How We Respond

It may be helpful to know how to refer a student to Auburn Cares and how we respond once we receive a report.

Make a Referral

Referrals can be reported to our office by anyone, although most referrals come from members of the Auburn Community including faculty, staff, students, Campus Safety, University Housing and Auburn Police. The referral process begins by contacting our office about a student. Referrals can be made by phone, email, online reporting form, or simply stop by our office to speak with a staff member face-to-face. Students can also self-refer.

When we receive a report indicating a student may have been involved in a violation of Auburn University policy, a letter is sent to the student's Auburn email address. The email outlines the allegations and the time and location of the upcoming meeting with a conduct officer. Students should attend and participate in the scheduled meeting and read the Code of Student Conduct before attending.

Outreach

Once a student is referred, Auburn Cares staff will review and assess the information in order to determine the best course of action for follow-up. Follow-up is individually tailored and, when possible, relationship-driven. A staff member may contact the reporting party for additional information, collaboration, and to review a plan for outreach. Auburn Cares outreach typically includes a staff member reaching out to the student directly and working with the student to connect with appropriate referrals or develop a success plan. A reporting party can share information with the Auburn Cares office about a student as an FYI, and request that no action be taken at that time. A reporting party may not receive specific follow-up information due to privacy laws and regulations.

Anonymity

Please know anonymity cannot be guaranteed despite the staff's best efforts to protect the identity of the reporting party. Information discussed will only be shared on a need-to-know basis and in the context of helping the student. A report may be completed anonymously, however, Auburn Cares staff strongly encourage the reporting party to provide their name and contact information to allow staff to follow up to gather additional information.

Student Conduct Meeting

At the start of every meeting, the Conduct Staff takes time to get to know the student’s interests, academic background, life experiences, and educational and personal goals. The conduct officer and student will then review the Code of Student Conduct, the conduct process, the student’s rights and responsibilities, and the report provided to Student Conduct. The student can share information about the reported concerns and provide additional information to help determine what happens next to address the reported behavior. A meeting with a conduct staff member will often address the concerns when university policies have not been violated. When university policies are violated, the student may be allowed to resolve the case through an informal agreement. If the report cannot be resolved through informal agreement, the case will be referred to the Student Conduct Committee.

More information about hearing procedures is available on the Hearing Procedures page.