Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617)-258-8423
Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617)-258-8423
Who is an advisor?
The complainant and the respondent each may have one advisor, who may be any person of their choice except a member of the media or an attorney, with the exception that attorneys are permitted to serve as advisors to complainants and respondents in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence, or stalking. Attorneys are not permitted to serve as advisors in any other type of case. The advisor may assist either party in preparing their case and in accompanying the party in a hearing. Both parties have equal rights to having an advisor present. Advisors may not serve as witnesses and are typically not permitted to address the COD, other parties, or witnesses. Exceptions are rarely made and are allowed only by the Chair. Parties are responsible for contacting and for arranging the participation of their advisors. OSCCS is available to assist students who are having difficulty finding an advisor by connecting them with a member of the OSCCS Advisor Program; students looking for assistance should email OSCCS to request help.
The advisor role
The advisor's role is to support and enable their student in order to participate in the COD process. Some advisors help students think through the situation; prepare for panels and other meetings; review and provide feedback (though not editing) on written material the student plans to submit; and connect the student to support resources like Mental Health and Counseling and Student Support Services as needed. Advisors can accompany the student to hearings, sanctioning panels, and other meetings related to the COD process.
Advisors do not address the members of the COD or other parties during hearings, sanctioning panels, or other meetings. They do not represent the student to the COD or present the case on the student's behalf. Advisors may not submit written material on the student's behalf and they may not write material for the student to submit as the student's own work. Advisors do not serve as intermediaries between the student and the COD. Rather, the student is expected to engage with the COD and OSCCS directly. The advisor should familiarize themselves with the COD Rules and Regulations and follow them at all times.
Considerations
A student may choose an advisor for a variety of reasons. Sometimes a friend suggests someone; sometimes parties select someone they know and trust; sometimes parties choose someone they believe will bring specific knowledge and experience to the matter. Some questions to consider if someone asks you to serve as an advisor are as follows:
If you serve as an advisor:
Before a COD hearing, sanctioning panel, or other meeting:
After a COD hearing or other meeting:
The role of attorneys
Because the student discipline process is separate from legal processes, students are not permitted to have attorneys present during hearings or other related meetings, except that attorneys are permitted to serve as advisors to complainants and respondents in cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence, or stalking. Attorneys may not serve as advisors in any other type of case. Students may not submit materials written by attorneys. A student may always consult with attorneys outside of the proceeding itself. If your student is working with an attorney, consider the following:
Additional resources
Advisors are not the only resource for a student participating in the COD process. While only one person can be present with a complainant/respondent during the hearing, advisors may want to suggest their advisee consult the following resources: