Leadership Opportunities

Peer Conduct Council members will experience a four-component leadership formation program.  Designed to combine critical thinking skills with opportunities to participate in leadership programs, the Peer Conduct Council is an opportunity to discover personal leadership styles while providing their peers with the information to assist them in making responsible decisions. The Office of Community Life determines membership from applications submitted by students. Students may be recommended for application through their peers, faculty and/or staff.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

The Peer Conduct Council is comprised of approximately ten (10) students.  Membership is determined from applications submitted by students. Students may be recommended for application through their peers, faculty and/or staff. 

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Attend and participate in all required Peer Conduct Council training and/or orientation sessions.
• Be in Good Academic Standing with the College. 
• Be in Good Standing with the Office of Community Life.
• Attend all scheduled Peer Conduct Council Hearings.
• Enroll in EDUC-085 prior to application, or during the first semester of Peer Conduct Council membership.
• Attend all bi-weekly meetings.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Model good judgment and conduct outside Peer Conduct Council sessions. Being found responsible for a violation of the Code of Conduct may result in removal or suspension from membership on the Peer Conduct Council. 
• Follow appropriate channels for expressing concerns and issues. 
• Respond to emails from the Office of Community Life within 24 hours. 
• Dress in business casual attire during hearings and/or wearing the Peer Conduct Council members designated shirt. 
• Maintain confidentiality of all hearing proceedings and student case files. 
• Attend all scheduled hearings for which you serve on the board, unless excused prior to the hearing by the advisor for reasons of illness or other emergency, conflict of interest, or concerns about your ability remain unbiased.
• Arrive early to each hearing to review all case materials prior to hearing. 
• Hear cases of student misconduct to determine responsibility and assign sanctions, if appropriate.
• Understanding of the College’s Catholic, Lasallian & Liberal Arts traditions.
• Understanding of the philosophy of the Student Code of Conduct, other College policies and the discipline system.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, show compassion, and to be fair-minded.
• Respect each student as individuals and treat each case as unique. 
• Willingness to challenge peers and successfully manage social pressures.
• Demonstrate effective oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Currently enrolled student with a cumulative grade-point average of not less than 2.50.
• Members of the Peer Conduct Council are appointed for one academic year- terms and may seek re-appointment at the end of the term.
• Peer Conduct Council members should expect to be available approximately 10-12 hours per month.

Peer Conduct Members have the opportunity to participate in a variety of ways as a member of the council. Once selected to become a member of the council, members can choose from the following positions. 

Hearing Officer: Members adjudicate low to mid-level violations of the SMC Student Code of Conduct. Members receive additional training. The commitment is 2 to 3 hours per month. 

Hearing Panelist: Members sit on conduct board panels. Members are responsible for adjudicating SMC Student Code of Conduct violations. The time commitment is 2 to 8 hours per month. 

Peer Educator: Members are available to provide the SMC community with presentations pertaining to living in community, policies from the Student Code of Conduct,  and conduct one-to-one educational sessions on the potential harm with high-risk drinking and cannabis use for students that have been found to be in violation of the SMC Student Code of Conduct.

Peer Conduct Council Coordinator: The Peer Council Coordinator is a Peer Conduct Council memember who coordinates the scheduling of hearings, manages the Office of Community Lifes social media accounts, and leads the Peer Conduct Council bi-monthly meetings. This positions works directly with the staff of the Office of Community Life. The time commitement is 5-10 hours per month. 

Restorative Justice Circle Facilitator

Restorative Justice Circle facilitators facilitate community building, impact, and healing circles for the SMC community. Members receive additional training and certification. The time commitment is 2 to 5 hours per month. 

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Attend and participate in all required training and/or orientation sessions.
• Be in Good Academic Standing with the College. 
• Be in Good Standing with the Office of Community Life.
• Attend all bi-weekly meetings.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Model good judgment and conduct outside of the position. Being found responsible for a violation of the Code of Conduct may result in removal or suspension from the RJ student leadership position.
• Follow appropriate channels for expressing concerns and issues. 
• Respond to emails from the Office of Community Life within 24 hours. 
• Dress in business casual attire while conducting circles.
• Maintain confidentiality of all student case files. 
• Attend all scheduled circles for which you serve as a facilitator, unless excused prior to the circle by the advisor for reasons of illness or other emergency, conflict of interest, or concerns about your ability remain unbiased.
• Arrive early to each circle to set-up space, virtual or in-person 
• Understanding of the College’s Catholic, Lasallian & Liberal Arts traditions.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, show compassion, and to be fair-minded.
• Respect each student as individuals.
• Demonstrate effective oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Currently enrolled student with a cumulative grade-point average of not less than 2.50.
• RJ Circle Facilitators are appointed for one academic year and may seek re-appointment at the end of the academic year.
• RJ Circle Facilitators should expect to be available approximately 5-10 hours per month.

General Position Description 

Role and Responsibilities

Assist with Community Life Operations and Programs 

• Assist Special Projects Administrator with oversight of Peer Conduct Council and with any other Community Life processes (ex. sanctions, story circles, meetings, presentations).
• Conduct small-scale research and best practices for the Director of Community Life.
• Occasionally hear cases of student misconduct as a Administrative Hearing Officer.
• Become familiar with student conduct tracking system, Advocate, to review/close cases, make recommendations and assist with ensuring system’s integrity.
• Meet/greet guests and students, as needed.
• Additional projects as assigned.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Strong customer service; ability to work in and with a diverse team; good work ethic; organized; experience in facilitating presentations and groups; experienced in student leadership roles across the campus community; able to multi-task; self-motivated; able to work some flexible hours if needed, for example, in the evenings or on weekends; able to handle a fast-paced environment; proficient in MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google platforms, and social media.

This is a minimum 10 hour per week internship; hours to be arranged with Community Life.

Disciplinary Hearing Board (DHB) Panelist
DHB Panelists are those individuals who are authorized by the Dean of Students or designee to determine whether a student has violated the Title IX Policy (as well as the Code of Code or other College policy that is related to the underlying Title IX allegation) ad to determine sanctions that will be imposed if a student is determined to have violated the policy.  Each individual panelist serves as pool where a panel of three trained individuals are selected to hear a case and make decisions related to alleged violations.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Attend and participate in all required annual in person and online training.
• Currently employed by Saint Mary’s College of California as a staff or faculty member. 
• Attend any meetings required while serving in the capacity of this role.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Respond to emails from the Office of Community Life within 48 hours. 
• Maintain confidentiality of all hearing proceedings and student case files in accordance with FERPA. 
• Attend all scheduled hearings for which you serve on the board, unless excused prior to the hearing by the Director of Community Life or designee for reasons of illness or other emergency, conflict of interest, or concerns about your ability remain unbiased.
• Arrive early to each hearing to review all case materials prior to hearing. 
• Hear cases of student misconduct to determine responsibility and assign sanctions, if appropriate.
• Understanding of the College’s Catholic, Lasallian & Liberal Arts traditions.
• Understanding of the philosophy of the Student Code of Conduct, other College policies and the discipline system.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, show compassion, and to be fair-minded.
• Respect each party as individuals and treat each case as unique. 
• Demonstrate effective oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• DHB Members are appointed for one academic year and may seek re-appointment at the end of the academic year.
• Time commitment will vary based on case but each panelist will generally complete 8-12 hours of annual training and assigned cases generally require 8-12 hours per case.
• DHB Panelists can expect to serve on no more than 2 hearings per year

Process Advisor
Process advisors are individuals who are trained by the Office of Community Life to serve as advisors to students throughout the disciplinary process.  These individuals serve as a support person throughout the process and attend meetings, assist students in preparing for any investigation meetings, hearings or appeals.  They have limited speaking rights in the process except in Title IX DHB Hearings where they have a role to conduct cross examination of the other involved party and any witnesses on behalf of the student whom they are advising.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Attend and participate in all required annual in person and online training.
• For employees, currently employed by Saint Mary’s College of California. 
• For students, currently enrolled in at least one course
• Attend any meetings required while serving in the capacity of this role.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Respond to emails from the Office of Community Life within 48 hours. 
• Maintain confidentiality of all meetings, hearing proceedings and student case files in accordance with FERPA. 
• Attend all scheduled meetings with the student who you are advising on the processing, before, during and after the proceeding.
• Provide guidance and support to students whom  you are advising throughout the disciplinary proceeding and any meetings related to the proceeding,
• For DHB hearing, conduct cross examination of the other participating party and any witnesses.
• Understanding of the College’s Catholic, Lasallian & Liberal Arts traditions.
• Understanding of the philosophy of the Student Code of Conduct, other College policies and the discipline system.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, show compassion, and to be fair-minded.
• Respect each party as individuals and treat each case as unique. 
• Demonstrate effective oral communication and interpersonal skills.
• Advisors are appointed for one academic year and may seek re-appointment at the end of the academic year.
• Time commitment will vary based on case but each panelist will generally complete 8-12 hours of annual training and assigned cases generally require 2-12 hours per case.