Appendix A: Definitions of Terms as used in the Student Handbook

1. Administration: non-faculty members of the Kenyon community who serve in exempt (salaried) staff roles.

2. Administrative hearing officer: a person authorized by the Vice President for Student Affairs or their designee to determine whether a student or group has violated the student code of conduct and to impose sanctions when a violation has occurred.

3. Administrative Liaison: the Student Affairs professional who manages the integrity and fairness of the student conduct process before and during a Student Conduct Review Board hearing.

4. Advisor: a member of the administration, faculty or student body, who is not party to the case, to assist in the preparation of the case and be present at the hearing. The role of the advisor is to ask clarifying questions and to advise the student, not to present the case. Students are obligated to present their own cases.

5. Allegation: a claimed or suspected infraction or violation of the code of conduct.

6. Appeal: the process by which a party exercises their right to question the outcome of the Student Conduct Review Board or administrative hearing to the Vice President for Student Affairs or their designee.

7. Business day: a weekday when the College is open and conducting regular business (the College calendar should be consulted regarding College closure days). 

8. College community member: a current Kenyon faculty member, administrator, staff member or student.

9. College: Kenyon College.

10. Complainant: a person who submits a complaint alleging that a student violated the student code of conduct. A Complainant may be present during a Student Conduct Review Board hearing and may participate as a witness.

11. Complaint: a written statement alleging that a student or organization has violated the student code of conduct.

12. Faculty: any person currently employed by Kenyon to conduct classroom or teaching activities or who is otherwise considered by Kenyon to be a member of its faculty.

13. Good Disciplinary Standing: any student not on disciplinary probation, deferred suspension, suspension, or dismissal.

14. Guest: any student present in a residential space other than the one to which they are assigned.

15. Interim suspension: a temporary suspension, pending the outcome of a hearing, implemented by the Vice President for Student Affairs or their designee when they deem an individual to be threatening or injurious to the well-being or property of members of the College community, or to its operation.

16. Investigation: the process during which information related to a reported incident is gathered.

17. Not responsible: an outcome of a Student Conduct Review Board or administrative hearing in which no violation of the student code of conduct is found to have occurred.

18. Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities: the office designated by the Vice President for Student Affairs to facilitate the administration of the student conduct process.

19. Overnight Guest/Visitor: anyone staying in a room overnight (regardless of student status) who is not assigned to that residential living space. 

20. Preponderance of evidence: during the hearing, “preponderance of the evidence” is the threshold whereby all the information is determined by the board members to support, more likely than not, the allegations. This preponderance is based on the more convincing evidence and its probable truth or accuracy, and not on the amount of evidence. Thus, one clearly knowledgeable witness may provide a preponderance of evidence over a dozen witnesses with hazy testimony.

21. Referring administrator: the Student Affairs staff member assigned to represent the College in the Student Conduct Review Board hearing and present the complaint made against the respondent.

22. Regulations: rules authorized by Kenyon College to set community standards for student conduct.

23. Respondent: any student or student organization against whom a complaint regarding violating the code of conduct has been lodged.

24. Responsible: an outcome of a Student Conduct Review Board or administrative hearing in which a violation of the student code of conduct is found to have occurred.

25. Retaliation: any act of retribution or intimidation directed towards any person or group involved in the investigation or resolution of a student conduct issue. 

26. Sanction: the official College response to violations of the student code of conduct. Although sanctions may be of a punitive nature, they are intended to be for the purpose of educating respondents about accountability and upholding community standards of behavior.

27. Self-incrimination: the act of disclosing information that could result in new allegations of code of conduct violations.

28. Social Events with Alcohol: events sponsored by student organizations that are registered with the Office of Student Engagement and will take place in designated, reservable spaces on campus

29. Student: A person enrolled in and/or auditing classes at Kenyon. (Persons who are not presently enrolled but who have a continuing relationship with the College are considered students for the purposes of this Handbook).

30. Student Conduct Process: the process Kenyon uses to address alleged infractions of the student code of conduct.

31. Student Conduct Review Board: persons authorized by the Vice President for Student Affairs or their designee, Student Council, the President of the College and the Chair of the Faculty to determine whether a student or group has violated the code of conduct.

32. Student organization: any group or organization of Kenyon College students that has obtained official College recognition. 

33. Violation: behavior contrary to the standards outlined in the code of conduct.

34. Visitor: a person who is not currently enrolled as a Kenyon student.

35. Witness: a person who provides information on behalf of the College, the complainant or respondent in an administrative or Student Conduct Review Board hearing.