WSU President Kirk Schulz announced in an email statement on Friday that a task force of students, faculty and staff, administrators, alumni and donors will examine the entire student conduct process.

The task force’s goal, Schulz wrote, is to revise the student conduct process in order to reflect the best practices of universities nationwide. WSU’s conduct process has received extensive criticism over the past several months, including allegations that the board committed procedural errors, such as destruction of evidence, and failed to give students due process.

The task force’s review is expected to last three to four months, Schulz wrote, after which the group will submit its findings in a report with any proposed changes.

“Our goal is to implement an updated conduct process for the beginning of the fall 2017 semester,” Schulz wrote.

This comes after the university began an outside review process in October with law firm Lyons O’Dowd, which is investigating claims of racial and ethnic bias in the student conduct process. This review is expected to be completed by early- to mid-January.

Schulz wrote that the university will implement emergency rules for student conduct hearings which occur before the adoption of the task force’s recommendations, though the statement does not specify what rules.

This decision followed the ruling on Dec. 1 by Division III of the Washington Court of Appeals that WSU and other public colleges and universities in the state must use a full adjudication process when a student faces expulsion or is accused of sexual assault. Schulz wrote that the university will not appeal the court’s decision.

“Let there be no doubt,” Schulz wrote, “at the conclusion of our efforts we will implement conduct standards that provide a fair and equitable process for all students while protecting the safety and rights of the entire WSU community.”

Reporting by Rick Flores