The Advocacy Program is an Institute initiative designed to provide students with a supportive RIT faculty or staff partner as they engage in the student conduct process. Incidents that students find themselves involved in are often complex, overwhelming and confusing. The Advocate can be a steadying influence during a turbulent experience.

Students are given the option of working with an Advocate for both Formal and Informal Conduct hearings.

An Advocate may play a formal role both prior to the Student Conduct hearing as well as during the hearing.

The role of the Advocate prior to the hearing is:

• To meet with the student in preparation for the hearing.
• To assist the student in understanding RIT policies
• To assist the student in understanding the procedures of the conduct process
• To help the student access appropriate Institute resources

The RIT Student Conduct process is educational in nature and is intended to address student misconduct in accordance with RIT's community expectations. As an educational experience, the participating student is expected to take primary responsibility for responding to the incident in question.

During the hearing, the Advocate's role may include "active participation" under the following guidelines:

• "Active Participation" may range from silent support to assisting the student in making statements and responding to questions.
• The Advocate may assist the student in clarifying information pertinent to the incident

• The Advocate does not "represent" the student in the hearing
• The Advocate is considered a supportive partner in the educational process; not an adversary
• The Advocate does not serve as a "character witness" for the student

Students have several options when choosing to work with an Advocate. A student may:

• Select a specific person from the list of trained Advocates provided by Student Conduct
• Request that a selection be made for them from the list of trained Advocates. The Advocacy Coordinator will then arrange the Advocate assignment.
• Select an RIT faculty/staff member with whom they are familiar. Brief training will be provided to that person by the Advocacy Coordinator.

Following is a current list of advocates:

• Susan Ackerman…Disability Services
• Krysta Banke ...First Year Enrichment
• Maureen Barry ...First Year Enrichment
• Josh Bauroth...First Year Enrichment
• Sara Bayerl...Academic Support Center
• Ann Best...First Year Enrichment
• Lisa Bodenstedt ...First Year Enrichment
• Daniele Brown...First Year Enrichment
• Linda Bryant...NTID First Year Experience
• Kerry Dunham ...First Year Enrichment
• Maggie Everhart...First Year Enrichment
• Paula French ... Academic Support Center
• Tracy Gatewood...North Star Center
• Hamad Ghazle...Ctr. for Bioscience Ed. & Technology
• Ryan Giglia …Center for Campus Life
• Latty Goodwin...First Year Enrichment
• Jennifer Gravitz ...NTID Liberal Studies
• Tomicka Green...North Star Center
• Charles Hall …IT Services
• Andrea Handy...First Year Enrichment
• Troy Hengst...First Year Enrichment
• Dawn Herman...Academic Support Center
• Dan Hickey… Academic Support Center
• Jenn Hinton... Golisano College
• Keith Jenkins …Office of the Provost
• Lilli Jensen…International Student Services
• Becky Kiely …Purchasing
• Bryan Lloyd...NTID Counseling and Academic Advising
• Cynthia Lucas...NTID Career Counseling
• Shawna Lusk...First Year Enrichment
• John Macko … NTID Center for Employment
• Mary Pat Magde...NTID Counseling and Academic Advising
• Lynne Mazadoorian, Academic Advising Office
• Terie Merritt...First Year Enrichment
• Molly McGowan ...Leadership Institute
• Mike Metzler...First Year Enrichment
• Heidi Miller … College of Science
• Greg Ott...Facilities Management Services
• Rohan Palma… North Star Center
• Stephanie Paredes...North Star Center
• Karen Pelc ... Student Health Center
• Chintana Phetphanh, SAISD
• Sarah Pillittere...Human Resources
• Barbara Randall...Facilities Management Services
• Robyn Reafler...First Year Enrichment
• Barry Robinson …College of Engineering/FYE
• Michelle Schrouder…Athletics
• Deb Scott...First Year Enrichment
• Matt Searls… NTID
• Colette Shaw...First Year Enrichment
• Rona Skinner ...Housing Operations
• Sally Skyer...NTID Counseling and Academic Advising
• Laurie Snyder, First Year Enrichment
• Tina Sturgis… Golisano College of CIS
• Amy Stornello...NTID Admissions
• Marcy Veno...First Year Enrichment
• Phyllis Wade...First Year Enrichment
• Joe Williams …HEOP

For more information, or to request an Institute Advocate, please contact:

Joe Johnston
Coordinator for Advocacy
475-7668 (v/tty)
jpjvsa@rit.edu