The purpose of a Review Meeting is to determine whether a student has failed to follow the standards governing student conduct at Pacific Lutheran University. As educators and as peers, the Conduct Body’s responsibilities include: (a) reviewing Incident Reports and determining whether, or to what extent, students were involved in the reported misconduct; (b) assisting students toward responsible conduct; and (c) determining appropriate sanctions when necessary.
Review Meetings are neither formal court trials nor formal administrative hearings. Rather, they are structured educational discussions that focus on the student's conduct in association with the university community. Review Meetings provide an opportunity to identify concerns, to explore and discuss the area of misconduct, to challenge the student's commitment to membership in PLU's educational community, and to make recommendations for change. The following is an overview of Review Meeting guidelines and procedures:
A. Notice of Meeting
The Student Conduct Coordinator notifies Conduct Body members and students named on an Incident Report of the date, time, and place for the Review Meeting (see Section IV(A) for detailed information on notification procedures and attendance requirements).
B. Order of Review Proceedings
1. The Conduct Body reviews the written material prior to the meeting and determines appropriate questions.
2. The Conduct Body gathers information in the following ways:
a. The Conduct Body hears from all persons involved in an incident to determine the facts.
b. The Conduct Body may ask questions to determine what occurred, why it occurred, how others may perceive it, and whether the behavior fits within the university standards.
c. The Conduct Body reviews all written information submitted with regard to the incident.
C. Witnesses
1. Witnesses may be summoned by the Conduct Body and/or students who are named in the Incident Report. The Conduct Body reserves the right to determine the relevancy of witnesses and excuse them if the information shared appears unproductive or irrelevant. Conduct Body members may limit witness testimony to the facts of the situation.
2. Witnesses may attend Review Meetings only to hear procedures and to present information. They are excused as soon as the testimony is completed.
3. Conduct Bodies may invite as witnesses, persons who submitted Incident Reports or other persons whose names appear on the Incident Report.
4. Students named on an Incident Report shall be present at all times during the meeting when the board or Hearing Officer is receiving information from witnesses. When more than one student is involved in the same incident, the Conduct Body may consider each student's involvement separately and exclude the other students from the meeting. Each student shall be given the opportunity to hear all information concerning her/his misconduct.
5. While discussing an incident with one student, the Conduct Body may receive information which may affect another student. In this event, the Conduct Body shall inform the other student and provide the other student with the opportunity to respond before the Conduct Body deliberates.
6. After all witnesses have given testimony the student may make a summary statement. The Conduct Body may limit the summary as to time and content and may terminate it if the Conduct Body believes the summary is not relevant.
7. Any member of a Conduct Body may question the student or the witnesses. All questions must be pertinent to the report and the purposes of the meeting.
D. Lawyers/legal counsel are not permitted at Review Meetings or to be involved with any portion of the university process. The university expects that community members possess the skills and resources to manage conduct problems.
E. Alleged victims of sexual and/or physical assault will be offered the opportunity to be present at all Review Meeting proceedings. If the alleged victim and alleged violators in such incidents cannot be present at all proceedings, then both shall be given the opportunity to hear all information presented during the process. Alleged victims of other incidents (i.e. harassment, vandalism, etc. may be involved in review proceedings at the discretion of the Conduct Body.
F. A support person who accompanies a student is present for emotional support only and may not speak on the student's behalf.
G. Deliberation and Decision Making
1. The Conduct Body deliberates privately. The advisor may be called upon to advise on procedural matters.
2. Deliberations generally take the following form:
a. Review of information obtained during Review Meeting.
b. Decision reached by majority vote.
c. Students who are found responsible for a violation are sanctioned according to the nature of the misconduct and review of their conduct history.
H. Notification of Decision
The Conduct Body recalls the student(s) and announces the decision accompanied by a brief rationale. A decision becomes official when confirmed in writing to the students.
Those students who do not attend a Review Meeting only receive notification of the decision through the mail.
If the Conduct Body cannot reach a decision during the meeting, it must render a decision within 72-hours, excluding weekends and holidays, of the conclusion of the meeting.
I. Disqualification of Board Members
1. After reviewing the written report, any Conduct Body member who has knowledge of the situation must share this knowledge with the other members. The members shall discuss the matter and decide by majority vote whether that member should be involved in the meeting. When a member knowledgeable of the situation is not excluded from the meeting, that member must provide the student(s) with all information shared with the Conduct Body.
2. Hearing Officers who have prior knowledge of an assigned case must report that knowledge to the Student Conduct Coordinator. If that officer hears the case, s/he must inform the student(s) of the prior knowledge.
3. A student appearing before a CRB or URB may request the disqualification of any member he/she believes to be biased. The burden of substantiating the charge of bias rests with the student. The final determination is made by a majority vote of the board.
4. If disqualification results in the loss of a quorum, the CRB or URB shall postpone the meeting until a quorum can be reconstituted, unless the student agrees to proceed with the Review Meeting.
J. Reconstituting a Quorum
When, because of board member disqualification, less than a quorum remains, the Review Meeting may continue if the student is willing to proceed. If agreement to continue is not reached, the Review Meeting shall be postponed and the Student Conduct Coordinator shall reschedule the meeting.