The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1 - 224

Wade G. Livingston • David A. Scott • S. Bryan Rush • Lance A. Watson •
Michael L. Neiduski • Steven J. Pinkenburg

In order to maintain the safety
and well-being of the entire
community, educators must learn
more about invisible disabilities
and the students they affect.

indeed has Asperger’s Syndrome. At this juncture, she should use campus partners appropriately; she could, for example, contact the
student disability support office to learn more
about Asperger’s. Additionally, she should
seek to learn if Rick has received any educational and living accommodations which could
impact the hearing process and any sanctioning. This is where teaming approaches in
advance of the hearing can be productive; the
hearing officer can consult with experts from
disability support services, counseling and
psychological services, institutional agents
tasked with care and concern follow-ups,
and other residence life professionals about
interventions, accommodations during the
hearing process, and sanctions that address
student behavior without negating educational and living accommodations. The critical
issue here is how the hearing officer utilizes
information about Rick’s invisible disability.
She must consider that her primary purpose
is to address student behavior in a fair, reasonable, and educational manner. Therefore,
as she adjudicates the case, she should not
focus on Rick’s disability as it relates to his
behavior; rather, she should examine whether
or not Rick’s behavior violated the code of
conduct, incorporate what she knows about
Asperger’s Syndrome and how this disor224

der might impact Rick during the conduct
process (e.g., providing advance documents,
understanding nonverbal cues, attending to
emotional expression), and use the information about his disability as a factor for consideration when applying educational sanctions.

Case Outcome: Addressing Student
Behavior Through Informed Sanctions
The hearing officer finds that Rick has violated
the student code of conduct, and she must
now issue appropriate educational sanctions
to address his behavior. The teaming approach
mentioned earlier is helpful at this juncture.
Information about Rick’s educational and
living accommodations should be considered. Rick should be relocated, as the living
situation with Carl is unhealthy. That said,
the hearing officer should be considerate of
where to relocate Rick. Are there spaces available on campus that are still close to the library
and Rick’s classes yet afford him a living environment that is conducive to his routines?
Not all campuses have the luxury of having
spaces available, so the hearing officer must
be intentional not to place Rick in another
residence that might create further issues for
him and the residential community. In this
situation—because of the potential severity of
Rick’s actions—he should not dictate where he
is relocated to; rather, the hearing officer can
work with Rick to gauge his comfort with different living-learning environments and make
the best possible choice using her professional
judgment and knowledge of the campus’s residential capacity. If she has reason to believe
that Rick may repeat this behavior, then consideration should be given—within the strictures
of campus policy—to removal from housing or
other approaches that would prevent a recur-

The JourNal of College aNd uNiVersiTy sTudeNT housiNg

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1