I Received a Notice of Hearing

A Notice of Hearing will be sent to your University of Guelph email account from the Student Judicial Services office if you have either been issued a Judicial Complaint or chosen to enter a plea of responsible with explanation or a plea of not responsible to a charge that was set fine eligible.   

A Notice of Hearing contains the alleged breach of the Policy on Non-academic Misconduct, the date, time and location of your hearing, and the Judicial Committee members who will hear your case. Along with the Notice of Hearing, Student Judicial Services will also provide you with your Disclosure Package (these materials contain the detail of the alleged breach), a copy of the Rules of Procedure for the Judicial Committee, and a summary sheet of how the hearing will proceed. 

Summary of Hearing Proceedings

The Summary of Hearing Proceedings outlines in details from the Student's View when to speak and the process during the hearing.

You may bring a representative or witnesses to the hearing. At the hearing, the Complainant (typically Campus Community Police) will present the evidence of the alleged breach(s) of Policy to the Judicial Committee. You have the right to know, and question, all of the evidence that is being presented against you.

The hearing will start with an introduction from the Chair of the Judicial Committee about the proceedings.  All of the Committee members will be asked to identify themselves, so that you know who will be deciding your case. You may request that a particular Judicial Committee member not be allowed to hear your case if you feel that they are in a conflict of interest or have a bias against you that would not allow them to decide your case objectively. You must show that your request to have a Judicial Committee member removed from the case is based in fact.

The alleged breach will be read aloud and you will then be asked to respond and enter a plea (Responsible, Responsible with Explanation or Not Responsible). 

The Complainant (typically Campus Community Police) will then begin with their presentation of the case.

You will then have an opportunity to ask questions regarding the Complainant’s presentation of facts and case. You then have the opportunity to pose questions on what facts have been presented by the Complainant. It is important that you ask questions about the facts or “evidence” that the Complainant has presented. After you have finished asking any questions, the Judicial Committee members may also ask questions.

After all of the Complainant’s case has been presented, it is your turn to present your side of the story. You will also have the opportunity to present any witnesses that you have brought. After you have gone through your story, including your witnesses, and facts, the Complainant may pose questions to you. The Judicial Committee members may also have some questions.

After all sides have been presented, all parties (e.g. Campus Police and you) will be asked to leave the room while the Judicial Committee decides whether or not you will be found responsible for the charge(s). After the Judicial Committee has arrived at a decision, you will be asked to re-enter the room and the decision will be communicated.

If the decision is not responsible, that is the end of the hearing.

If the decision is responsible, then you and Complainant will be given a chance to provide a suggestion(s) about what an appropriate penalty would be. You should review the Guidelines for Common Penalties prior to your hearing so that you can communicate what reasons may exist that would warrant an alternative (e.g. some repairs have already been made, lack of previous history). A common penalty is defined as an outcome or penalty that is typically assessed, or what is considered the “norm” for the offence. However, a variety of factors are considered when assessing an appropriate resolution.

The Judicial Committee will make a decision on your case after all evidence has been given by yourself and the Complainant. If you have attended your hearing, you will be informed of the decision evaluation at the end of the hearing. The decision will be told to you. You will also receive the decision in writing to your University of Guelph email address.

A plea of Responsible to a charge that is set fine eligible will not result in a Judicial hearing. The charge will be processed by Student Judicial Services and an invoice will be sent to your University of Guelph email for payment. However, students who choose to enter a plea of Responsible with Explanation or Not Responsible, where the charge is not fine eligible,  will be referred to the Judicial Committee for hearing.