Canadian Post-secondary Institutional Response to Students’ Off-campus Behaviour

This study sought to explore how Canadian post-secondary institutions [CPIs] address students’ off-campus behaviours [OCBs]. Findings were generated through document analysis of 41 Student Codes of Conduct [SCCs], an examination of four relevant illustrative cases, and semi-structured interviews with five CPI administrators responsible for student discipline. These three sources were then triangulated for further analysis and consideration of key research questions. My original contribution to the research phenomenon is to present an informed understanding of how SCCs are used at CPIs in the context of five participating institutional key informants’ responses to incidents of student OCBs. This research also examined the legitimacy and authority of CPIs institutional responses to alleged instances of student misbehaviour which occur off-campus in four illustrative case studies.Key findings revealed that SCCs varied widely in terms of their scope and authority. While some do acknowledge OCBs as meriting administrative response, a clear connection to the CPI is needed to enact such a response. In the illustrative case studies this was also seen in how the CPI administrators determined how and when to respond to students’ OCBs. Interviews with key informants echoed this need to determine each act of misconduct as a standalone case and to determine best outcomes with taking what external parties may view as extreme measures. In all three data sets, specific processes of progressive discipline were taken to enforce ‘perceived’ fairness for all parties involved. The four illustrative cases also highlighted both the use of SCCs and the administrative response to students’ OCBs in that procedural fairness is not always framed in the same manner nor are policies implemented with universal use in that policy revision and reimplementation is often incited by significant occurrences of student misconduct. As such, consideration was given to the cyclical nature of policy design and implementation in addressing the research phenomenon. Implications of the findings include a consideration of additional areas of research study such as meta-analysis of SCCs, intersectionality of CPI administrators and potential expansion of scope and authority of CPIs as online and remote learning expands.

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