If you have additional questions concerning interim suspensions, please contact the Office of Student Conduct, 724-357-1264. For more information on the IUP student conduct process, see the Student Behavior Regulations, located in the Student Conduct Policies and Procedures.
What is an interim suspension?
In a situation where it is determined that a student’s continued
presence at the university constitutes an immediate threat of harm to
the student, other individuals, and/or university property, the vice
president of Student Affairs may suspend a student from IUP pending
final disposition of the case through the university student conduct process.
An interim suspension means that the student cannot attend classes and
must leave university property and remain off university property until
an interim suspension review hearing is conducted (see below) or a
university student conduct board is completed.
How quickly is an interim suspension decision implemented?
A student is typically interim suspended within 12 to 24
hours of the university’s notice of an incident. If the student lives in
university-owned/operated housing, she or he must vacate her/his room
and turn in her/his room, apartment, or suite key by the date and time
in which the interim suspension takes effect. The student cannot return
to campus until an interim suspension review hearing or student conduct board
hearing is conducted for the case.
How is a student informed of her/his interim suspension?
A letter from the vice president of Student Affairs is either
hand-delivered to the suspended student, or the suspended student is
required to pick up the letter from the Office of the Vice President of
Student Affairs, 212 Sutton Hall. This letter provides the date and time
that the interim suspension takes effect and explains the student’s
right to have the interim suspension decision reviewed.
How does an interim suspension review hearing get scheduled?
A student who is interim suspended has the right to have the decision
reviewed and either supported, modified, or revoked within ten (10)
calendar days of the effective date of the interim suspension, unless
circumstances warrant an extension. Interim suspension reviews are
scheduled through the Office of Student Conduct, IUP, 724-357-1264, upon
the suspended student’s request. Interim suspension review hearings are
not automatically scheduled—they must be requested by the involved
student.
Interim suspension review hearings are scheduled to occur weekdays
between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (depending on the availability of a
review officer) and generally take place in the Office of Student
Conduct, Ruddock Hall, Suite G11.
What happens at an interim suspension review hearing?
A trained university administrator or faculty member will review the
interim suspension decision by speaking with the suspended student and
reviewing all submitted paperwork, such as incident reports and/or
student conduct referrals. The suspended student may arrange to have one person
of her/his choice attend the interim suspension review hearing with
her/him; however, the suspended student is expected to speak for
her/himself during the review. The person attending the review with the
student is not permitted to speak without the permission of the interim
suspension review officer.
What are the potential outcomes from an interim suspension review hearing?
As a result of an interim suspension review hearing, the review officer
may uphold the interim suspension (thus requiring the student to remain
off campus and out of classes until a student conduct board hearing occurs),
may revoke the interim suspension (thus immediately reinstating the
student), or may take other action (i.e., permit the student to attend
class but require her/him to otherwise remain off campus property,
etc.).
Is the decision of the interim suspension review hearing officer final?
Unless the interim suspension review hearing is scheduled in conjunction with the final disposition of the student conduct case (i.e., university student conduct board hearing) it does not result in a final decision on the student’s status. The
purpose of the interim suspension review is to determine whether or not a student may be present on university property and/or attend classes pending the outcome of the student conduct board hearing.
Once an interim suspension review officer makes a decision, she or he notifies the involved student of the outcome verbally and in writing. There is no appeal process for the interim suspension review officer’s decision.
How quickly is a student notified of the interim suspension review decision?
Generally, a decision is provided to the suspended student within 24 hours or on Monday morning if the review hearing occurs on a
Friday. However, in circumstances where multiple students have been
interim suspended in association with one incident, the interim
suspension review officer reserves the right to delay a decision until
she or he has met with all involved students.
What if a student misses classes during an interim suspension, but is later reinstated?
The student is guaranteed the opportunity to make up any academic work
missed during the time in which the interim suspension was imposed. The
Office of Student Conduct will contact the student’s professors to
indicate that they must assist the student with making up missed work.
However, it is the student’s responsibility to make specific
arrangements with the faculty member to complete assignments.
Why does a student have to go through a Student Conduct Board hearing if she or he has had an interim suspension review hearing?
The purpose of the interim suspension review hearing is to determine
whether or not the interim suspension should be upheld or modified
pending the final student conduct board hearing. This review is provided for
expediency since student conduct board hearings are often difficult to schedule
in a timely manner.
The student conduct board hearing, including the appeal process, is the
final determination of the student’s status (please see information on
student conduct board hearings).