The hearing space
- P&T hearings have traditionally been conducted in conference space belonging to the Academic Senate in Stephens Hall.
- The two parties (each typically with their legal counsel) are seated apart. P&T panelists are also seated apart, accompanied by P&T's own legal counsel. Witnesses testify sitting apart from either party. There is space to accommodate a support person for the witness. Often, the two parties, the P&T hearing panel, and the place for witnesses are at four separate tables. A court reporter sits nearby.
- Outside the hearing space, there is a hallway and a small room in which witnesses wait their turn to testify. Parties can leave the hearing room to confer privately with their attorneys.
Measures to ensure participant well-being
Hearings can be challenging experiences. Parties and witnesses may request a variety of reasonable measures, subject to the approval of the P&T hearing panel chair, to protect their well-being during the hearing. These include:
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Visual and/or physical separation of the participants. This could be a physical partition in the hearing space, the ability of a witness to participate via videoconference from a separate location, etc.
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Breaks. A witness or party in a P&T hearing can request breaks as needed.
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Support person. A witness can bring a support person to sit quietly at their side for emotional support during testimony. In SVSH cases, it is common for complainants who appear as witnesses to be accompanied by a confidential PATH to Care advocate. PATH to Care advocates are familiar with the P&T process