Those making the complaint will be referred to appropriate University offices for support and information. Typically, the Dean of Students will ask the alleged sender of the offensive message for an explanation. The Dean of Students will investigate the situation by speaking with both the sender and recepient of the message and any others who may have knowledge of the situation. If that process does not resolve the problem, the Dean will then make a decision and communicate that to both the parties. Sanctions may include a short-term or permanent deactivation of the CHAT account, a complaint laid under a relevant University policy, referral to the Carleton University Police, or other appropriate action.
Some cases fall into more than one category.
The Carleton postmaster, the Dean of Students and University Safety usually work together in cases such as email threats. The Carleton postmaster will immediately take steps to attempt to trace the origin of the message, since mail logs are only kept for a few days. If the forgery originated at another site, an attempt will be made to enlist the aid of the remote postmaster. In some cases, University Safety will contact the remote site, which may help to ensure their cooperation.