As a University dedicated to students’ success, we have a goal of helping every student make the most of their time at the UW as they earn their degree. The vast majority of our students do so in good standing, contributing their talents and energy to our community before going out into the world.
The Student Conduct Code is an important component in creating a positive Husky Experience for all. 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.
There have been many changes in the world and how we navigate it since the last revision of the code in 2021; therefore, it is time for us to take a close look at how we continue to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability when it comes to student conduct in the modern university environment.
Provost Serio and I have initiated an external review of our student conduct policies and procedures. That review will be conducted by the firm Husch Blackwell, which will deliver its findings and recommendations for improvements by winter quarter 2026. Husch Blackwell’s higher education team has worked for hundreds of colleges and universities across the country. They have been engaged to review student conduct code 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.
This review will evaluate our conduct policies and procedures considering the educational goals of our University, national peer best practices, and the legal requirements we have under state and federal laws. This includes the University’s commitment to upholding Title VI, Title IX and other civil rights laws. It is not a review of individual cases, but rather of the policies and practices overall, though the review may be informed by the handling of specific cases to demonstrate trends or themes.
We look forward to sharing those updates with the community next year as we continue our work to best serve our students, state and society.