• Adjudicate/Adjudication: To make a formal decision about a conduct issue
  • Business/working days: Includes weekdays and excludes weekends, university holidays, and days the university president or their designee has determined that the campus will be closed.
  • Campus grounds/property: Physical locations owned, rented, or otherwise operated by the university.
  • Complainant: The alleged victim of misconduct, whether reported by them or a third party.
  • Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities designee: In the event that the Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities is unavailable or unable to initiate a conduct process, the designee would act in their place - the designee would be a representative from the Office of the Dean of Students, including, but not limited to the Associate or Assistant Dean of Students.
  • Essential Operations. When used within the Student Integrity Code, Essential Operations means:
    • Accessibility for students, staff, and faculty to all university facilities, buildings, walkways, streets, and hallways that they are authorized to access, including allowing for safe entrance to and emergency evacuation from university buildings, facilities, walkways, streets, and hallways.
    • Activities performed by university faculty, students, staff, vendors, or volunteers to maintain the integrity, security, and/or safety of university infrastructure, property, and systems.
    • Campus events – specifically, the right of faculty, students, staff, and guests to attend or access campus events including, but not limited to: athletic events, guest lecturers or speakers, and musical or theater performances.
    • Educational activities for students and faculty during instructional periods, including, but not limited to: classes, laboratories, lectures, experiential learning, and rehearsals.
  • Material Disruption. When used within the Student Integrity Code, Material Disruption means:
    • Intentionally and substantially interfering with the Essential Operations of the university; or
    • Improperly restraining or restricting freedom of movement, speech, assembly, or access to premises or activities by any individual who is a member of the university community or guest of the university or of any of its organizations in connection with that individual’s performance of legitimate activities or duties within or at the university; or
    • Intentionally hindering or infringing upon the rights of others, including but not limited to, the ability of others to attend, see, hear, speak, access, or participate in campus events or activities; or
    • Intentionally intimidating or materially threatening the safety of persons or property.
  • Good-faith effort: Provided with honesty or sincerity of intention.
  • Preponderance of the evidence: The standard of evidence utilized to determine whether it is more likely than not that a violation of the Student Integrity Code occurred.
  • Respondent: A student, group, or organization that is identified as allegedly engaging in conduct that violates the Student Integrity Code.
  • Student: The university designates that an “individual student” includes all persons registered for a course or courses at the university, either full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies and/or taking classes in an auditing or non-matriculant capacity. A person pursuing studies at Puget Sound is considered a student until such time that all necessary coursework has been completed, final grades have posted, and, for degree-seeking students, the degree has been conferred. Additionally, the following are considered students related to allegations of the Student Integrity Code violations:
    • persons who have accepted offers of admission (i.e., submitted deposits), but have not yet registered for classes;
    • persons residing on campus prior to attending classes or while completing a withdrawal or departure process;
    • persons who are not officially enrolled for a particular term (i.e., on a leave of absence, studying abroad, on suspension, etc.), but who have a continuing relationship with the college; and
    • persons who withdraw after allegedly violating the Student Integrity Code.
  • Student group: A number of individuals who are associated with each other, but who do not have status as an officially recognized student organization.
  • Student organization: Includes, but is not limited to, clubs and organizations recognized by the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound (ASUPS), athletics teams, club sports, and Greek organizations.
  • University official: Any person employed by the university performing administrative, professional, research, teaching, or paraprofessional responsibilities.