Terminology
Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity
The office which responds to allegations that students have violated University policies. This office interprets and enforces the policies and procedures found in the Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures.
Student Disciplinary Policies & Procedures
The document containing information about students' rights & responsibilities. Specifically, this document outlines prohibited behaviors (found in Section V. Code of Student Conduct, pp. 3-5). The document also outlines the procedures to be followed for resolving allegations that a student has violated one or more policies contained in the Code of Student Conduct.
Students' Rights
Procedural protections afforded to students accused of policy violations. Examples include the right to examine evidence, to question witnesses and to remain silent. See Rights of Accused Students.
Students' Responsibilities
Behavioral expectations of students inside and outside the classroom, outlined in the Code of Student Conduct. Examples of prohibited acts include plagiarism, cheating, disrupting University operations or activities (including classes), engaging in unlawful conduct, etc.
FERPA
An acronym for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. FERPA refers to legislation that grants students access to their education records and protects the confidentiality of these records. FERPA prevents institutions from disclosing information contained in students' education records without their prior consent (with some exceptions, including but not limited to the following):
- the release of information to University officials with a "legitimate education interest"
- the release of information to parents of a student who is under the age of 21 at the time of the disclosure when student has violated the University's drug or alcohol rules.
For more information about FERPA, visit ODU FERPA or the Department of Education FERPA Page.
Notice of Charge(s)
A written notice sent to an accused student's official ODU email account. The notice provides a student with knowledge that the Office of Student Judicial Affairs has received information alleging a violation of University policy. The notice contains:
- The specific policy or policies which are alleged to have been violated by the student; and
- The date, time and place that a pre-hearing or hearing will occur to resolve the allegations appearing in the notice
Pre-Hearing Conference
A Pre-Hearing Conference is a meeting with a representative of the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity and an accused student. At the pre hearing conference, a student will be given an opportunity to discuss and review all evidence as well as ask questions about the charges and options available for resolution. During the pre hearing conference the student will be presented with the following options:
- To plead in violation to the charge(s), waive all rights to a formal hearing and appeal, and accept a sanction or sanctions imposed by the hearing officer; or
- To request a formal hearing with the right to appeal
Students who fail to attend the pre-hearing conference will be considered in violation of the charges and an appropriate sanction will be imposed. In such cases, the decision is final and not subject to further review or appeal.
Hearing
The meeting held between the accused student and a Hearing Officer during which the student responds to the charge(s) and the Hearing Officer gathers all information necessary to determine if a student has or has not violated the policy or policies in question. If the Hearing Officer finds the student "in violation" of the policy or policies alleged in the Notice, the Hearing Officer will assign appropriate sanctions.
Hearing Officer
A trained University representative responsible for conducting formal hearings on behalf of the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity.
Sanction
A consequence assigned to a student determined to be in violation of one or more University policies. Sanctions are designed to be educational in nature, and can include a period of probation, restitution (repayment), workshops, educational activities, suspension or permanent dismissal.
Hold
A freeze or block on a student's privileges, such as registering for classes, obtaining transcripts, or graduation. Holds are normally applied when students have a pending case with Student Judicial Affairs or have failed to complete their judicial sanctions by the assigned deadlines. To resolve a hold, contact Student Conduct & Academic Integrity at oscai@odu.edu.
Appeal
An opportunity for the student to request a formal review of a Hearing Officer's decision. Students may appeal a Hearing Officer's decision on limited grounds outlined in the Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures (see pgs. 14-18). The appeal is conducted by a group of students and faculty who comprise the Student Conduct Committee.
Honor Pledge
A statement to be included on all written work submitted for grading. By including this statement, students affirm their commitment to the honor system and pledge that the work being submitted for grading is in compliance with the University's academic honesty policies. The honor pledge can be found online.
Plagiarism
According to the Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures, plagiarism involves "Intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own without properly acknowledging their source. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following: submitting a research paper obtained from a commercial research service, the Internet, or from another student as if it were original work; making simple changes to borrowed materials while leaving the organization, content, or phraseology intact; or copying material from a source, supplying proper documentation, but leaving out quotation marks. Plagiarism also occurs in a group project if one or more of the members of the group does none of the group's work and participates in none of the group's activities, but attempts to take credit for the work of the group.
Have Questions?
Have questions about other terms that do not appear on this list? Contact Student Conduct & Academic Integrity.
Frequently Asked Questions for Students
This incident occurred off campus. Why am I being asked to speak with ODU?
Because the Code is based on shared values, it sets a range of expectations for University students and student organizations no matter where or when their conduct may take place. Therefore, the Code will apply to behaviors that take place on University premises and at University-activities. The Code may also apply to conduct occurring off University premises when the Director, or designee, determines that the conduct affects a substantial University interest. Please see the Code for more information.
My faculty member accused me of academic dishonesty, but I didn’t do anything wrong. What should I do?
If the faculty member has asked to speak with you about the incident, consider meeting with them to discuss their concerns. If you disagree about the violation or proposed sanctions, ask the faculty member to refer the case to OSCAI.
If the faculty member referred your case to OSCAI, a hearing will be scheduled for you during a time when you are not in class. The hearing is your opportunity to share your version of what happened.
There is a registration hold on my account. What should I do?
Most registration holds are placed on student accounts due to incomplete sanctions. The only way to have a registration hold removed is to complete the sanction. Once the Conduct Officer approves the sanction and notifies OSCAI, the hold should be removed within one business day.
What does amnesty mean?
Amnesty means granting an exemption from resolution via a conduct conference or hearing as described in XII.C, or any sanctions that may result, in cases involving underage drinking or drug use reported in accordance with Sections VIII. F and/or G. Amnesty will only be available for violations related to the use of alcohol or drugs in violation of the Code and will not normally be applied for other Code violations. Students granted amnesty may be required to participate in educational activities or meet other conditions in order to bypass application of sanctions and creation of a student conduct record. Amnesty granted in accordance with this Code does not prevent any independent action that may be taken by any law enforcement agency, including University police.
In plainer language, amnesty is in place so that students will seek help for themselves or another person without fear of a conduct record when drugs or alcohol are involved in an incident.
I already received a ticket from the police. Why is the University involved?
The student conduct process is different from criminal proceedings. Therefore, when a student is arrested, charged, indicted for, or found guilty of a crime, the University may take action against that student when the conduct occurs on University premises, at University-activities, or off University premises when the conduct affects a substantial University interest. Proceedings under this Code may be carried out prior to, concurrently with, or following criminal proceedings. Determinations made or sanctions imposed under this Code will not be subject to change because criminal charges arising out of the same set of facts were dismissed, reduced, or resolved in favor of or against the criminal law defendant.
My case was dismissed in court. How can the University hold me responsible?
The student conduct process is different from criminal proceedings. Therefore, when a student is arrested, charged, indicted for, or found guilty of a crime, the University may take action against that student when the conduct occurs on University premises, at University-activities, or off University premises when the conduct affects a substantial University interest. Proceedings under this Code may be carried out prior to, concurrently with, or following criminal proceedings. Determinations made or sanctions imposed under this Code will not be subject to change because criminal charges arising out of the same set of facts were dismissed, reduced, or resolved in favor of or against the criminal law defendant.
I witnessed something I believe is a policy violation. What should I do?
The Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity will accept a referral of a suspected Code violation from any person. All referrals must be submitted in writing. Anonymous referrals may not be accepted.
Students who report violations should know the report will be forwarded to the faculty of record for the course.
If you would like to report any other type of violation, please submit a report.
What is the difference between a conduct conference and a hearing?
Conduct conferences are informal meetings without witnesses. Students will receive at least three days' notice before a scheduled meeting and should be prepared to discuss the incident that occurred.
Hearings are scheduled at least a week in advance and typically involve complex information. If a respondent is found responsible by the Conduct Officer, termination of the housing contract, suspension, or expulsion will be considered.
How long will this incident stay on my record?
If a student accepts responsibility or is found responsible by a Conduct Officer, the record will be retained by the Office of Student Conduct & Academic Integrity for a period of no less than 7 years to facilitate compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. Records associated with cases resulting in suspension or expulsion will be retained permanently.
Amnesty and FCR records are generally considered both private and confidential among the parties, and will therefore not generally be disclosed to third parties making inquiries about past misconduct of students, except as permitted by the student or as required by law.
What are the typical outcomes for my case?
Please view information about sanctions for more information.
I was not enrolled during the time this incident occurred or am not currently enrolled. Do I have to come in?
According to the Code of Student Conduct, student means a person who (1) has been admitted to the University and (2) has not completed a program of study for which she/he was enrolled. Student status continues whether or not the University's academic programs are in session. For the purposes of pursing alleged violations of this Code, each student will be responsible for his/her conduct from the time of application for admission through the actual awarding of a degree, even though conduct may occur before classes begin or after classes end (even if the student's conduct is not discovered until after a degree is awarded).
The Code may be applied to conduct that takes place whenever a person has a continuing relationship with the University as a student. Students who withdraw from the University after allegedly violating the Code will still be considered "students" for the purposes of pursuing alleged violations. A student-initiated withdrawal from the University may delay resolution of a referral only when felony criminal charges are pending as described in Section VII.A.
If you have a question that was not addressed here, please contact us.
