Pennsylvania · Private University
Bucknell University Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense
Facing a Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution proceeding? AdvocatED advisors know Bucknell's specific process, not generic advice, but guidance built around how your institution actually works.
⏱ Bucknell's two tracks have very different appeal clocks: five business days for a non-academic Community Conduct Board decision, but one month for an academic Board of Review decision. Note too that a Conduct Conference outcome is final and without appeal. Read your notice carefully and confirm which track and deadline apply.
If you just received notice
What to do right now at Bucknell
- 1Note the exact date on your notice letter and calendar every deadline it lists. Bucknell's response and appeal windows are short, and missing one forecloses your options.
- 2Do not respond substantively yet. Before you reply to the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, read Student Handbook and Academic Responsibility procedures so you know the specific procedure that applies to your case.
- 3Preserve everything related to the allegation: emails, drafts, timestamps, citations, and messages with classmates. This evidence often decides the case.
- 4Confirm your right to an advisor. Most schools, including Bucknell University, allow you to bring an advisor to a Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution proceeding. AdvocatED can serve in that role.
- 5Contact AdvocatED for a free case review before your Bucknell meeting. We will explain how the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution approaches cases like yours and what response gives you the strongest position.
Bucknell University's Academic Integrity & Conduct Process
Bucknell runs two parallel, separate systems. Non-academic conduct is administered by the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution under the Dean of Students: minor and moderate cases go to a Conduct Conference, while cases that could result in suspension, expulsion, or a withheld degree go to the Community Conduct Board. Academic matters go to the Board of Review on Academic Responsibility, a faculty-and-student body kept deliberately separate from the classroom. Bucknell uses an Academic Responsibility framework rather than an honor code.
This specific institutional knowledge is what separates AdvocatED from generic advisors. We provide guidance tailored to how Bucknell's actual process works, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Key Things to Know About Bucknell's Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution
- →Bucknell runs two separate systems: non-academic conduct through the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution (Conduct Conference or Community Conduct Board), and academic matters through the Board of Review on Academic Responsibility
- →Only the Community Conduct Board can impose suspension, expulsion, or a withheld degree; a Conduct Conference cannot, and its findings are final and without appeal (though reconsideration may be requested)
- →Non-academic conduct uses a preponderance standard, phrased as more likely than not that the student violated policy; the academic Board of Review does not publish a named standard, so none is assumed here
- →The academic Board of Review uses a seven-tier penalty scale, from a letter of reprimand up through failing the course, dismissal for a semester or more, and permanent dismissal, and it recommends penalties for the associate dean to act on
- →In the academic process your adviser must be a member of the University community and may not be an attorney, and may not speak or question witnesses
- →Appeal deadlines differ sharply: a non-academic Community Conduct Board decision is appealed within five business days to the Dean of Students, while an academic Board of Review decision is appealed within one month to the dean of the college where the course resides
How AdvocatED Helps Bucknell Students
Academic Misconduct Defense
Student Handbook and Academic Responsibility procedures violations, plagiarism, cheating, AI use, collaboration issues
Learn more →Conduct Hearing Preparation
Coaching and preparation for presenting your case before Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution
Learn more →Academic Dismissal Appeals
Building a compelling appeal through Bucknell's appeals process
Learn more →Title IX Defense
Navigating Bucknell University's Title IX investigation and hearing procedures
Learn more →Bucknell Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions: Bucknell Students
Who handles conduct cases at Bucknell University?
Bucknell runs two separate systems. Non-academic conduct is administered by the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution: minor-to-moderate incidents go to a Conduct Conference with a staff member, while higher-severity cases, or any case where suspension, expulsion, or a withheld degree is possible, go to the Community Conduct Board. Academic matters go to the Board of Review on Academic Responsibility, a faculty-and-student panel kept deliberately separate to avoid direct confrontation between student and professor. Despite the language of responsibility, Bucknell is not an honor-code school.
What can and cannot happen in a Bucknell Conduct Conference?
A Conduct Conference is used for minor-to-moderate non-academic incidents and results in educational requirements to remedy the behavior. Importantly, a Conduct Conference cannot result in suspension, expulsion, or a withheld degree, those outcomes are only possible through the Community Conduct Board. Also, a Conduct Conference finding is final and without appeal, though you may submit a Request for Reconsideration if the Code's criteria are met. Understanding that distinction helps you decide how to approach the process.
How severe are Bucknell's academic penalties?
The Board of Review on Academic Responsibility uses a seven-tier penalty scale: a letter of reprimand, an F on the assignment, a grade reduction, an F in the course, dismissal for at least one semester, immediate dismissal for the current and following semester, and permanent dismissal. The board recommends the penalty and the associate dean initiates action on the University's behalf. Because the range reaches permanent dismissal, even a first case deserves careful handling.
Can I bring an attorney to a Bucknell academic hearing?
No. In the academic Board of Review process, your adviser must be a member of the University community and may not be an attorney, and the adviser may not speak or question witnesses. In the non-academic process an adviser is permitted with a defined role. Because you effectively present your own academic case, thorough preparation beforehand is essential, which is where an education advocate is most useful.
How do I appeal a Bucknell decision, and what is the deadline?
The two tracks have different clocks. A non-academic Community Conduct Board decision is appealed in writing to the Dean of Students within five business days, on three grounds: new information unavailable at the time, a possible procedural error, or outcomes disproportionate to the finding. An academic Board of Review decision is appealed to the dean of the college where the course resides within one month, with a written statement of reasons and any new evidence; the dean responds within about twenty business days.
Do I need a lawyer for a Bucknell conduct case?
In most cases, no, and in the academic process an attorney cannot participate at all. What helps most is someone who understands Bucknell's two separate systems, the Conduct Conference versus Community Conduct Board distinction, the seven-tier academic penalties, and the very different appeal deadlines. An education advocate typically provides more targeted guidance than a general-practice attorney, at a fraction of the cost. AdvocatED can serve as your advisor and help you prepare your response and any appeal.
Related guides for Bucknell students
Topic-specific guides that cover the situations Bucknell students most commonly face.
Facing a Bucknell Conduct Issue?
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