Family FAQs

My student has a hold from this office; can you tell me what it is?

A hold is placed on a student’s account when they need to meet with a conduct administrator or have not completed a sanction assigned as a result of violating the Student Code of Conduct (Code). Your student should call if they have specific questions.

How can I help my student?

You can help your student by being supportive while holding him or her accountable to your expectations and the university’s. You can also be helpful by allowing and expecting your student to set up their own appointments, attend meetings and complete sanctions. It is usually not helpful to the educational development of the student for family members to take over the process for their students. This is a great opportunity for your student to learn how to self-advocate and resolve issues on their own.

Will I be informed if my student violates the Code?

Student conduct records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) which means OSRR does not typically disclose the information within a student’s conduct record to anyone including family members. In most instances, students must authorize a family member to have access to their conduct record on PiratePort or by signing a FERPA Release Form in our office. Family members of students who are less than 21 years of age and found responsible for violating the alcohol or drug policies may be notified in writing of the incident. It is recommended that students inform their family members of all incidents that result in sanctions. Please see the U.S. Department of Education website or the ECU Office of the Registrar for further information regarding FERPA.

Does my student need an attorney?

A student has the right to be represented, at the student’s expense, by a licensed attorney or non-attorney advocate who may participate in the student conduct process in accordance with UNC Policy Manual 700.4.1.1 [R].

My student is also in trouble with the courts. Can the campus proceedings be delayed until the conclusion of the criminal process?

OSRR is obliged to move forward with all disciplinary matters as soon as it has collected sufficient information to do so. ECU is not required to defer to the timeline of the criminal courts and will not typically grant requests made on this basis. Please remember that ECU is not attempting to determine if a student committed a crime. Our goal is to determine whether or not the student has violated the Student Code of Conduct.

My student has been the victim of an offense by another student. What should they do?

Any member of the ECU community may file an incident report by contacting OSRR, ECU police, or their RA/Residence Life Coordinator (if a resident student). We offer an online incident report form on our website.

Where are the rules?

The Student Code of Conduct and other University policies can be found here.

Citation: Portions of this guide is modeled after those developed by University of Georgia, Illinois State University, Towson University and Rutgers University Guide for Attorneys.