A University of Arizona Title IX lawyer can help you confirm which procedure controls your case, protect your evidence record, and prepare advisor-supported participation at a live hearing.
The University of Arizona runs separate disciplinary tracks. Formal complaints of Title IX Sexual Harassment follow interim procedures that the university describes as the exclusive process for those complaints. Other discrimination and harassment matters follow the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) investigating procedures, and general non-academic student misconduct follows the Dean of Students disciplinary procedures under the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) Student Code of Conduct, Policy 5-308. Your notice should state which track you are in, because clocks, hearing rules, and appeal routes differ. Background on federal coverage is at what is Title IX, and non-Title IX campus conduct charges are covered in our student code of conduct violations guide.
Intake: reporting, support, and emergency steps in Tucson
The Office of Institutional Equity receives reports, offers resources, and explains options through university email. Supportive measures are available whether or not a formal complaint has been filed. After a report, staff discuss the availability of supportive measures and the process for filing a formal complaint.
Separately, the university can remove a respondent from an education program or activity after an individualized safety and risk assessment finds an immediate threat to physical health or safety. Both sides receive notice with the terms and the right to challenge immediately. A challenge must be submitted in writing to the Title IX Coordinator no later than five days after removal takes effect, the other side has two days to respond in writing, and challenges are reviewed within twenty days. Day counts in this process mean university business days. If removal is upheld, it lasts until the process concludes or the reasons for it end. Keep every notice with its attachments, since track assignment, investigator assignment, and deadlines turn on those letters. Practical first steps are at after you have been accused.
Investigation: building a complete record
Investigators gather relevant evidence and both sides receive an equal opportunity to inspect or review what was obtained before the hearing. Parties and their advisors receive an electronic copy of the initial Investigative Report and have ten days to submit a written response explaining disagreements, which the investigator must consider before finalizing the report.
The final Investigative Report fairly summarizes the relevant evidence with the procedural steps taken. Parties and advisors receive an electronic copy at least ten days before the hearing, and the hearing notice itself goes out no less than twenty days before the hearing date with a copy of the final report. Use each review step to flag missing messages, misdated events, and witnesses who were not contacted, tying corrections to specific exhibits or pages already in the file. How investigators build records is at Title IX investigation.
Hearing and advisor: live hearing with advisor questioning
Title IX cases that are not otherwise resolved go to a live hearing before a Hearing Officer, who decides how the hearing will run within the required procedures. Parties and their Hearing Advisors take part in person or virtually for the whole hearing. Either side may request in writing that the parties sit in separate rooms with technology that lets everyone see and hear each other. A recording or transcript is made available to both sides. Hearing format is at how do Title IX hearings work.
Questioning belongs to advisors. Parties may not ask questions of each other or witnesses directly and must direct their Hearing Advisors to ask on their behalf during cross-examination, including credibility-challenging questions subject to Hearing Officer relevance rulings. Advisors may not make factual or legal arguments to the Hearing Officer. If you have no advisor at the hearing, the Title IX Coordinator provides a Hearing Advisor without fee solely to conduct cross-examination for you. Prepare question outlines that link each query to an exhibit or prior statement already in the file, and confirm logistics in writing, including attendee lists due five days before the hearing and impact statements due one day before. Defense planning notes are at Title IX defense strategies.
Determination, sanctions, and appeal
The Hearing Officer applies the preponderance of the evidence standard and issues a simultaneous written determination to all parties within twenty days after the hearing closes. The determination covers the allegations, the procedural steps, the evidence standard, findings of fact, conclusions applied to each allegation, any disciplinary sanctions with rationale, whether remedies for the complainant will be provided, and appeal procedures. Under the ABOR Policy 5-308 student conduct framework, sanctions range from warning and disciplinary probation through suspension, expulsion, and degree revocation.
Either side may appeal a determination or a dismissal of all or part of a formal complaint. The appeal goes in a written statement to the Provost and the Title IX Coordinator within ten days, must specify the grounds and explain how each could have affected the outcome, and must attach any new evidence with an explanation of why it was unavailable earlier. Five grounds are available: procedural irregularity, new evidence, a decision not reasonably justified by the evidence or contrary to law, excessive severity of sanction, and conflict of interest or bias. The other side is notified and has ten days to respond. The Provost or designee issues a reasoned written appeal decision within twenty days after receiving the response, and that decision is final. Sanctions are stayed during the appeal, while supportive measures may continue. A respondent who admits the conduct and accepts responsibility waives appeal of the determination, while the complainant keeps appeal rights. Appeal strategy is covered at Title IX appeals.
Dismissals follow the same appeal route. The Coordinator must dismiss Title IX complaints that do not meet the definition, occurred outside a university program or activity, or occurred outside the United States, and may dismiss where the respondent disassociated, the complainant withdrew in writing, or evidence cannot be gathered. Dismissed conduct can still be addressed under other university policies, including the Student Code of Conduct.
Frequently asked questions
How much time do I get to respond to the evidence at the University of Arizona?
You have ten days to respond in writing to the initial Investigative Report, then at least ten days with the final report before the hearing, with the hearing notice arriving no less than twenty days before the hearing date. Day counts in this process mean university business days.
Who questions witnesses at a University of Arizona Title IX hearing?
Only Hearing Advisors. You cannot question the other party or witnesses yourself. If you have no advisor, the university appoints one without charge solely for cross-examination.
Do sanctions start during an appeal?
No. Sanctions from a determination are stayed while the appeal runs. Supportive measures can stay in place or be reinstated in the meantime.
What if my Title IX complaint is dismissed?
Either side can appeal the dismissal through the same ten-day appeal route to the Provost and Title IX Coordinator. The dismissal notice should explain the reasons and the appeal process, and dismissed allegations may still proceed under the Dean of Students disciplinary procedures and ABOR Student Code of Conduct.
More guides for Arizona schools: Arizona Title IX lawyer.
Disclaimer
This guide provides general educational information about the University of Arizona Title IX and student conduct process and is not legal advice. Procedures change, and only your notice letters and the offices handling your case state what applies to you. This site is not affiliated with the University of Arizona. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this page. For advice about your matter, contact a qualified attorney promptly, because appeal and review deadlines are short.
Sources
- Office of Institutional Equity policies and procedures hub
- Interim procedures for formal complaints of Title IX sexual harassment
- OIE procedures for investigating formal complaints, November 2025
- University of Arizona Student Disciplinary Procedures & ABOR Student Code of Conduct (Policy 5-308)
To discuss your options, contact us.
