USC is committed to creating a Trojan culture of ethical decision-making, respect, honesty, and responsibility. As students, you play a role in upholding these shared principles in your classes and community. 

We are a student-centered office dedicated to upholding academic integrity through education, accountability, and proper reporting. Our student peer learning facilitators provide outreach and guidance on how to make ethical decisions and maintain academic integrity standards in your research, coursework, and co-curricular activities. Our full-time staff facilitate the accountability process, work closely with faculty to promote academic integrity on campus, and are available to answer questions about university policies and the reporting process. 

We understand that being reported for academic misconduct can be stressful. We encourage you to contact university resources to support you.  Counseling and Mental Health Services (213-740-9355) offers psychological and emotional support. The  Office of the Ombuds  (213-821-9556) helps students navigate university-related concerns, conflicts, or challenging situations. Both CMH and the Office of the Ombuds are confidential resources. Lastly, you may also benefit from contacting the  Office of Campus Support and Intervention(213-740-0411) which, while not a confidential resource, assists current students in navigating complex matters.

Additionally, to help explain the process and address any questions you may have, we’ve compiled some resources below about disciplinary checks, the accountability process, and our Peer Learning Facilitators. Our Student FAQs may also help answer questions you may have. You can also explore the USC Student Handbook which outlines the rights, responsibilities, and obligations you have as a student member of our Trojan community.

If you have any further questions about USC’s academic integrity policies or the accountability process, please reach out to us by email.

Resources

• Disciplinary Checks
• Our Process
• Student Handbook
• FAQs

Disciplinary Checks

Student conduct records maintained by the university may be shared internally and externally in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and under the following parameters established by the university:

1. Internal offices at USC may ask for and be given student disciplinary history as part of evaluating student eligibility for study abroad, leadership opportunities, awards, admission to a USC program, etc. A student’s disciplinary history for purposes of internal sharing includes all incidents in which a student was found responsible for a violation of policy, and includes cases resolved through the Health and Safety Intervention Policy and Informal Resolution process. Disciplinary history may be reported internally and externally for seven years from the most recent student conduct incident, except for outcomes of suspension, expulsion, and revocation of admission/degree, which are reported indefinitely.
2. External parties (graduate/professional schools, background checks for federal/state employment, private employers, etc.) may be given student disciplinary history, typically with a signed release by a student. A student’s disciplinary history for purposes of external sharing includes only actions taken against students that result in suspension (temporary separation from USC), expulsion (permanent separation from USC), revocation of degree or revocation of admission, or dismissal from an academic program.
3. External reporting for student-athletes falls under additional NCAA requirements and may differ from that described above.

Note: OCRC maintains records of violations of the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.

Learn About Our Process