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University Student Handbook

Hearing Process and Procedures

Notice of Charges

If the matter is referred to the Behavioral Standards Committee for review, the Dean of Students, or their designee, will provide a written “Notice of Alleged Misconduct and Referral to the Behavioral Standards Committee” to the student which describes the charges facing the student, along with any supporting documentation as appropriate. For matters not immediately referred to the Committee, the Dean of Students, or their designee, will send a "Notice of Alleged Misconduct & Preliminary Investigation." These notices and documents will be sent by email to the student's official NWHSU email address, and will be considered received by the student on the date that they are sent.  

Once the Behavioral Standards Committee hearing date is scheduled, the Dean of Students will provide a written "Notice of Hearing Date" to the student designating the date the hearing will take place and the hearing procedures. The Behavioral Standards Committee will make every effort to conduct a hearing within 15 class days, not including term breaks, following the date of referral from the Dean of Students, or designee. In cases where matters are not immediately referred the Behavioral Standards Committee, a meeting deadline will be established in the "Notice of Alleged Misconduct & Preliminary Investigation."

The Behavioral Standards Committee will receive a copy of the Notice of Alleged Misconduct and Referral to the Behavioral Standards Committee, along with any supporting documentation. The Committee may also be briefed by the Dean of Students, or designee, to fully describe the alleged misconduct, and any information gathered through a preliminary investigation.

Findings

Matters handled under a Preliminary Investigation process may be resolved by the Dean of Students, or referred to the Behavioral Standards Committee for additional review. 

The Dean of Students and the Behavioral Standards Committee will utilize a "preponderance of evidence" standard to determine if it is more likely than not that there has been a violation of the Standards of Conduct.

The Behavioral Standards Committee will prepare written findings, which specifically state their findings on each misconduct allegation, the University policy violated by any conduct violations, and the recommended sanction(s), if any.

All Behavioral Standards Committee findings and recommended sanctions will be reported to the Dean of Students who will impose any sanctions. These sanctions may take into consideration any past conduct violations of the student. A letter of findings and sanctions, if any, will subsequently be placed in the student's file, and forwarded to the student. The Dean of Students will forward a copy of the final decision to the Behavioral Standards Committee. The other involved parties (students, faculty) cannot be informed about the final decision/sanction except under the following limited circumstances:

  1. If the knowledge is necessary to protect the health and safety of the student or other persons;
  2. If the other involved students are alleged victims of a crime of violence that student may receive the final results of any disciplinary proceeding against the alleged perpetrator of the offense. The “final result” is limited to the name of the student, the violation and the sanction;
  3. If following the exhaustion of all appeals the final result of the BSC hearing is a conclusion that a crime of violence occurred in violation of the institution’s rules of policies.

Should a student withdraw from the University prior to the completion of the disciplinary process, the Dean of Students will make a decision, depending on the nature of the alleged misconduct, whether to pause the Preliminary Investigation or Behavioral Standards Committee review process, or proceed with the process following the student's withdrawal. Should the process be paused, it will resume when and if the student enrolls in classes at NWHSU in the future.