Table of Contents
- Student Conduct Code
- Definitions and Violations
- Procedures
- Initiation of Code Violation Investigation
- Investigation
- Report of Findings and Recommendations
- Dean's Review of Recommendation
- Proceedings after Dean's Review
- Hearings
- Panel Procedure after Hearings
- Sanctions
- Imposition of Sanctions
- Informal Resolution by the Dean
- Action Taken by Dean's Designee
- Timeliness
- Admission Requirements
- Amendment Process
1. General
The Juris Master degree falls under the University’s “Law” academic career classification. The other two Law degrees within the Law academic career classification are the Juris Doctor (JD) and the Master of Laws (LLM).
2. Graduation Requirements for the Juris Master Degree
A student is eligible to receive the Juris Master degree when the student has satisfied all of the following requirements.
A. Credit Hour Requirements
Students seeking the Juris Master degree must successfully complete 30 credit hours of approved coursework.
A “graded course” means a course graded on a letter-grade basis.
“Successful completion” means a final grade of:
- C or better in a graded course in which a student has not elected to be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis;
- S in a graded course in which a student has elected to be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis;
- Note: a student must receive a grade of C- (C minus) or better to receive a grade of Satisfactory (“S”). A student who receives a grade below a C- (C minus) will receive a grade of Unsatisfactory (“U”) and will be deemed not to have successfully completed the course.
- S in a course graded only on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis. A student who receives a grade of Unsatisfactory (“U”) will be deemed not to have successfully completed the course
“Approved coursework” includes all “Juris Master Law Courses,” as designated by the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs and the College of Law Curriculum Committee. These include:
- All JM online Law courses;
- All JD College of Law courses, both in-person and online;
- Any other courses designated as Juris Master Law Courses by the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs and the College of Law Curriculum Committee; and
- Up to 6 credits of approved transfer coursework from another juris master or master’s in law program or from a J.D. program.
- The Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs must approve all credit hours and required courses that may be applied to satisfy the Juris Master degree graduation requirements.
- Transfer credit may be awarded only for coursework successfully completed with a grade of B or better or the equivalent.
- All transfer credits will be listed on the students’ FSU College of Law transcript with the grade listed on the transcript of the other institution, but none of these grades shall be included in the computation of the transfer students’ GPA at FSU College of Law.
B. Grade Point Average Requirement
Students must achieve a final cumulative grade point average (“GPA”) of 3.00 or better for all coursework undertaken in graded courses in which the student has not chosen to be graded on an S/U basis. There is no grade “forgiveness” if a student retakes a failed course; both grades are included in the computation of the student’s final grade point average.
C. Graded Credit Hour Requirements
Of the 30 required credit hours of approved coursework for graduation, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 21 credit hours of graded coursework. “Graded coursework” refers to graded courses in which the student received a letter grade (that is, in which the student did not choose to be graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis).
- No more than six (6) required credit hours of approved coursework may be satisfied by successful completion of coursework in a graded course for which the student has elected to be grade on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.
- No more than three (3) required credit hours of approved coursework may be satisfied by successful completion of coursework in a course graded only on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis.
D. Waiver of Concentration-Specific Graduation Requirements
Under exceptional circumstances, a JM concentration-specific graduation requirement may be waived by the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs.
E. Graduation with Honors
A graduate receiving the Juris Master degree will be awarded honors designations when the graduate’s final cumulative GPA is as follows:
- 4.000 – 4.330: Highest Honors
- 3.900 – 3.999: High Honors
F. Recency of Work
The coursework for the Juris Master degree must be completed within 84 months (seven years) from the time the student commenced law study at FSU College of Law. Any course work transferred from another master’s in law program or from a JD program in another institution must have commenced not more than 84 months (seven years) prior to completion of the Juris Master degree for the credits to be applicable to the degree. If the Juris Master degree is not completed within 84 months (seven years) from the time the student commenced law study at FSU College of Law (or at another institution) and the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs does not approve an Extension of Time (EOT), then the student may no longer be enrolled in the Juris Master program.
3. Grading System
A. Grading System
The College of Law assigns the following grades to J.M. students. Each grade corresponds to a number of grade points:
Letter Grade |
Grade Points |
A+ |
4.33 |
A |
4.00 |
A− |
3.67 |
B+ |
3.33 |
B |
3.00 |
B− |
2.67 |
C+ |
2.33 |
C |
2.00 |
C− |
1.67 |
D+ |
1.33 |
D |
1.00 |
D− |
0.67 |
F |
0.00 |
The College of Law may also report the following Score Codes on students’ official transcripts:
Code |
Meaning |
S |
Satisfactory Work |
U |
Unsatisfactory Work |
I |
Incomplete |
AD |
Administrative Disenrollment (no credit) |
WD |
Withdrawal from Course by Permission of the College of Law |
W |
Withdrawn from the College or University |
AF |
Administrative Failure |
AU |
Administrative Unsatisfactory |
B. Grade Point Average
A Juris Master student’s grade point average (GPA) is determined as follows:
(1) the total number of grade points earned by the student, as calculated by multiplying (a) the number of credits for each class for which a grade is assigned on the student’s transcript with (b) the number of points associated with that grade;
(2) divided by the number of graded credits reported on the student’s transcript.
The result is rounded to the nearest hundredth. Score Codes do not count as graded credits toward the computation of GPA, except that each AF score is included as a grade with zero points in the computation of GPA.
C. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Graded Courses
For a course graded only on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) basis, instructors will award an “S” for satisfactory performance, a “U” for unsatisfactory performance, or one of the score codes above.
D. Incomplete Grades
With the prior approval of the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs, an instructor may assign an interim score code of Incomplete (I) in exceptional circumstances when a student who has completed a substantial portion of the course and who is otherwise passing is unable to complete a well-defined portion of the course for reasons beyond the student’s control.
All incomplete coursework must be completed by the end of the next academic semester (including the summer semester), unless an exception is granted by the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs prior to that time.
An Incomplete grade not otherwise changed will become an F or U based on grading schema for the course.
E. Grade Appeal System
i. Grounds for Grade Appeal
The grade appeal system affords an opportunity for a student to appeal a final grade on the ground that it involved a gross violation of the instructor's own specified standards. The system is not a basis for appeal of the instructor's grading standards, nor does it cover situations in which the judgment of the instructor is questioned as to a grade decision.
ii. Procedure for a Grade Appeal
To appeal a final grade that the student believes involved a gross violation of the instructor's own specified standards, a student must:
Step 1:
Contact the instructor to discuss the grade and demonstrate a gross violation of the instructor’s grading standards. If the processor does not admit such a violation, or if the student is not in residence for the succeeding term, the student must file a written appeal with the Dean or the Dean’s designee within sixty (60) calendar days following the assignment of the disputed grade. The student may file the written appeal before finally determining that the instructor has not admitted a gross violation of their grading standards. The appeal should contain the facts and circumstances on which the student's claim is based. The student must furnish a copy of the appeal to the instructor.
Step 2:
A student who is still dissatisfied may then request an appearance before a board composed of three students appointed by the Dean or the Dean’s designee (hereinafter the “student board”). This student board acts as a screening body only. It determines only whether the appeal satisfies the standard described above by a preponderance of the evidence. The decision shall be determined by majority vote, with any abstention counting as a vote that the appeal lacks merit. In its discretion, the student board is empowered to solicit evidence and testimony from the appealing student and any other person or entity. A negative decision by the student board will end the appeal. A favorable decision will be referred to a Step 3 committee.
Step 3:
A committee of three faculty members and two students appointed by the Dean or the Dean’s designee (hereinafter “the committee”) will review a favorable decision reached by the student board. The students appointed to the committee shall not include any student who served on the Step 2 student board. The committee shall conduct a de novo review of the appeal and conclude whether the appeal satisfies the standard described above by a preponderance of the evidence. In its discretion, the committee is empowered to solicit evidence and testimony from the appealing student and any other person or entity. A majority decision by the committee is final.
viii. Administration
Students appointed to the student board and the committee will be appointed from a pool of JM student nominees who answer a call to serve in the JM Student Grade Appeal Committee.
The Dean or the Dean’s designee will appoint a chair of both the student board and the committee. The Dean's Office will furnish notice to the appealing student and to the instructor of the appointment of a grade appeal board or committee.
The chair will select a meeting time and place and furnish notice to both the appealing student and the instructor. Both parties have the right to appear at any step and be heard and to submit any materials for consideration of the student board and/or committee that they deem appropriate. A student board or committee may determine its own procedures, except as otherwise prescribed herein. Copies of materials furnished to a student board or committee by the appealing student, the instructor, or any party or individual should, whenever practical, be furnished to the other party. The Dean's Office will provide staff assistance as needed to the Step 2 student board and Step 3 committee.
At the conclusion of each step, the student board or committee shall furnish a written report of its decision to the Dean or the Dean’s designee and to the parties.
In the case of a successful appeal at the Step 3 committee stage, the grade may be changed by the joint agreement of the student, the instructor, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In case of their failure to agree after a successful appeal, the appealing student may elect to keep their grade or to have it changed to Satisfactory (S). Such an S grade is credited towards the hours required for graduation and toward the graded hours required for graduation, as long as the course was a classroom-based course.
4. Special Rules for Examinations in JD Classes
A. Rules for Juris Master Students Who Take a JD Course
Juris Master students who take JD courses (courses that are listed in the College of Law JD schedule) will be subject to the following rules. These rules do not apply to Juris Master online classes.
B. Blind Anonymous Grading System (BAGS)
All College of Law examinations that count for more than 20% of a course’s grade are anonymously administered and graded pursuant to the Blind Anonymous Grading System (BAGS). Other graded work may, in the discretion of the instructor, be administered and graded pursuant to the BAGS system.
Each semester, the Registrar’s Office will assign a BAGS number to each student. Students must use their BAGS number to identify their examination papers in all courses subject to blind grading and must not use their name or any other personal identification on their examination papers. A single BAGS number is used by each student for all final examinations taken during the semester.
Additional BAGS numbers will be assigned to students in courses with a mid-term examination or other multiple evaluative instruments that are subject to blind grading.
An instructor may decline to grade a student’s examination if the student’s name or other personal identification appears on the examination paper.
C. Administration of Examinations
Except as otherwise provided in this section, a student must take a final examination at the time it is scheduled. An unexcused absence from a final examination will result in an Administrative Failure (AF) grade.
i. Excused absence
If a student, before or during an examination, believes that they cannot take or complete an examination by reason of illness, tragedy or similar compelling exigency, the student must immediately notify the instructor or the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee. Unless justified, a student’s failure to provide timely notice of an illness or other exigency will be deemed grounds to deny the student an opportunity to take or complete the examination at a later time.
ii. Multiple examinations
If a student has two scheduled examinations on a single day or an examination in an afternoon followed by one the next morning, the student may request an alternative examination schedule. A request to reschedule a final examination must be submitted by the end of the fifth week of the semester to the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Advancement or designee who, in consultation with the instructors concerned, will arrange for an alternate time for one of the examinations, if justified. A request to reschedule other examinations must be submitted at least two weeks before the examination is set to occur. An examination ordinarily will not be rescheduled to a date earlier than that specified on the exam schedule.
iii. Special accommodations
A student who is entitled to special examination accommodations because of a disability should make arrangements with the Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Advancement or designee. These arrangements will ordinarily be coordinated through the university’s Office of Accessibility Services (OAS). To be eligible for special arrangements, a student must complete and submit a request for special exam accommodations form by the end of the fifth week of the semester in which accommodation is sought.
5. Course Withdrawal
A student who in a term is enrolled in more than one course may (after the end of the drop/add period for that term) for good cause and with the approval of the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs be permitted to withdraw from one or more courses, provided that the student remains enrolled in at least one course during that semester.
6. Withdrawal from College/University
A student may voluntarily withdraw from the College of Law and the University at any time in accordance with the following procedures:
To withdraw from the College, a student must notify the Dean or the Dean’s designee of the student’s intention to withdraw and may, if the student so desires, discuss the reasons for the student’s withdrawal.
To withdraw from the University, a student must comply with all University requirements for withdrawal.
A student who withdraws from the College and the University without complying with all applicable University requirements may receive a final grade of Administrative Failure (AF) or Administrative Unsatisfactory (AU) in all courses for which the student is enrolled at the time.
A student who does not enroll in at least one course for two consecutive semesters (including the summer semester) will have to reapply for admissions.
7. Academic Support Program
A. Academic Support Program: General
A student must meet with the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee to discuss the availability of Juris Master academic support services, when, upon the completion of six or more credits of coursework in the JM program, or at any point thereafter, the student has:
(i) a cumulative GPA is below 3.00 at any point after the student has completed the first six credits in the J. M. program; or
(ii) received one or more grades of C or below; or
(iii) at the completion of any semester, has one or more “incomplete” grades (grades of “I”).
In addition to the mandatory meeting, students with a cumulative grade point average below 2.80 upon the completion of six or more credits of coursework in the JM program, or at any point thereafter will be placed in the Academic Support Program. Such students will a mandatory meeting with the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee. In addition to attending this mandatory meeting, a student may be required to attend one or more subsequent meetings designed to enhance analytic, writing, and other academic performance skills, and have their schedules approved by the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs. The Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee shall set any additional rules and format of the Academic Support program.
Academic support is not a form of probation, and a student subject to the Academic Support Program is considered in good standing. The fact that a student is or has been subject to this Academic Support Program will not be noted on a student’s official transcript.
A student will continue in the Academic Support Program until their GPA is above a 3.00.
Compliance with this Academic Support Program does not exempt a student from the College of Law rules governing good standing, dismissal, and readmission.
B. Academic Support Program: Procedure
The Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs will send a notice (the “Notice”) to students whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.8 to inform them that their academic performance makes them subject to the Academic Support Program. The Notice will be sent to students via their FSU email accounts at the earliest feasible time after grades post to transcripts. The Notice will include a copy of the Academic Support policy described above.
The Notice will inform students that they must contact the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee to schedule a mandatory meeting to discuss the availability of academic support services at the law school, and a curricular plan to improve their academic performance. The Notice will specify a deadline by which the student must contact the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee to schedule the mandatory meeting.
Students who fail to respond to the Notice or who fail to attend the mandatory meeting with the Associate Dean for Juris Master Programs or designee will have a hold placed on their registration until they have complied.
8. Retention and Dismissal Policies
Pursuant to Section 13 - Retention and Dismissal Policies – of the College of Bylaws, academic dismissal from the Juris Master Program is governed by this Section.
A. Academic Dismissal
i. Criteria
A Juris Master student will be administratively dismissed from the College of Law automatically and without further notice if:
(a) the student fails, at any point after the completion of six credit hours in the Juris Master Program, to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.25 or better;
(b) the student receives a total of 9 or more credit hours of F or AF, provided that none of the grades are awarded in the student’s final semester of the Juris Master Program in one or more courses that are not needed to meet the student’s graduation requirements; or
(c) upon the completion of the student’s first 18 credits in the Juris Master Program or at any point thereafter the student’s cumulative grade point average is below 2.70.
ii. Notification
An academically dismissed student will be sent notification of the student’s dismissal by the Dean or the Dean’s designee promptly upon determination, but the failure promptly to notify the student or the student’s failure to receive the notification will not affect the dismissal.
iii. Effective Date
The College of Law has no probationary period for academically dismissed students, and a student’s academic dismissal is effective immediately upon the student’s notification of the dismissal. An academic dismissal relates back to the end of the semester in which the student was academically dismissed, and an academically dismissed student has no right to complete a semester in which the student is enrolled at the time of the student’s notification of the dismissal.
iv. No Right to Return
An academically dismissed student has no right to return to the College of Law and must apply for readmission if the student wishes to return.
B. Readmission
A Juris Master student (i) who has been academically dismissed from the College of Law; (ii) who voluntarily withdrew in good standing from the College of Law and University; or (iii) who while in good standing failed for two or more consecutive semesters (including the summer semester) to enroll in classes in the Juris Master program, must apply for readmission to the College of Law as follows:
i. Readmission of an Academically Dismissed Student is Not a Matter of Right
Readmission of an academically dismissed Juris Master student is not a matter of right. The discretionary authority to readmit or not to readmit is delegated by the faculty of the College of Law to the Juris Master Admissions Committee.
ii. Procedure
An academically dismissed Juris Master student should seek readmission through the Juris Master Admissions Committee. The Committee's decision shall be made on the petition and the petitioner's Juris Master program school record. There is no right of personal appearance before the Committee, although the Committee, in its discretion, may permit a personal appearance or require additional information in writing from the petitioner or others. In all such cases, the petitioner shall be given a written copy of any information added to his/her file after the filing of the petition for readmission. The decision of the Juris Master Admissions Committee as to factual determinations is final.
iii. Consideration of Petition
The Juris Master Admissions Committee may consider a petition for readmission at any time after academic dismissal.
iv. Conditions Imposed on Readmission
The Juris Master Admissions Committee may impose reasonable conditions on the readmission of academically dismissed Juris Master students. Without limitation, these conditions may deal with alterations of the definition of academic dismissal as it is to apply to the readmitted student; with whether or not the student will be permitted to enroll in pass/fail courses and, if so, under what circumstances; with any required remedial work (including the retaking of previous courses) that might be warranted in the case; and with the academic cumulative grade point average that must be maintained.
v. Statement of Reasons
Where an academically dismissed Juris Master student is denied readmission, the justifications for the denial shall be reduced to writing. A copy shall be attached to the petition for readmission, and a copy shall be sent to the petitioner.
vi. Only One Readmission.
A second academic dismissal of a student is final.
9. Student Conduct Code
The College of Law’s Student Conduct Code in this section governs the academic conduct of students at the Florida State University College of Law. All other conduct of students at the College of Law is governed by the Florida State University’s Student Conduct Code, which is promulgated by the University’s Department of Student Conduct and Community Standards and is available at https://sccs.fsu.edu/conduct-codes/student-conduct-codes.
A. Definitions and Violations
This Code prohibits:
i. Securing or Providing an Unfair Advantage
Securing an unfair advantage includes, but is not limited to, failing to follow instructions provided by a professor or the College in relation to enrollment in courses, a class assignment, or an examination. It also includes cheating. Cheating includes, but is not limited to, receiving or giving unauthorized aid or assistance in the completion of an examination or of any other work used in evaluating a student's performance, using unauthorized materials, and exceeding a stated time limit.
ii. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is representing the work of another as the student's own. Students are expected to know and employ accepted conventions of citations and attribution. Failure to indicate quoted or paraphrased sources constitutes plagiarism. More specific definitions of plagiarism for particular courses or in particular contexts may be supplied by a course instructor, editor, or faculty employer of a student. A student should request clarification in case of doubt. Any student charged under this section may prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the misrepresentation of work resulted from mistake or inadvertence as a complete defense.
iii. Library Offenses
Library offenses are sequestering, hiding, or mutilating library materials or using library materials in a manner that violates official library rules on manner of length of use.
iv. Disruption
Disruption is disturbance of or interference with the scholarly pursuit of the College. It includes, but is not limited to, interference with the conduct of an examination, defiance of rulings or instructions issued by an instructor or proctor in the course of an examination, and defacing or destroying class notes, drafts, or any other scholarly or administrative work product of faculty, other students, or other users of College facilities.
v. Fraud
Fraud is material falsification of documents or any other form of deceit or misrepresentation committed in regard to the administrative or academic processes of the College of Law.
vi. Other Serious Misconduct
Other serious misconduct involves intentional and serious offenses involving acts for which criminal or other punitive sanctions are provided by federal, state, or local law, or ordinance, that directly relate to a student’s fitness to continue as a student at the College.
B. Procedures
i. Initiation of Code Violation Investigation
Students, faculty, and staff of the College are expected to inform the Dean of any facts constituting cause to believe a code violation has been committed or will be committed. Failure to report such information, however, is not a violation of this code.
Information reported under this section may be communicated in confidence to the Dean as long as the mode of communication is not subject to open-records laws. The Dean will not disclose such reports until the Dean determines that probable cause of a code violation exists, unless required by law to do so.
ii. Investigation
The Dean shall appoint a faculty member to serve as investigator upon determining that the reported facts constitute probable cause to believe a violation of this code has occurred. The investigator should not be either an accuser or anticipated witness in the matter.
The investigator shall notify the accused of the allegations, the investigation, and the accuser.
The investigator may interview persons believed to have knowledge of the facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged violation, as the investigator deems appropriate, to determine whether to proceed to a hearing on the matter.
The investigator may review all documents and materials that the investigator deems appropriate to determine whether to proceed to a hearing on the matter.
The investigator may interview the accused if considered appropriate and if the accused agrees, provided that the accused may terminate the interview at any time.
iii. Report of Findings and Recommendations
A recommendation to proceed to a hearing shall be supported by a finding, based on a preponderance of the evidence, that the accused engaged in the Code violation alleged. Such recommendation to proceed shall be stated in a complaint. If the investigator concludes by a preponderance of the evidence that no such Code violation occurred, the investigator shall recommend that the matter be terminated. In either case, a recommendation shall be supported by documentation as to the findings.
iv. Dean's Review of Recommendation
The Dean shall review the investigator's findings and recommendations. The Dean may accept or reject recommendations in whole or in part, and may adopt or revise a proposed complaint. The Dean may also initiate a complaint although the investigator has recommended a termination of proceedings, but the Dean must provide a statement of reasons and documentation explaining the decision to proceed.
v. Proceedings after Dean's Review
After review, the Dean shall advise the accused in writing of a decision to terminate proceedings or to proceed to a hearing based on a complaint. A decision to terminate is final and concludes the matter. A decision to proceed shall be accompanied by copies of the complaint, the investigator's findings and recommendations, and the documentation supporting them. The accused shall also be provided with a copy of this Code.
Unless the accused admits guilt in writing within fifteen (15) school days after receiving notice of a decision to proceed to a hearing, the Dean shall appoint a panel to hear the case. The accused, upon admission of guilt, may also demand a hearing for the sole purpose of presenting matters in mitigation.
Every hearing panel shall consist of three permanent faculty members and two students, all of the College of Law. Students appointed to the hearing panel will be appointed from a pool of JM student nominees who answer a call to serve in the panel. The chair shall be designated by the Dean from among the three appointed faculty members.
Notice of appointment shall be given to panel members and to the accused, with the notice designating the chair. The chair shall make arrangements for meetings, the attendance of witnesses, the reproduction of necessary documents, and the recording of proceedings.
Unless the Dean directs otherwise, the investigator shall present the case against the accused. The investigator shall also present evidence of which the investigator is aware tending to exonerate the accused. However, no accuser or potential witness may present the case.
vi. Hearings
Hearings shall be scheduled at the convenience of all participants, and upon notice to the accused. Unless the accused consents, the first hearing shall not be scheduled within ten (10) school days of the appointment of the panel.
Hearings shall not be governed by formal rules of evidence. An accused is entitled to present evidence in person, or through an attorney, or both. Paid counsel must be supplied by the accused. An accused is entitled to present witnesses and documentary evidence, to cross-examine any witnesses, and to inspect and inquire concerning any evidence. Upon request, the chair shall make every reasonable effort to secure the presence of witnesses or documentary evidence for the accused.
In exercising any of the procedural rights, an accused may address both innocence and matters in mitigation.
vii. Panel Procedure after Hearings
After a final hearing, the panel shall meet in closed session upon call of the chair to discuss and consider the case, to determine guilt or innocence, and to consider sanctions upon determination or admission of guilt. One or more sessions may be held.
The standard of proof for the panel’s finding is clear and convincing evidence. Findings of fact shall be based exclusively on evidence of record.
A vote determining guilt and a vote as to any sanction requires the concurrence of at least four members.
The panel shall submit to the Dean a written summary of its factual findings, its findings of guilt or innocence, and its recommendations as to sanctions. The panel may also recommend terms for suspension of any sanctions. This summary should be made within five (5) school days of the final hearing. The Dean shall make available to the accused a copy of the panel's factual findings, findings of guilt or innocence, and recommendations as to any sanctions, and shall allow the accused at least ten (10) calendar days in which to submit written exceptions thereto. When a case involves more than one accused student, the panel shall specify its factual findings, its findings of guilt or innocence, and its recommendations as to each accused student.
viii. Sanctions
A student convicted of a violation of this code is subject to one or more of these sanctions:
- expulsion from the College of Law;
- suspension from the College of Law for a specified period of time;
- loss of privileges to participate in any non-required course, program, or activity of the College of Law;
- replacement, repair, or restitution for damaged, destroyed, or stolen property;
- written reprimand to be included in the student's permanent record;
- oral reprimand;
- disclosure by the Dean to the College of Law;
- reduction in course grade;
- any other sanction deemed appropriate by the Dean or the Dean’s designee.
ix. Imposition of Sanctions
A panel finding of innocence as to any charge terminates the proceedings, upon delivery of the within report to the Dean. A panel recommendation that no sanctions be imposed upon finding of guilt as to any charge terminates the procedure as to sanctions.
The Dean shall review all findings as to guilt and mitigating matters, and all recommendations to impose sanctions. Rejection by the Dean of a finding of guilt terminates the proceedings. If the Dean endorses the finding of guilt, the Dean shall consider the panel’s recommendations as to sanctions and determine which, if any, sanctions to impose.
Upon being informed of sanctions proposed by the Dean, the student may request a faculty review provided five faculty members join in the request. If faculty review is requested, the faculty by majority vote may reduce or suspend the proposed sanctions in whole or in part. Faculty review must be requested in writing within five (5) school days after a student is informed of proposed sanctions. The Dean shall impose those sanctions not reduced or suspended as a result of the faculty review.
x. Informal Resolution by the Dean
Notwithstanding the above procedures, the Dean may settle any instance of an alleged code violation at any time, with the assent of the accused student.
xi. Action Taken by Dean's Designee
Whenever this code specifies that any action is to be taken by the Dean it may be performed by the Dean’s designee, except that only the Dean or an Acting Dean designated by the University may perform the duties related to the imposition of sanctions that are specified above at Section 9(B)(ix).
xii. Timeliness
All actions prescribed or authorized by this code shall be accomplished as expeditiously as possible, except where the code provides otherwise or where prejudice to an accused or convicted student would result.
10. Admission Requirements
For rules, policies and procedures pertaining to applications for admission to the College of Law academic programs, including the Juris Master Program, as well as the standards by which such applications will be considered, please refer to the Admissions Rules at Pt. II, § 8 of the FSU College of Law Bylaws.
11. Amendment Process
The College of Law faculty may amend these rules by majority vote. The Curriculum Committee may amend these rules (except this section) by unanimous vote and notice to the faculty.