(1) Initial hearing.

(a) When a responsible instructor finds that a violation of academic integrity has occurred, the instructor must assemble the evidence and, upon reasonable notice to the student of the date, time, and nature of the allegations, meet with the student suspected of violating academic integrity policies. If the student admits violating academic integrity policies, the instructor assigns an outcome in keeping with published course policies and notifies the center for community standards in writing, including the allegations, the student's admission, and the sanctions assigned.

(b) If the instructor is unable to meet with the student or if the respondent disputes the allegation(s) and/or the outcome proposed by the instructor, the instructor must make a determination as to whether the student did or did not violate the academic integrity policies. If the instructor finds that the student was in violation, the instructor must provide the student and the center for community standards with a written determination, the evidence relied upon, and the sanctions assigned.

(c) The student has twenty-one calendar days from the date of the decision letter to request review of the instructor's determination and/or sanction(s) assigned to the academic integrity hearing board.

(2) Review.

(a) Upon timely request for review by a student who has been found by their instructor to have violated the academic integrity policies, the academic integrity hearing board must make a separate and independent determination of whether or not the student is responsible for violating the academic integrity policies and/or whether the outcome proposed by the instructor is in keeping with the instructor's published course policies.

(b) The academic integrity hearing board is empowered to provide an appropriate remedy for a student including arranging a withdrawal from the course, having the student's work evaluated, or changing a grade where it finds that:

(i) The student is not responsible for violating academic integrity policies; or

(ii) The outcome assigned by the instructor violates the instructor's published policies.

(c) Academic integrity hearing board proceedings.

(i) Any student appealing a responsible instructor's finding of an academic integrity violation is provided written notice of an academic integrity hearing board hearing in accordance with WAC 504-26-035. The written notice must include:

(A) The specific complaint, including the university or instructor academic integrity policy or regulation allegedly violated;

(B) The approximate time and place of the alleged act that forms the factual basis for the violation;

(C) The time, date, and place of the hearing;

(D) A list of the witnesses who may be called to testify, to the extent known; and

(E) A description of all documentary and real evidence to be used at the hearing, to the extent known, including a statement that the student must have the right to inspect the documentation.

(ii) Time for hearings.

(A) Academic integrity hearing board hearings are scheduled not less than seven calendar days after the student has been sent notice of the hearing.

(B) Requests to extend the time and/or date for hearing must be addressed to the chair of the academic integrity hearing board, and must be copied to the center for community standards. A request for extension of time is granted only upon a showing of good cause.

(iii) Academic integrity hearing board hearings are conducted ac-cording to the following procedures, except as provided by (c)(iv) of this subsection:

(A) Academic integrity hearing board hearings are conducted in private.

(B) The instructor, respondent, and their advisor, if any, are allowed to attend the entire portion of the hearing at which information is received (excluding deliberations). Admission of any other person to the hearing is at the discretion of the academic integrity hearing board chair.

(C) In academic integrity hearings involving more than one respondent, the academic integrity hearing board chair may permit joint or separate hearings at the chair's discretion.

(D) In hearings involving graduate students, board memberships are comprised to include graduate students and graduate teaching faculty to the extent possible.

(E) The responsible instructor and the respondent may arrange for witnesses to present relevant information to the academic integrity hearing board. Witnesses must provide written statements to the conduct officer at least two weekdays before the hearing. The respondent is responsible for informing their witnesses of the time and place of the hearing. Witnesses provide information to and answer questions from the academic integrity hearing board, the responsible instructor, and the respondent, as appropriate. The respondent and/or responsible instructor may suggest written questions to be answered by each other or by other witnesses. Written questions are submitted to, and asked by, the academic integrity hearing board chair. This method is used to preserve the educational tone of the hearing and to avoid creation of an unduly adversarial environment, and to allow the board chair to determine the relevancy of questions. Questions concerning whether potential information may be received are resolved at the discretion of the academic integrity hearing board chair, who has the discretion to determine admissibility of information.

(F) Pertinent records, exhibits, and written statements may be accepted as information for consideration by an academic integrity hearing board at the discretion of the chair.

(G) Questions related to the order of the proceedings are subject to the final decision of the chair of the academic integrity hearing board.

(H) After the portion of the hearing concludes in which all pertinent information is received, the academic integrity hearing board determines (by majority vote) whether or not the respondent is responsible for violating the academic integrity policy and/or whether the outcome proposed by the instructor is in keeping with the instructor's published course policies.

(I) The respondent is notified of the academic integrity hearing board's decision within twenty calendar days from the date the matter is heard. The respondent must receive written notice of the decision, the reasons for the decision (both the factual basis therefore and the conclusions as to how those facts apply to the academic integrity policies), and the sanction.

(iv) If a respondent to whom notice of the hearing has been sent (in the manner provided above) does not appear at the hearing, the information in support of the complaint is presented and considered in the respondent's absence, and the board may issue a decision based upon that information.

(v) The academic integrity hearing board may for convenience, or to accommodate concerns for the personal safety, well-being, and/or fears of confrontation of any person, provide separate facilities, and/or permit participation by telephone, audio tape, written statement, or other means, as determined in the sole judgment of the chair of the academic integrity hearing board to be appropriate.

(vi) The written decision of the academic integrity hearing board is the university's final order. There is no appeal from findings of responsibility or outcomes assigned by university or college academic integrity hearing boards.

(3) If the reported violation is the respondent's first offense, the center for community standards ordinarily requires the respondent to attend a workshop separate from, and in addition to, any academic outcomes assigned by the instructor. A hold is placed on the respondent's record preventing registration or graduation until completion of the workshop.

(4) If the reported violation is the respondent's second offense, the respondent is ordinarily referred for a full adjudicative hearing in accordance with WAC 504-26-403, with a recommendation that the respondent be dismissed from the university.

(5) If the instructor or academic integrity hearing board determines that the act of academic dishonesty for which the respondent is found responsible is particularly egregious in light of all attendant circumstances, the instructor or academic integrity hearing board may direct that the respondent's case be referred for a full adjudicative hearing, with a recommendation for dismissal from the university even if it is the respondent's first offense.

(6) Because instructors and departments have a legitimate educational interest in the outcomes, reports of academic integrity hearing board and/or conduct board hearings must be reported to the responsible instructor and the chair or dean.