Dartmouth College Student Conduct & Academic Misconduct Defense

Reviews (Dartmouth's term for appeals) have three different review officers depending on the case type: Director of Community Standards & Accountability for administrative hearings, Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs for Academic Honor Principle cases, and Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs for all other COS cases

The COS Chair has discretion to grant individual hearings when the student admits allegations, an expedited single-officer path that requires Chair approval

Fines up to $100 are an explicit codified sanction, unusual for a non-consumer context and distinct from restitution

The 7-day review deadline runs from the date the decision is written, not the date the student receives it, a procedural point worth flagging

Dartmouth explicitly runs a single unified COS for academic and non-academic undergraduate misconduct, with the distinction appearing only at the review-officer level

Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities is the consolidated governing document that also defines standards beyond just conduct adjudication

Academic standing and certain registrarial actions can also be appealed through COS, an unusual jurisdictional breadth for a disciplinary body

Geisel School of Medicine

Geisel Student Performance and Conduct Committee

Medical students face academic progression and professionalism review through Geisel.

Tuck School of Business

Tuck Honor Code

MBA students are subject to the Tuck Honor Code.

Thayer School of Engineering

Thayer academic and professional conduct procedures

Graduate engineering students face additional professional conduct review.

Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies

Guarini Honor Principle and Code of Conduct Violation Procedures

Graduate students across divisions face Guarini-specific honor and conduct procedures.

Who handles academic misconduct cases at Dartmouth?

Committee on Standards (COS) (COS) has jurisdiction over academic misconduct matters at Dartmouth. The Committee on Standards (COS) hears cases involving undergraduates concerning violations of the Academic Honor Principle and the Standards of Conduct, cases involving academic standing and requirements, and cases involving appeals of certain registrarial actions. The COS Chair may grant individual hearings in lieu of the full committee when the student admits the allegations. Reviews of COS decisions are handled by the Director of Community Standards & Accountability or the Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs (for Academic Honor Principle cases). All undergraduate cases involving violations of the Academic Honor Principle and the Standards of Conduct, as well as certain academic standing and registrarial matters.

What is the evidence standard at Dartmouth?

Dartmouth applies Preponderance of the evidence (Dartmouth's standard in COS proceedings) under Dartmouth Academic Honor Principle; Standards of Conduct (Undergraduate Student Affairs); Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities. Committee on Standards (COS) uses this standard when determining whether a student is responsible for an alleged violation. The evidence standard is critical because it determines how strong the evidence must be before a finding of responsibility can be made.

What rights do I have during a Dartmouth conduct proceeding?

Under Dartmouth Academic Honor Principle; Standards of Conduct (Undergraduate Student Affairs); Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities, students facing a Committee on Standards (COS) proceeding have specific procedural rights, including the right to written notice of the alleged violation; request an individual hearing with the COS Chair when admitting allegations; a full COS hearing when contesting allegations or when the Chair denies an individual hearing request; an advisor during proceedings. Exercising these rights correctly from the first notice can materially affect the outcome of your case.

How is an academic misconduct case initiated at Dartmouth?

Allegations of academic or non-academic misconduct are reported to the Office of Community Standards & Accountability. If the student admits the allegations, the student may choose to request an individual hearing with the COS Chair, who may grant or deny the request depending on the nature of the case. Otherwise, and for contested cases, the full COS hears the matter.

What sanctions can Dartmouth impose for academic misconduct?

Committee on Standards (COS) can impose a range of sanctions depending on the violation, including warning or reprimand, fines up to $100, restitution, and more serious outcomes including suspension and expulsion. The specific sanction depends on the facts, the student's prior record, and any mitigating factors presented during the proceeding. Sanction-phase advocacy is often as important as the responsibility phase, since even a first finding can carry long-term consequences on transcripts and graduate school applications.

How do I appeal a decision at Dartmouth, and what is the deadline?

The appeal deadline at Dartmouth is 7 days from the date the decision is written. The Director of Community Standards & Accountability (or designee) considers reviews from students found responsible following an administrative hearing. The Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs (or designee) considers reviews from students found responsible for a violation of Dartmouth's Academic Honor Principle. The Dean of Undergraduate Student Affairs (or designee) considers reviews in all other cases heard by the COS. Review requests must be in writing, must set forth in reasonable detail the grounds for review, and must include any supporting materials. Appeal grounds typically include procedural error that affected the outcome, new information not reasonably available at the time of the original decision, sanction disproportionate to the finding. Appeals that succeed are usually the ones that ground each argument in the record and the specific policy language, not emotional or general objections.

Can I bring an advisor to my Dartmouth hearing?

Yes. Under Dartmouth Academic Honor Principle; Standards of Conduct (Undergraduate Student Affairs); Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities, students have the right to an advisor during proceedings. AdvocatED can serve as that advisor and help you prepare your response, question witnesses where allowed, and navigate Dartmouth's specific procedural rules. What an advisor can and cannot do varies from school to school, and at Dartmouth the rules are set out in the governing policy.

Do I need a lawyer for a Dartmouth Committee on Standards (COS) proceeding?

In most cases, no. Dartmouth's proceedings follow university policy under Dartmouth Academic Honor Principle; Standards of Conduct (Undergraduate Student Affairs); Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities, not the legal system. What you need is someone who understands Dartmouth's specific procedures, the evidence standard, and how sanctions are assessed. An education advocate typically provides stronger, more targeted guidance than a general-practice attorney because the body of law here is university policy, not criminal or civil procedure. AdvocatED brings deep, specialized expertise in these exact processes at a fraction of a law firm's cost.

How does Dartmouth handle Title IX cases?

Dartmouth handles Title IX matters separately from general academic misconduct, through the Dartmouth Title IX Office. Sex-based misconduct and Title IX complaints are handled through the Title IX Office under Dartmouth's separate Title IX policies, not through the Committee on Standards. Title IX proceedings have their own procedures, evidence standards, and timelines. If you are a respondent in a Title IX case at Dartmouth, you should not conflate the process with general conduct cases, and you should respond carefully to any notice you receive.

Does Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine have a separate conduct process?

Yes. Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth is handled through Geisel Student Performance and Conduct Committee, which is distinct from the general university conduct process. Medical students face academic progression and professionalism review through Geisel. This matters because professional school findings carry licensure implications, and the remediation and appeal pathways are different from the undergraduate process.

What are the most common academic misconduct violations at Dartmouth?

At Dartmouth, the most frequently cited violations include: plagiarism on written work; cheating on exams or assessments; unauthorized collaboration on individual assignments; fabrication of data, sources, or research results. Knowing which violation is alleged is the foundation of an effective defense, because the response strategy differs substantially based on whether the case involves plagiarism, AI use, exam cheating, collaboration, or a procedural technicality.

What are the key deadlines in a Dartmouth conduct case?

At Dartmouth, the most consequential deadlines are: Review request: 7 days from the date the COS decision is written. Missing any of these windows can eliminate procedural options that are otherwise available. If you have received a notice from Committee on Standards (COS), document the dates on the notice immediately and calendar every deadline, even ones that do not seem urgent.