(1)(a) Disciplinary decisions may be appealed by filing a written request with the office of the VPSS within twenty-one days of the notice of the decision. Disciplinary decisions of the SCO may be appealed for review by the SAB using the brief adjudicative process. Disciplinary decisions of the SCB may be appealed for review by the college president using the brief adjudicative process. Disciplinary decisions by the SCO that include sexual misconduct may be applied for review by the SCB using the brief adjudicative process. Failure to file a written appeal within twenty-one days will result in the decision becoming final with no further right of appeal.

(b) The request for appeal must include a brief statement explaining the grounds for the appeal or why the party is seeking review. Disagreement with the finding and/or with the sanctions does not, by itself, represent grounds for appeals.

(2) Decisions may be appealed for one or more of the following:

(a) To determine whether there was a procedural error that substantially affected the outcome of the finding or sanctioning. Deviation from designated procedures is not a basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.

(b) To determine whether the sanction(s) imposed were appropriate and not excessively lenient or excessively severe for the violation of the student code of conduct for which the student was found responsible.

(c) To consider new information, sufficient to alter a decision, or other relevant facts not brought during fact finding, because such information and/or facts were not known, and the student bringing the appeal had no duty to discover or could not have reasonably discovered facts giving rise to the issues during investigation or fact-finding.

(3) Refusal to participate during the investigation or student conduct process does not constitute a right to appeal.

The VPSS or designee will forward appeals based on one or more of the required grounds for appeal to the SAB, SCB, or president as provided herein.

A party, who timely appeals a disciplinary action, has a right to a prompt, fair, and impartial appeal review as provided in these procedures.

Interim measures will remain in effect pending an appeal unless they have been removed pursuant to WAC 132S-100-445.

(4) Appeals of disciplinary action(s) will be taken in the following order:

(a) Complainants are afforded the same right to appeal as respondents in student conduct matters in which the complainant was the alleged target of violence or sexual misconduct. If both parties appeal the decision, the appeals will be reviewed in the order in which they are filed or reviewed together, if they state the same, similar, or related grounds or substance for appeal.

(b) The SAB or college president's decision to affirm, reverse or modify the decision and/or sanction will be issued pursuant to WAC 132S-100-130.

(c) The SAB's, and the college president's decisions are final.