In recent years, Notre Dame students have referred to the University’s disciplinary process as “Reslife.” Not only were students “reslifed,” they were also “sent to Reslife” or “received a Reslife.”

Two years ago, a review of student disciplinary procedures at Notre Dame began.  Through the review, a few common themes were identified. We learned that myths and ghost stories of “Reslife” resulted in a skewed perception of the true purpose of Notre Dame’s student conduct process.  We also learned that some of the most meaningful conversations and life changing experiences were a direct result of an experience with the Office of Residence Life and the student conduct process.

As a result of the review, a number of refinements have been made to the administration of student conduct processes which take effect this semester.  The most noticeable change is a transition from the Office of Residence Life to a new model with the Office of Community Standards.  You may have noticed that we are no longer a verb.  As an office within the Division of Student Affairs, we are committed to the holistic development and formation of all of our students.  We do this by engaging students when their behavior has not aligned with the University’s standards of conduct.

In addition to the name change, three themes were established to guide our work in student development and formation:

• Transparency and accessibility of the student conduct process
• Education of the University community on student life policies and procedures
• Articulation of, and adherence to, the practice of student conduct administration rooted in the University’s mission as a Catholic institution founded in the tradition of the Congregation of Holy Cross

 

Although we encourage interaction between students and our staff, we recognize that students may not find a conduct office as welcoming and accessible as an office like Student Activities or MSPS. Throughout this year of transition, we will be more accessible to students. Some of the ways we will do this include:

• Meeting with student groups to share insight about the revisions made to our office and processes
• Visiting residence halls to have conversations with students in their communities about our standards of conduct
• Advising student clubs and organizations
• Becoming more present and involved in campus activities

 

As we look for other ways to connect with the Notre Dame community, we invite you to follow us on Twitter and engage us through this blog platform.

By engaging students through a variety of means, we hope they realize the value of our standards and how we each contribute to building community.

After all, we are all ND.