The student disciplinary system at the University of California, Davis, has been established to resolve suspected violations of University policies or campus regulations by students. As members of our academic community and of society at large, students have both rights and responsibilities, and are expected to comply with the general law, University policies, and campus regulations. The University's Standards of Conduct for Students prohibit those acts that impair, interfere with, or obstruct its "missions, processes, and functions," including teaching, research, and learning. See the University of California Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students, "Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline," revised May 17, 2002, Sections 101.00 and 102.00. Other documents describe our campus values, aspirations, and expectations for community and individual behavior and serve as useful references, such as our Principles of Community.
University's Educational Mission
Honesty, fairness and respect are essential to the learning, teaching, and research processes, to maintaining a productive and safe campus environment, and to fulfilling the University's educational mission. Accordingly, UC Davis students are expected to behave honestly, fairly, and with respect for others in all their academic and extracurricular activities.
UC Davis Tradition
UC Davis has a strong tradition of student involvement in campus efforts to encourage academic integrity, promote responsible conduct, and enforce University standards of student conduct. For example, the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct, adopted in 1976, builds upon a previous student-run honor system that existed for more than 50 years. The Code of Academic Conduct describes shared expectations for students and faculty to maintain academic integrity, and provides for student-faculty disciplinary hearing panels. The Code embodies the high expectations that UC Davis students have for themselves and others. Students are to "take group as well as individual responsibility for honorable behavior," and "collectively, as well as individually, make every effort to prevent and avoid academic misconduct." UC Davis students are enjoined to report acts of academic or other misconduct harmful to students or the University.
Disciplinary Matters
Wherever possible, disciplinary matters are handled informally with emphasis placed on the education, personal growth and development of the student. Accountability and acceptance of responsibility for the consequences of one's own actions are key components of ethical behavior and essential to learning from experience. The formal procedures described in this policy are intended to promote informed, fair and impartial hearings and determinations of fact, conducted with reasonable speed and efficiency and without sacrificing the interests, rights, or needs of the accused student, the complainant, or the University. While a specific offense may be both a breach of student conduct standards and a violation of the criminal law (e.g., theft or vandalism), student discipline at the University of California is very different from criminal prosecution, with distinct standards, procedures, sanctions, goals and purposes. Accordingly, student discipline may be pursued in addition to, or instead of, criminal prosecution, regardless of the outcome in a criminal proceeding. Because centralized authority, responsibility and record-keeping are essential to a fair and impartial student discipline process, the University of California, Davis has designated the Office of Student Judicial Affairs ("SJA") to administer the student disciplinary system.