Community Standards Procedures

“Student” Anyone enrolled at the University of Oklahoma.

“Resident” First-Year Students and Upper-Class Students contracted with University of Oklahoma Housing and Residence Life.

“Residential Facility” Facilities operated by the University of Oklahoma for the purpose of providing student housing to enrolled University students.

“Residence Life Staff” A staff member in the Department of Housing and Residence Life authorized to administer the Community Standards Procedures.

 “Day” A University business day.

“Case(s)” A formal process to review an alleged violation of policy.

“Advisor” An individual chosen by the student to support them during the Community Standards Procedures.

“Incident(s)” A reported situation involving a potential violation of the Community Living Policies.

“Alleged/Allegations” A claim that a student may have violated the Community Living Policies.

“Charge(s)” The specific policy or policies the student is alleged to have violated.

“Appeal” A formal request to review the outcome of a Residence Life case.

Individuals and organizations can submit reports of alleged violations of the Community Living Policies using the Residence Life Incident Report Form. The Assistant Director of Residence Life or designee (“AD or designee”) shall review the report and determine whether to initiate the Community Standards Procedures. If the AD or designee determines that, even if true, the alleged behavior in the report does not constitute a violation of the Community Living Policies, the matter shall be concluded and the report resolved. If the AD or designee determines that the alleged behavior, if true, could constitute a violation of the Community Living Policies,  the AD or designee shall notify the student of the allegations and afford the student an opportunity to be heard by initiating the Community Standards Procedures, as set forth below. 

Residence Life maintains jurisdiction over all incidents that occur within or directly impacting the residential facilities. Incidents that involve potential violations of the Community Living Policies will be addressed through the Community Standards Procedures.

In some situations, Residence Life may address the matter with a written or verbal warning outside of the formal Community Standards Procedures. This approach is intended to resolve issues quickly while reinforcing expectations and supporting community well-being. 

However, if an incident also involves or is determined to involve violations of the Student Code of Conduct, the matter may be referred to the University’s Office of Student Conduct. In these cases, the University’s broader student conduct process, as outlined in the University's Student Rights and Responsibilities Procedures, will apply.

If a report initially appears to involve only Community Living Policy violations but later reveals behavior that additionally or alternatively violates the Student Code of Conduct, the case will be held in conjunction with the University’s Office of Student Conduct for further review and resolution. 

Additionally, any allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination, or harassment that fall under the University’s Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, and Harassment Policy will be referred to the University’s Institutional Equity Office for appropriate investigation and response.

This meeting is intended to review the contents and accuracy of the incident report with the student and begin the Community Standards Procedures.

During the Community Standards Meeting, the Residence Life Staff will explain the Community Standards Procedures, review the allegations, and provide the student with an opportunity to respond. The student may also ask questions and present any relevant information or evidence. The Residence Life Staff will consider the allegations, the student’s response, and any supporting evidence when determining next steps. 

Students are permitted to be accompanied by one (1) advisor at the Community Standards Meeting. If a student brings an advisor to the meeting: The advisor must be listed as a FERPA Release Contact through the Housing Contract, authorizing the advisor to be present for the meeting(s), the advisor may offer support and guidance to the student, the advisor may not speak on behalf of the student or participate in the meeting with the Residence Life Staff.

The Community Standards Meeting may also be used to review and explain the relevant Community Living Policies to the student. During or after the meeting, the Residence Life Staff will evaluate the allegations, student response, and any supporting evidence in relation to those policies.

Based on this review, the Residence Life Staff may take one of the following actions: Dismiss the charges, if it is determined that no violation of the Community Living Policies occurred, reach a resolution with the student, allowing the matter to be closed with clearly outlined conditions or outcomes for the student to fulfill, issue a revised Community Standards Notice of outcome, if new information suggests that a different policy or set of charges is more appropriate based on the facts of the case. Proceed with making an outcome determination and assignment of sanctions against the student as set forth in the Community Standards Procedures.  

The student has the option to accept responsibility for the alleged behavior at any point during or after the Community Standards Meeting but no later than the time of delivery of Residence Life’s final decision. If the student acknowledges responsibility, or if the Residence Life Staff determines responsibility at the conclusion of the Community Standards Meeting, the Residence Life Staff will determine the appropriate outcome and assign sanctions based on the nature of the violation, available evidence, and context of the incident. If the student accepts responsibility and agrees to the imposition of the sanctions, the Residence Life Staff shall make a finding that the student has violated the Community Life Policies and that the student has accepted responsibility, along with the assigned sanctions, for engaging in the prohibited behavior. 

Once the Residence Life Staff’s outcome is communicated to the student via the student’s University email (“Outcome Notice”), the student is responsible for completing all assigned sanctions by the stated deadlines in the Outcome Notice. Acceptance of responsibility concludes the case unless otherwise noted and subject to the student’s timely completion of assigned sanctions.

If the student does not schedule or attend the Community Standards Meeting by the deadline provided in the Community Standards Notice or does not respond to follow up communication concerning the meeting within five (5) days of delivery of the notice, the Residence Life Staff may proceed with a decision, in the student’s absence, based on the available information.

In this situation, by failing to respond or participate, the student waives the right to participate further in the Community Standards Procedures or to provide additional context. The outcome and any resulting sanctions must be fulfilled by the student as communicated by the Residence Life Staff in the Outcome Notice.

Following the completion of the Community Standards Meeting and review of all relevant information related to the alleged behavior, including the student’s response and any supporting evidence, the Residence Life Staff will issue a formal Outcome Notice to the student. The outcome represents the final decision regarding whether the student is responsible for violating the Community Living Policies and, if applicable, outlines any assigned sanctions.

The Outcome Notice will be communicated to the student via the student’s University email and will include the following: A summary of the incident and reviewed information, a determination of whether the student is responsible for the alleged violation(s), the specific Community Living Policy or policies that were found to be violated, a description of all assigned sanctions, including deadlines for completion, instructions for how to appeal the outcome.

Once the Outcome Notice is issued, the case is considered resolved unless the student submits a timely appeal or fails to complete the assigned sanctions by the stated deadline(s). The student is responsible for completing all assigned sanctions by the stated deadlines. Failure to comply with the Outcome Notice may result in further action as stated below in Section XII, including but not limited to student account holds and/or review of the Terms and Conditions of the Housing and Food Services (“Housing Contract”)... Any review of the Housing Contract shall be made by the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs (“AVP”).

In some cases, the Outcome Notice may also include contract-related actions such as an administrative move, probation, or termination of the Housing Contract, as outlined in the Housing Contract section below.

When a student is found responsible for violating the Community Living Policies, the Residence Life Staff will assign at least one sanction to support the student’s development and reinforce community standards. Sanctions are designed to promote accountability, repair harm, and encourage positive behavior change. Sanctions may be administrative, educational, or a combination of both, depending on the nature of the violation and the context of the incident.

Administrative sanctions are intended to hold students accountable for their behavior and decision-making, discourage future violations, and support the safety and well-being of the residential community. These may include, but are not limited to: Written warning, Restitution (payment for damages), Administrative fee(s), Review or modification of the Housing Contract, Revocation of visitation privileges

.Educational sanctions are designed to help students reflect on their actions, understand the purpose of community policies, and make informed, responsible choices moving forward. These may include, but are not limited to: Written apology, Educational presentation, Reflection paper, Community service hours ,Completion of an educational course.

Students have the right to appeal the outcome of their case after receiving the Outcome Notice from the Residence Life Staff. A student can appeal the outcome based on the following: The finding of responsibility is inaccurate; The assigned sanctions are inappropriate for the violation; The charges do not accurately reflect the violation; Or any combination of the above.

Students must submit the appeal in writing to the Director of Residence Life or designee (“Director or designee”) within forty-eight (48) hours of delivery of the Outcome Notice. For the appeal to be considered by the Director or designee, the appeal must include a detailed explanation of the basis for the appeal and any supporting information or evidence for the appeal.

The Director or designee will review the appeal and issue a final decision within five (5) days of the student’s submission of the appeal. The student will be notified of the outcome of the appeal by the Director or designee via the student’s University email. If the student is found responsible, they are expected to complete all assigned sanctions by the deadlines provided in the appeal outcome notice. This decision is final and cannot be further appealed.

The Housing Contract is a binding agreement between the student and the University of Oklahoma. By signing this contract, students agree to comply with the Community Living Policies and all associated expectations of living in residential facilities.

Violations of the Community Living Policies are considered violations of the Housing Contract. The Community Standards Procedures exist to enforce the terms and conditions of the Housing Contract.

Following the Community Standards Procedures, the AVP and/or the Directors of Housing and Residence Life may impose contract-related actions if a student is found responsible for behavior that disrupts, harms, or endangers the residential facility. These actions are intended to protect the safety, well-being, and integrity of the living environment. Housing and Residence Life reserves the right to take contract-related action independently of Community Standards Procedures.

Possible actions include, but are not limited to: Administrative probation: A formal warning that continued violations may result in further consequences, including removal from residential facilities; Administrative move: Reassignment to a different space within the residential facilities; Administrative temporary move: Reassignment to a different space within the residential facilities for an amount of time, determined by the Director of Residence Life or designee; Administrative termination: Removal from University residential facilities and termination of the Housing Contract; Administrative fine: A monetary charge issued to the student account; Administrative restriction: Limits placed on a student’s access to certain privileges, services, or areas within the residential facilities;  Combination of actions: In some cases, more than one of the above may be applied.

Failure to comply with any contract-related outcome may result in additional sanctions or referral to other offices, including the University's Office of Student Conduct.