GW Adds Independent Review Panel, Restores Full Appeals in Draft Code of Student Conduct

Following sustained feedback from faculty and student leaders, the George Washington University's Division for Student Affairs has revised its draft Code of Student Conduct to include an automatic independent review panel for the most serious sanctions and restored the appeals process.

These changes are in direct response to concerns raised consistently during nearly a year of community engagement. The updated draft is now available for a third and final 10-day comment period concluding May 6.

"This extensive revision of the code was absolutely necessary," said Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Colette Coleman. "The additions we are announcing today are a direct result of our community using its voice, and I am grateful for the thoughtful feedback."

What changed, and why?

Questions raised by members of the Student Government Association and the Faculty Senate prompted two substantive revisions to the draft code:

An automatic review panel for the most serious sanctions: When a decision-maker determines that suspension, expulsion, or revocation of organizational status is warranted, the case is now automatically referred to a three-member review panel composed of one student, one faculty member, and one administrator. This panel will receive an anonymized case file and will determine by majority vote whether to uphold the sanction. It cannot overturn a finding of responsibility, but it serves as a meaningful, independent check on the most consequential outcomes. If the panel does not uphold the sanction, the decision-maker must revise the action plan accordingly.

A fully restored appeals process: Following feedback from student leaders, a proposed limitation on the grounds on which students could appeal has been removed. Now any student whose case is not resolved through a student conduct agreement may appeal, and the option to appeal on the grounds of a disproportionate or inappropriate sanction has been included.

The draft code also includes expanded respondent rights language, a new definition of "preponderance of the evidence," and refined definitions of "university official," "harming behavior," "failure to comply," and "participation in unregistered student groups."

Revising the code

The transition away from the current structured hearing panel model has been among the most closely scrutinized aspects of the proposed new code.

Coleman addressed those concerns directly in a memorandum sent to Faculty Senate and SGA leadership on April 24, outlining several operational challenges with the current model, including inconsistent panel composition, investigations conducted by panelists rather than trained staff, limited oversight of sanction decisions in serious cases and ongoing difficulty maintaining a trained pool of faculty panelists.

The memo also further explained the rationale for making this change. While peer institutions take a range of approaches, GW's review found no peer institution operating hearing panels in the same way GW currently does. For example, Georgetown University does not use panels and operates a process similar to GW's original proposal, Boston University reserves panels for certain appeals, Tulane University limits student panels to student organization cases, and Temple University does not include students on conduct panels at all.

The new automatic review panel was added in direct response to that faculty and student feedback, preserving meaningful shared governance in the highest-stakes decisions while addressing the current model's operational shortcomings.

A year of community engagement

The revision process began in April 2025 with a community-wide announcement and initial comment period. Over the past year, the Division for Student Affairs has engaged the GW community through multiple channels, including:

• Two open comment periods with outreach to students, faculty and staff
• Presentations to the Faculty Senate's Committee on Educational Policy and Technology and SGA Senate
• Student forums and direct engagement with SGA and other student leaders
• Review of recommendations from EPT Subcommittee on Academic Integrity and Code of Student Conduct
• Consultation with an external subject matter expert

Final comment period open through May 6

The updated draft code is publicly available today. All GW students, faculty and staff are invited to review the document and submit final comments and questions through the Code of Student Conduct feedback webpage by May 6. Faculty Senate and SGA leadership are encouraged to share the draft widely within their constituencies.

Following the close of the comment period, DSA will review all feedback, make final revisions, and publish the updated version of the code. The code is scheduled to take effect June 1.

"The automatic review panel and the restored appeals show that this process was genuinely iterative," Coleman said. "The code that will take effect on June 1 will be a stronger document because of the voices that shaped it."

Questions about the code revision process may be directed to the Conflict Education and Student Accountability office. The draft code and community engagement materials are available online.