Informal Resolution: Peer Board

  1. Each Peer Board hearing will have no fewer than four students, including the chair of the board. Students are trained to adjudicate alleged violations of the Student Integrity Code.
  2. The complainant/respondent may request a change of hearing date/time at least two (2) business days prior to their hearing. It is at the discretion of the Office of Rights and Responsibilities if the hearing will be rescheduled, and the respondent/complainant may request only one change to the date/time of the hearing.
    1. The complainant/respondent will be notified through a Hearing Notification letter delivered via Puget Sound email. This notification also will include the date, time, and location of the hearing, along with the alleged violations.
    2. If, after proper notification, a complainant/respondent does not appear for their hearing, a decision of responsible/not responsible, along with any applicable sanction(s), will be made without their participation.
    3. All hearings are closed to anyone except board members, hearing facilitator, support person(s), university advisor, respondent, and complainant. Witnesses (if called) will be permitted to participate in the hearing process when called into the room for questions.
    4. The Peer Board will outline the conduct process and student rights throughout the process.
    5. The complainant/respondent may ask questions about the policies, procedures, and alleged violation(s).
    6. The complainant/respondent will have an opportunity to review documentation related to the alleged violation(s).
    7. The complainant/respondent will have the opportunity to share information relevant to the incident.
    8. The Peer Board may ask the complainant/respondent questions.
    9. The Peer Board will make a determination of responsible/not responsible for any alleged violations based on the preponderance of the evidence standard.
    10. The Peer Board will recommend sanctions to the Office of Rights and Responsibilities if a respondent has been found responsible for a violation of the Student Integrity Code.
    11. The complainant/respondent will receive written notice of the decision and any applicable sanction(s) from the Office of Rights and Responsibilities via their Puget Sound email account.
    12. At this time, the complainant/respondent may appeal upon the grounds described below. Interim measures (if applicable) may remain in place during the appeal period.

Informal Resolution: Hearing Officers

  1. Hearing officers are professional staff members trained to adjudicate alleged violations of the Student Integrity Code. In the event that there are no hearing officers available or there is a conflict of interest, a faculty or staff member from the Integrity Board may serve as a hearing officer.
  2. The Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee will share the name of the hearing officer with the respondent prior to the scheduled meeting and will evaluate any concerns of bias or conflict of interest.
    1. The respondent will be notified through a Hearing Notification letter delivered via Puget Sound email. This notification also will include the date, time, and location of the hearing, along with the alleged violations.
  3. A complainant/respondent may request a change of hearing date/time at least two (2) business days prior to their hearing. It is at the discretion of the Office of Rights and Responsibilities if the hearing will be rescheduled and the respondent may request only one change to the date/time of hearing.
    1. If, after proper notification, a complainant/respondent does not appear for their hearing, a decision of responsible/not responsible, along with any applicable sanction(s), will be made without their participation.
  4. All hearings are closed to anyone except hearing officers, support person(s), university advisor, complainant and the respondent.
  5. Hearing officers will outline the conduct process and student rights throughout the process.
  6. The complainant/respondent may ask questions about the policies, procedures, and alleged violation(s).
  7. The complainant/respondent will have an opportunity to review documentation related to the alleged violation(s).
  8. The complainant/respondent will have the opportunity to share information relevant to the incident.
  9. The hearing officer may ask the complainant/respondent questions.
  10. The hearing officer will make a determination of responsible/not responsible for any alleged violations based on the preponderance of the evidence standard.
  11. The hearing officer will determine sanctions in the event of a responsible finding.
  12. The complainant/respondent will receive written notice of the decision and any applicable sanction(s) from the Office of Rights and Responsibilities via their Puget Sound email account.
  13. At this time, the complainant/respondent may appeal upon the grounds described below. Interim measures (if applicable) may remain in place during the appeal period.

Formal Resolution: Integrity Board Hearing

  1. The Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee will be the facilitator for the Integrity Board hearing process.
  2. The Integrity Board will consist of three members, not including the facilitator. One of the three members will be a student from the Peer Board, and the other two will be faculty and/or staff members. Board members are trained to adjudicate alleged violations of the Student Integrity Code.
  3. The Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee will share the names of the board members with the complainant/respondent prior to the hearing, and will evaluate any concerns of bias or conflict of interest. Concerns of bias or conflict of interest must be submitted to the Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee no later than five (5) business days prior to the hearing.
    1. The complainant/respondent will be notified through a Hearing Notification letter delivered via Puget Sound email. This notification also will include the date, time, and location of the hearing, along with the alleged violations.
  4. The complainant/respondent may request a change of hearing date/time at least two (2) business days prior to their hearing. It is at the discretion of the Office of Rights and Responsibilities if the hearing will be rescheduled and the complainant/respondent may request only one change to the date/time of hearing.
    1. If, after proper notification, a complainant/respondent does not appear for their hearing, a decision of responsible/not responsible, along with any applicable sanction(s), will be made without their participation.
  5. All hearings are closed to anyone except board members, hearing facilitator, support person(s), university advisor, respondent, and complainant. Witnesses (if called) will be permitted to participate in the hearing process when called into the room for questions.
  6. Prior to the hearing, board members will review all documentation, including investigative reports associated with the case, and determine if there are further questions to pose during the hearing.
  7. Prior to the hearing, the complainant/respondent may review documentation, including the investigative report(s) associated with the case.
  8. Prior to the hearing, the complainant/respondent will receive notification of an optional meeting with the Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee to review the Integrity Board hearing procedures.
  9. The board reserves the exclusive right to call witnesses to the Integrity Board hearing.
  10. Integrity Board hearings will be recorded (audio only).
    1. Board deliberations will not be recorded.
  11. At the hearing, the complainant/respondent each will have 10 minutes to give an opening statement to the board.
  12. Board members then will have the opportunity to ask questions of the complainant/respondent and any witnesses whom they have chosen to invite to the hearing.
  13. The complainant/respondent will have the opportunity to provide the Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee with written questions 48 hours in advance of the hearing. The use of questions provided by the complainant/respondent is subject to the board’s discretion.
  14. The complainant/respondent may not address each other directly at any point in the hearing.
  15. Following questions from the board, the complainant/respondent each will have 10 minutes to give a closing statement.
  16. After closing statements, the hearing will conclude, and both the complainant and respondent will be excused.
  17. The board will examine each alleged violation and will determine whether or not the respondent is responsible using the preponderance of the evidence standard. The Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee will be present, but will not be part of the decision-making process. The Director of Rights and Responsibilities of their designee will be utilized strictly for clarification of policy and procedure.
  18. If the hearing board finds the respondent responsible for one or more of the alleged violation(s), the board will determine sanctions as described below. After a finding of responsibility, the board will review the respondent’s past conduct history to assist in determining appropriate sanctions. The Director of Rights and Responsibilities or their designee will participate in sanctioning.
  19. After a decision has been reached, the complainant and respondent will receive the Decision letter, which will outline responsible/not responsible findings, applicable sanctions, along with a memorandum opinion via Puget Sound email which provides a summary of the board’s rationale for its finding(s).
  20. After the decision letter and memorandum opinion have been delivered, the formal resolution process has concluded. At this time, the complainant/respondent may appeal upon the grounds described below. Interim measures (if applicable) may remain in place during the appeal period.