Frequently Asked Questions for Parents and Families
Dean of Students Office

The Dean of Students Office provides support and advocacy for students. We answer questions, provide information about and referrals to campus resources; assist in students’ adjustment to the University; promote programs which address student needs, concerns and interests; and help students in resolving any type of problems.

We challenge students to conduct themselves with integrity in both personal and academic matters and hold them accountable for their decisions and actions. Our goal is to foster a community of mutual respect where students are actively engaged members of the university community. Students should consider us a campus resource and visit us often.

The Charger Compact, is the University of New Haven's statement of community values.

As a University community, there are values and expectations that we all share which provide the framework for how we interact as individual members of the community and speak to who we are and what we stand for as a community. To read the Charger Compact click on the link provided.

The Competency Learning Experience (CLE) is a student development framework within the Division of Student Affairs, focused on engaging and developing students in six targeted competencies. The framework provides each department the tools to educate and develop students in conjunction with departmental missions and initiatives.

The CLE framework is designed to prepare individuals to lead successful lives as students, citizens, and professionals, both during their academic course of study and after, with a special focus on their career success. It is grounded in research and academic study in competency-based education and is pedagogically driven to develop students in skills and competencies that are the foundation for academic, personal, and professional success. The six competencies we focus on are Teamwork, Resilience, Communication, Global and Cultural Competence, Leadership and Critical Thinking.

Once a student turns 18, they are considered an adult. As an adult, the student needs to sign a FERPA waiver to allow certain people to have access to their records, if they so choose. We understand that you are their family and are in charge of paying the bills, but this is a federal requirement for all students in all colleges, not just here at the University of New Haven.

Your student can access the form through their MyCharger account and complete it online.

Contact the Dean of Students office with your name, phone number, student name, student ID and the context of your concern, and a member of the appropriate staff will get back to you.

Your student should contact the Office of Residential Life (203) 932-7076. They will be able to guide your student with what steps need to be taken.

You can contact our Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) (203) 932-7332. They will be able to tell you what they need and where to find the forms to fill out.

If your student has been hospitalized or sent to the hospital for a short-term medical condition, please contact Health Services (203) 932-7079 and inform them. They will let you know what they need and how to proceed.

Health Services will also notify the student’s faculty about attendance issues regarding their medical situation.

The Dean of Students office should receive all emails or phone calls for family emergencies. We will send an email to the student’s faculty/staff to inform them of the student’s emergency. We will ask that the faculty/staff accommodate the student during this time.

Please contact the Accessibility Resource Center (203) 932-7332 and they will be able to help with temporary accommodations.

Also, please contact Health Services (203) 932-7079 and inform them as they need to be aware in case of any medical issues.

Your student can come to the Dean of Students office located on the 2nd floor in Bartels Hall and ask for a Student Grievance Form. We will explain the form to them and what the next steps will be.

The Dean of Students Office will also reach out to students to personally meet with them and offer support or connect them to campus services.

If your student is a residential student, each residence hall has numerous Resident Assistants (RAs). We will contact the Office of Residential Life who will work with your student’s RA to develop a plan of action that best supports your student’s needs.

Students have holds on their account for various reasons. The Dean of Students office is not the only office that puts holds on student’s accounts.

The Dean of Students office will place a temporary hold on an account if a student didn’t complete a mandatory online new student course or if they received a sanction that they have yet to complete. Once they complete the course or sanction and notify us, the hold will be removed.

We send letters to families regarding student conduct to notify them of drug/alcohol violations for students under the age of 21 and ask them to partner with us to help educate their student on the University policy.

Please send us the release form from the company you are applying to. This is often accompanied with a form for the Dean to fill out and send directly back to the company.

Please fill out the transfer form and send it to us to complete the disciplinary section and return it directly to the school. Please make sure to include the fax, email or mailing address of the place to send it to.

As the family member of a student at University of New Haven, you may have numerous questions and concerns about the process that addresses student conduct. The Dean of Students Office administers this process, and they have general information about the community standards while being a member of the Charger Community. The Dean of Student’s staff is always available to discuss general information about the student conduct process.

It is important to know that FERPA prohibits us from releasing any information about a student’s involvement in the student conduct process without the student’s permission, even to family members. If a student has designated his/her parent or family member as a FERPA designee for Student Conduct within the FERPA Designee Pin Page, we may speak to the parent or family member about a student’s student conduct matters. The University always reserves the right to request additional written consent from the student at their discretion. Please visit the Student Handbook and Code of Conduct here.

The Dean of Students Office encourages you to help your student by being supportive throughout the conduct process. You can help by identifying and providing necessary interventions to support your student’s success at University of New Haven. Please encourage and expect that your student will set up appointments, attend meetings, and fulfill any sanctions they may receive.

Conduct cases are considered on an individual basis with each involved student. The nature and severity of the offense, as well as a student’s conduct history, is taken into consideration when determining sanctions if a student is responsible for violating the Code of Conduct.

Students who are alleged to have violated any provision of the University’s academic integrity policy first meet with the instructor for the course to review the allegation and proposed penalty. Students have the option to accept responsibility for the violation, the sanction, or to request a review by the Dean of Students Office. In cases where students and faculty do not agree on the matter, the case may be referred to the Academic Integrity Board. This hearing body conducts a formal hearing on the matter and renders a decision with recommended sanction.

Read the Drug Free Policy here.

Yes, students are expected to abide by University alcohol and substance use policies on and off campus.

Incoming students are required to complete an online alcohol and drug course before the end of their first semester of enrollment. Additionally, the University offers a peer education program which focuses on education, prevention, and harm reduction for underage and high-risk drinking. Finally, programming on alcohol and drug awareness occurs throughout the year, but particularly during National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week and Alcohol Awareness Month.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states, "No person in the United States, shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal funding assistance." (20 U.S.C. §1681 & 34 C.F.R. Part 106) Title IX is a federal regulation that requires institutions to provide victims of sexual misconduct support and assistance in obtaining medical treatment, counseling, grievance procedures, and other resources as necessary. The University has a comprehensive Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Policy, which provides extensive definitions, sanctions, and grievance policy procedures, in compliance with these regulations.

The University of New Haven’s Title IX Coordinator is Barbara J. Lawrence, vice president of institutional equity and diversity and chief diversity officer. She is responsible for coordinating the University’s compliance with Title IX, including overseeing all complaints of sex discrimination and identifying and addressing any patterns or systemic problems that arise during the review of such complaints. As the Title IX Coordinator, she can refer your student to the most appropriate resources and support services. Additionally, she can assist your student in learning about their reporting options through the University or local law enforcement. Incidents of retaliation are also reported to the Title IX Coordinator.

Listen, and provide a non-judgmental space for your student to confide in. It is likely that your student will be faced with a lot of options and may be conflicted about how to move forward. It is important that you help s/he feel supported in whatever choice they may take, whether s/he files a formal complaint with the Title IX Coordinator, chooses to file criminal charges with the police, or seeks assistance from other campus resources (Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services, College Advocate…).

Help your student find resources through the University’s Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Policy, found online at: www.newhaven.edu/sexualmisconduct. You will find on-campus, local, and national resources within this policy that can be utilized by you and/or your student during this difficult time.

The University does not have a time restriction on complaints of sexual misconduct. Students are encouraged to still take advantage of the support systems available and to consider making a complaint when they feel ready to do so.

As study abroad trips usually occur in international locations, the resources available at the time of the incident may be substantially different than those available on campus. Whether they are still abroad or have returned from their trip, s/he may contact Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Ophelie Rowe-Allen at orallen@newhaven.edu, for assistance.

University Police Department, the Dean of Students Office, and the College Advocate are all available to assist students in contacting the correct police department (based on jurisdiction and location of the misconduct). University PD and the Rape Crisis Center of Milford’s College Advocate can advise students on what to expect from a criminal police investigation.

No, but to keep legal options open, the University advises that it may be beneficial to receive medical attention and/or a sexual assault evidence kit. The College Advocate from the Rape Crisis Center of Milford, is available to accompany students to the hospital and support them throughout the medical and/or criminal process. If a reporting party would prefer to not undergo a rape kit, they may still want to seek medical treatment, emergency contraception, STI testing/treatment, and/or pregnancy testing through the University’s Health Services Center.

A sexual assault evidence collection kit may be administered at Milford Hospital, or Yale New Haven Hospital. If a reporting party chooses to undergo a rape kit, they are not required to cooperate with law enforcement or pursue criminal charges. However, only DNA evidence collected by a rape kit is admissible in court. This is a free service in the state of CT.

Yes. Students may choose to speak to a licensed professional in Health Services, Counseling & Psychological Services, or a pastoral counselor in complete confidence. Students may choose to report anonymously online through the LiveSafe application or the Report It website. Please note that regardless of the form utilized, the information will be referred to the Title IX Coordinator for inquiry and investigation as appropriate. Community members are encouraged to include as many details as possible for all anonymous reports.

When a student makes a formal report of sexual misconduct, they will be informed of their options for reasonable accommodations and appropriate remedies to secure their safety and ability to engage in educational opportunities. Remedies may be in the form of "no contact" orders, changes in housing assignments and/or academic schedules. For more information on informal remedies/accommodations, contact Ashley Dunn, Director of Title IX VAWA Compliance at (203) 932-7445 or adunn@newhaven.edu.

While the University does not require that a student disclose their responding party ("alleged"), it is important to note that withholding the responding party’s identity may affect the University’s ability to conduct a comprehensive inquiry and/or investigation.