University of Washington student leaders are organizing campus meetings this week to oppose proposed changes to the student conduct code. They say the draft could hold students responsible for damage at protests that they did not cause and reduce their say in disciplinary cases.
The university’s Board of Regents postponed a Sept. 9 vote after students, faculty and staff raised concerns about the revisions and how they were developed. An updated proposal is expected during winter quarter 2027, but no vote date has been set.
The draft would let the university treat an effort to hide one’s identity as a factor when setting sanctions, broaden accountability for property damage during demonstrations, and permit staff or outside contractors to hear misconduct appeals. University officials say wearing a mask or attending a demonstration alone would not trigger punishment; concealment would matter only after a finding of prohibited conduct and if the student intended to avoid identification.
UW says the review began last November, was not prompted by campus protests and aims to improve fairness, transparency and accountability while meeting civil rights requirements. Student association president Shantanu Adekar says students still lack a clear way to shape the final proposal.
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