In today’s campus climate and with current student cohorts, student conduct work has grown increasingly complex (McNaughton-Cassill, 2013). Student conduct offices are not only managing higher case volumes but are also supporting students experiencing mental health challenges alongside behavioural concerns (Bauer, 2022; Mandracchia & Pendleton, 2015). This complexity calls for intentional collaboration between student conduct professionals and those working in mental health and accessibility services, recognizing that accountability is an essential component of holistic care for students.
The 2020 National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA) Whitepaper, “The Intersection of BIT and Conduct”, outlines the need to integrate accountability processes into the overall support provided to students exhibiting high risk behaviours:
One of the most common mistakes a team makes is skipping standard disciplinary actions for BIT cases thinking they are being thoughtful and supportive by avoiding having the student go through the conduct process. Unfortunately, this can create inconsistent standards across the educational community, and the team loses the opportunity to reset expectations and document patterns of concerning behaviors. (p. 2)
A holistic and supportive approach to student conduct can lead to more meaningful and lasting behavioural change in students. As described in the 2020 NABITA Whitepaper:
When we hold all students accountable for their behavior, including those with mental health issues, we are able to clearly demonstrate to the student which behaviors are acceptable, and which are not. In this way, the conduct process becomes a mechanism for behavior change and a valuable tool in fostering student development and success. (p. 11)
