Skip to Content

Student Conduct and Academic Integrity

Code of Conduct Outcomes

We select educational and administrative outcomes carefully, keeping in mind that the best lessons are often learned from firsthand experience. 

Outcome Submission Form

Submit paperwork and other documents related to your case. 

 

Educational Outcomes

The online alcohol education module is an educational outcome for underage, first-time alcohol policy violators. When enrolled in the module, you will receive personalized and evidence-based feedback and strategies to reduce your risk for experiencing negative consequences from substance use.

A reflection paper will give you the opportunity to look back on your actions and determine what you have learned, how you impacted yourself and others, and how you may avoid future missteps.

The topic and essay questions you are assigned will depend on your individual incident. Please submit the essay as a Word or PDF document. Please review the essay rubric [pdf]. If your essay does not meet expectations in any section, your essay will have to be re-written and re-submitted within 3 days.

**Any use of artifiical intelligence (Grammarly, ChatGPT, DeepL, etc.) is prohibited in the completion of any essay unless stated as otherwise in the instructions for that essay**

You are to write an essay on your decision making style. Please answer each question and use the headings provided. 

  • Your personal decision making style: What do you consider when making decisions in your life? How do you do this? Give examples.
  • How did you decide to become involved in this incident? What did you consider? What were your feelings/thoughts in this process?
  • What could you personally have done to make more appropriate decisions, if anything? Would you do anything differently?
  • What do you know more about since this incident (yourself? policies? responsibilities?)? Explain.

**Any use of artifiical intelligence (Grammarly, ChatGPT, DeepL, etc.) is prohibited in the completion of any essay unless stated as otherwise in the instructions for that essay**

You are to write an essay on about what impact being removed from Gamecock Gateway would have on you.

Past:
  • What were your motivations or reasons for enrolling in Gamecock Gateway?
  • Upon coming to college did you have a goal set for yourself (present or future)?
  • What were your parents’/families’ expectations?
  • How have your actions prevented you from reaching these goals and expectations?
Present:
  • What is your personal decision-making style? What do you consider when making decisions in your life? How do you do this? Provide detailed examples.
  • How do you determine what your priorities are in your life, especially as a student? Be specific.
  • How should your responsibilities guide your priorities and decision making?
  • How have you been following those guidelines referenced in the above questions?
  • How did you decide to become involved in this incident? What did you consider? What were your feelings/thoughts in this process?
  • When you read the Creed, what does it represent? Explain.
  • Why do you think the University of South Carolina has a Creed? Explain why you think it is an important part of the Carolina culture?
  • How does the Creed apply to you specifically in this incident? Explain.
Planning/Future:
  • What are the academic impacts you could face by being removed from the Gamecock Gateway program?
  • How would this removal from the Gamecock Gateway program affect transferring to the University of South Carolina?
  • What would be the economic impacts of your decision? Include components such as school-related costs, living costs, scholarships, etc., that would be lost if you were removed from the program tomorrow.
  • What is the cost of rent/utilities at an off-campus location? How much would you lose if you had to move this month? Enumerate each and the cost of breaking your lease.
  • How would you make up this money?
  • If you had a job paying an average wage, such as $8 per hour, how many hours would you have to work per week to break even? How would this impact your lifestyle?
  • If you had to move home, how would this impact your lifestyle?
  • What would you tell your friends? Would they be surprised? How do you reconcile their perceptions with the reality of your conduct history?
  • What could you, personally, have done to make more appropriate decisions, if anything? Would you do anything differently?
  • Going forward, what kind of activities could you participate in or changes could you make to help you achieve your and your parents’ goals?
  • What resources on the USC or Midlands Tech campuses could be helpful to you?

**Any use of artifiical intelligence (Grammarly, ChatGPT, DeepL, etc.) is prohibited in the completion of any essay unless stated as otherwise in the instructions for that essay**

You are to write an essay about what impact being removed from University Housing would have on you. Please answer each question and use the headings provided.

The paper should be written in 12 pt Times New Roman font, double spaced and at least 4 pages. The questions needed to answer this assignment are stated below. 

Past:
  • What were your motivations or reasons for enrolling in your academic program at the University of South Carolina?
  • Upon coming to college did you have a goal set for yourself (present or future)?
  • What were your parents’/families’ expectations?
  • How have your actions prevented you from reaching these goals and expectations?
Present:
  • What is your personal decision-making style? What do you consider when making decisions in your life? How do you do this? Provide detailed examples.
  • How do you determine what your priorities are in your life, especially as a student? Be specific.
  • How should your responsibilities guide your priorities and decision making?
  • How have you been following those guidelines referenced in the above questions?
  • How did you decide to become involved in this incident? What did you consider? What were your feelings/thoughts in this process?
  • When you read the Creed, what does it represent? Explain.
  • Why do you think the University of South Carolina has a Creed? Explain why you think it is an important part of the Carolina culture?
  • How does the Creed apply to you specifically in this incident? Explain.
Future:
  • How would the removal from University Housing affect your academic goals at the University of South Carolina?
  • What would be the economic impacts of your decision? Include components such as school-related costs, living costs, scholarships, etc., that would be lost if you were removed from University Housing tomorrow.
  • What is the cost of rent/utilities at an off-campus location? How much would you lose if you had to move this month? Enumerate each and the cost of breaking your lease.
  • How would you make up this money?
  • If you had a job paying an average wage, such as $8 per hour, how many hours would you have to work per week to break even? How would this impact your lifestyle?
  • If you had to move home, how would this impact your lifestyle?
  • What would you tell your friends? Would they be surprised? How do you reconcile their perceptions with the reality of your conduct history?
  • What could you, personally, have done to make more appropriate decisions, if anything? Would you do anything differently?
  • Going forward, what kind of activities could you participate in or changes could you make to help you achieve your and your parents’ goals?
  • What resources on the USC  campuses could be helpful to you?

**Any use of artifiical intelligence (Grammarly, ChatGPT, DeepL, etc.) is prohibited in the completion of any essay unless stated as otherwise in the instructions for that essay**

This essay is designed to provide you an opportunity to reflect on your actions and articulate how future violations of the Code of Conduct can lead to a suspension from the university.

Please answer each question and use the headings provided. Paper should be at least four pages, use 12pt Times New Roman Font, double spaced. Please submit the essay as a Word or PDF document.

Past:
  • What were your motivations or reasons for coming to USC?
  • Upon coming to college did you have a goal set for yourself (present or future)? 
  • What were your parents’/families’ expectations? 
  • How have your actions prevented you from reaching these goals and expectations? 
Present:
  • What is your personal decision making style?
  • What do you consider when making decisions in your life? How do you do this? Provide detailed examples.
  • How do you determine what your priorities are in your life, especially as a student? Be specific.
  • How should your responsibilities guide your priorities and decision making?
  • How have you been following those guidelines referenced in the above questions?
  • How did you decide to become involved in this incident? What did you consider? What were your feelings/thoughts in this process?
  • When you read the Creed, what does it represent?  Explain.
  • Why do you think the University of South Carolina has a Creed? Explain why you think it is an important part of the Carolina culture?
  • How does the Creed apply to you specifically in this incident? Explain.
Planning/Future:
  • What are the academic impacts if you get suspended for a second or third offense? 
  • Calculate your cumulative GPA with the resulting 0.0 (use the USC GPA calculator).  Research transfer standards for your second and third choice institutions (please state the specific institutions). Are you eligible for admission? To which ones?
  • What would be the economic impacts of your decision? Include components such as school-related costs, living costs, scholarships, etc., that would be lost if you were suspended tomorrow.
  • What is the cost of rent/utilities at an off-campus location?  How much would you lose if you had to move this month? Enumerate each and the cost of breaking your lease. 
  • How would you make up this money? 
  • If you had a job paying an average wage, such as $8 per hour, how many hours would you have to work per week to break even? How would this impact your lifestyle?
  • If you had to move home, how would this impact your lifestyle?
  • What would you tell your friends and neighbors about why you were moving back mid-semester? Would they be surprised? How do you reconcile their perceptions with the reality of your conduct history? 
  • What could you, personally, have done to make more appropriate decisions, if anything? Would you do anything differently?
  • Going forward, what kind of activities could you participate in or changes could you make to help you achieve your and parents’ goals? 
  • What resources on campus could be helpful to you?

**Any use of artifiical intelligence (Grammarly, ChatGPT, DeepL, etc.) is prohibited in the completion of any essay unless stated as otherwise in the instructions for that essay**

You are to write an essay on alcohol and your personal circumstances. Please answer each question and use the headings provided. The paper should be written in 12 pt Times New Roman font, double spaced and at least 3 pages. Please submit the essay as a Word or PDF document.

Your paper should include answers to the following questions:

  • Describe your actions that led to a referral to Student Conduct. What choices led to the incident and where could a different choice have been made?
  • In what ways were others impacted?
  • How do your actions represent you? How could how others perceive you change as a result on this incident?
  • What have you learned/gained from this incident? How will you act differently in the future?
  • Review the policy in the Code of Conduct and describe how you will avoid incidents in the future.

**Any use of artifiical intelligence (Grammarly, ChatGPT, DeepL, etc.) is prohibited in the completion of any essay unless stated as otherwise in the instructions for that essay**

 

This program is designed to help you identify your high-risk behavior, reflect on your decisions and take steps toward making better choices in the future.

Completing the STIR Program
You will attend three one-on-one sessions with staff members from Substance Abuse Prevention and Education (SAPE) to assess your substance use and consider ways to avoid negative consequences in the future. You will pay a $100 fee for your alcohol or substance use evaluation.

Completing the STIR+ Program

STIR + is a minimum of 6 sessions that occur over a period of 8 weeks. Each meeting involves meeting with a trained STIR coach and includes an assessment/survey, goal-setting activities, and required homework assignments in between meetings. There is no cost associated with the program other than completing two required drug screens at the student’s expense. Drug screens required through the Office of Student Conduct will suffice for the STIR + drug screens. Students who miss more than one scheduled appointment or fail to complete the requirements of more than one session will receive additional charges and/or sanctions including suspension.

The interpersonal communications module gives you the opportunity to reflect on your communication strategies and identify ways to improve them. This module will take approximately 5 hours to complete. Additional details about this sanction will be provided in your administrative conference and outcome letter. 

You are required to complete a Conflict Styles Assessment. Your conflict style represents your inclination, or natural tendency, when faced with a situation involving conflict. Knowing the five main conflict styles can help you understand the choices you have for managing conflict. And knowing your own conflict style can help you identify how you might want to approach conflict differently––how you might better manage it, depending on the nature of your relationship with the person with whom you are experiencing conflict, the amount of time you have to manage the conflict, and the importance of the issue to you. There is a time and a place to use each style and each style has its advantages and limitations. By being aware of your own conflict style and being able to identify the style of the person with whom you are in conflict, you can better pursue a mutually agreeable outcome for all parties involved.

The assessment can be accessed at: https://www.usip.org/public-education/students/conflict-styles-assessment.

Administrative Outcomes

If you are preventing the university from providing a safe and comfortable living environment for all residents, you may be relocated or removed from housing altogether.

Relocation
Usually done immediately, and to our first available vacancy.

Removal
You will have somewhere between 2 and 5 days to vacate your residence. If you are removed from university housing, you will not be able to live in any university building for the rest of your time at USC.

If you are found responsible for theft, misappropriation or damage to property, we will require you to pay restitution. 

We require random drug screening for any student found violating the drug policy. Tests take place off-campus and you are responsible for the cost.

If you don't pass your test or you fail to submit your test on time, it can be considered a second drug offense, which could result in suspension.  

We recommend two local substance abuse facilities to students for treatment and drug testing sanctions:

Both facilities have taken precautions against the spread of COVID 19, while still being able to provide services. 

If you take medication, you will need to share a valid prescription via fax with our office. 

This is a decision-making tool. If you violate the code of conduct again while on conduct probation, you could be suspended from the university.

If you are suspended from the university, you will be denied enrollment and attendance at USC, and prohibited from accessing any part of campus or the university's properties. You may be allowed to apply for readmission after your suspension period with or without restrictions, and you may have to complete a probation period upon your return to campus.

Delayed Suspension
You will be allowed to continue your coursework, but you will be under restrictions from Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. If you fail to follow all requirements of your restrictions, you will be suspended immediately.

We recommend two local substance abuse facilities to students for treatment and drug testing:

Expulsion results in permanent dismissal from the University.

Student Conduct and Academic Integrity


Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

©