Student FAQ

Student conduct referrals are issued to students when a University Police Officer, or other community member, believes that student may have violated the Code of Student Conduct. As indicated on the bottom of the referral form, the student must contact the Office of Student Conduct at 919.515.2963 within the next two business days to schedule an appointment.

For non-academic charges, the first thing that will happen is that you will have a conversation with one of the staff in the Office of Student Conduct or staff from University Housing. In this initial meeting, you will have an opportunity to share your side of the story and ask questions about the process. During this initial meeting, a decision will be made as to what process will be used to resolve the charges.

For cases of alleged academic misconduct, the first contact will generally be with the faculty member of the class in question. That faculty member will facilitate a conversation and present you with a series of options: 1) accept responsibility and sign a form accepting sanctions; 2) deny responsibility and utilize the hearing process; or, 3) delay the decision until the student has had an opportunity to talk to the staff in the Office of Student Conduct to better understand their rights and options. 

There are different types of conduct review processes, but the preparation is similar. Students are expected to be sincere and to tell the truth. An organized and sequential telling of the story and presenting of evidence or information is most helpful. Disciplinary Conferences are more informal by definition and generally do not require a formal presentation. Typically, a focused and honest conversation is sufficient to resolve these types of cases. The same is true for students who choose to accept responsibility and sanctions for a violation through a Mutual Agreement.

Resolution through a Conduct Board or Administrative Hearing is a more formal process. It is expected that students participating in either of these processes make a coherent presentation. This includes the presentation of any witnesses or documents required for a full understanding of the facts of the case. Students who choose to participate in a Conduct Board Hearing are provided a student Hearing Assistant to help organize materials and instruct the student regarding procedures that will be used during the hearing. The Hearing Assistant does not represent the student they are working with. The student is expected to present their own case. Students who choose to participate in an Administrative Hearing will work with a staff member from the Office of Student Conduct to help them prepare for their hearing.

Your rights and responsibilities are outlined in Section 3 of the Student Discipline Procedures.

Yes. Attorneys may play a role in the process, but the extent to which an attorney may represent you depends on the nature of the allegations. In cases of alleged academic misconduct, for example, formal legal representation is not permitted. Legal representation is only permitted in certain cases involving allegations of non-academic misconduct. For a more detailed explanation of the circumstances when an attorney may represent you, please review section 6 of the Student Discipline Procedures. You may also contact the Office of Student Conduct with additional questions.

There are some behaviors that could be a violation of the law as well as a violation of University Policy. Receipt of a Student Conduct Referral is an indication that the alleged behavior may have some type of connection with the University, and therefore, needs to be reviewed by staff in the Office of Student Conduct.

Students who choose to accept responsibility and sanctions for a violation through the Report of Academic Integrity Violation (RAIV) or Mutual Agreement waive their right to appeal those decisions. Other resolutions have one level of appeal as described in the Student Discipline Procedures. For further information regarding your appeal rights and to submit an appeal, click here.

Contact the Office of Student Conduct or the University Housing staff member who imposed the sanction immediately. There are some circumstances where a student might qualify for an extension. That decision must be made by the office or the person with the authority to do so. Extensions are not granted by persons who supervise community service work or by staff who do not have specific authority to do so.

Yes. Contact a staff member in the Office of Student Conduct to get this information. In some situations, students will be expected to pay for the copying costs associated with the file.

First, tell the truth. If you did what the instructor has alleged, then be candid and truthful. You still have an opportunity to prove to the faculty member that you have some integrity. If this is the case, then you will have a conversation regarding appropriate sanctions for this behavior.

If you did not commit academic misconduct, then tell the faculty member that you did not commit academic misconduct. Never say that you did commit an act simply because that looks like the easiest way to resolve the matter. The faculty member will use a form distributed by the Office of Student Conduct, called the Report of an Academic Integrity Violation (RAIV). There is a section on the second page of the form that talks specifically about student rights. Please do not sign the form if you do not understand your rights or the implications of signing the form.

If you understand your rights and the implications of signing the form, you should do so and return it to your instructor. Please do not sign the form if you do not understand your rights of the implications of signing the form.

No. As outlined in the Student Discipline Procedures, Appendix B: “Students shall not be allowed to drop a course, or change the course registration to audit or credit-only, for a course in which academic misconduct allegations have been made. After the resolution of the case, students may seek a withdrawal from the course, or change their course registration to audit or credit-only, except in cases where a failing grade penalty has been imposed as a sanction.”

Academic Integrity Probation is a pre-suspension status. It is separate from Academic Probation, which is specific to your grades and GPA.

A student may be suspended (or expelled) if further Academic Misconduct is committed while they are on academic integrity probation (Code of Student Conduct, Section 9).

It depends. At minimum, if a student is found responsible for a violation of Academic Misconduct, they will be placed on a period of Academic Integrity Probation for no less than one calendar year.  If a student completes their undergraduate degree from NC State and then enrolls as a graduate student at NC State University, this probation will expire.

That depends. The hearing officer for the case will make a final determination for sanctioning and could consider the recommended sanctions by the reporting faculty member.

Students would not automatically be suspended by select Option 2 on the RAIV Response form. Selecting Option 2 indicates the student either does not accept responsibility for the violation(s) from the Code of Student Conduct, does not accept the recommended sanction(s) outlined on the RAIV form, or does not decline their right to a hearing and/or appeal. By selecting Option 2, a formal hearing process may be initiated and a possible outcome for a responsible finding could be suspension or expulsion from the university.

Yes. The Change of Degree Application (CODA) is NC State’s centralized resource for applying to add or change majors. To be eligible to apply to change or add a major, students must complete twelve or more graded credit hours at NC State and satisfy the specific transfer requirements for the intended major. Information related to specific transfer requirements can be found on the CODA website.

That depends. As stated on the Study Abroad website, for all study abroad programs, students are not eligible to participate if, at the time of program start, the student has been on Academic Integrity Probation for less than one full Fall or Spring semester. We encourage students to contact Study Abroad directly if they have questions about how their disciplinary record will impact their ability to study abroad.

That depends. Different opportunities have different expectations and restrictions. There are some experiences, such as becoming a University Housing Staff Member, which may prohibit the student from having any active sanction, such as Academic Integrity Probation or Disciplinary Probation. It is important to check with the office or program coordinator to see how your disciplinary record could impact your on-campus job.

Different opportunities have different expectations and restrictions. There are some experiences, such as becoming a University Housing staff member, which prohibit the student from having any active sanction, such as Academic Integrity Probation or Disciplinary Probation. In addition, there are prohibitions preventing a student under an active sanction from running for an elected student government position. Some programs, like Study Abroad and University Housing, ask students to submit to a records check as part of the application process. Having a disciplinary record does not automatically disqualify a student from all activities or opportunities, but does impact some experiences. It is important to check with the office or program coordinator for the specific opportunity, before making a commitment.

Maybe. It is possible that disciplinary procedures could ultimately have an effect on either financial aid or scholarships. In order for students to qualify for financial aid, students must be enrolled and making specific academic progress in a degree-seeking program. Students who are suspended or expelled are not making any academic progress at that time, which may impact their financial aid. Many scholarship agencies have expectations regarding the behavior of their recipients. Athletic scholarships and academic achievement scholarships could both be affected by disciplinary action. If you are receiving financial aid or are on scholarship, and you have disciplinary action pending, it is important for you to talk with the appropriate representative of the office dispersing the funds.

It is possible to use a grade exclusion after your case has been resolved in some instances. As outlined in the Student Discipline Procedures, Appendix B: “Students shall not be allowed to drop a course, or change the course registration to audit or credit-only, for a course in which academic misconduct allegations have been made. After the resolution of the case, students may seek a withdrawal from the course, or change their course registration to audit or credit-only, except in cases where a failing grade penalty has been imposed as a sanction.”

This depends on the materials in the student’s file and the educational plans of the student. In general, the more serious the charges and events in the file, and the more intrusive the scrutiny of the graduate program—medical or law schools for example—then the more likely there will be some post-undergraduate effect from the incident(s). Staff in the Office of Student Conduct have sufficient experience to review your file and describe the possible effects, as well as any opportunities you might have to mitigate those effects. Most students are usually able to attend graduate or professional school despite an academic integrity violation.

That depends. Notations of disciplinary action will be made on the transcript whenever a student is suspended or expelled, as outlined in Section 8.3 of the Student Discipline Procedures.

After the period of suspension has passed, the student may petition for the removal of the transcript notation. Suspension notations may be removed through a petition to the Provost.

Factors to be considered in reviewing petitions for notation removal after suspension include: The present demeanor of the student; the student’s conduct subsequent to the violation; and, the nature of the violation, including the issue of premeditation and the severity of any resulting damage, injury, or harm.

Each school within the UNC system will make its own determination about whether a student suspended for disciplinary reasons is eligible for enrollment. Students who have been expelled are ineligible to attend any UNC system school. Private schools and public schools outside the state of North Carolina may have different entrance requirements. Students should contact the specific school in question to review their policies and practices.