Student Rights & Responsibilities
OfficeAll members of the academic community share responsibility for maintaining conditions which promote the pursuit of knowledge.
Contact Us
414 E. Clark St.
Vermillion SD 57069
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The community supports each member's right to study and work in a quiet, respectful, non-violent atmosphere that promotes the pursuit and acquisition of knowledge. Students who voluntarily join the university community assume the obligation of abiding by the standards commonly held by that community. Every student at the University of South Dakota is therefore obligated to assume responsibility for his or her actions, to respect constituted authority, to be truthful and respect the rights of others, as well as to protect personal and public property.
Submit an Incident Report
The University of South Dakota expects that its students, faculty, and staff will report all violations of the Student Code of Conduct of which they become aware. The form below may be utilized for general conduct concerns, potential Title IX issues, or RA poor practice reports. If you need assistance determining how or to whom an incident should be reported, please contact Student Rights & Responsibilities.
In an emergency or crisis situation that requires immediate intervention, contact University Police at 605-658-6199 or call 911.
Submit a CARE or TART Referral
Do you know a student who needs assistance but don't know how to help? The CARE team, formally known as BIT, receives reports of individuals who may need guidance to appropriate service and support provisions. You can refer a student by filling out the form below, by phone at 605-658-3555, or by sending an email to deanofstudents@usd.edu. If you believe that there are Title IX concerns that may need to be addressed by the Title IX office, please submit an incident report from the link above, or email the Title IX Coordinator at Jean.Merkle@usd.edu in addition to submitting your referral.
If the student of concern is displaying concerning or threatening behavior that should be addressed right away by the Threat Assessment Review Team (TART), please indicate this on the form below and contact UPD right away at 605-658-6199.
Submit a Student of Concern Referral
Disciplinary Record Requests
Many graduate and professional schools, employers, and study abroad programs require that students obtain certification from the University of South Dakota that the student is in good standing, is not under restriction or probation, or has never had any significant violations of the Student Code of Conduct. These are sometimes called "Dean's Certification," "Judicial Record" or "Record Release." The requesting institution might suggest that you contact the Dean of Students, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, or another similar department. Student Support and Conduct processes all requests for conduct record certification, but cannot provide character references or answer questions about students' moral character as part of a conduct record certification.
Academic Misconduct
The Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities has an obligation to uphold the policies surrounding academic integrity as defined by the Student Code of Conduct.
The University's procedures for academic misconduct are outlined in SDBOR Policy 2:33. Any questions regarding the policies or procedures of academic dishonesty can be directed to SRR.
If you are an instructor who suspects an instance of academic misconduct, please refer to the procedural flowchart below before completing the disposition form via DocuSign. Following the student's signature, the completed form is automatically routed to Student Rights and Responsibilities and both parties will be notified once the instance has been recorded by SRR. Disciplinary records are confidential, however, in certain instances, applicable departments may be notified of the disposition.
Contact us
Departments & Facilities
Dean of Students Office
The Dean of Students works with many non-academic services and programs that are focused on providing student development activities and services that will enhance student learning and success. Included is the USD student handbook.
Opportunity Center
The USD Opportunity Center offers a central connection point for campus resources that are designed specifically for student success.