Code of Conduct & Academic Integrity

When the Office of Community Standards & Student Development receives a report of student or organizational misconduct, a Conduct Officer conducts an investigation. The investigation may include meetings with the accused student, the complaint party, witnesses, and any other involved individuals. The Conduct Officer assigned to the case will determine what meetings are necessary.  All involved students are expected to be cooperative with the investigative process.  A full explanation of the conduct process as well as student rights in the process can be found in the University Code of Student Conduct.  

To report a violation of student misconduct complete our online reporting form at tinyurl.com/RUNReportingForm 

Emergency situations and concerns regarding safety should be reported to RUPD immediately. 

As an academic community dedicated to the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge, Rutgers University is committed to fostering an intellectual and ethical environment based on the principles of academic integrity. Academic integrity is essential to the success of the University’s educational, research, and clinical missions, and violations of academic integrity constitute serious offenses against the entire academic community.  

The principles of academic integrity require that a student: 

 • Make sure that all work submitted in a course, academic research, or other activity is the student’s own and created without the aid of impermissible technologies, materials, or collaborations.  

• Properly acknowledge and cite all use of the ideas, results, images, or words of others.  

• Properly acknowledge all contributors to a given piece of work.  

• Obtain all data or results by ethical means and report them accurately without suppressing any results inconsistent with the student’s interpretation or conclusions. 

 • Treat all other students ethically, respecting their integrity and right to pursue their educational goals without interference. This principle requires that a student neither facilitate academic dishonesty by others nor obstruct their academic progress.  

• Uphold the ethical standards and professional code of conduct in the field for which the student is preparing. 

To report a violation of academic integrity complete our online reporting form at tinyurl.com/NewarkAIReport 

At Rutgers, standards of due process dictate that:  

• A student accused of violating the Code is entitled to a hearing. 

• Students are entitled to see/hear and respond to any evidence or testimony used against him or her. 

• The student has the right to remain silent and is not obligated to provide information during the disciplinary process. 

• The student is entitled to the assistance of a Campus Adviser and the presence of a support person. 

1. An accused student has the right to appeal any finding and/or sanction. The student must submit an appeal form and any supporting documentation to the Campus Appeals Committee (CAC) within ten (10) working days of the decision. The complainant, the investigator, and the Presiding Officer (if any) have the right to respond to the student’s appeal. 

2. A student may appeal based on: 

• Unsupported conclusion: The decision made by the conduct officer, faculty member, AIF, or University Hearing Board is not supported by the facts of the case.  

• Procedural error: The adjudication process did not conform with prescribed procedures. The error must have substantially impacted the outcome. 

• Disproportionate sanction: The sanction imposed on the student is grossly disproportionate to the severity of the violation. 

• New information: There is new information previously unavailable or unknown at the time of the initial decision. The new information must be sufficient to alter the outcome. 

3. Appeals are considered only on the basis of the written record. The CAC does not meet with any of the parties. 

4. The CAC meets to consider the student’s appeal, the case file, and any statements submitted by the other parties. 

5. The CAC may: 

• Uphold the original finding and sanction 

• Overturn the original finding and sanction, in full or in part 

• Uphold the finding and modify the sanction 

• Remand the case to be re-heard (only in the case of substantial procedural error or significant new information) 

6. The student is notified in writing of the committee’s decision. 

7. If the original sanction does not include suspension, expulsion, or an XF grade, the committee’s decision is final. 

8. If the sanction affirmed by the CAC includes suspension, expulsion, or an XF grade, the final sanction is determined by the Senior Student Affairs Officer (SSAO) for conduct or the Chief Academic Integrity Officer (CAIO) for academic integrity. 

9. The student is notified in writing of the SSAO or CAIO’s decision (if applicable). 

10. The appeal process is concluded and the student’s final sanction is implemented. Sanctions are not implemented until all appeal options are exhausted. For academic integrity, if a final course grade must be issued before the appeal process is complete, the student should receive a TZ grade. 

If you are a student going through a student conduct or academic integrity process you can contact the Office of Community Standards & Student Development at communitystandards@newark.rutgers.edu to request a campus advisor.  

Campus Advisors do the following: 

• Help the advisee understand the disciplinary process.  

• Provide objective advice. 

• Support and guide the advisee. 

• Guide the advisee in formulating and supporting his or her case (without doing the work for the advisee). 

• Help the advisee prepare for a disciplinary proceeding or an appeal. 

• Accompany the advisee to meetings and other disciplinary proceedings. 

The Office of Community Standards maintains a conduct record for every student found responsible for a violation of University policy. This file is automatically destroyed ten years after the final resolution of the student’s case, unless the student was expelled. Records of expulsions are maintained permanently. Conduct records are considered educational records and cannot be provided to outside parties without the student’s permission. However, some employers and graduate and professional schools require that applicants authorize the release of their conduct records in order to be considered for employment or admission. In order to request your disciplinary records, you must submit a Disciplinary Records Request Form.

• University Code of Student Conduct

• Academic Integrity Policy

• Academic Integrity Flowchart

• Levels of Academic Integrity Violations

• Procedures for Adjudicating Academic Integrity Violations

• FOR FACULTY ONLY: Final Reporting Form for Faculty (only submitted for cases where a faculty member has previously submitted a report and been approved to investigate) 

• FOR FACULTY ONLY: Sample Academic Integrity letters

• FOR FACULTY/STAFF: Investigation Report template

• Student Organization Policies and Procedures

• Information Sheet for Complainants

• Information Sheet for Accused Students 

• Disciplinary Records Request Form