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Judicial Affairs Office

2113 Boylan Hall
Monday–Friday: 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Wednesday evenings by appointment
P: 718.951.5352
E: discipline@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Mission

The Office of Judicial Affairs works collaboratively with the campus community to guide students to act responsibly and educate them about the university's policies.

What We Do

The Office of Judicial Affairs is responsible for investigating and addressing complaints and concerns about student behavior. The student disciplinary process, outlined in the CUNY Bylaws, Article XV, is used to investigate alleged violations of the Rules and Regulations for the Maintenance of Public Order and other college policies.

Visit policies for a comprehensive list of Brooklyn College and CUNY policies, including Title IX—Combating Sexual Assault and Unwelcomed Sexual Behavior. Additionally, a policy binder is available for review (by appointment) in the Office of Student Affairs. If you would like to receive a copy of our Judicial Affairs brochure (pdf), feel free to pick one up in 2113 Boylan Hall, or send an e-mail if you'd like it delivered to your office.

Note: Alleged Title IX or sexual misconduct violations will be investigated by the college's Title IX coordinator.

Student Responsibilities

All Brooklyn College students are expected to abide by all of the college's and CUNY's policies, rules, and regulations while on and off campus. Failure to abide by any of these rules may lead to disciplinary action.

In line with the college's mission statement, vision, and values, the Office of Judicial Affairs strongly encourages students to follow these standards of behavior:

• Lead responsibly
• Act ethically
• Engage in civil dialogue and respectful interaction
• Guide your conduct with respect and accountability

Behavioral Education and Support Team at Brooklyn College

The Brooklyn College Behavioral Education and Support Team (BEST) seeks to promote a civil campus environment and support students who may be in distress. Our work includes communication, collaboration, education, and prevention with respect to behaviors of concern while protecting the privacy and the rights of the individuals involved.

Do's and Don'ts for Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff are encouraged to review the Do's and Don'ts When Addressing Challenging Student Behavior as well as How to Identify, Assist, and Refer Students with Personal Problems and/or Disruptive Behavior.

Do's

• Let the student know when their behavior is inappropriate or disruptive. This will give the student a chance to modify their behavior.
• Meet with the student in private. If you are concerned about meeting with the student alone for any reason, request another faculty member or administrator sit in on the meeting.
• After discussing a student's conduct with him or her, follow up by sending the student an e-mail summarizing the discussion. This is a way of documenting the steps you took to address the student's behavior.
• If a student is in emotional distress, let him or her know about the Personal Counseling Center. If you are able to, offer to walk the student to the Personal Counseling Center.
• Call Public Safety immediately if a student's behavior becomes aggressive or threatening.

Don'ts

• Do not have what should be a private conversation in front of other students—discussing a student's behavior with them should be a private matter.
• Do not grade a student based on his or her behavior. A student's academic grade should be based on the grading rubric outlined in the course syllabus.
• Do not ban a student from coming back to class or an office permanently—this is a violation of the student's due process rights. Before any permanent action can be taken, a written complaint (Student Behavior Form) must be submitted to the Office of Judicial Affairs so that the disciplinary process can be initiated.
• Do not copy other faculty or staff members (with the exception of your chairperson or supervisor) when reporting a student's behavior via e-mail Any report or complaint must be kept confidential.

How to Make a Report

Students, faculty, or staff who have a complaint or concern about a student should complete a Student Behavior Form. This form is available in 2113 Boylan Hall as well as at the below links. 

• Student Behavior Form (SBF) Instructions (pdf) (attachments available below)
• Student Behavior Form (pdf)
• Student Behavior Form (doc) (for e-mailing)
• SBF Attachment #1—Rules and Regulations for the Maintenance of Public Order
• SBF Attachment #2—CUNY Bylaws Article XV

Note: For safety concerns or urgent/threatening incidents, immediately contact the Office of Public Safety, 718.951.5511.

Academic Integrity

Faculty members who suspect or have confirmed, upon investigation, that a violation of the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity has occurred are required to report the violation by completing and submitting a Faculty Action Report (FAR) Form (pdf) to the academic integrity official.

Dean's Certification Forms

Dean's Certification Forms are used to check students' disciplinary record and are often required by colleges and prospective employers as part of their application process. These forms (often titled Dean's Certification, Credentials, or Disciplinary Clearance) are obtained from the college or employer to which you are applying.

In order to ensure timely completion of your form, it is strongly advised that you drop off the form and an envelope with the correct destination address and postage to the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs 10 business days before you will need to have the certification ready. You may pick up the sealed certification and mail it yourself, or we can mail it for you. You must supply an envelope and postage for each certification; certifications submitted without postage will result in your certification being delayed. Dean Certification Forms are not letters of good academic standing or letters of recommendation; they deal only with disciplinary issues.