Brief adjudicative disciplinary proceedings with the student conduct officer are conducted as follows:

(1) Meetings will not be conducted in public.

(2) Admission of any other person to the hearing is at the discretion of the student conduct officer.

(3) Respondents have the right to be assisted by an advisor they choose, at their own expense. The respondents are responsible for presenting their own information. Advisors are not permitted to address the student conduct officer or participate directly in the meeting. An advisor may communicate only with the person they are advising. The student conduct officer may call recesses to facilitate this communication. A respondent should select as an advisor a person whose schedule allows attendance at the scheduled date and time for the hearing. Delays are not normally allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an advisor.

(4) The respondent may provide sworn written statements from witnesses and other documents or information that he/she believes is relevant to the case. Forms for the written statements are available from the student conduct officer or online.

(5) The student conduct officer determines which records, exhibits and written statements may be accepted as information for consideration.

(6) There is a single verbatim record, such as a recording or transcript, of the information gathering portion of hearings. The record is the property of the college.

(7) If the student does not appear for the hearing after proper notice has been provided, the student conduct officer will consider the complaint, absent the student, and enter a decision regarding the complaint including appropriate disciplinary sanctions.

(8) The student conduct officer will notify the student in writing, in person, by mail or electronic mail of his or her decision. Notice of the decision is sent within ten calendar days from the hearing date. If the college is not in session, this period may be reasonably extended.

(9) The written notice of the decision will include the reasons for the decision, the sanctions, and information about the appeal process. The student conduct officer may notify the student prior to receipt of the formal written notice. The notice is sent to the student's last known mailing address or email address.

(10) The burden of proof that guides the student conduct officer's decision is a preponderance of evidence, which is whether it is more likely than not the accused student violated the standards of conduct for students. The student conduct officer includes in his/her written notice of the decision the findings and conclusions of all material issues of law, including which, if any, provision of the standards of conduct for students were violated. Findings based substantially on the credibility of evidence shall be so identified.

(11) The student conduct officer may take any of the following actions:

(a) Terminate the proceeding, exonerating the student;

(b) Dismiss the case after providing appropriate counseling and admonishment to the student. Such action is final and is not subject to review on appeal;

(c) Issue a verbal warning to the student directly. Such action is final and is not subject to review on appeal;

(d) Impose sanctions provided for in WAC 132Q-10-400 such as probation, loss of privileges, restitution or compensation, fines, college suspension of ten instructional days or less, and revocation of admission. Such actions are subject to review on appeal as provided in this chapter;

(e) Refer the matter directly to the student conduct board or the student conduct administrative panel for such action as the panel deems appropriate. Such referral shall be in writing, to the attention of the chair of the student conduct board or the chair of the student conduct administrative panel, with a copy served on the accused student.

(12) A referral to the student conduct board may be used in instances where the alleged misconduct is novel or controversial and the student conduct officer believes input from the larger campus community would be beneficial. A referral to the student administrative panel should be used in instances where new evidence comes forth suggesting that discipline of more than ten instructional days or dismissal/expulsion is appropriate or new evidence comes forth suggesting evidence of sexual misconduct. It may also be warranted when the immediate alleged misconduct, by itself, is not severe enough to warrant an expulsion or suspension in excess of ten instructional days, but may trigger a deferred suspension or expulsion that was imposed during an earlier disciplinary proceeding.

(13) The written decision is the college's initial order. Appeals are governed by WAC 132Q-10-335. A referral of a matter directly to the student conduct board or to the administrative panel does not constitute a written decision.

(14) If the respondent does not appeal the student conduct officer's decision within twenty calendar days from the date of the decision, it becomes the college's final order after twenty-one calendar days.