Student Code of Conduct Violations

A student code of conduct is the rulebook a college uses to decide what behavior it will discipline and how. When a school says you violated it, the charge is decided under the school’s own procedures, by school officials, using the school’s own standard of proof. This page is for a college student, or a parent, who has received a notice of a code of conduct violation, and for anyone looking for a code of conduct lawyer, a student misconduct attorney, or student misconduct defense. It explains what codes cover, how a case starts, what the notice should tell you, the deadlines that catch students off guard, and how to read your school’s code the way a lawyer would.

This page is about non-academic conduct, such as alcohol and drug charges, fights, harassment, disruption, property damage and failure to comply with school officials. It does not cover cheating, plagiarism or other academic integrity cases.

What a code of conduct covers

Every college writes its own code, and each one is different. Codes commonly list prohibited conduct in categories such as harm or threats to others, harassment, alcohol and drugs, weapons, theft and property damage, disruption, hazing, misuse of school technology, and failure to comply with a school official’s directive. Some codes also make it a violation to break federal, state or local law.

Codes also reach farther than many students expect. The University of Texas at Austin’s rules cover conduct on campus “as well as conduct occurring off-campus when the conduct substantially affects a person’s education or employment with the University or poses a risk of harm to members of the University community” (The University of Texas at Austin, Institutional Rules, Chapter 11). The University of Florida’s regulation says the school may apply its codes to students whose conduct may have an adverse impact on the university community “regardless of where such conduct occurs, even if off campus” (University of Florida Regulation 4.040). An off-campus party, a downtown bar or an online post can lead to a campus charge.

Common situations that start a code of conduct case include:

• A residence hall incident report about alcohol, drugs, noise or a guest.
• An arrest or police contact off campus that the school learns about.
• A complaint from another student about harassment, threats or a fight.
• Failure to follow a directive, such as a no-contact directive or an instruction from a staff member.
• Events connected to a fraternity, sorority, team or club.
• Online posts or messages that someone reports.

When a sexual misconduct claim is charged under the code of conduct

Schools have separate procedures for sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, and federal Title IX rules control how a school handles a formal complaint of sexual harassment (34 C.F.R. 106.45). But not every sex-related complaint goes through Title IX. Sometimes a complaint never becomes a formal Title IX complaint, or falls outside the federal definitions, and the school charges it under the general code instead, for example as harassment, disorderly conduct or a violation of a no-contact directive. The procedural protections in a general code case can be thinner than in a Title IX case.

If you are charged under the code over something a former partner or another student reported about a relationship, check which policy the notice cites and ask why. Our guide to sexual misconduct defense under Title IX explains the federal process, and our Title IX investigation guide walks through it step by step.

How a code of conduct case starts

A case begins when someone reports conduct to the school: another student, a residence life staff member, campus police, a faculty member, or an outside police department. The conduct office reviews the report and decides whether to open a case. If it does, you receive a written notice, often by school email.

The notice should tell you which code sections you are accused of violating, a summary of the facts the school relies on, and what happens next, such as a meeting date or a deadline to respond. Some schools explain your rights in the notice. The University of Michigan’s statement says the conduct office will inform the student “that the student does not have to make a statement at the initial meeting” and that statements the student makes “may be considered at any hearing” (University of Michigan, Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities).

Check your school email every day while a case is open. Schools send notices, meeting requests and decisions there, and deadlines run from the date they are sent.

Deadlines that catch students off guard

Some codes treat silence as agreement. At Penn State, when a student is offered a violation agreement, “If the Respondent does not request an Administrative Conference within three business days of the Violation Agreement offer, the Respondent will be deemed to have accepted the violation(s)” (Penn State, Student Code of Conduct). The same code allows a party to appeal an administrative conference decision involving suspension or expulsion “within five business days” (Penn State, Student Code of Conduct).

Other schools build their own short timelines. At the University of Michigan, the conduct office meets with the respondent within five academic calendar days of notifying the respondent, and the hearing is to be held within ten academic calendar days of the initial meeting or of the end of other resolution attempts (University of Michigan, Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities). Read your code’s timeline section on the day you receive your notice, and write the dates down.

How to read your school’s code like a lawyer

When a lawyer reviews a code of conduct case, the first job is to read the rules the school must follow. Questions worth answering early:

• What exactly is the charge? Find the code section and break its definition into parts. The school has to show each part, not just that something bad happened.
• Does the code reach this conduct? If it happened off campus or online, check the code’s jurisdiction section.
• What standard of proof applies? Many codes use preponderance of the evidence. The University of Florida defines its standard as whether the information “supports the finding that it is more likely than not that the charged violation occurred” (University of Florida Regulation 4.040). Some schools use a higher standard. Cornell University’s procedures say an individual respondent is presumed not responsible unless a hearing panel finds responsibility “using the clear and convincing standard of proof” (Cornell University, Student Code of Conduct Procedures).
• What can your advisor do? Codes differ a great deal. See our guide to university disciplinary hearings for examples.
• What sanctions are possible? If suspension or expulsion is on the table, the procedures may change, and the stakes are higher. See college suspension and expulsion defense.
• Is there an informal option? Many schools offer agreements, mediation or restorative processes. Some of these cannot be appealed once you sign. At the University of Michigan, once an agreement has been reached, “it may not be appealed” (University of Michigan, Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities).

Public and private schools follow different rules

At a public college, the Constitution requires fair procedures before serious discipline. A federal appeals court held in 1961 that “due process requires notice and some opportunity for hearing before a student at a tax-supported college is expelled for misconduct” (Dixon v. Alabama State Board of Education, 294 F.2d 150 (5th Cir. 1961)). At a private college, the school’s written rules do most of the work, and courts in many states treat them as a contract. New York’s highest court has said a private institution “need only ensure that its published rules are ‘substantially observed'” (Matter of Kickertz v. New York University, 25 N.Y.3d 942 (2015)). Either way, the code is the starting point.

Your records

Your conduct file is an education record. Under the federal student privacy law, FERPA, you may inspect and review your education records, and the school must comply within 45 days of your request (34 C.F.R. 99.10(a), (b)). Ask early, so you know what the school has before you meet with anyone.

Parents often want to know what the school will tell them. Once a student attends a college, FERPA rights belong to the student, not the parents (34 C.F.R. 99.5(a)). A college may still tell the parents of a student under 21 about a violation of an alcohol or drug rule, if the school has determined that the student committed a disciplinary violation (34 C.F.R. 99.31(a)(15)).

For the overall process and links to every guide in this section, see our student discipline defense overview.

Sources for This Guide

• The University of Texas at Austin, Institutional Rules, Chapter 11
• University of Florida Regulation 4.040, Student Honor Code and Student Conduct Code
• University of Michigan, Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Penn State, Student Code of Conduct
• Cornell University, Student Code of Conduct Procedures
• Dixon v. Alabama State Board of Education, 294 F.2d 150 (5th Cir. 1961) (Caselaw Access Project)
• Matter of Kickertz v. New York University, 25 N.Y.3d 942 (2015) (Caselaw Access Project)
• 34 C.F.R. 99.10: Rights of inspection and review of education records (eCFR)
• 34 C.F.R. 99.5: What are the rights of students? (eCFR)
• 34 C.F.R. 99.31: Disclosure without prior consent (eCFR)
• 34 C.F.R. 106.45: Title IX grievance process (eCFR)

Last verified: October 2026

Student Code of Conduct FAQ

What is a student code of conduct violation?

It is a charge that you broke a rule in your college’s code of conduct. It is decided by the school, under its own procedures, and can lead to sanctions from a warning to expulsion. It is not a criminal charge, though the same events can also lead to one.

Do I have to talk to the conduct officer?

Your code will say what happens if you do not take part. Some schools tell students they do not have to make a statement at the first meeting, and that what they say may be used later. Read your code, and consider getting advice before the meeting.

Can I be charged for something that happened off campus?

Often, yes. Many codes reach off-campus conduct that affects the school community or poses a risk to its members. Check the jurisdiction section of your school’s code.

What happens if I miss a deadline?

It depends on the code, but at some schools missing a response deadline means you are treated as accepting the violation. Read the timeline section of your code and your notice right away.

Does a code of conduct violation go on my transcript?

Some schools note certain sanctions on the transcript. Penn State’s code, for example, defines a transcript notation as “a notation reflecting a violation of this Code or pending student conduct process” on the student’s academic record (Penn State, Student Code of Conduct). Your school’s code will say whether and when it does this.

Talk to a Code of Conduct Lawyer

A code of conduct case is decided under rules your school wrote, on a timeline your school set. Understanding those rules early, before the first meeting, gives you the most room to respond.

If you or your child has received a code of conduct notice at any U.S. college or university, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation before your first meeting.