Massachusetts · Private University
Clark University Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense
Facing a Office of Community Standards (Dean of Students) / College Board proceeding? AdvocatED advisors know Clark's specific process, not generic advice, but guidance built around how your institution actually works.
⏱ Clark's non-academic appeal window is seven business days, and filing an appeal does not pause your sanction in the meantime. In academic-integrity cases you cannot bring an attorney as your adviser, so preparation is everything. Contact us as soon as you're notified.
If you just received notice
What to do right now at Clark
- 1Note the exact date on your notice letter and calendar every deadline it lists. Clark'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 Community Standards (Dean of Students) / College Board, read Student Code of Conduct / Clark Statement on Academic Integrity 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 Clark University, allow you to bring an advisor to a Office of Community Standards (Dean of Students) / College Board proceeding. AdvocatED can serve in that role.
- 5Contact AdvocatED for a free case review before your Clark meeting. We will explain how the Office of Community Standards (Dean of Students) / College Board approaches cases like yours and what response gives you the strongest position.
Clark University's Academic Integrity & Conduct Process
Clark runs two tracks. Non-academic conduct goes through the Office of Community Standards under the Dean of Students, resolved in an Administrative Hearing or before a five-member University Conduct Board that recommends findings to OCS, which makes the final decision. Academic integrity is a separate faculty track adjudicated by the College Board. Both use the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard, and Title IX runs on a third, separate track.
This specific institutional knowledge is what separates AdvocatED from generic advisors. We provide guidance tailored to how Clark's actual process works, not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Key Things to Know About Clark's Office of Community Standards (Dean of Students) / College Board
- →Two tracks: non-academic conduct (Office of Community Standards under the Dean of Students) and academic integrity (the faculty College Board)
- →Non-academic cases are heard in an Administrative Hearing or before a five-member University Conduct Board that recommends to OCS, which makes the final decision
- →Both tracks use the preponderance-of-the-evidence ('more likely than not') standard
- →In academic-integrity hearings an adviser must be from the Clark community, cannot be an attorney, and cannot speak to the Board
- →Non-academic appeals go to the Dean of Students within 7 business days on three grounds, and filing an appeal does not postpone the sanction
- →Academic-integrity appeals go to the College Board or the Dean of the College within 10 business days on two grounds (new information or a procedural flaw)
How AdvocatED Helps Clark Students
Academic Misconduct Defense
Student Code of Conduct / Clark Statement on Academic Integrity violations, plagiarism, cheating, AI use, collaboration issues
Learn more →Conduct Hearing Preparation
Coaching and preparation for presenting your case before Office of Community Standards (Dean of Students) / College Board
Learn more →Academic Dismissal Appeals
Building a compelling appeal through Clark's appeals process
Learn more →Title IX Defense
Navigating Clark University's Title IX investigation and hearing procedures
Learn more →Clark Resources & Guides
Frequently Asked Questions: Clark Students
Who decides my case at Clark?
It depends on the track. Non-academic conduct is handled by the Office of Community Standards under the Dean of Students, resolved either in an Administrative Hearing (one or two trained hearing officers) or before a five-member University Conduct Board (faculty, an administrator, and two students) that recommends findings while OCS makes the final decision. Academic integrity is a separate track adjudicated by the faculty College Board. Knowing which body will hear your case shapes the whole defense.
What standard of proof does Clark use?
Both the non-academic conduct process and the academic-integrity College Board decide cases by the preponderance-of-the-evidence standard — whether it is 'more likely than not' that the student is responsible. That is a much lower bar than the criminal 'beyond a reasonable doubt' standard, which is why a student can be found responsible on a close record and why careful presentation of the facts is decisive.
Can I bring an attorney to a Clark hearing?
In academic-integrity (College Board) hearings, an adviser must be from the Clark community, cannot be an attorney, and may not speak to the Board or question anyone — you present your own case. The non-academic conduct process similarly limits the adviser's role. Because you largely have to advocate for yourself, behind-the-scenes preparation is essential, and we work with students in advance on their account, evidence, and witnesses.
How do I appeal a decision at Clark?
The two tracks differ. For non-academic conduct, you appeal in writing to the Dean of Students within seven business days on three grounds (a material procedural error, newly discovered evidence, or a disproportionate sanction) — and importantly, the appeal does not postpone your sanction. For academic integrity, you appeal within ten business days on just two grounds (new information or a procedural flaw), with new-information appeals heard by the full College Board and procedural appeals by the Dean of the College. Neither can be based on mere disagreement with the outcome.
What sanctions can Clark impose?
Clark's non-academic sanctions run from a written warning and probation up through Suspension (temporary separation), Dismissal (separation with return only after conditions are met), and Expulsion (permanent, and it may be noted on the transcript). The academic College Board can impose a zero on the assignment, an F for the course, academic probation, a record notation, suspension, or expulsion. If the academic sanction is a failing grade, the grade stands — so contesting both the finding and the severity matters.
Does academic integrity follow a different process at Clark?
Yes. Academic-integrity cases go to the faculty College Board, not the Office of Community Standards. The professor investigates and, if the student acknowledges the violation, recommends a sanction; for a first offense the Board most often ratifies the faculty's recommended sanction. If you contest the charge or the offense is serious, a formal College Board hearing is convened, decided by majority vote. Because you cannot withdraw from the course while a case is pending and a failing grade will stand, an early, careful response is important.
Related guides for Clark students
Topic-specific guides that cover the situations Clark students most commonly face.
Facing a Clark Conduct Issue?
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