Process Overview
Upon receipt of an incident report, professional staff trained in conduct to review the report and determine if further investigation is warranted. If an investigation is called for, the student will be notified by letter or email of the alleged misconduct and asked to set up a meeting.
During the meeting, the incident will be reviewed and the student will be given the opportunity to share his/her perspective. Additionally, questions will be asked relevant to the incident to determine the facts and the student's behavior will be discussed. If the student fails to appear at the meeting or declines to meet, the case will be determined by the information contained in the report.
After the student conduct meeting, the student will be notified by email of the findings of the investigation. If it is determined that no misconduct occurred, the matter will be considered resolved and no further action will be taken. If the student is found responsible for misconduct, the decision letter will specify the recommended sanction.
Sanctions
Sanctions are intended to address the inappropriate behavior in a constructive, developmental, and educational manner balancing the needs of the university and the student. Sanctions hold students accountable for behavior which violates university policies. Criteria for assigning sanctions are determined by several factors: the severity of the misconduct, the nature of the incident, and the student's prior conduct record.
Right to Appeal
Students who disagree with the sanction proposed by the investigating officer have rights to a non-academic misconduct hearing as described in UWS 17.12.
The student has a choice between a hearing before a hearing examiner (an administrator appointed by the Chancellor) or before a hearing committee (usually comprised of two students, one faculty, and one academic staff member appointed by the appropriate campus governance groups). If the sanction is University Suspension or Expulsion, the hearing is automatic (unless the student waives his or her right to the hearing in writing). For sanctions less than suspension from the university, hearings are not automatic. The accused student will have 10 days in which to contact the Dean of Students Office in writing if they wish to request a hearing.