The policies and procedures, herein described, govern the conduct of students of North Carolina Central University (NCCU). Included are the code of student conduct, disciplinary procedures, hearing procedures, and judicial actions. Students are responsible for complying with the rules and regulations of the University, as well as with all federal, state, and local laws.
The primary objectives of the student complaint and student grievance procedures are to ensure concerns are promptly dealt with and resolutions reached in a fair and just manner. It is essential each student be given adequate opportunity to bring complaints and grievances to the attention of the University with the assurance that each will be heard and due process afforded the student.
A complaint is often resolved informally or through mediation, though it may develop into a grievance if a resolution cannot be found. The subject of a complaint is normally an action, decision or omission within the control or responsibility of the University that causes a student to feel they have been wronged.
A grievance is a complaint that may result in disciplinary action against a staff member or student. It may also be a complaint that has failed to reach a resolution after informal processes have been attempted. The submission of a grievance will result in the appointment of an investigator to examine the complaint, according to the process established by the Office of the Provost.
The Student Complaint Form provides students with an avenue to submit a concern regarding an academic or a non-academic matter. Students are encouraged to resolve complaints at the appropriate level of dispute; however, should this approach fail or be inappropriate, students may submit written complaints through the Student Complaint Form. If you are enrolled in an online course or program, please complete and submit the NCCU Online Student Complaint Form. You will receive confirmation that your complaint was received and routed to the appropriate office within 24 hours.
The Student Grievance Form provides students with a formal procedure to make claims that their rights under the law or university policy have been violated. Students are encouraged to attempt to resolve issues at the appropriate level of dispute; however, should this approach fail or be inappropriate, students may submit a grievance through the Student Grievance Form. If you are enrolled in an online course or program, please complete and submit the NCCU Online Student Grievance Form. You will receive confirmation that your grievance was received and routed to the appropriate office within 24 hours. Please carefully review the Grievance Procedure for Undergraduate Students or the Grievance Procedure for Graduate and Professional Students as appropriate.
The Incident Reporting Form should be used to report student behaviors violating the Student Code of Conduct, whether these behaviors occur inside or outside the classroom setting.
Yes. The Student Code of Conduct may be invoked against students whose off-campus behavior potentially harms the interest of the University or threatens the well-being of students or employees. The University addresses cases involving violations of NCCU policy only. The court system adjudicates cases involving violations of local, state, and/or federal law. Depending on circumstances, students may have to go through one channel or the other, or in some cases, may be subject to both.
Your first conduct meeting after receiving notice of alleged violations is called a Student Conduct Conference. During the Student Conduct Conference, the Student Conduct Officer will provide you with an overview of the conduct process and inform you of your rights and responsibilities as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. You will be presented with information concerning your alleged policy violation. You will then be given the opportunity to convey what happened during the incident. From this information, the conduct officer will determine if there is preponderance of the evidence or “more likely than not” that you are either “responsible” or “not responsible” for the alleged charge(s). If there is enough evidence to support a finding of "responsible," the Student Conduct Officer will present you with options for resolving your case. For further information related to the disciplinary conference, please refer to the Student Code of Conduct.
A hearing is held before a hearing officer and/or hearing panel. During this time, participants engage in a full discussion of charges, evidence, and circumstances. Students will have the opportunity to share their perspective on what happened. If the Student Code of Conduct has been violated, appropriate sanctions will be assigned.
Sanctions are consequences and/or penalties assigned to a student when he or she is found in-violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions are intended to help the student learn about the repercussions of their behavior that resulted in a violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Sanctions are also intended to assist students in making better choices in the future. See section 10 of the Student Code of Conduct for more information about sanctions.
If you are a student, administrator, faculty, or staff member who needs to report a potential violation of the NCCU Student Code of Conduct, enter the information on the Incident Reporting Form and submit. The information will be routed to staff in the office of SCCS.
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: 1801 Fayetteville Street, Student Services Building, Suite 120, Durham, NC 27707
Phone: 919-530-6311, Fax: 919-530-7443
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Highsmith, Kelsey P
Director of Student Conduct and Community Standards
Student Conduct and Community Standards
Spence, Feirra I
Assistant Director of Student Conduct & Community Standards
Student Conduct & Community Standards
Student Services Building, Suite 208 
919-530-5469