Frequently Asked Questions

The student is sent a letter from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities providing them with an appointment to meet with a student conduct administrator regarding the alleged violation(s) listed in the appointment letter. The student will also receive a copy of the California Code of Regulations under Title V, section 41301-41304 and the conduct process at Fresno State (CSU's Student Conduct Process).

Student organizations recognized by Fresno State are subject to the Student Organization Code of Conduct. The University may hold a student organization responsible for the actions of its members when the behavior or activity is related to the organization. Misconduct need not be officially approved by the organization membership in order to be grounds for sanctions against the organization.  Further information can be found on the Student Involvement, Manage My Club webpage.

The student is provided the opportunity to discuss the incident with the student conduct administrator.  Disciplinary conferences are usually scheduled for an hour. You will be able to present any relevant information, evidence, or witnesses. Sanction recommendations will take into account honesty, cooperation, a preponderance of evidence, and your disciplinary history. This is a fact-finding meeting and a student’s full cooperation is expected.

At the conclusion of a disciplinary conference, appropriate sanctions may be proposed if it is believed that a violation of the Student Code of Conduct occurred.  These sanctions are proposed in the form of an agreement that you would be given the opportunity to sign if you agreed with the terms.  If a resolution is not reached in a disciplinary conference, the matter will proceed to a formal hearing as described in the CSU's Student Conduct Process.

Yes, you may ask another person to accompany you to the meeting. Under current University policy, that person may not be an attorney; however, nothing precludes you from consulting with an attorney prior to the meeting.  An exception to this policy is made in cases that involve pending felony charges in a court of law or in which the University is proposing expulsion, a student may bring an attorney to serve as their advisor.  A student will always be expected to speak for themselves.

If you invite another person to the disciplinary meeting, you are providing authorization for that person to hear information about the allegation.  We will ask you to complete the authorization to release, found in your student portal allowing the release of information to this person. Separate meetings are scheduled for any students involved in the same disciplinary matter, including those who have been referred to Student Rights and Responsibilities and/or who may have witnessed an incident being investigated by Student Rights and Responsibilities.

Your disciplinary record is considered confidential. However, information concerning your disciplinary record may be available to appropriate University officials, faculty and/or staff who have a legitimate education interest in such information. In addition, information regarding your disciplinary record may be released to other individuals or entities upon your written request or in accordance with state and federal law.

Most disciplinary records are maintained for at least seven years. Some records are kept permanently, including those in which sanctions assessed include suspension, expulsion, denial or revocation of a degree, and/or withdrawal of a diploma.

Yes, the same set of facts may result in an investigation by both the University and the courts.

If you are accused of cheating or plagiarism, you will have an opportunity to speak to your instructor about the allegation. If you understand that you have committed an act of cheating or plagiarism, it is best to admit to doing so and to apologize to the professor. It will not prevent the instructor from assessing a penalty; however, it is the honorable thing for you to do. The professor may assess a sanction ranging from an oral reprimand to an F in the course.

If you believe that you have not committed an act of cheating or plagiarism, you have the right to challenge the professor's decision through the Policy and Procedures on Cheating & Plagiarism.  The professor will also refer the matter to Student Rights and Responsibilities.

You will need to call Student Rights and Responsibilities at 559.278.8740. Generally, the hold means that you have either failed to respond to the disciplinary letter or you have failed to fulfill other obligations concerning a disciplinary case including mandated sanctions.

Prior to contacting the Office of the Dean of Students/Student Rights and Responsibilities, log into your My Fresno State student portal and complete an Authorization to Release Form; use access code: 8740 and type of record is either "student conduct" or "disciplinary record". If you do not remember your login and/or password, contact Techology Services at 559.278.5000. If you need assistance with the form, you can call us at 559.278.8740.

In person: Bring your form to the Dean of Students Office, in Joyal Administration Building, room 274, along with an official photo ID,  and a stamped, addressed envelope (for forms that must be mailed back to the destination school). Generally, these forms are processed within 5 business days.

Online: Requests can be emailed to studentconduct@csufresno.edu; please include your Fresno State student ID number. If possible, please send this email from your Fresno State email address.

As the referring party, you must submit all information/knowledge that you have about the incident, including information from witnesses, documents such as tests, notes, term papers, assignments and police/incident reports, etc. Please be sure to include the student’s full name and ID number.

No, the referring party does not attend the informal conference. The OSRR meets with the student in a confidential one-on-one meeting. In the event of a formal hearing, the referring party will be called to provide testimony on the facts of the case.

To maintain student privacy, and uphold educational law, we are unable to share details of a student's disciplinary record without permission from the student.  In the event the end result is needed in order to submit a grade, information can be shared on a need to know basis.

As an education institution, one of our primary goals is to help students learn from their mistakes.  Only if the sanction involves suspension or expulsion is it noted on transcripts. Disciplinary records are confidential and generally cannot be released to others without the student’s consent. In all but very few cases, a student discipline record will not prevent one from applying and being admitted into medical, law, dental, or other professional or graduate schools.

As detailed in the California State University's Student Conduct Process (Article II, I.), as well as APM 235, faculty shall promptly notify the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities.  Notification consists of submitting an online form and providing copies of the course materials in question.  In the event the student contests the allegation and requests a hearing with the Department Chair, formal notification is required after that hearing. 

Academic penalties imposed by the instructor range from lowering a grade, assigning a grade of “0” or “F” for the test/paper, to assigning an “F” for the entire course.  The student conduct administrator would be happy to speak with you regarding what types of academic penalties are most often assigned.  In addition to an impact on the course grade, faculty may also recommend additional sanctions through the conduct process.

Contact the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, 559.278.8740 or studentconduct@csufresno.edu regarding this information.