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Community Standards & Student Conduct

Respondent resources

The University understands the strain a conduct process can place on your academic, work, and social life. A respondent resource can help. We want you to understand and be able to navigate the conduct process.

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Community Standards & Student Conduct (CSSC) offers guidance and information to students named as respondents in a student conduct proceeding. A respondent resource will meet with you to help navigate the process. During meetings, the respondent resource will discuss:

The respondent resource will respect your privacy but is not a confidential resource. They will work to ensure that you are prepared for the process.

How to Get Connected

If you are alleged to have violated Chapter 210 of the Student Governance and Policies (Student Conduct Policy for Discriminatory and Sexual Harassment, Intimate Partner Violence, Sexual Misconduct, Stalking, and Retaliation ) you will be automatically assigned to a respondent resource and should expect an outreach email from them.

If you are alleged to have violated Chapter 209 of the Student Governance and Policies (Student Conduct Policy for Academic Misconduct and Behavioral Misconduct) and your case is converted to a full hearing, you will also be automatically referred to a respondent resource who will help you prepare. You may request a respondent resource on your own at any time in the process, including cases in which you are thinking about an administrative review or agreed settlement. To speak with someone about obtaining respondent resources, please contact cssc@uw.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is a respondent?
A respondent is a student who is alleged to have violated the Student Conduct Code.

I received an email from Community Standards & Student Conduct (cssc@uw.edu), what is this email about?
We use a secure web process to manage student conduct.  The email provides a link and we ask you to authenticate into the website with your NetID and your Student ID number to view the letter from the student conduct office explaining the charges and outlining the process. This is done to insure your privacy and is more secure than email.

How should I prepare for an investigative interview?
At the investigative interview, the conduct officer will review how the student conduct process works and the specific allegations of your case. Preparation for an investigative interview is different for each student but may include reviewing the initial investigation notice and preparing any questions you may have for the conduct officer. In advance of the interview, you could consider documents/photos/evidence that might help you explain your view of what happened.

Who can I talk to about the conduct process?
A respondent resource is available to assist you in understanding the student conduct process. A respondent resource can meet with you to discuss the overall process, your rights in the process, how to complete forms and letters, and how to prepare for all parts of the conduct proceeding including full hearings. Please refer to the conduct website at the relevant UW campus for detailed information.

May I have an attorney in the process?
Yes, you may be accompanied by one advisor of your choice. This advisor can be a family member, friend, an attorney licensed to practice in Washington, or anyone else you identify. The advisor’s role is to provide support to you during the process. The advisor may not speak on your behalf or interfere with any aspect of the process, as determined by the conduct officer. Refer to the Accessing Legal Services section at the bottom of this page for more information.

May an attorney represent me in the conduct process?
During an investigative interview, an attorney may provide you with support and advice, but may not speak on your behalf.  Please see additional information regarding attorney involvement during full hearings.

How does the conduct officer make decisions about policy violations?
All decisions are made on the basis of a preponderance of the evidence, or is it more likely than not that a violation of the Student Conduct Code took place or didn’t take place.

What is a full hearing?
The full hearing is a continuation of the fact-finding process in which the person who will make the decisions about the outcome of the case moves from the conduct officer to the hearing officer. Learn more about the full hearing process here.

When does a case become a full hearing?
During the fact-finding process, if the facts of the case warrant the consideration of the sanctions of suspension or dismissal as a disciplinary sanction, the conduct officer will request that a full hearing be initiated to continue the fact-finding process. This is not a determination of responsibility. Learn more about full hearings here.

What if I believe there was an error in the decision about my case?
You have the right to request an administrative review of the decision in your case. The administrative review must be submitted in writing to cssc@uw.edu within 21 days of the date of the decision. If you would like to speak to someone about an administrative review please contact cssc@uw.edu.

What types of sanctions can be imposed if I am found responsible?
Sanctioning is determined on a case-by-case basis.  In determining an appropriate sanction for a violation of the student conduct code, factors that may be considered include, but are not limited to your cumulative conduct history and the impact of that your behavior had on the community. Please refer to the Student Conduct Process page for more information about sanctions.

Will a conduct proceeding be on my transcript?
Disciplinary records are maintained separately from academic records and do not appear on transcripts.

Will an investigation go on my student record?
Disciplinary records are maintained for 7 years from the date of the final order or until their administrative purpose has been served. Unless you are found responsible, your disciplinary record may not be shared with anyone without your written permission to do so.

Accessing Legal Services

Student parties are not required to have an attorney in the conduct process. Below is a list of contacts to attorney referral services and legal services organizations that might provide services and/or information to students.

Please note:

  • Some of these programs might provide services at no cost (such programs are often referred to as legal services), while others might require payment.
  • We cannot and do not make any recommendations regarding any of these programs.
  • We also cannot and do not make any guarantees about whether any of these programs will be able to provide student parties with services.
  • Attorneys must be permitted to practice law in Washington. This means that they are either licensed as attorneys in Washington or that they have followed the process with the Washington State Bar Association to be permitted to practice law in Washington.

Statewide

  • Washington State Bar Association’s Legal Help resources – This program’s webpage has resource and referral information. To view this information, follow this link: https://www.wsba.org/for-the-public/find-legal-help.
  • CLEAR (Coordinated Legal Education, Advice, and Referral) – Low-income Washington residents with civil legal problems are potentially eligible for assistance from this program. To apply online follow this link: https://nwjustice.org/apply-online.
  • ACLU of Washington – This program takes on a small number of cases. To see more information and access their online information and referral request form, follow this link: https://www.aclu-wa.org/pages/get-help. This page also provides access to legal resources and information.

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