Respondents are required to complete and/or comply with COD sanctions. Failure to complete or comply with sanctions may result in an enrollment hold, revision of the sanction, or further disciplinary action, as determined by the Chair. The Chair may consult with other COD members as needed if revising any sanction or taking further disciplinary action.

The COD has the authority to impose any sanction it deems appropriate, including but not limited to the following:

A. Informal Warning

1. The respondent is notified that their behavior may have violated MIT’s expectations; no finding of responsibility is noted in the respondent’s file.

B. Formal Warning Letter

1. A notation of the finding of responsibility is kept in the respondent’s file.
2. For individual students and organizations, a warning can be with or without additional restrictions or requirements as described below in subsection K, Additional Sanctions.

C. Probation (with or without transcript notation)

1. Probation is a strong warning from the Institute that a respondent’s behavior violated Institute guidelines and/or policies and that a change in future behavior is warranted. The probationary period is a specific duration throughout which a respondent must be especially thoughtful in their actions and decision-making. Further violations of policy and/or noncompliance with existing sanctions or probationary terms during the probationary period will in most cases result in additional and/or more serious sanctions.

2. The running of the assigned probationary period for individual students occurs for the period in which the respondent is formally enrolled and attending classes at MIT or for a designated period for student organizations. If a student is on leave or otherwise leaves the Institute, the probationary period continues upon their return.
3. For individual students, probation can be with or without transcript notation. If the sanction of probation includes a transcript notation, the following dates should be included in the sanction:

• a. The earliest date on which a respondent may petition the COD Chair to remove the disciplinary notation from the official transcript and internal grade report. This time limit cannot be later than the end of the probationary period.
• b. The date on which the disciplinary notation of probation will be removed automatically. This date cannot be more than ten years from the date of the sanction.

4. For individual students and organizations, probation can be with or without additional restrictions or requirements as described below in subsection K, Additional Sanctions.
5. The Chair may revise existing sanctions or impose additional sanctions if the respondent fails to comply with the sanctions and/or engages in additional conduct that violates MIT policy during the probationary period.

D. Suspension

1. Removal of a student from the Institute for a defined period of time. A student on suspension may not be on campus or participate in any aspect of Institute life, including but not limited to classes, extra-curricular organizations, research, campus events, on- campus and affiliated living, and employment.

2. Suspension is noted on a respondent’s transcript and internal grade report, but not on the end-of-term grade summaries.

3. In issuing a suspension, the decision will include the following conditions:

1. The COD may require the respondent to complete certain conditions before a transcript notation of suspension will be removed. In choosing this option, the COD must set the earliest date by which a suspended student may petition the COD Chair for the notation to be removed based upon completion of those sanctions.

2. The COD may determine that, after a designated time period of less than 10 years, a suspension notation may be automatically removed.

3. The COD may determine that a notation of suspension on a transcript is permanent.

4. At the end of a suspension period, a suspended student must apply for readmission through the OSCCS, demonstrating all requirements of the suspension have been satisfied. The Chair will decide whether or not to grant the readmission request and may confer with other COD members regarding this decision. If this petition is approved, the OSCCS will notify the Registrar that the respondent is eligible to return.
    
4.  Suspension held in abeyance. The COD panelists who participate in a hearing or panel meeting may determine that a suspension should be imposed but held in abeyance for a defined period of time provided the respondent does not violate additional MIT policies. Suspension held in abeyance is assigned in situations where conduct violations are serious enough to warrant suspension, but other mitigating factors lead the COD to conclude that the suspension should be held in abeyance to allow the respondent a final chance to demonstrate their ability to satisfy MIT’s expectations for its students or student organizations.
   
   1. A sanction of suspension held in abeyance will be for a defined period of time.
   2. If the respondent has no further policy violations during the period of the suspension held in abeyance, the suspension will be lifted at the end of that period.
   3. If the respondent is found responsible for additional policy violations during the period of abeyance, the suspension will no longer be held in abeyance and, after review by the COD Chair, will be imposed for the remainder of the originally defined period.
   4. Additional restrictions or requirements may be imposed during a suspension held in abeyance as described in Section K, Additional Sanctions. Failure to comply with any additional sanctions may result in the immediate imposition of the suspension.
   5. Nothing in this subsection limits the COD from imposing additional sanctions for new policy violations that occurred during the abeyance period, including without limitation a longer suspension or expulsion.

E. Suspension of student organization recognition

1. The temporary termination of the Institute’s recognition of a student organization. While a student organization is suspended, it may not exercise any of the benefits of recognition, including the use of Institute facilities, the use of the Institute’s name or logo, the use of the Institute’s electronic resources (including web hosting), access to Institute funds or banking, bulletin board and room reservations, etc. While a student organization is suspended, the COD may also sanction the organization to loss of approval for student organization residence (i.e. FSILGs or residence-based organizations). The COD can hold a suspension in abeyance for a student organization as described above.

2. The COD may mandate communication of the student organization’s suspended status to all student members of the organization and to prospective organization members. The Chair also reserves the right to notify others, including the MIT community, of the organization’s suspended status if they determine in their sole discretion that such notification is in the Institute’s best interest. In all cases, notification of the suspension will be sent to the appropriate Institute officials and advisors to inform governing groups (e.g., Association of Student Activities, Interfraternity Council, Graduate Student Council, national headquarters for organizations which are local chapters, etc.).

3. The COD may specify conditions that the student organization must meet before being eligible to petition for a return to recognized status and may also specify conditions which must be met upon return to registered or recognized status. These conditions supersede any recognition requirements that any other prospective student organization would be required to complete before achieving registered or recognized status.

4. At the end of a suspension period, a suspended student organization must petition for permission to return to registered or recognized status through the OSCCS, demonstrating that all requirements of the suspension have been satisfied and that there have been no additional violations. The Chair will decide whether or not to grant the request and may confer with other COD members regarding this decision. If the petition is approved, the COD may also require the suspended organization to complete the standard or modified recognition/registration process that is in place for student organizations of its type at the time of return. Depending on type of organization, this standard process may include approval from national organizations of which the student organization would be a local chapter; obtaining the permission of the Vice Chancellor or other relevant officials; or other conditions or processes that the COD may impose. A student organization can only return to registered or recognized status after the COD has approved a petition to return and criteria for achieving registered or recognized status are achieved.

F. Expulsion

1. The permanent separation of a student from MIT. If expelled, an individual is not permitted to re-enroll as a student at any time, in any capacity.

2. Expulsion is noted, permanently, on a respondent’s transcript and internal grade report, but not on end-of-term grade summaries.

G. Revocation of student organization recognition

1. The permanent termination of the Institute’s recognition of a student organization. If recognition is permanently revoked, a student organization is not permitted to return to recognized status at any time, in any capacity, including under a different name. After a student organization has recognition revoked, it may not exercise any of the benefits of recognition, including the use of Institute facilities, the use of the Institute’s name or logo, the use of the Institute’s electronic resources (including web hosting), access to Institute funds or banking, bulletin board and room reservations, etc. Revocation of recognition also necessitates a loss of approval for student organization residence, if applicable.

H. Loss of approval for student organization residence

1. For student organizations that operate Institute-approved housing for their members, loss of approval for student organization residence means the temporary or permanent termination of Institute-approved housing status and will require all active members to move out of the organization’s formerly approved housing. The COD shall specify the duration of the temporary prohibition or indicate a permanent loss of approval for organization residence.
2. Following the loss of approval for residence, the Institute may permit the structure to be operated as Institute-approved housing for students and student organizations if:

1. No members, former members, or alumni members of the sanctioned student organization reside in the facility or have any access whatsoever to the facility (except for members of the house corporation or similar body for execution of standard duties to maintain the facility, collect rent, etc.), beginning on a date specified by the COD;

2. No external indication (signs, etc.) of the sanctioned student group appears publicly at the property;
    
3. The property is operated according to the guidelines set by the Senior Associate Dean for Housing and Residential Services; and
    
4. The arrangement has the approval of the Vice Chancellor and the Chair of the COD.

I. Degree revocation

1. When the COD finds a graduated student responsible for misconduct occurring prior to the individual graduating from MIT, the COD can temporarily or permanently revoke the individual’s degree. Degree revocation is the temporary or permanent revocation of an earned degree and separation of an individual from the MIT community. A former student whose degree is revoked may not be on campus or participate in any aspect of Institute life, including but not limited to enrollment in future academic programs or classes, alumni events or organizations, extra-curricular organizations, research, campus events, on-campus and affiliated living, and employment.

2. Degree revocation will be noted on the transcript and other appropriate MIT records. For temporary degree revocation, the COD may require the respondent to complete certain conditions before a transcript notation of degree revocation will be removed and the degree reinstated. In choosing this option, the COD must set the earliest date by which a suspended student may petition the COD Chair for the notation to be removed and degree reinstated based upon completion of those sanctions.

3. A  temporary transcript notation of disciplinary action is available for circumstances in which a former student is found responsible by the COD for conduct that occurred while a registered student in accordance with Section XVI. See Section XVI for Special Procedures for Handling Allegations Against Former Students and Former Student Organizations.

J. Additional Sanctions

1. The COD may impose additional sanctions in conjunction with any of the described sanctions above, including sanctions designed to educate the respondent or ensure that other community members have equal access to MIT’s programs or activities. Additional sanctions may include but are not limited to:
   • restrictions on interactions with individuals or offices
   • restrictions on being in certain campus locations
   • restitution for damage caused
   • restrictions on or removal from activities (e.g., prevention of participation in athletics or student organizations; ineligibility for participation in designated programs; ineligibility for service as an officer or in a leadership role in student organizations, on Institute committees or on athletics teams; and/or other appropriate actions)
   • loss of privileges or benefits
   • suspension of organizational activities (e.g., social events, meetings)
   • removal from housing or relocation to another housing location
   • restriction on use of student organizational funds, ability to reserve space, the Institute network, or other MIT resources, including use of MIT name/logo
   • mandatory training or other educational activities (e.g., essays, research projects)
   • other sanctions as the COD deems appropriate

K. Recommendations to MIT Senior Leadership

The COD may make non-binding recommendations to MIT Senior Leadership concerning a residence hall (either in addition to or in lieu of traditional sanctions) as described in Section VII. MIT Senior Leadership may meet with the parties and consult with various stakeholders prior to making a final decision. The decision of MIT Senior Leadership to accept, reject, or modify the COD’s recommendations will be communicated to the parties and the COD and will be final with no appeals.