FPU believes that restorative discipline enhances the academic purpose and atmosphere of the campus both educationally and developmentally. The process will enhance maturity and at the same time provide students with the opportunity to learn from their mistakes. It will also provide the opportunity for reconciliation of those who have been injured or estranged. It will encourage students to take responsibility by holding them accountable for their actions including making restitution for damages. And finally, it will enable the restoration of an individual to his or her place in the community. The restorative discipline process at FPU encourages members of the university community to resolve their differences at the lowest possible level of authority (Matthew 18:15). Students should first attempt to resolve their differences person to person with other students, faculty, or staff.
At times it becomes necessary for the university to intervene. In the event that an individual or group of community members violates university policies, values or behavioral expectations they can expect to participate in a restorative discipline process. This process will include one or more of the following possibilities:
- Individual/group meeting with the instructor and/or lead instructor.
- Individual/group meeting with a program director and/or dean.
- Referral to the Center for Peacemaking for mediation also known as a Community Justice Conference (CJC).
- Violations involving serious safety concerns or especially egregious behavior may be subject to Administrative Review (AR, description on following pages).
- Violations occurring in the last two weeks of the semester/session where standard procedures do not afford enough time to process the case before students leave for Christmas, summer break, etc. may be subject to an Administrative Review.
All options strive to be restorative in nature and will take into consideration the willingness of an individual to accept responsibility for their actions.
The standard of proof that Fresno Pacific University will use to determine any outcome within the restorative discipline process is a “Preponderance of Evidence." Preponderance of evidence means that there is just enough evidence to make it more likely than not that the allegation presented is true. In other words, is the evidence in support of the question at hand of greater weight or more convincing than the evidence in opposition to it?
Special Note: An individual may contact the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education for review of a complaint. The bureau may be contacted at the following:
2535 Capitol Oaks Drive, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95833
Phone: (916) 431-6924
Fax: ( 916) 263-1897