Submit Academic Integrity Incident Report
The Honor Code is a set of principles established by the university to promote virtue in all aspects of a student’s academic career. Honor Code violations will be subject to university sanctions.
Reasons for an Honor Code Hearing
Someone has reported you for an alleged academic integrity violation. Examples of violations include:
- Cheating
- Plagiarism
- Falsification
- Complicity
Read the Official USC Honor Code.
What to Expect
You will meet with a conduct administrator for about 60 minutes to discuss the alleged
violation. This is typically an informal, one-on-one discussion. You'll learn the nature of your referral and see any test, papers, SafeAssign reports
or other materials provided by the reporter, and be able to present similarly relevant
documentation. Since the OAI is the expert on the Honor Code, the final authority
on which Honor Code policies apply rests with the OAI.
Due to the nature of the case it may be critical for the conduct administrator to gather additional information. Therefore, a follow up meeting to resolve the case may be scheduled.
What You Should Bring
- Bring any relevant information that you think may not already be supplied by your professor.
- If you believe someone witnessed the incident in question, please bring their contact information to your meeting.
Since our process is designed to be educational, we encourage your participation. If you fail to attend your first scheduled meeting, a few things may happen:
- a registration hold will be placed on your records.
- you will be unable to register for classes or make changes to your schedule.
- a new meeting will automatically be scheduled for you.
If you again do not attend, a decision will be made without you present, based on the information available. You will receive a letter via your university email outlining the decision.
Please do not use video, audio, or artificially generated recordings of meetings as official documentation, as they do not reflect the full and accurate context of the meeting. If you need any clarification or confirmation of what was discussed in the meeting, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you. If you prefer having a recording of the meeting, the hearing option with the Carolina Judicial Council is recorded and you would be given access. If this is a priority, we will arrange a Carolina Judicial Council on your behalf.
Bringing Others
Students who are alleged to have violated the Honor Code may bring one advisor with
them to both administrative conferences and Carolina Judicial Council hearings. This
advisor can be a parent, friend, or attorney. This advisor is meant to support the
student as they go through the honor code process, and should not speak for the student.
The student will need to fill out a Consent to Release Information Form for anyone who will attend their meetings with them.
The University uses the preponderance of evidence standard when determining if a student is responsible or not responsible for an alleged Honor Code violation (i.e., that it is more likely than not that the alleged violated the Honor Code).
- Consult with the student prior to their administrative conference with the Office
of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. This can include:
- Reviewing the incident report or police report submitted with the student.
- Assisting the student in preparing a statement regarding the alleged involvement or questions to ask during their meeting.
- The student should remain the main point of contact for the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity until their case is resolved. The University will typically communicate with the student, not with the student’s advisor. Information regarding the student’s case will be sent to the student directly (via email). The student may then choose to forward any communication with their chosen advisor.
- Based on FERPA, the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity cannot discuss a student’s education record, including details involving Code of Conduct or Honor Code alleged violations, without the student’s written consent. In order for information to be shared with a student's advisor, the student needs to fill out a Consent to Release Information Form.
If You Agree with the Administrative Conference Resolution
If you are found responsible for violating university conduct policies, you will be assigned outcomes or sanctions. You may also be assigned an academic sanction from your faculty or instructor of record. Please note that all grade penalties are at the discretion of the instructor. Possible non-academic sanctions include:
- Educational actions (including tutorials, essays, or workshops)
- Probation
- Suspension
If You Disagree with the Administrative Conference Resolution
You may ask for a hearing with the Carolina Judicial Council if you wish to contest the findings of your initial hearing or if you believe you would be more fairly heard by a panel of your peers.