(1) Definition. An emergency suspension is a temporary exclusion of a student from all or specified portions of university premises, programs, or activities pending an investigation or conduct hearing relating to alleged standards of conduct violations. An emergency suspension may be assigned at any time prior to the issuance of the university's final order in the matter.
(2) Circumstances warranting emergency suspension. Emergency suspension may be assigned only in situations when the dean of students or a vice chancellor for student affairs (in consultation with CCS), or their designee, has engaged in an individualized safety and risk analysis, and determines that removal is justified because the student:
(a) Allegedly has violated any provision of the standards of conduct; and
(b) If the allegations in (a) of this subsection are true, the student is an imminent and serious threat to the health or safety of any student, employee, or other individual. Conduct that creates an ongoing disruption of, or interference with, the operations of the university and that prevents other students, employees, or invitees from completing their duties or accessing their education or the educational environment, is conduct harmful to the welfare of members of the university community.
(3) Procedure. The dean of students or a vice chancellor for student affairs, or their designee, ordering an emergency suspension must send the student a written notice of emergency suspension. The notice must contain the reasons for the decision (both the factual basis and the conclusions as to why those facts constitute a violation of the standards of conduct), the policy reasons for the emergency suspension, and the process to challenge the decision. The emergency suspension does not replace the community standards process, which must proceed to a conduct hearing, as applicable, as quickly as feasible unless the emergency suspension is lifted earlier by the individual who issued the original emergency suspension or the individual who reviewed the student's challenge to an emergency suspension. If an emergency suspension is lifted prior to the hearing, the conduct officer determines whether to refer the matter to a hearing. Once a final order or agreement is entered, any emergency suspension is lifted and the sanction, if any, set forth in the final order or agreement is assigned.
(4) Challenge of the decision. The student can challenge the emergency suspension decision within 10 calendar days of the date of notice. Challenges are reviewed by the vice president for student affairs or their designee, provided the designee is not the same person who made the original emergency suspension decision. The vice president for student affairs or designee has 10 calendar days to respond to the challenge and can uphold, reverse, or modify the emergency suspension. If the challenge is not reviewed within 10 calendar days, it is automatically deemed upheld. The submission of a challenge does not stay the emergency suspension decision.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
28B.30.150. WSR 24-23-093, s 504-26-409, filed 11/19/24, effective 12/20/24; WSR 22-23-142, § 504-26-409, filed 11/21/22, effective 1/1/23; WSR 21-07-057, § 504-26-409, filed 3/15/21, effective 4/15/21; WSR 18-23-083, § 504-26-409, filed 11/19/18, effective 12/20/18.]