Policies at UCSC

Academic Misconduct Policy

The cornerstone of intellectual life at UC Santa Cruz is a commitment to integrity in all forms of teaching, learning, and research. Misconduct violates the standards of our community and is punishable by warning, suspension, dismissal, or revocation of a degree.

This Academic Misconduct Policy states campus policy concerning academic misconduct by undergraduates and describes the process that will be followed once an instructor or teaching assistant suspects that misconduct has occurred. All students who are charged with misconduct will be invited to discuss the matter with their instructors and with the Provost of the colleges with which they are affiliated. They are also entitled to bring their cases to the Academic Tribunal.

Drug & Alcohol Policy

UCSC expects all persons in university-affiliated areas to comply with federal, state, and local regulations regarding drug and alcohol policies. If a person who is 21 or over plans to consume alcoholic beverages while on campus, they must do so within the privacy of their assigned residences and in accordance with their residential regulations. Any person not acting in accordance with university policy will be subject to disciplinary procedures. To learn more, please visit the Alcohol and Drug Policies and Laws page and read through Appendix D.

Student Code of Conduct and University Conduct Expectations

We are excited to welcome your student into the Banana Slug family. At the University of California (UC), Santa Cruz. Students are members of both society and the university community, with attendant rights and responsibilities. As members of an academic community, integrity, accountability, and mutual respect are vital pillars of being part of this community. To help students succeed at UC Santa Cruz we require all students to familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook and more specifically the Code of Student Conduct (Sections 100-102) as students are bound to uphold these standards as soon as they sign their intent to enroll in the University. You can help your student by encouraging them to read the Student Handbook and the Code of Student Conduct and having an open conversation regarding how they will uphold these standards.

Many students may find themselves around alcohol and other drugs for the first time and will have to make important decisions regarding what to do in those situations and how to access University resources for support. As such, in cases of significant intoxication as a result of alcohol or other substances, the University encourages responsible behavior and for students to seek medical assistance for themselves or others under the Responsible Action Plan (RAP). In order to encourage seeking medical assistance, if medical assistance is sought in an emergency, a conduct record for violations of the University’s Alcohol and Drugs policies will likely not be created for the intoxicated student or the student(s) actively seeking medical assistance. For more information please visit the Responsible Action page.

Supporting Your Student Through the Conduct Process

As a parent or family member of a student, your relationship may change when your student goes to college, but you will likely still be a person your student goes to for support or assistance. As a result, you may be one of the people that your student calls if they receive an email about possible conduct allegations. You might also be the voice of reason to remind your student that the conduct process is the way the university maintains an environment conducive to academic achievement. Here is some information that can help you as you support your student through the conduct process.

1. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 as well as university policies preclude university staff from discussing your student’s academic and conduct record without their written permission. Staff can answer questions about the process, but cannot provide specific details about a case without a signed privacy waiver. Students may also rescind their previously granted permission for staff to discuss the incident at any time.
2. While we recognize that your goal is to provide support for your student, conduct staff ask that you provide this support unconditionally. It is also important to understand there may be varied perspectives regarding what happened. Please be aware that your student may not tell you all of the details of a situation.
3. Understand that there is a process in place to hear all information regarding the incident in question and encourage your student to prepare for the process. You can review the online Student Handbook, Section 107 to learn more about the behavioral misconduct process and the Academic Misconduct Policy for academic misconduct. Part of the goal of the conduct process is to help students learn about navigating processes. Please also encourage your student to review the relevant policy (these policies apply to students living on and off campus).
4. When your student receives an email regarding a conduct case and has questions, direct them to contact a staff member in the Office of Student Conduct and Conflict Education (OSCCE) for clarification. You or your student can contact OSCCE at conduct@ucsc.edu.
5. Practice the “24-Hour Rule.” You may receive a phone call or email message from your student because they are upset about being involved in a conduct case. You may be tempted to try to immediately fix the problem for them. Try to allow 24 hours to inform, guide, teach, and observe. Participation in the conduct process is designed to be educational and serves to help students learn how to advocate for themselves.  
6. Your student may ask you to serve as an advisor to them in the conduct process. This can be a challenging role for a parent, as the process requires students to speak on their own behalf. Encouraging your student to take the lead in preparing for the conduct process can help your student gain confidence in navigating their higher education experience. 

We take our responsibilities as educators very seriously and do our best to provide a fair and unbiased system for all students. While we understand that involvement in the conduct process may be difficult for students, we do our best to provide support for students to effectively handle future situations.

(The information referenced above is adapted from the Association for Student Conduct Administration's: "The Student Conduct Process: A Guide for Parents" 2006)