Community Standards

Student Conduct Code

The Student Conduct Code at the University of Montana embodies and promotes honesty, integrity, accountability, rights, and responsibilities associated with constructive citizenship in our academic community.  This Code describes expected standards of behavior for all students, including academic conduct and general conduct, and it outlines students' rights, responsibilities, and the campus processes for adjudicating alleged violations. The updated version of the Code takes effect on August 1, 2020.

Questions regarding general conduct or concerns about student misconduct may be directed to the UM Housing Office at (406) 243-2611, or by email at kelly.magnuson@umontana.edu. 

If you wish to report an incident, please fill out the form below:
https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofMontana&layout_id=1

Questions regarding academic conduct can also be directed to the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at (406) 243-4689.

Contact Information

Kelly Magnuson
Associate Director, Community Standards
(406) 243-2611
kelly.magnuson@umontana.edu 

Sandy Curtis
Executive Director, UM Housing and Community Standards
(406) 243-2611
sandra.curtis@umontana.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Check your UM student email account on a regular basis. You may be receiving an emailed letter to schedule a meeting about the documentation.
UM Housing will also process, investigate and adjudicate conduct code violations.

You should attend this meeting to provide information about what you know on the situation. If the meeting time that is set does not work for you, you should immediately call the number in the letter to reschedule. 

To begin, the first meeting with students is called the preliminary meeting and students will be provided information about the process for community standards and the expectations that fall to every student attending UM. Students will be informed of their rights, alleged violations of the student conduct code, and the overall process. 

The next step in this process is the findings meeting where the behavior reported is discussed and student have an opportunity to present any information or evidence at this time. A student can have the findings meeting following the preliminary meeting or they can schedule the findings meeting within 5 days of the preliminary meeting. 

Yes, you may have an advisor accompany you to the meeting. However, the advisor cannot speak for you in the meeting. If you are bringing an attorney, you must notify the hearing officer of the administrative meeting so the University’s legal office can also have representation in the meeting.

You have the right to appeal the decision of the hearing officer based on any of the following criteria:

  • The conduct process was not followed or adhered to by the process outlined in the UM Student conduct code.
  • New evidence has been discovered since the initial hearing; or
  • The sanction(s) issued are excessive.

Sanctions are outcomes assigned by the hearing officer. Sanctioning is progressive and takes into consideration the violation(s), your cumulative student conduct record and any mitigating/aggravating factors. Possible sanctions include, but are not limited to: formal warning, educational programs, restitution, probation, suspension, and/or dismissal from the University.

The conduct process is intended to be educational and create outcomes so students learn from previous experience and minimize violating the conduct code in the future.

Probation is an administrative sanction that may be assigned as part of a student conduct resolution. It is considered more serious than a formal warning, but less serious than a suspension. While it will not appear on your transcript, it is part of your student conduct record and may be reported on student conduct record checks.

Additionally, if you are documented for a new incident while on probation, you have violated your probationary status and may be assigned more significant sanctions for the new incident.

Disciplinary probation is related to behavior, whereas academic probation is related to grades.
A hold will be placed on your student account, which prevents you from registering for classes, ordering transcripts, or conducting other business with the University.
Yes. Once you receive your outcome letter you will have the option to accept or appeal the sanctions being imposed. There will be instructions in your outcome letter instructing you depending on the option you choose.
Your student conduct record generally contains the applicable incident report(s), meeting and decision letters, and other documents related to student conduct incidents you have been involved in while a University of Montana student.
Yes. Only certain University staff, including the Office for Community Standards and the UM Housing Community Standards Office, or those with a legitimate right to know, as defined by the Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act, have access to your student conduct records. You may choose to sign an authorization to allow us to release your student conduct records to another person or organization such as a parent or guardian, study abroad program, or advisor.
In accordance with University policy and Montana State Law, we keep and maintain student conduct records for seven years from the academic year in which the incident was resolved. Records involving suspensions and expulsions from the University are kept indefinitely.

Most future employers will not inquire about your student conduct record. However, relevant organizations will require you to release your records for review by an affiliated investigator (e.g. if you are sitting for the bar exam, or the job you're applying to involves security clearance). The investigator will provide us with a copy of your signed release form and request a copy of your student conduct records. We will not release your confidential records without a release form from you.

Typically, graduate schools will inquire about your student conduct record during the application process. Please consult with the Office for Community Standards to determine if you have a student conduct record and if so, what will be reported to a prospective graduate program or professional school