Witness & Complainant Information

Participation from witnesses and/or reporting parties/complainants is voluntary and often provides useful details that help the Student Rights & Responsibilities (SRR) resolve cases from a more informed perspective.

Witnesses

Witnesses are anyone with relevant information about an incident and can participant in-person, remotely or via a statement. If the person experienced direct harm as a result of the reported incident, they may wish to request to participate as a reporting party/complainant.

Witnesses attending in person or remotely can be questioned by the respondent (accused student), the complainant (the reporting party, if involved in the case) and the hearing body. Witnesses are not required to to answer questions but we expect them to be truthful about any information that they do provide. Witnesses can have a support person. However, the support person cannot be present in the student conduct proceeding, whether the hearing is in-person or virtual. Witnesses may request that questions between themselves and others be asked indirectly, typically through the presiding officer.

Alternatively, witnesses can choose to provide a signed witness statement to be reviewed during proceedings. In this case, witnesses would be unavailable for questions.

Reporting Parties/Complainants

The Code of Student Conduct allows the reporting party or complainant to participate in a student conduct process at the discretion of the Director of SRR or designee. Anyone wishing to participate as a reporting party/complainant can make that request to the case manager. Such individuals may also wish to consider participating as witnesses.

Reporting parties/complainants are not necessarily required to participate in order for the case to proceed. In the event a reporting party/complainant chooses not to participate, the case may proceed based on the information available.

Participation could include:

• Attending a student conduct proceeding,
• Questioning the respondent,
• Responding to questions from the respondent and the hearing body,
• Presenting witnesses,
• Submitting an impact statement describing how the alleged misconduct has affected the reporting party/complainant, or
• Receiving information about the outcome, consistent with law.

Similar to witnesses, reporting parties/complainants may participate in-person, remotely, or via a statement. If attending in-person or remotely, reporting parties/complainants can be questioned by the respondent (accused student) and the hearing body. Reporting parties/complainants can also request to question the respondent and bring witnesses of their own. Reporting parties/complainants are not required to answer questions. However, we do expect them to be truthful about any information that they do provide. Reporting parties/complainants may request that questions between themselves and others be asked indirectly, typically through the presiding officer.

Reporting parties/complainants can have a support person attend the proceeding with them. Such a request should be made to the case manager.

Alternatively, reporting parties/complainants can choose to provide a signed statement to be reviewed during proceedings. In this case, they would not be available to answer questions.