Glossary of Student Conduct & Education Terms
Plain-language definitions for the acronyms, policies, and institution-specific terminology that come up most often in academic misconduct, Title IX, conduct hearings, dismissal appeals, and K-12 special education.
Misconduct & Standards
- Academic Dismissal
- Removal from a college or university for failing to meet academic-standing requirements such as a minimum GPA or progression rule. Typically appealable on grounds of extenuating circumstances or procedural error. Academic Dismissal Appeal Guide →
- Academic Integrity Violation
- A finding that a student violated the institution's academic-honesty policy. Common categories include plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized collaboration, and unauthorized AI use. Academic Misconduct Library →
- Academic Misconduct
- A broad category covering plagiarism, cheating, fabrication of data, unauthorized collaboration, and other violations of an institution's academic-integrity policy. Academic Misconduct Defense →
- Academic Probation
- A formal warning status indicating a student's GPA has fallen below the minimum standard. Continued performance issues during probation typically trigger suspension or dismissal. How to Get Off Academic Probation →
- Honor Code
- An institution's policy on academic honesty, often student-administered through an Honor Council or Honor Court. Some honor codes (notably UVA) impose a single sanction. Honor Code Violation Guide →
- Honor Council
- A student-led body adjudicating honor-code violations at schools that operate honor systems, including Duke, Vanderbilt, Princeton, Caltech, Rice, and Georgetown.
- Honor Court
- The University of Florida's student-run adjudication body for academic-integrity allegations. Operates with trained student attorneys and student justices.
- Plagiarism
- Submitting work as one's own when it incorporates language, ideas, or data from another source without proper attribution. Definitions and severity tiers vary by institution.
- Single Sanction
- A policy under which any honor-code violation results in a single mandatory consequence. Used at the University of Virginia, where the single sanction is permanent dismissal.
- Violation of Academic Integrity
- Synonym for academic-integrity violation. The specific phrasing used in some institutional policies (notably UIUC's FAIR system).
AI & Plagiarism Tools
- AI Detection
- Software claiming to identify AI-generated text. Tools such as Turnitin AI, GPTZero, and Copyleaks have documented false-positive rates, particularly for ESL writers and formal academic prose. AI & ChatGPT Library →
- Turnitin
- A commercial similarity-detection platform used by most U.S. universities. Reports a similarity percentage that measures textual overlap, not plagiarism per se. Turnitin Similarity Score Guide →
Process
- Appeal
- A formal request that a higher authority review an institutional decision. Appeals usually require specific grounds: procedural error, new evidence, or disproportionate sanction.
- Appellate Board
- A panel of faculty, staff, and sometimes students that reviews appeals from initial conduct findings. Composition and authority vary by institution.
- BOI (Burden of Inquiry)
- Some campus conduct systems place the burden of inquiry on the institution rather than the student, meaning the institution must develop the evidence rather than assuming it.
- COAM
- Committee on Academic Misconduct. Ohio State's body that adjudicates academic-integrity allegations. Other institutions use similarly named bodies.
- Due Process
- The procedural protections owed to a student before adverse action. Public institutions are bound by the Fourteenth Amendment; private institutions are bound by their published policies.
- FAIR System
- Faculty Academic Integrity Reporting system used at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to log and route academic-integrity allegations.
- Formal Resolution
- A structured process culminating in a hearing before a panel or hearing officer. Required for sanctions exceeding certain thresholds at most institutions. Formal vs Informal Resolution →
- Fundamental Fairness
- The standard of procedural fairness that private-college conduct processes must meet. Roughly parallels public-school due process but is grounded in contract law and institutional policy.
- Informal Resolution
- A non-hearing pathway for resolving conduct allegations, typically faster but with limited appeal rights. Often a one-on-one meeting with a conduct officer.
- Office of Student Conduct
- The administrative office at most institutions handling student-discipline matters. Names vary: Community Standards, Student Rights and Responsibilities, Dean of Students, etc.
- OSACR
- Penn State's Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response. Handles academic-integrity and conduct matters.
- OSI
- Georgia Tech's Office of Student Integrity. Adjudicates honor-code and student-conduct violations.
- OSRR
- Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Used at Purdue, ASU, and other institutions to handle conduct cases.
- Preponderance of the Evidence
- The standard of proof used in most campus conduct hearings: more likely than not (>50%) that a violation occurred. Lower than the criminal beyond-a-reasonable-doubt standard.
- Procedural Error
- A failure by the institution to follow its own published policies or procedures. Often the strongest ground for an appeal because it is verifiable and policy-based.
- SCCR
- Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution. The University of Florida office routing academic-integrity referrals to the Student Honor Court.
- SJACS
- USC's Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards. Routes academic-integrity matters to the Academic Integrity Review Board.
- Vice Chancellor / Vice Provost
- Senior officer to whom appeals from suspension or dismissal are typically routed at large public universities. UCLA suspensions and dismissals appeal to the Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs.
Title IX
- ATIXA
- The Association of Title IX Administrators. Trains and certifies Title IX coordinators, investigators, decision-makers, and hearing advisors. AdvocatED advisors hold ATIXA Title IX Hearing Advisor certification.
- Civil Rights Office (CRO)
- Some institutions, including UCLA, route Title IX and sex-based-misconduct matters through a Civil Rights Office under a Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment policy rather than the conduct office.
- Complainant
- The party who reports being harmed in a Title IX or conduct matter. Has procedural rights including notice, investigative interviews, hearing participation, and appeal.
- Cross-Examination
- Live questioning of one party by the other party's advisor at a Title IX hearing. Federal regulations require this format in the formal Title IX process at most postsecondary institutions. Title IX Cross-Examination Guide →
- No-Contact Order
- An interim measure restricting communication or proximity between parties in a Title IX or conduct matter. Violations are themselves conduct violations.
- OCR (Office for Civil Rights)
- Office within the U.S. Department of Education enforcing federal civil-rights laws including Title IX, Title VI, and Section 504 in education.
- Respondent
- The party named as having allegedly engaged in misconduct in a Title IX or conduct case. Title IX Respondent Guide →
- Supportive Measures
- Non-disciplinary, non-punitive accommodations offered to either party in a Title IX matter. Examples include schedule adjustments, housing changes, and counseling referrals.
- SVSH Policy
- Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy. The University of California system's policy framework for handling sexual misconduct, distinct from the Student Conduct Code.
- Title IX
- Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Federal law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal funding. Governs sexual-misconduct procedures. Title IX Defense Service →
- Title IX Coordinator
- The institutional officer designated to coordinate Title IX compliance, intake, and case management. Required at every covered institution.
Medical Education
- CASPP
- Committee on Academic Standing, Progress, and Promotion. Used at UCLA Geffen School of Medicine and similar programs to make binding academic decisions including dismissal.
- GME (Graduate Medical Education)
- Postgraduate physician training, primarily residency and fellowship programs. GME dismissals are governed by program manuals, ACGME requirements, and institutional grievance procedures.
K-12
- DAEP
- Disciplinary Alternative Education Program. A separate placement used in some states (notably Texas) to remove a student from a regular campus while continuing instruction.
- IDEA
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Federal law guaranteeing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible students with disabilities through age 21 or graduation.
- IEP (Individualized Education Program)
- A legally binding document under IDEA outlining the specific special-education services, accommodations, and goals a public-school student with a disability is entitled to. IEP & 504 Advocacy →
- Manifestation Determination Review (MDR)
- Required under IDEA when a student with an IEP or 504 plan faces more than 10 cumulative days of suspension. Determines whether the behavior was caused by the disability.
- Section 504
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Prohibits disability-based discrimination in federally funded programs and entitles qualifying students to accommodations and a 504 Plan.
Sanctions
- Deferred Suspension
- A sanction holding a suspension in abeyance for a specified period. Any further violation during the deferral period triggers immediate suspension.
- Expulsion
- Permanent separation from an institution. Carries a transcript notation at most schools. Among the most serious sanctions and almost always appealable.
- Interim Suspension
- Temporary removal from campus while an investigation or hearing proceeds. Used when a school determines a student poses an immediate safety risk.
- Suspension
- Removal from an institution for a defined period, after which the student may return. Often carries a transcript notation for the duration of the suspension.
- Transcript Notation
- Language placed on an academic transcript indicating a disciplinary sanction. Notations may be temporary or permanent and can affect graduate-school admissions and employment. Academic Misconduct on Transcript →
- Withdrawal (Disciplinary)
- An institutional designation in which a student leaves while a conduct case is pending or as part of a resolution. May be voluntary or required and can carry transcript implications.
Privacy
- Directory Information
- A category of education-record data that schools may disclose without consent under FERPA, typically including name, address, phone, dates of attendance, degrees received, and similar information. Parents and eligible students have the right to opt out of directory-information disclosures.
- Eligible Student
- Under FERPA, any student who has reached age 18 OR who is enrolled at a postsecondary institution. FERPA rights that previously belonged to the parent transfer to the student upon eligibility, with limited exceptions for parents who claim the student as a dependent for federal tax purposes.
- Family Policy Compliance Office
- The U.S. Department of Education office responsible for enforcing FERPA. Receives complaints when schools fail to follow the amendment, hearing, or disclosure requirements. Complaints must be filed within 180 days of the alleged violation.
- FERPA
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Federal law protecting the privacy of student education records. Affects what schools can share with parents and what records students can access.
- FERPA Amendment Request
- A formal written request under 34 CFR § 99.20 asking a school to amend an education record the family or eligible student believes is inaccurate, misleading, or in violation of the student's privacy rights. Triggers a hearing right if denied. FERPA Amendment Process Guide →
- FERPA Hearing
- The hearing required by 34 CFR § 99.21-22 when a school denies a FERPA amendment request. Must be conducted within a reasonable time, by an official with no direct interest in the outcome, with full opportunity to present evidence and a written decision based solely on what is presented. FERPA Amendment Process Guide →
- Letter of Disagreement
- A written statement a parent or eligible student has the right to attach to an education record after losing a FERPA hearing. Under 34 CFR § 99.21(b)(2), the school must keep it as part of the record for as long as the record exists and disclose it whenever the record is disclosed. FERPA Amendment Process Guide →
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