XVI Investigation
All investigations are thorough, reliable, impartial, prompt, and fair. They involve interviewing all available, relevant Parties and witnesses, obtaining Relevant Evidence, and identifying sources of expert information, as necessary.
After an interview, Parties and witnesses will be asked to verify the accuracy of the recording, transcript, or summary of their interview. They may submit changes, edits, or clarifications. If the Parties or witnesses do not respond within the time period designated for verification, objections to the accuracy of the recording, transcript, or summary will be deemed to have been waived, and no changes will be permitted.
The University may consolidate Complaints against more than one Respondent, or by more than one Complainant against one or more Respondent(s), when the allegations arise from the same facts or circumstances or implicate a pattern, collusion, and/or other shared or similar actions.
Investigations involve the following:
- Determining the names of and contacting all involved Parties and potential witnesses to participate in an investigation interview
- Identifying issues and developing a strategic investigation plan, including a witness list, evidence list, intended investigation timeframe, and order of interviews for the Parties and witnesses
- Providing written notification of the date, time, and location of all investigation meetings, including the expected participants and purpose
- Conducting any necessary follow-up interviews with Parties or witnesses
- Providing the Parties and witnesses an opportunity to verify the accuracy of either a summary or transcript of their interview(s)
- Soliciting the names of suggested witnesses and questions each party wishes to have asked of another party or witness
- Writing a Draft Investigation Report that gathers, assesses, and synthesizes the evidence, accurately summarizes the investigation and party and witness interviews, and provides all Relevant Evidence
- Compiling a Directly Related Evidence File
- Providing the Parties and their respective Advisors an electronic or hard copy of the Draft Investigation Report as well as an opportunity to inspect and review all of the evidence obtained as part of the investigation that is directly related to the reported misconduct, including evidence upon which the University does not intend to rely in reaching a determination, for a ten (10)-calendar-day review and comment period so that each party may meaningfully respond to the evidence. The Parties may elect to waive the full ten (10) days.
- Incorporating any new, Relevant Evidence and information obtained through the Parties’ review of the Draft Investigation Report and any follow-up meetings into the Final Investigation Report
- Responding in writing (typically within the Final Investigation Report) to the relevant elements of the Parties’ responses to the Draft Investigation Report.
- Sharing the Final Investigation Report with the Senior Director of Student Experience and Title IX Coordinator for their review and feedback
- Providing the Senior Director of Student Experience and Title IX Coordinator with the Final Investigation Report and Directly Related Evidence File