Student Code of Conduct
The University of Nevada, Reno, is a higher education institution committed to the intellectual and personal growth of its students as scholars and citizens and the promotion of a learning environment where these goals can be achieved safely and fairly. This community is dedicated to academic excellence, as students become involved in academic pursuits, life-long learning, and personal development. Therefore, the University promotes civility, respect, and integrity among all members of the community, with every student expected to exhibit high standards of behavior.
Student learning occurs within a community of scholars united by their participation and commitment to intellectual development. Learning also involves reflecting on decisions and improving decision-making in the future. By establishing the standards of this student learning community, the Student Code of Conduct serves not only as a disciplinary system, but also as part of the educational system. Therefore, an important goal of the Student Code of Conduct, and its associated processes for the resolution of student misconduct, is to teach students to live and act responsibly in a community, with respect for the rights of other students and members of that community, and for the property, common resources, and regulations and policies associated with that community. As students participate in the campus community and its sponsored activities, they are responsible for their own actions and are subject to local, state and national laws as well as the all university regulations.
The purpose of the Student Code of Conduct is to set forth the specific authority and responsibility of the University in maintaining social discipline and to specify the educational process for determining individual student and student organization responsibility for alleged violations of University regulations. The disciplinary process follows established procedures to promote and provide an educational experience that facilitates the development of the individual student and the student organization. Also included are university procedures that exist to provide fair treatment for all students, to support the rights of every student and student organization, and to educate all students about the importance of community-based resolution of misconduct. The prohibited conduct, procedures and sanctions established in this document are applicable to the resolution of complaints against any student at the University of Nevada, Reno for allegedly engaging in specified prohibited conduct. The University administration views the student conduct process as not only a disciplinary process but also a learning experience for the student involved, with the expectation that this experience has the potential of resulting in individual student growth, change in behavior, and increased understanding of the student's responsibilities and privileges within the University community.
Information on reporting and confidentially disclosing sexual violence is found in Section III.
Cases involving individual students alleged to have violated both university regulations and civil or criminal law may be handled concurrently through university disciplinary proceedings and through the courts. During the conduct resolution process, the needs of the person(s) being confronted for alleged misconduct, the needs of the person(s) reported to be the victim of the other student's alleged misconduct, and the needs of the campus community at large are judged to be equally important.
For information on the definitions of the terms used in this "Code", see "Appendix A: "Definitions".