Applicability of Student Life Policies
Unless otherwise noted, the student life policies, procedures and regulations described within du Lac apply to all Notre Dame students — undergraduate, graduate, and professional, full or parttime. The University may respond to any report of alleged misconduct or violation of law from a student’s matriculation through graduation.
The University reserves the right to address offcampus misconduct or violations of law. Judgments about these matters will depend on the facts of an individual case. The following factors are among those that will be considered:
- whether the conduct occurred at an event sponsored by the University
- whether the student involved was acting as a representative of the University
- whether the conduct has a negative impact on the University community or interferes with the pursuit of Notre Dame’s mission
- whether the conduct has a negative impact on the local community.
In addition to complying with the University’s policies, procedures and regulations, students are expected to abide by local, state and federal law. Students may be accountable to criminal authorities and to the University for acts that violate local, state or federal laws, and they can face disciplinary action by the University concurrent with criminal action.
As a general rule, University disciplinary action will proceed normally during the pendency of a criminal action. The University operates under different policies, procedures and standards, and therefore it is not necessarily bound by the findings of a court of law.
If a student is charged with a felony, the University, through the Office of Student Affairs or the Office of Residence Life, reserves the right to take summary action and temporarily dismiss the student. Similarly, the University may take summary action to temporarily or permanently dismiss any student convicted of a felony (see Emergency Actions).