What Should I Expect

Frequently Asked Questions

Many commonly asked questions about what happens when you are referred to the Office of Community Expectations (OCE) are answered below. This section is intended to provide general answers to general questions. Please always refer to the Student Handbook for detailed information on our policies. 

I was involved in an incident and was told I had to come to OCE or I received a letter from OCE; what does this mean?

OCE receives reports from all areas of the university community such as Residential Education staff, the Department of Public Safety, faculty and staff. Reports are reviewed by OCE Staff and if the circumstances surrounding the complaint indicate there is a potential violation of the Student Handbook, allegations of a violation of policy may be brought against the student. Students are notified by a letter sent to them through their USC email account indicating the date, location, and brief description of the incident. The letter will also provide the student an opportunity to meet with an OCE staff member.

What happens in the meeting?

When you meet with an OCE Coordinator you will be asked about the alleged violation and given the opportunity to present any relevant information, documents, or contact information for witnesses. Honesty is important, and will be used as a factor in the decision making process. Meetings are scheduled for one hour. Please familiarize yourself with the Student Community Expectations and the review process prior to your meeting.

Please see the section titled Non-Academic violations review process or Academic Review process for a full description of the process.

May I call to find out what’s going on, or just talk to the OCE Coordinator on the phone and explain myself?

While OCE can answer any general process questions by telephone, privacy concerns do not allow us to discuss individual cases. 

May I see the report?

Yes. Students have the right to inspect documents and/or relevant information on file during the review. In order to maintain standards of confidentiality, personally identifiable information of other persons listed in the report will be redacted. See Student Education Records Policy in The Student Handbook for complete details.

Who will be at the meeting?

Student will have a one-on-one meeting with an OCE Coordinator.

Should I bring anyone with me to the meeting?

For allegations resolved through OCE, students/organizations may have an advisor of the student’s or organization’s choosing present at any meeting with staff in OCE or at a review panel. The advisor may not be a witness or have any conflicting role in the process or with a party. The role of the advisor is to provide support and assistance to the student/organization in understanding and navigating this process. To protect the privacy of those involved, all advisors are required to sign a confidentiality agreement prior to attending a meeting with OCE staff or otherwise participating in the university’s process. The university’s focus is on the student/organization, not the advisor. All communication is made directly with the student/organization. The process will not be unreasonably delayed to accommodate the schedule of the advisor. An advisor must be familiar with university policy and may be required to meet with OCE staff in advance of participation in university proceedings. The advisor may only quietly confer with the student/organization during any meeting with OCE staff or in an administrative review or review panel, may not author written submissions, and cannot disrupt the process. OCE staff members have the right to determine what constitutes appropriate behavior of an advisor and take reasonable steps to ensure compliance with this policy. 

• Confidentiality Waiver
• Advisor Guidelines

What happens if I choose not to attend the administrative review or a review panel?

For allegations resolved through OCE, students/organizations are encouraged, but are not required to be present at an administrative review or review panel. The university reserves the right to proceed with the disciplinary process in absentia when a student/organization fails to respond after proper notice has been given or after the university has exercised reasonable effort to notify the student/organization of the allegations. As such, you are strongly encouraged to attend the administrative review or review panel and discuss the case with an OCE staff member or a review panel.

What happens if I did not receive the letter I was sent?

Per the Student Handbook, email is the primary mechanism for sending official communications to students at the University of Southern California. Students, therefore, must check email regularly in order to stay updated on important messages and notifications. Failure to read official university communications sent to students’ official email address does not absolve students from knowing and complying with the content of official communications.

Will my parents/faculty/advisor be notified?

The issue in question is between the student and the University. Your disciplinary proceedings, and the files that accompany them, are confidential and protected by university policy based on federal law. If a parent calls the OCE about a disciplinary matter, the parent will be referred back to the student for clarification. You can sign a confidentiality waiver with OCE to allow non-involved parties (such as your parents, advisor, or employer) access to your disciplinary records and proceedings.

Release of records is permitted without prior consent in certain circumstances. Departments within the university who demonstrate an educational interest can request information regarding a student’s disciplinary file. Examples of valid educational interest include departments reviewing applicants for study abroad programs, and Resident Advisor applicants. Please see the University Student Records Policy in the Student Handbook for complete details.

Will this incident appear on my transcript or academic record?

It depends. Most violations are not displayed on your academic record, but are maintained in a separate disciplinary record. Disciplinary files are maintained in The Office of Community Expectations for up to seven years. At the end of the seven years this file is destroyed. However, if you are suspended, expelled, or your admission or degree is revoked, a permanent notation will appear on your academic record, and your disciplinary file is maintained indefinitely in the OCE. Please see the University Student Records Policy in the Student Handbook for complete details.

If the violation also involved an alleged crime, can I be prosecuted criminally and also be referred to OCE?

Yes. Students have a separate relationship to the university that is different from their responsibilities as citizens.

Can I appeal the decision of the administrative review or review panel process?

If the student/organization accepts responsibility for the alleged violation(s) and reaches an agreement during the administrative review as to (an) outcome(s), the matter is considered resolved and no appeal is available. 

Otherwise, the student/organization may appeal the decision issued by OCE staff or by a review panel. Students may submit a written appeal on one or more of the following grounds:

• New information that is sufficient to alter the determination of responsibility, and which the student/organization was not aware of or could not have reasonably obtained at the time of the initial review. 
• Procedural error(s) that materially impacted the determination of responsibility. (Procedural or technical irregularities will not be sufficient to sustain an appeal unless found to have affected the determination of responsibility.)
• The outcomes assigned are disproportionate to the determination of responsibility.

A written appeal must be submitted to the Appeal Manager within 10 business days from the date of issuance of the written decision. If an appeal is not submitted by the deadline, then the decision will be considered final. As the appeals are based on documentary reviews by the Vice President for Student Life or their designee, written submissions should be as complete as possible and no longer than five (5)  single-spaced typed pages with a font no smaller than a size of 10 point. For more information about the appeal process, you may review the Student Handbook.

What happened to SJACS and SCampus?

This past year, the University completed the task of connecting our reimagined Integrity and Accountability Code with our Unifying Values. A result of this process was the sunsetting of the Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards (SJACS) office and the creation of two new offices: The Office of Community Expectations (OCE) and the Office of Academic Integrity (OAI). The OCE will work with all non-academic alleged policy violations and the OAI will work with all academic integrity matters.

Another result of the University’s process was the sunsetting of SCampus and the creation of Living Our Unifying Values: The USC Student Handbook; simply, the Student Handbook. The Student Handbook was created in a way that makes it more accessible to our community and includes some new policies and procedures designed to emphasize the core priorities of OCE and OAI: the education and development of our student community.

I was contacted by SJACS regarding an incident from late in the Spring 2022 semester. Now that SJACS is OCE and SCampus is the Student Handbook, what happens to my case?

You are still responsible for responding to and engaging in the process. Contact the person who sent you the letter in late Spring 2022 semester to confirm your engagement, or the Office of Community Expectations for additional assistance. They will be able to provide you with the information you will need.

I have had a case with the university. Will this incident appear on my transcript or academic record?

It depends.  Most violations are not displayed on your academic record but are maintained in a separate disciplinary record by the Office of Community Expectations (OCE) for non-academic misconduct, and the Office of Academic Integrity (OAI) for academic misconduct for up to seven years after the most recent student conduct incident, except for records made as part of the student’s academic records (i.e., notations on a transcript of suspension, expulsion, and/or revocation of admission or degree), in which case records of student disciplinary history are kept indefinitely. See Student Records for complete details.

I am submitting a disciplinary check, how long will it take?

Please allow up to 5-7 days for your request to be reviewed and processed once all information and any required documents have been received.

I am planning to study abroad with an outside organization (e.g. Semester at Sea) that requires my disciplinary record checked. What should I do?

Please email the form to disciplinarycheck@usc.edu. Make sure to sign the waiver release and we will send the completed form to the organization unless otherwise requested. To ensure a complete disciplinary check, please also contact the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX, as we do not have access to their records. 

I am planning on studying abroad with USC and I have had a case with the university. Will my department check my disciplinary record?

Internal offices at USC may ask for and be given student disciplinary history as part of evaluating student eligibility for study abroad, leadership opportunities, awards, admission to a USC program, etc. A student’s disciplinary history for purposes of internal sharing includes all incidents in which a student was found responsible for a violation of policy, and includes cases resolved through the Health and Safety Intervention Policy and Informal Resolution process. Release of these records is permitted without prior consent.

I am applying to Law School and need the Law Certification completed. Where do I go to complete the form? What if I only need a Dean’s Letter?

Law Certification, Bar Examiners forms, and Dean’s Letters can be requested by email at disciplinarycheck@usc.edu. Include the nature of the request and contact person, institution, and mailing information where the letter needs to be sent. Please also make sure to include your contact information, along with your USC identification number in your request.

I am applying to Medical / Dental School and need to have a form completed. What should I do?

Please contact Pre-Health Advising, at (213) 740-4844 for assistance with completing form. Forms may also be emailed to Nathalie Zuletta.

I am applying to an Armed Forces program outside the University, and they are requesting a disciplinary form be completed. What should I do?

You may email your request to disciplinarycheck@usc.edu. Make sure to sign the waiver so we may conduct the disciplinary check. Please allow 2 weeks for processing and state if you would like the form to be sent directly or held for pick-up.

I am a USC staff member helping a student complete the Common Application for transfer from the university. How can I check the student’s disciplinary record?

Please email a written request to disciplinarycheck@usc.edu stating the nature of the request, the name, and the USC ID of the student.  Your request will be processed, and you will receive an email response upon completion. To ensure a complete disciplinary check, please also check the student’s name with the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX, as we do not have access to their records.

I am a USC staff member and need to check multiple disciplinary records for a University/Department study abroad or host program. What should I do?

Please email a written request to disciplinarycheck@usc.edu stating the nature of the request, a list of names, including USC ID, and a general time frame of request completion.  Based on the time of year and caseload, requests involving 50 or more students may take up to 3 weeks to complete. To ensure a complete disciplinary check, please also check the student’s name with the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX, as we do not have access to their records.

I am an Agent Representative and need to check disciplinary records for a prospective employee. May I fax the signed release for processing?

No, we will need to receive the signed release along with your agency identification via email to disciplinarycheck@usc.edu.

Learn About Our Process

Allegations of non-academic misconduct are typically resolved by the Office of Community Expectations (OCE), which, at its discretion, may utilize either an informal or formal resolution process.