Trouble, It Happens…
Is your student having trouble or in trouble? Are they having problems with a roommate, an apartment lease, underage drinking, academic troubles including plagiarism, parking tickets and so on? You send your student off to college with the best of intentions. You’ve had the discussion about budgets, walking alone at night, binge drinking, hazing, and drugs. You’ve even discussed being a good roommate and following the University’s code of conduct. But there are situations that do come up no matter how responsible and mature your student is.
First, breathe.
Your student is probably freaking out and is terrified to talk to you. Remain calm and get all of the facts. Remind your child to obtain and keep all paperwork and information. Go over the dates and processes that they have been given. HaveUHeard about the services provided by the Office of the General Council that include aid to students?
UNF Has Respondent Advisors through the Student Conduct office that provides resources, information, and guidance to students who have been charged with violations of the Student Code of Conduct. They cannot provide legal counsel but they can help your students understand their rights and navigate the investigation and adjudication process. They can also refer you to campus and community resources, such as counseling, legal services, alternative housing, academic questions and more. UNF’s Student Conduct Board will also see your student determine the best course of action.
Not surprisingly, the Jacksonville and UNF police departments take underage drinking very seriously and can be seen handing out MIPs on and off-campus, otherwise known as a Minor in Possession. This is considered to be in violation of the Student Code of Conduct. If a student is a dependent and under the age of 21, the University is permitted to inform parents or guardians. The student will be notified first so that they can notify their parent/guardian before UNF does. UNF’s Alcohol Policy may be found here.
As for student code and conduct violations, UNF utilizes the Dean of Student’s Office to deal with these issues. Violations include plagiarism, cheating, university housing code violations, Greek Conduct violations, among others. Each violation is dependent on the overseeing committee’s discretion and the degree of the violation.
Make sure your student has given you access to HIPPA Authorization and Durable Power of Attorney so you can get the information you need to help your student, should you need to. We provide those forms here. It may be difficult to find the bright side of whatever issues your son or daughter may have gotten into, but it will undoubtedly promote growth and maturity.
There have been students who are pulled over and ticketed for not having their school address on their license. That will not hold up in court as non-resident college students attending college in Florida may drive in Florida without having a Florida driver’s license if they have a valid license from another state or country. For resident college students, a Florida Statute exempts students while at school in Florida so they are allowed to keep their home address.
If they do get in trouble and you need to contact someone at the University, here is a list of important contacts to have on hand.
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