The bodies that comprise the Accountability System are Student Accountability, Community Standards and Academic Integrity (Student Accountability), the Appellate Review Board, the Undergraduate Honor Council, and the Honor Councils of the Graduate School and the professional schools.

The Undergraduate Honor Council hears matters involving alleged Honor Code violations by undergraduate students and those enrolled in undergraduate courses–including those that involve, in whole, or in part, online learning–of all the schools and the Division of Unclassified Studies, whether full-time or part-time, or whether regularly enrolled, transient, cross-registered from a neighboring institution, or studying abroad.

The Honor Councils of the Graduate School and professional schools hear matters involving alleged Honor Code violations by graduate or professional students

Student Accountability hears all cases of nonacademic student behavior policies, excluding sexual misconduct and discrimination cases, involving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

The Appellate Review Board is a University-wide body, consisting of faculty and students, that reviews appeals from findings of certain administrative offices and bodies that have the authority to render findings and/or impose sanctions upon students in academic and co-curricular matters. The Appellate Review Board consists of two divisions: the Appellate Review Board for Academic Matters (for cases heard by Honor Councils) and the Appellate Review Board for Co-Curricular Matters (for cases heard by offices and bodies that exercise accountability authority).

Students alleged to have violated University policy have the right to be accompanied by a current member of the University faculty, staff, or study body who qualifies as an adviser during the Accountability Process.

The role of the adviser is to provide a supportive presence for those students who feel it would be beneficial in expressing their view of what occurred during an alleged incident. An adviser may accompany their student to their Accountability Meeting or Honor Council Investigative Meeting; attend the hearing, should one be required; and consult with the accused student in preparation for and after these proceedings. Advisers are not advocates and may not speak on behalf of the student nor supplant the student’s responsibility to speak for themselves. While a student is welcome to consult with their adviser during a proceeding, those consultations should not be so frequent that the adviser is the one telling the student’s side of the story. If frequent consults are necessary for support, the Accountability Officer may pause the meeting at their discretion as well as make referrals to campus resources.

Should an adviser step out of their intended role of support, a warning and reminder may be issued but is not required before removal from the process. For official statements of the role and responsibilities of an adviser, please refer to the Student Handbook.

A student may select a current Vanderbilt student, faculty, or staff person to serve as their adviser; however, an adviser may not be related to the student, nor may the Adviser have any formal legal training (except in cases involving students in the Law School accused of misconduct). Additionally, an adviser may not have a substantial interest in the case or in a related case, including a case stemming out of the same set of facts. An adviser may not be a material witness r) and may not provide a character statement.

Advisers may not be paid for their services, nor should any person hold themselves out as an expert Adviser

If it is determined an adviser does not meet these eligibility qualifications and/or adviser expectations, they may be removed without notice. 

Key distinctions between Student Accountability and the Undergraduate Honor Council (UHC) are highlighted in the table below.

Procedures of the graduate and professional school Honor Councils are described in their respective governing documents. More information can be found on the Academic Integrity Resources website or by contacting the school’s Dean’s Office.

The University will work with students experiencing difficulty participating in their process by making appropriate referrals to the Student Care Network, Student Access, or other appropriate resources. An adviser is also welcome to encourage connection to resources.

Advisers may support students as they file petitions of appeal to the Appellate Review Board. The full appeals process is outlined in the Student Handbook. The Petition for Appeal Form allows students who have been found responsible to make a written statement in response to any of four grounds outlined in the Student Handbook. A petition for appeal must be submitted by 5 p.m. within ten calendar days of the outcome letter. The student may request an extension beyond the ten calendar days with cause by emailing appeals@vanderbilt.edu prior to the expiration of the ten-day period.

The initial decision regarding an appeal is whether the petition sets forth a basis sufficient to provide the relief sought. If the answer to the initial decision is “no,” the appeal (or parts of it) is dismissed. If it establishes a basis for relief—as defined in the Student Handbook—the appeal will proceed in accordance with the procedures in the Student Handbook.