Q. What is the best way to contact the Office of Student Judicial Programs?

A. The Office of Student Judicial Programs may be reached by calling (803) 777-4333 or you may visit us in the James F. Byrnes Building, Suite 201. We are directly across from the Horseshoe on the corner of College and Sumter Streets. There is metered parking available on College Street.

Q. To whom does the Code of Conduct apply and when does it apply?

A. The Student Code of Conduct applies to all students enrolled in the University regardless of institutional or program affiliation. This includes all undergraduate and graduate, part-time and full-time, on-campus and off-campus students. The Code of Conduct outlines expectations for student behavior regardless of the location of the alleged offense.

Q. I received a letter saying that I may have been involved or have knowledge about an incident and I have to come in to the judicial office for a meeting. What’s going to happen in the meeting?

A. The meeting is an information-gathering meeting. Your name most likely appeared on a police report; incident report from the residence halls; or was forwarded to us from a faculty member, staff member, or another student. In the meeting, you and the director, associate or assistant director, or the graduate assistant will discuss what happened during the incident and why it happened (or did not happen). At that point, it will be decided whether a University policy was violated (See Student Code of Conduct for and Housing Regulations for a listing of policies). Outcomes from this discussion include the following:

• If it is determined that there has been no possible violation, you will be found Not Responsible and it is unlikely that there will be any follow-up.
• If responsibility cannot be determined because there is a conflict between the report and the evidence you present, the Carolina Student Judicial Council will be scheduled to convene. At this point, you will present your evidence and a representative from OSJP or housing will present the evidence from the report. The Council will decide on responsibility, and if you are found responsible, the Council will decide on appropriate sanctions.
• If you know that you are responsible and admit responsibility (as 95% of alleged students do), you can decide to make the meeting into your Informal Administrative Hearing in which you may be found responsible and sanctioned based on an educational philosophy. Choosing to make the meeting into your hearing benefits you by allowing your case to be resolved that day.

A. If you fail to attend your scheduled meeting, an administrative hold will be placed on your record and you will be unable to register for classes or make changes to your schedule. A new meeting will automatically be scheduled for you, and you will again be notified by mail. If you fail to attend your second scheduled meeting, you will be charged with "Failure to Comply with an Official Request" and a third meeting will be automatically scheduled for you, and written notification will again be mailed to your address. If you fail to attend the third meeting, a determination on your responsibility for an alleged violation will be rendered based on the evidence available and without the benefit of your participation. A letter outlining the decision and, if you’re found responsible, a listing of your sanctions will be mailed to you.

Q. What if I have a hold on my registration?

A. If you have a hold on your registration, it is most likely for one of the following reasons:

• Failure to attend a scheduled meeting with your hearing officer
• Failure to complete the sanctions assigned to you

You will have to attend a meeting or complete the sanction(s) prior to your hold being removed.

Q. Am I going to have to go before a board?

A. The Carolina Student Judicial Council is a judicial hearing board consisting of students, faculty, and staff members that may be convened for cases in which the alleged student decides that he/she would prefer a board hearing. Any case involving a discrepancy of fact or evidence between the incident/police report and the accused will go before the Carolina Student Judicial Council for a hearing.

NOTE: Hearings involving allegations of sexual assault are subject to special rules. See the Carolina Community Sexual Assault Policy for a complete listing.

Q. Am I going to get kicked out of housing?

A. There are many violations for which, if you are found responsible, permanent removal from University Housing is a possible outcome. These include but are not limited to:

• Violation of any University Policy while already on Conduct Probation
• Violation of the Drug Policy
• Violation of the Sexual Assault Policy
• Violation of the Sexual Harassment Policy
• Possession of firearm or other weapon
• Harm to Persons
• Breaking the plane (including but not limited to objects or liquids being thrown off or from balconies and windows.)
• Housing Probation Violation
• Disorderly Conduct
• Repeated Alcohol Violations
• Damage to Property
• Creating a Fire Hazard
• Tampering with Fire Equipment
• Relocation

If you are removed from University Housing you are still bound by your housing contract and must reconcile that with University Housing in addition to finding a new place to live.

While the examples above are some of the most serious, and thus the most likely to result in permanent removal from University Housing, any violation (depending on severity, number of repeat offenses, etc.) can result in permanent removal from University Housing. Additionally you may only receive from 48 hours to 5 days to vacate your room, depending on the circumstances.

Additional information can be found in the section regarding University Housing Policies and Regulations in the Carolina Community.

Q. Am I going to be suspended from school?

A. There are many violations for which, if you are found responsible, suspension from the University is a possible outcome. These include:

• Violation of any university policy while already on conduct probation
• Violation of the Drug Policy
• Violation of the Sexual Assault Policy
• Violation of the Sexual Harassment Policy
• Possession of firearm or other weapon
• Harm to Persons

While the examples above are some of the most serious, and thus the most likely to result in suspension from the University, any violation (depending on severity, number of repeat offenses, etc.) can result in suspension.

Q. What if I am found responsible for violating the rules?

A. If you are found “Responsible” for violating the rules, you will be assigned sanctions, which could include educational activities (including classes, reflection or research papers, interviews), restitution, restrictions, community service, etc. Additionally you will be assigned a Written Warning, Housing Probation, Conduct Probation, Suspension or Expulsion if you are found “Responsible”. Please see The Carolina Community for further description of these sanctions.

Our sanctions range depending on:

• The nature of the violation (what you did)
• Prior violations/previous disciplinary history (what have you done before)
• Mitigating circumstances surrounding the violation (unusual circumstances)
• Your motivation for the behavior (why you chose to do what you did)
• Sanctions involved in cases involving similar violations (precedent)
• The developmental and educational impact (how is this going to affect you)

A. You have a right to appeal a decision made by the Office of Student Judicial Programs. Follow this link to the Appeals Process: Appeals

Q. Are my parents going to find out?

A. Federal laws protect your educational records (which include disciplinary records) from being accessed by others without your permission. However, there are occasions in which the law allows the Office of Student Judicial Programs to notify parents of the outcome of a student’s disciplinary case. OSJP may notify when:

• The student is under the age of 21and is found responsible for violating the Drug or Alcohol Policy of the University.
• The student is placed on either University or Housing Probation. This places the student on notice that any additional offense may effect either his/her ability to attend the University or live on campus.
• The resulting sanction(s) affects the student’s ability to live on campus or attend the University (e.g. housing removal/relocation, suspension, or expulsion).

Because not all offenses result in this level of sanctioning, parents will not automatically be notified when their student becomes involved in the disciplinary process. However, if parents would like information regarding their student’s disciplinary history or status at the University from the OSJP, they can request that their son/daughter sign a waiver of confidentiality allowing the OSJP to release that information. These waivers are available at the OSJP at 901 Sumter Street, Suite 201 or by phone at (803) 777-4333. In most cases, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects students’ judicial records as confidential educational records.

Q: If I am a parent, how can I help my student navigate the process and what I can find out?

A: Parents can read about the judicial process on this website or by accessing the Carolina Community Student Handbook online. For a broad overview of the judicial process and what you can find out, please read this Guide for Parents to the Student Conduct Process, written by the Association for Student Judicial Affairs. You may also contact our office directly by calling 803-777-4333 or by emailing us at osjp@sc.edu.

Q. Is this going to be on my transcript?

A. If you are suspended from the University, a notation will appear on your transcript for the length of the term of your suspension. If you are expelled, it will be a permanent notation.

There are other situations, however, in which your disciplinary records may (with your permission) be given to other institutions. Other universities frequently make specific requests for disciplinary records when a student applies for graduate school or decides to transfer. In these situations, you will sign a waiver in the admissions process allowing the Office of Student Judicial Programs to release your records.

The records of cases that have been resolved with a sanction less than suspension or expulsion will be maintained in the OSJP for a period of six years from the end of the academic year in which the offense occurred. Records in which the discipline sanction was suspension or expulsion will be maintained indefinitely.

Q. Can I get in trouble for breaking the Carolinian Creed?

A. No, as the Carolinian Creed states, "Choosing to join the community obligates each member to a code of civilized behavior". This is a moral obligation of integrity where you must judge your own actions to decide whether or not you have broken the Creed of the University. The Carolinian Creed is a set of ideas, not a policy, and therefore you cannot be charged with a violation of the Carolinian Creed.

Additional information on the Carolina Creed can be found at http://www.sa.sc.edu/creed/

Q. What happens if I am accused of violating the Honor Code (for cheating or plagiarism)?

A. If you are accused of violating the Honor Code, there are several possible outcomes. You may meet with your professor to discuss the issue and they can issue an academic penalty (the grade). You will also be referred to the Office of Academic Integrity who will investigate and determine if you did violate the Honor Code and if so, what non-academic penalty you may receive. To read the full Honor Code and the process, please go to http://www.sc.edu/academicintegrity.

For further information on academic dishonesty outcomes and the process, please go to The Carolina Community section on Academic Responsibility.