M. COMMUNITY RELATIONS COMMITTEE PROCEDURE ON BAD CHECKS AND HONOR DEBTS

Purpose: The purpose of these procedures is to enable the Community Relations Committee (the "CRC") to investigate allegations relating to bad checks and Honor Debts (as hereinafter defined) so as to preserve the relationship of trust between the University community and merchants in the Charlottesville area.

1. When the Honor Committee or the Office of the Dean of Students (the "ODOS") is notified that a student has or may have written a bad check or incurred an Honor Debt, the CRC (or the ODOS, acting on behalf of the CRC) shall notify the student, in writing, that such allegation has been made. Such notice shall indicate the name(s) of the affected merchant(s), and the date(s) and amount(s) of the bad check(s) and/or Honor Debt(s) in question. The student then shall have 14 calendar days in which to resolve such bad check(s) and/or Honor Debt(s) and to satisfy the CRC that payment in full has been made. For purposes of these procedures, the term "Honor Debt" shall mean an extension of credit by a local merchant for the purchase of goods or services (but not for the payment of rent) by University students, where (a) the merchant in question extended credit in reliance on the obligations of students under the Honor System, and (b) such debt has remained unpaid after the date on which it was due.

2. If the student fails to resolve a bad check or Honor Debt within 14 days following such notification, the Vice Chair for Services may, in his or her sole discretion, (a) report initiate Honor charges, and/or (b) request that the ODOS impose a disciplinary suspension unless and until payment in full has been made. If the student is a degree candidate, the Honor Committee may take either of the foregoing actions prior to graduation, even if such 14-day period has not yet elapsed, and the Honor Committee also may request that the Registrar (or that office's designee) hold such student's degree pending resolution of the bad check or Honor Debt situation. (Language modified, October 16, 2005)

3. If, following notification, the student claims that the allegations are in error (i.e., that the student either did not write a bad check or incur an Honor Debt or that the facts and circumstances are otherwise exonerating), the Vice Chair for Services may conduct an investigation in order to determine whether or not the alleged bad check(s) and/or Honor Debt(s) in fact exist. For this purpose, the Vice Chair for Services may interview the student, the merchant and other relevant parties and may review such physical evidence as may be useful in determining whether or not the alleged bad check(s) and/or Honor Debt(s) in fact exist.