Student Rights & Responsibilities

The purpose of the Student Code is to educate students about their civic and social responsibilities as members of the institutional community. The primary focus of the student conduct process is on educational and corrective outcomes; however, conduct sanctions such as suspension or expulsion from an institution may be necessary to uphold community standards and to protect the campus community. Extensive, organized, serious or repeated violations of this Student Code are taken into account when determining conduct sanctions.

University conduct processes, administered through the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities (SRR), ensure that community standards and university due processes are upheld. Referrals may be made for:

• Alleged misconduct such as perceived violations of policy, specified in the student code of conduct and by local or federal law. For more detailed information you may access SDBOR Policy 3:4 in the student handbook. Information about the student conduct process begins on page 14.

University Due Process

• You will receive a written notice of allegations - referred to as a "notification of charges" letter.
• Electronic notice from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities will be sent to your university email account.
• Hard copy may also be sent to your residence hall, to your local or permanent address or retained for you to pick up at your conduct consultation meeting.
• Email sent to your USD student account is considered official communication.

Procedural Options

• University due process requires that you be informed of procedural options.
• You may waive your right to formal process and opt for informal resolution by accepting responsibility for the charge(s) and any sanctioning – any such obligations will be discussed prior to acceptance.
• Alternately, you may choose to participate in a formal hearing in order to rebut the charges. Students may be heard informally by SRR staff or opt to participate in a formal hearing coordinated through SRR.
• A conduct body, either a faculty or staff hearing officer or a convened university conduct board will be assigned to hear the charge(s) in formal proceedings.
• You may appeal a finding when you believe your due process rights were violated or when facts emerge, unknown at the time of their hearing that you believe may affect the outcome.
• You may also accept responsibility for the misconduct, but appeal the sanctioning when it appears unduly harsh.
• Appeals must be made in writing and delivered to the appeal officer within five business days of the hearing; hearing officers will direct students to the administrative point of appeal.

Members of the institutional community reasonably expect that they shall be able to live, study, work and relax in a safe and orderly environment that promotes achievement of the educational, scholarly and public service missions of the institution. The following, while not all-inclusive, are forms of conduct that infringe upon those expectations, disrupt the orderly progress of institutional activities and expose the student to conduct sanctions.

Any student, group of students, or student organization found to have committed the following misconduct is subject to the conduct sanctions outlined in Section 3, of BOR 3:4.

Acts of dishonesty, including, but not limited to:

Cheating

• Use or giving of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests or examinations.
• Use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems or carrying out other assignments.
• Acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the institutional faculty or staff.

Plagiarism

• The use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement consistent with accepted practices of the discipline.
• The unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.
• Other forms of dishonesty relating to academic achievement, research results or academically related public service.

Reporting

• The University’s policy regarding academic misconduct is outlined in SDBOR Policy 2:33.
• If you feel a violation has been made, complete the academic misconduct informal disposition form.
• Please submit the completed disposition form via our academic integrity reporting form.

Our residence halls are community living spaces in which student wellness (success, health and safety) is a primary focus. Residence hall policy is intended to support this concept. Community members should familiarize themselves with relevant policy, including their rights and responsibilities as on-campus residents. A detailed listing is available at University Housing.

Residents are encouraged to check with staff when unclear about rules such as permissible items, access, etc. A resident assistant (RA) may be able to help, or you may wish to make an appointment with your residence hall director (schedule with staff at the front desk).

• When a referral is made for a community living policy (CLP) violation, SRR staff may determine that the residence hall director would be best suited to follow-up on the matter.
• In such situations you can expect an email from the residence hall director, who will arrange for an in-hall meeting to review relevant policy and expectations, assist with any questions you may have, etc.
• Repeated CLP infractions, failing to attend a CLP meeting or to respond to staff direction regarding the violation may result in a conduct referral. Residents are encouraged to meet with housing staff in order to resolve a policy matter without it escalating to a conduct issue.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) permits colleges and universities to inform parents of drug and alcohol policy violations committed by their students. University of South Dakota (USD) personnel understand that parents are partners in responding to issues of substance abuse. Thus, under certain circumstances, it is USD policy to notify parents or guardians of their student’s alcohol and/or drug policy violation. You may review the full policy by clicking the link below.

Full Parental Notification of Drug/Alcohol Violation Policy