Student Conduct and Professionalism Policy - Revised

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Addendum - This policy has been revised effective 8/12/2026.

The purpose of this policy is to identify CHSU’s expectations for the conduct and professionalism of CHSU students. These expectations are intended to support an academic environment that supports the ability of all students to work, study, and fully explore their academic interests.

CHSU students are expected to comply with the Student Conduct and Professionalism Policy and may be subject to corrective or disciplinary action for improper behaviors or conduct that occurs on-campus or off-campus. 

In addition to the university-wide standards outlined herein, students are required to adhere to the Student Progress Committee (SPC) policies and procedures specific to their respective colleges, MSBS Graduate Student Progress Committee Policy, COM Student Progress Committee Policy.

Code of Professional Conduct

Students are expected to comply with the CHSU Code of Professional Conduct:

1. Respect for Patients.
Students must take utmost care to ensure patient respect, confidentiality, and dignity. As healthcare professional students, students must demonstrate respect for patients through appropriate language and behavior, including that which is non-threatening and non-judgmental. Patient privacy and modesty should be respected.

2. Respect for Faculty, Staff, Colleagues, Hospital Personnel, and Community
Students are required to show appropriate respect for faculty, staff, colleagues, hospital personnel, guests, and members of the general public. This respect should be demonstrated by punctuality in relationships and communications with faculty and staff, patients and peers, and prompt execution of reasonable instructions. Responses to communications must be provided by a deadline specified in the communication or, if no deadline is set, within a reasonable timeframe appropriate to the circumstances.

3. Respect for Self
All students should uphold a high level of personal ethics, and morals in their daily conduct.

4. Respect For Laws, Policies and Regulations
Students must respect and comply with the laws, policies, and regulations at all levels of CHSU, the local community, the State of California, and the federal government.

Violation of the Code of Professional Conduct

Professionalism is a core competency for all CHSU students. When professional misconduct is alleged the incident should be described on a Professionalism Observation Form. It is not possible to enumerate all forms of inappropriate or unprofessional behavior; however, the following are examples of behavior that constitute a violation of University policy.

  1. Harm, abuse, hazing, damage, or theft to or of any individual or property;
  2. Physical or verbal bullying or the threat of such abuse to any individual;
  3. All forms of dishonesty;
    • cheating, omissions, fraud, plagiarism (including self-plagiarism),
    • unauthorize use or distribution of assignments, quizzes, practicals, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), exams or exam content and any other assessments,
    • knowingly furnishing false information to the University or any of employees and clinical preceptor faculty through forgery, alteration or unapproved use of records, or
    • violation of CHSU Academic Freedom, Intellectual Honesty and Academic Integrity Policy, or
    • aiding another in such dishonesty,
    • entering or using CHSU-operated or affiliate-operated hospital/clinic/research facilities without authorization.
  4. Disrupting the learning environment, research, administrative or student functions of the University;
  5. Convictions for violation of federal, state or local laws, felonies or misdemeanors, excluding minor traffic violations;
  6. Failure to report to CHSU administration within 48 hours personal violations of this policy, or personal actions which violate, or result in a charge of or arrest for a violation of federal, state or local laws;
  7. Violations of CHSU’s Student Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Policy;
  8. Placing a patient’s health and/or safety in jeopardy;
  9. Unethical disclosure of private or other confidential information. This includes but is not necessarily limited to, disclosure in violation of the law (e.g. HIPAA), CHSU policy or the policies and procedures of any CHSU affiliate;
  10. Behavior that demonstrates abusive or disrespectful conduct toward members of the faculty, administrative or professional staff, employees, students, patients or community members;
  11. Violation of any established rules, policies or procedures of CHSU, CHSU-endorsed organizations, CHSU departments or affiliated institutions;
  12. Failure to participate in a University-conducted investigation or hearings as well as mandated reporting requirements imposed by law or policy of CHSU or any of its affiliates;
  13. Conspiring, planning or attempting to achieve any of the above acts;
  14. Any other conduct which calls into question the student’s fitness to practice in the student’s area of study.

University-Wide Student Discipline Procedures

Complaints by students, CHSU employees or members of the public involving alleged misconduct by students in violation of this policy will be handled as follows:

  1. Reports of concerns regarding unprofessionalism, misconduct, unethical or other disruptive behavior, which is severe, pervasive or otherwise significantly disrupts the educational environment ("Complaints") will be documented on the Professionalism Observation Form.
  2. Official communication concerning notice of a student’s alleged unprofessionalism will be sent to the student’s CHSU email address. Students are responsible for regularly checking their CHSU email account and responding to emails from the University in a timely manner.

  3. Minor concerns may be addressed with coaching, education or a written or verbal warning. A written notice of such minor violations may be, but is not required to be, given to the student. Examples of minor violations include, but are not necessarily limited to, inappropriate or rude emails, being late to class on multiple occasions, use of profane language. Upon receipt of a Professionalism Observation Form., the College’s Office of Student Affairs will review the initial report of alleged misconduct and determine the next steps and if the allegation of misconduct merits an investigation or other official action.

    If the determination is that an investigation is warranted, the case may be heard either by the appropriate college-level committee, an administrator(s) designated by the College Student Affairs Dean (other than the investigator), or an external adjudicator (other than the investigator).

  4. Allegations of unlawful harassment, discrimination, or retaliation may be processed under CHSU’s Unlawful Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Title IX Policy and Procedures in addition to the process for review of unprofessional conduct.

    All cases involving potential suspension or dismissal shall be referred to the appropriate college-level committee. In all cases, a college dean such as the Student Affairs Dean or Academic Affairs Dean shall notify the student in writing regarding the recommendations of the committee and the final determination of the investigation. 

    The investigation file is a private record that is the property of the University. Students are not entitled to the investigation file, notes of the investigator, or transcripts or recordings of interviews.

CHSU students are required to self-disclose any charges, arrests, or convictions including misdemeanors, felonies, deferred adjudications, court martial, military nonjudicial punishments, and general or less than honorable discharge from the military. Non-disclosure/falsification may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the program. 

Students who are uncertain of the status of a charge versus a conviction on their record, or if they are uncertain as to whether the offense was an infraction, misdemeanor, or a felony should contact the city, county, or state jurisdiction where the incident occurred. 

Students who are involved in any offenses, including deferred adjudications, that occur during enrollment must report the incident to their respective college Office of Student Affairs within 30 calendar days of the incident. 

College of Osteopathic Medicine: 

The College Administrative Committee (CAC) Executive Committee CAC-EC) is made up of the Dean, all Assistant / Associate Deans, and Vice President for Legal Affairs (or designee) – non voting. The CAC-EC adjudicates non-academic related offenses involving CHSU-COM students. The CAC-EC has final discretion to determine whether the COM should extend its jurisdiction to include alleged student misconduct that occurs off-campus or if such matters should be referred to SPC.

College of Biosciences and Health Professions: 

The Student Conduct Review Committee (SCRC), consisting of the Associate Dean, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Enrollment, Director of Academic and Student Affairs, and Vice President for Legal Affairs (or designee) – non voting, adjudicates non-academic misconduct involving CHSU-CBHP students. The SCRC has final discretion to determine whether the CBHP should exercise jurisdiction over alleged off-campus misconduct or refer the matter to the Graduate Student Progress Committee (GSPC) or other appropriate institutional process.

The applicable college committee (CAC-EC or SCRC) shall consider the following factors in determining whether to exercise jurisdiction over off-campus conduct: 

  1. The seriousness of the conduct warrants a response by the CHSU. 
  2. The conduct involves injury, damage, and/or risk of harm to oneself or others. 
  3. The complainant(s) and/or witnesses are members of the campus community. 
  4. The conduct may also constitute a violation of local, state or federal laws. 
  5. The conduct impairs the ability of other student(s) to participate and/or have equal access to university activities. 
  6. The incident involves any form of sexual violence or sexual assault or physical assault. 
  7. Whether the reported conduct, regardless of the disposition of any criminal proceedings, raises concerns regarding student professionalism, patient safety, or the welfare of the university community. 
  8. Any instance in which the student was convicted of a crime, but the conviction was overturned on appeal; and 
  9. Any instance in which the student was convicted of a crime but received a pardon. 

Off-campus jurisdiction does not depend on geographic proximity to campus, but proximity may be a factor in determining the impact of the behavior on the university educational environment. 

Off-campus jurisdiction can still be exercised over matters in which a reporting party is not a member of the CHSU community (i.e., student, faculty, administration, employees).

CHSU is committed to maintaining a safe, ethical, and professional learning environment. Student conduct occurring on or off campus may be subject to institutional review when such conduct has the potential to affect patient safety, professional standards, the educational environment, or the University's mission.

Notations

Disciplinary matters are not recorded on a student’s academic transcript. In cases of suspension, the notation “Leave of Absence – from date and to date” will be recorded on the transcript and the reason for the Leave of Absence will be documented on the student’s record in the Student Management Information System – SONIS, for reporting purposes. Similarly, in the event a student is found in violation of disciplinary misconduct leading to dismissal or suspension, the dismissal or suspension is recorded on the student’s record in SONIS. Students should note that CHSU, like other medical schools in the United States, identifies breaches of professionalism and disciplinary actions due to unprofessional conduct that may be included in the Dean’s MSPE report, which is written in early fall of the OMS-IV year.

Record Keeping Requirements

With exception of disciplinary suspensions and dismissals, a student's disciplinary record is separate from the student’s academic record. A student is considered to have a disciplinary record when the appropriate college level committee finds the student in violation of one or more University or college policies. 

Students' disciplinary records are kept in the College Student Affairs Dean Office for seven (7) years after the date of the last violation. Suspensions and dismissals are recorded in the student's record. 

In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), disciplinary student records may be released to another institution at which the student seeks or intends to enroll without the consent of the student. CHSU will make a reasonable attempt to notify the student about the disclosure.

Effective Policy Revision Date - 8/12/2026