November 14, 2025
University of Washington announces outside review of student conduct policies and procedures
The University of Washington will engage an outside firm to review its student conduct policies and procedures and make recommendations for improvements, President Robert J. Jones announced today.
“Our student conduct policies and practices must ensure there is transparency about the expectations we all have for our students, as well as what happens if their actions run counter to those expectations by violating the Student Conduct Code. We must also ensure a fair process and appropriate accountability, reflecting the unique circumstances of each situation and the responsibility we each have as members of the UW community,” said Jones, who became UW President Aug. 1.
The firm Husch Blackwell will conduct the review. It will evaluate the Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) for its effectiveness in the modern University environment, which includes a number of issues not foreseen when the code was last updated in 2021. Student conduct policies and practices are also an important part of the University’s commitment to upholding Title VI, Title IX and other civil rights laws.
The review will evaluate how those policies are implemented, including how different forms of misconduct — including sexual and other non-academic misconduct — should be handled, with a goal of continuing to ensure a fair process and promoting transparency and appropriate accountability. It is not a review of individual cases, but rather of student policies and practices overall, though the review may be informed by the handling of specific cases to demonstrate trends or themes.
The goal is for the review to be completed in winter quarter 2026, with recommendations implemented after its completion.
Husch Blackwell’s higher education team has worked for hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. They have reviewed student conduct codes and other matters of institutional policy and procedure at dozens of public universities, including other institutions within the Big Ten, and bring decades of experience with and sensitivity to the unique aspects of life on campus.
Contact Victor Balta: balta@uw.edu
Tag(s): Robert J. Jones