Procedure for Amending the Student Code
As outlined previously, the Council on Student Conduct Expectations and Accountability is responsible for drafting amendments to the rules set out in the Student Code, subject to final approval by the Chancellor. Proposed amendments come from many sources. For example, the Council itself generates many proposals in exercising its oversight function stated in the Senate Bylaws. Suggested amendments also have come from students, faculty members, and campus academic and administrative units. In addition, the Chancellor, the Dean of Students, and other campus administrators periodically appoint campus task forces to study specific issues and make recommendations that ultimately require amendments to the Student Code.
To propose an amendment to the Student Code, a member of the academic community should first discuss the proposal with the appropriate constituency groups, committees, and departments to collect feedback and recommendations. Then, the proposal author must either complete the online form or email studentcode@illinois.edu for a document version of the form and written instructions.
The Council Chair assigns all proposed rule amendments, both internal and external, an agenda item number and schedules each for discussion at one or more regularly scheduled Council meetings. Many agenda items require significant additional discussion with the proposing party and other members of the campus community who may be affected by the proposed change. If the Council votes to recommend a rule change, the committee will follow the steps outlined above and in the Senate Bylaws.
For all proposed amendments to the Student Code that fall outside of the Council’s jurisdiction, the Council Chair will determine which policy-making body (or bodies) is responsible for the affected section and forward the proposal to that body (or bodies) for discussion. If all responsible bodies approve the proposal, or an amended version thereof, the Council Chair will then assign the proposal an agenda item number and follow the steps outlined in the previous paragraph. In such cases, the Council is only empowered to adjust formatting, typography, spelling, etc. to match the current Student Code.
In instances in which a quorum of voting members of the Council is not or cannot be present for a meeting of the Council (e.g., during summer), the Dean of Students is authorized to move forward to the Chancellor for review any proposed regulatory or mandated rule change that would have ordinarily been considered by the Council and voted on by a quorum of voting members. The Dean of Students shall provide the Chancellor with the feedback about the proposed rule change(s) received from members of the Council who attended the meeting that did not have a quorum, along with a recommendation on whether the Chancellor should approve such rule change(s).
Once a proposed change has been approved by the Chancellor, it is scheduled for inclusion in the Student Code text. Although a change may become effective immediately upon approval, most changes are held until the end of the academic year for inclusion in the following year’s Student Code.