All About the Student Behaviour policy

You’re likely hearing from us because we have been made aware of a situation that involves you. This could mean a number of different things; you may have been named as a witness to a situation that we’re investigating, your behaviour may have been flagged by a fellow student or faculty member as an alleged violation of the Student Behaviour Policy, or someone may be asking us to check in on you and offer resources and support. We work in collaboration with Mohawk Security Services, and may also have received a referral from them to connect with you as the result of a security investigation.

• Right to know and respond - this means that students must first be notified of the allegations being made against them, a summary of the incident and be provided an opportunity to share their account of the incident. In essence, we want to hear your side of the story!
• Right to a fair decision -  this means that there should be no bias or conflicts of interest in the process.
• Right to Reasons - this means that the administrative staff must provide you with a meaningful reason(s) for their decision and the assigned consequences. You deserve to know why decisions were made!
• Right to an appeal - this means that you have the right to challenge the decision and outcome of the decision-maker.

No, you are not required to attend a meeting if requested by the SRRO. However, if you chose not to attend a meeting the SRRO does have the right to proceed with resolving the matter without your input. Therefore, you are strongly encouraged to attend to hear what we have to share with you and if you wish share your perspective on the matter. These meetings are arranged in accordance with your schedule and should not impact your ability to attend class. Our appointments can be in-person, over the phone or through a Zoom call depending on the nature of the matter and your preference.  

The SRRO is located in the Student and Alumni Success and Resource Centre, Room F114 on Fennell campus. However, we are currently operating virtually and offering meetings through Zoom or telephone. Our business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

If you are invited to attend a meeting under the Student Behaviour Policy, you will meet with one or more of the Student Rights and Responsibilities staff members. We will answer all of your questions upfront and share the information we have with you first, before we ask you to share your account. We will likely have questions for you after you share your account, to better inform us of the situation and how we can resolve it.

Absolutely! You’re welcome to attend with a support person. Their role in the meeting is limited to providing you with support; they are not permitted to speak on your behalf or provide mediation.  Please advise us in advance if you plan to bring a support person. Note that we cannot communicate with your support person to coordinate these meetings or facilitate contact with you.

Meetings typically include a member of the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office, the student, and the student’s support person (if requested). At times, you may be accompanied by a second staff member of the SRRO, or a member of Security Services. Those in attendance will be communicated to you prior to your meeting.

We approach each situation as a learning opportunity. We recognize that people make mistakes and have bad days. If you are found responsible we will assign outcomes in accordance with circumstances of the incident, the severity of the behaviour and the effects on the College community, the intent of the behaviour and the significance of the behaviour as an isolated incident or as part of a pattern. For a non-exhaustive list of possible outcomes, you can review the Student Behaviour Policy, page 9 - 10. 

Yes, you have the right to appeal a finding of responsibility and/or the assigned outcomes associated with the decision. To initiate an appeal you can e-mail SRRO [at] mohawkcollege.ca (SRRO[at]mohawkcollege[dot]ca), outlining the nature of your appeal, what you are looking for, and any evidence to support your perspective. 

As per the Scope of the Student Behaviour Policy, it applies to the behaviour of all full and part-time Mohawk College students, which occurs on campuses or properties owned or leased by the College and supports staff in responding to and managing student behaviour. It governs student behaviour on any College campus and Information Technology platforms.

In addition, this policy can be applied to student behaviour that occurs off-campus under the following conditions:

• When a student is participating in an academic requirement off-campus (including but not limited to a Coop work term, field placement or academic group trip.)
• When a student is participating in any College sanctioned event (including but not limited to Orientation, Athletic event.)
• When such conduct threatens or affects the physical safety of students and College staff.
• When there is a real and substantive connection to the legitimate interests or reputation of the College.

Please note the examples listed above are not meant to be exhaustive.