The role of an advisor is to provide a comforting and familiar presence for a student or student organization and to assist in the advisee’s understanding of the conduct process. An advisor may only speak to the advisee and may not formally address the conduct administrator, board, or other party unless asked a direct question by the conduct administrator, investigator, or board. Advisors may not ask questions, interject, advocate for, or otherwise speak on behalf of a student or student organization. Even if an advisor is an attorney, the advisor may not function as legal counsel or “represent” an advisee for the purposes of the University conduct process.

If any advisor conducts themselves in a manner inconsistent with these guidelines, or if the advisor’s behavior obstructs or otherwise interferes with the conduct process, then the advisor will be warned by the conduct administrator, investigator, or board. If the advisor’s interfering behavior continues or if the advisor at any point engages in a manner that harasses, abuses, or intimidates any other participant, the individual serving as an advisor will no longer be considered an advisor and will be excused from the hearing or meeting.

A student may also request that the SRCR Team assign an advisor to them, who will be either a student or staff member trained to serve in such a capacity. Such requests do not guarantee that an advisor will be available, and should be made as soon as possible. Assigned advisors are generally not available at the JFRC.

If an advisor is an attorney, this must be disclosed to the SRCR Team, and the University reserves the right to have its own legal counsel present for the hearing.