Forms and Reports
Forms for Faculty, Staff, and Students
Academic Integrity is essential to our values as an academic institution. When a student has cheated on an assignment or exam, committed plagiarism, misused or abused online resources, or collaborated with a third party without authorization, an Academic Incident has occurred.
Chico State's policy on Academic Integrity (EM 25-015 (PDF)) goes into more detail about the definition of Academic Integrity, what counts as a violation, and what responsibilities faculty members and students have to maintain an honest learning environment.
Once Student Rights and Responsibilities receives a report, we will review the report and, if appropriate, begin the Student Conduct Process (PDF), as outlined in EO 1098
Resources:
California State University, Fullerton's Academic Integrity Tutorial(opens in new window) explains the basics of Academic Integrity.
Avoiding Plagiarism (PDF) is a document created by UC Davis to help explain plagiarism to students and give strategies for maintaining academic integrity.
Collaboration (PDF) is a document created by UC Davis to define collaboration and help students understand how to navigate individual instructors' guidelines about collaborative work.
EM 25-015 (PDF) (PDF)is the governing document at Chico State regarding grading symbols and standards, as well as grade forgiveness and repetition of courses.
File an Academic Incident Report
Behavioral Incident Report
Campus policies and regulations are in place to ensure the safety of our campus community. When an infraction of those policies, regulations, or rules occurs, it is considered a behavioral incident. Behavioral Incidents should be reported to Student Rights and Responsibilities to ensure that the rights of everyone on campus are protected, and no further infractions occur.
When Student Rights and Responsibilities receives a behavioral incident report, we follow the guidelines laid out in EO 1098 (PDF) to investigate the incident. Please note that incidents involving harassment, discrimination, and/or retribution should be directed to our Title IX(opens in new window) office. If OSRR finds that a behavioral incident report contains allegations of a violation, we will proceed with the Student Conduct Process.
File a Behavioral Incident Report
Grade Dispute
When a final grade is given by a member of the faculty that is based on an error -- whether arbitrary or capricious -- or is not in alignment with the grading criteria provided in the course syllabus, students may dispute that grade. Before filing a grade appeal, the student should make every attempt at an informal resolution by having conversations with the faculty member, the department, and the college which houses that department.
If those conversations do not lead to a resolution that the student finds satisfactory, they may file a Grade Dispute with Student Rights and Responsibilities no later than ten (10) instructional days of the beginning of the semester immediately subsequent to the semester in which the student received the grade in question (for example, if the grade was received at the end of the fall semester, then the student has until day 10 of the following spring semester to file a grade dispute).
Grade Disputes are governed by EM 25-001 (PDF), which is our Grade Appeal policy. This policy outlines what to expect after filing a Grade Dispute.
File a Grade Dispute
Student Complaint
When a member of the faculty, staff, or administration has in some material way failed to meet their official obligations in a way that has negatively impacted a student, the student may decide to file a Student Complaint. EM 20-013 (opens in new window)lays out Chico State's policy surrounding student complaints.
If the incident being complained about involves discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, then the student should visit the Title IX(opens in new window) website for further support. If the incident involves a dispute over grades, then the student should see the Grade Appeal policy above.
Once a student complaint is filed, Student Rights and Responsibilities will begin the [link: Student Complaint Process].
File a Student Complaint
Forms for Organizations
Disciplinary Clearance Reports
A Disciplinary Clearance Report is a report of a student's conduct record for the time they attended Chico State. Through FERPA(opens in new window) and EM 22-026 (PDF), Students have the right to privacy for their educational records. All campus departments follow these established guidelines to help safeguard that right to privacy. If a student wishes to have the campus release their disciplinary record, the campus must have written documentation authorizing the disclosure of this Disciplinary Clearance Report to a third party.
This report may be requested by internal (Chico State) departments with a business need, such as Student Leadership positions, for student employment, or athletics participation, or prior to travel for Study Abroad or Study Away. Chico State Departments may file a request by selecting File a Disciplinary Clearance Report (Internal).
External organizations may request a Disciplinary Clearance Report for such reasons as, but not limited to, employment, certifications, admissions, and background clearances. Outside agencies and organizations (non-Chico State) may file a request by selecting File a Disciplinary Clearance Report (External).
This Disciplinary Clearance Report must be filled out correctly and submitted before a student's disciplinary record will be released for internal or external organizations. If the request is incomplete, the request may be delayed or rejected.
ALL DISCIPLINARY CLEARANCE REPORTS (EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL) MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE. NO IN-PERSON REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
An organization MUST possesses a signed release of information form signed by the student, it should be attached to the Disciplinary Clearance Report request.
Student identity must be verified before any confidential information is released.
File a Disciplinary Clearance Report (Internal)
File a Disciplinary Clearance Report (External)
FERPA FAQs
- I pay the tuition. Don't I have a right to know what's happening with my student's case?
We understand the instinct completely, and we want to support your student's success alongside you. Under federal law (FERPA), once a student enrolls in college, the rights to their education records including conduct records belong to the student, not the parent, regardless of who pays tuition or claims the student as a dependent. Because of that, OSRR cannot confirm or deny whether a student has a case, or share any details, without the student's written authorization on file. The fastest path to involvement is for your student to complete a FERPA Release Authorization naming you.
- How do I get information about my student's case, then?
Your student can authorize us to speak with you by submitting a written FERPA Release Authorization that names you specifically. The student initiates it as we are not able to send it to you on their behalf or act on a verbal okay. Once a signed release is on file, we can discuss the matters it covers with you. We're glad to walk your student through how to submit one.
- My student is under 21 and this involves alcohol (or drugs). I heard FERPA says you have to tell me.
FERPA does include an exception that permits an institution to notify parents when a student under 21 is found responsible for an alcohol or drug violation. It's worth being precise about two things: it is permissive, not mandatory the law allows the disclosure but does not require it and OSRR's standard practice is to keep the student at the center of their own process rather than to route notifications around them. We encourage your student to bring you in directly, and a FERPA release makes that straightforward.
- I claim my student as a dependent on my taxes. Doesn't that give me access?
There is a FERPA exception that allows (again, does not require) an institution to share records with parents of a student who is a dependent for IRS tax purposes. Two points: it requires documentation, such as a copy of the most recent tax return showing the dependency, and even where it applies it is discretionary. OSRR's approach is to encourage the student to authorize involvement directly through a release rather than relying on the dependency exception, which keeps the student engaged in their own process.
- Can you at least tell me whether my student has a case at all? Just yes or no?
We're not able to confirm or deny the existence of a case, or any detail of one, without the student's written authorization. This isn't about any particular situation it's the same answer we give every caller, because confirming or denying anything would itself be a disclosure of a protected record. We know that can be frustrating when you're worried, and we're happy to explain the process in general terms and help your student get a release submitted.
- I'm genuinely worried about my student's safety / mental health.
Thank you for telling us, that matters, and we take it seriously. While we still can't share record details without authorization, we can receiveinformation from you, and we can connect you and your student with the right campus resources. If you believe there is an immediate emergency, contact University Police at 911 (or ) right away.
For wellbeing concerns, the best step is a CARE referral, which routes your concern to the campus team that follows up with the student directly. We can submit one based on what you share with us, and you're also welcome to submit a CARE referral yourself and we can to point you to the form.
- Why does the college shut parents out? We're on the same team.
We don't see it as shutting you out. We see it as helping your student build the self-advocacy skills that college is meant to develop. Our philosophy is to keep students at the center of their own conduct process so they learn to navigate institutional systems, advocate for themselves, and take ownership of outcomes. The most effective thing a parent can do is encourage the student to engage directly with us and, if they choose, to authorize us to include you via a release.
- What can you talk to me about without a release?
We can speak in general terms about how the conduct process works, what the stages are, what students' rights and options are, where the relevant policies live, and how to submit a FERPA Release Authorization. What we can't do without a signed release is confirm whether a specific student is involved in anything or share any case-specific information.
- My student already said it's fine for you to talk to me.
We appreciate that, and it's a great sign your student wants you involved. We do need that authorization in writing through the FERPA Release Authorization rather than as a verbal relay, so that everyone is protected and clear on what's covered. Once your student submits it, we're glad to talk.
Community Concerns Report
When a community member who is not associated with Chico State has observed behavior from a student, faculty, or staff member that they believe to be an infraction of our student conduct policies, they can submit a Community Concern Report to make the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities aware of the incident.
Once Student Rights and Responsibilities receives the report, they will be in touch to confirm receipt of the report and ask any follow-up questions which may arise.
File a Community Concern
