Non-Peer Dispute

About Non-Peer Disputes

When a faculty member, an officer of the University, a non-student community member, or an outside agency brings the allegation forward, the case is called a non-peer dispute. 

The College expects that students will be honest and forthcoming and take responsibility for their actions.

The content on this page is meant to serve as general information about the process and not a comprehensive statement of applicable policies and procedures. If you are involved in a non-peer dispute, detailed information, including the full procedure, will be provided to you in your case packet. If there is any discrepancy between those documents and this webpage, the documents will take precedence. You can access a sample packet for students facing allegations in a non-peer dispute.

Notification and Initial Statement

The Report

All non-peer cases begin with the submission of a written statement, report, or other documentation by a faculty member, officer of the University, a non-student community member, or outside agency, detailing an alleged violation of policy by a College student. When a complaint arises against a student, the Secretary of the Administrative Board, or their designee, will send all case materials to a student’s email. The case materials may be supplemented as the inquiry proceeds, and any supplementary materials provided to the Administrative Board will also be provided to the student. The Subcommittee and Administrative Board may take into consideration any of the materials provided to the student, including portions of those materials that have been highlighted in the initial case material packet.

Case materials will include, but are not limited to: confidentiality rules of the College, a charge letter outlining relevant provisions in the Harvard College Student Handbook, redacted information regarding the complaint or referral, information on requesting a disability accommodation, a Board membership list, and any other relevant, initial case material.

When a complaint involves allegations of serious criminal conduct, we advise students to seek legal counsel before making any written or oral statements to the College. Students are advised to seek legal advice about how the College’s disciplinary process could affect any criminal case in which they may be involved. However, students’ legal counsel may not participate in proceedings. Ordinarily, if a complaint is being pursued through the criminal justice system, the Board may assess the timing of the investigation so that it does not compromise the integrity of the criminal investigation or the rights of the respondent. In some cases, the Board may choose to postpone or suspend its own review of the matter until the criminal case has been concluded.

The Personal Advisor

Students involved in disciplinary cases may be more comfortable navigating the Administrative Board’s process with the support of a personal advisor. Personal advisors are given access to all case information, may attend any interviews with their students, and provide their students with general advice and support. Personal advisors must be officers of the University who are affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and not members of the student’s family.

Resident Dean

The role of a student’s Resident Dean in the process is to represent the student to the subcommittee and the full Disciplinary Committee of the Administrative Board. Additionally, they will keep the student informed during the process. It is important to remember that the student’s Resident Dean is not an advocate. They are expected to share any information they have and when the information they have is contradictory to the student’s statements.

The Initial Statement

Following the delivery of case materials, the student will be asked to write a personal statement. The statement is among the most important documents considered by the Board in a case and is the first opportunity the student has to describe the event and respond to the allegation. The goal is for the student to tell the whole story, describing the context in which it occurred, and to share any reflections they have on it. There are a couple of things to keep in mind while writing the statement:

1. The student must write it; it is unacceptable to submit statements written by others, including parents, advisors, or attorneys. 
2. Students are encouraged to share a draft of their statement with their Resident Dean, who is well-positioned to discuss, among other matters, the statement’s style, organization, length, and clarity, and to anticipate questions it may raise for the Board. 
3. The student may wish to share a draft of the statement with their family members, legal counsel, or their personal advisor. More information regarding the initial statements may be learned during the initial meeting.   

Charge Decision

Following the submission of the initial statement, the Secretary of the Board will review the original complaint, any supporting documentation, and the initial statement. The Secretary will make a determination at that time whether the report contains insufficient information to show a violation has occurred or whether there was a misunderstanding. In those cases the matter may be dropped, a warning may be issued, or it may be referred back to the Resident Dean for follow-up. Otherwise, the Secretary will refer the case to the Board or to a subcommittee of the Board for further investigation.

Subcommittee

Subcommittees of the Board ordinarily consist of two or three people. The Secretary of the Board or subcommittee will review all documents related to the case, and may obtain statements from and/or interview others.

The student will have the opportunity to review all documents and other information obtained by the Secretary of the Board and/or the subcommittee appointed to investigate the case.

• If the allegations are serious enough that a finding may result in a change to the student’s status at the College, the student will be given the opportunity to meet with a subcommittee of the Board to discuss the alleged incident and to answer questions. If a subcommittee was appointed in the case, then the meeting will be with them. The student may choose to include their Personal Advisor in any meeting.
• There is no obligation for the student to meet with the subcommittee, and, if they do, the student is free to participate to whatever extent they feel comfortable, within the bounds of standard Board procedures. The Board will draw no conclusions or inferences from their decision.

Subcommittee Report

If a subcommittee was appointed at the conclusion of its investigation, the subcommittee will issue a confidential report, called a Subcommittee Report. The Subcommittee Report describes the facts and circumstances of the case and may include a recommendation for disciplinary action. This recommendation is a starting point for the Board’s discussion in the case. In all cases, the Board is not limited in its discussion and has the full range of sanctions allowed by the Faculty available to it. The student will have the opportunity to read and respond to the Subcommittee Report in advance of the meeting at which the Board will decide the case. The student may respond either in writing or orally to their Resident Dean, who will be present when the Board hears the case.

Presentation of the Case

Members of the Disciplinary Committee are provided the Subcommittee Report and all supporting documents ahead of the hearing. Each Board hearing begins with an oral summary of the case by the subcommittee if one was assigned and the student’s Resident Dean.

Students are provided the opportunity to appear before the full Board to give a final verbal statement. The goal is to allow the student to have their voice heard throughout this process. To appear before the Board, the student must notify the Secretary the Monday before the hearing of the case. All appearances are limited to five minutes, and the student’s Resident Dean (and, if applicable, Personal Advisor) will be present during their appearance.

This is followed by a discussion and recommendations of action, or motions, by any voting member of the Board. The Board may take any action specifically outlined in the Actions of the Administrative Board section of the Student Handbook. The Board’s decision will include consideration of:

• The seriousness of the infraction, and
• Extenuating circumstances, including prior related incidents.

The Administrative Board can take several actions in response to a case, as outlined in the Student Handbook. Additionally, the Board may bracket or postpone a case until further information can be gathered, it can scratch a case where the Board finds no evidence of a violation, or the Board may take no action where a serious accusation was made but could not be substantiated. A decision of scratch or to take no action means the student was “not responsible” for the alleged conduct.

If the Board finds the respondent was “responsible” for the alleged conduct, it may opt to admonish the student, place the student on probation, require the student’s withdrawal, or recommend dismissal or expulsion. The Board may also require withdrawal together with a recommendation for dismissal or expulsion (decisions regarding dismissal or expulsion must be made by the Faculty Council).

It is important to note that a student’s Personal Advisor will not be eligible to be present for the discussion and will not vote on the case, even if they are Board members.

Changes to student status are ordinarily disclosed to parents or guardians. Outcomes that change a student’s status are probation, required withdrawal, dismissal, and expulsion.

Conclusion of the Case

Once an outcome has been reached, the Respondent will be notified of the Board’s finding by his or her Resident Dean, and the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct will send a letter confirming the Board’s decision in writing. Depending on the outcome of the case, the Respondent may have the opportunity to request a reconsideration or, if applicable, an appeal of the decision.

Regardless of the outcome, a redacted copy of the confidential Subcommittee Report, if applicable, and all other materials will be placed in your College file that is maintained by a student’s Yard/House affiliation. These documents are part of a student’s educational record as defined and protected by federal law.