns can be directed at the Chair.
The University Board Application can be found here: http://depaul.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a2A4HhpuN2rK3DT