About

How the Code Works

  1. Part I of the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct includes the rights and freedoms to which all students—undergraduate and graduate—are entitled at Indiana University. The responsibilities of all students are described in Part II. When students are believed to have violated any provisions in Part II, all campuses follow the basic procedural guidelines found in Part III of the Code. Individual campuses also have procedures that apply specifically to their students. The enforcement of the Code is the responsibility of the campus offices of student affairs.

  2. The conduct process is an educational process and is not the same as a legal procedure in a court of law. Students, faculty, and staff serve as conduct officers and the outcomes are designed to both hold students accountable and to educate them, so that the behaviors are unlikely to be repeated. Violations of the Code that may be addressed in the campus conduct process may or may not also be violations of law and students who commit acts of misconduct are at risk of being held accountable in both the campus conduct process and the court system.

  3. This Code applies to all activities on campus, on university-related property such as fraternities and sororities, and in connection with off-campus activities when they are associated with or affect university activities, or involve student behaviors that adversely affect the university community or the academic process.

 

Who is Affected By the Code?

  • Students

    Students are obviously the group most directly affected by the Code, as it spells out their special rights as Indiana University students and establishes a set of rules for governing their conduct while they remain in this role. The Code and appropriate campus procedures together tell them how to proceed if they suspect that their rights have been infringed as well as what to expect if they are alleged to have violated university policy.

  • Faculty/Staff/Administration

    Each student right enumerated in the Code also establishes a corresponding duty on the part of university faculty, staff, and administrative personnel to see that it is protected. Moreover, the sections on student conduct let all university employees know what they can and should expect from any students with whom they interact, be it in the classroom, an office, or an on-campus residential facility.

  • The Trustees of Indiana University

    As the governing body of Indiana University, the Board of Trustees is responsible for the content of the Code. Any amendments proposed by the University Faculty Council must ultimately be approved by the trustees.

  • Parents/Guardians

    As our students transition from adolescence to full adulthood, their parents and guardians often continue to play a direct role in looking out for their rights and guiding their behavior. By stating Indiana University’s expectations explicitly, the Code can assist parents and guardians as they help to make their daughter’s, son’s, or ward’s time at IU both safe and rewarding.

  • The Local Community

    Indiana University students are also members of their campus’s local community. Thus, even those not affiliated with IU are still likely to interact with individuals bound by the Code, the jurisdiction of which extends well beyond the campus itself. The high standards set therein help to make these interactions pleasant and respectful.