Dean's Discipline

All members of Columbia University’s community are expected to conduct themselves in ways that are honest and that respect the rights of others at all times. Dean’s Discipline refers to the process through which Columbia College responds to allegations of student academic or behavioral misconduct. The primary aim of the Dean's Discipline process is to educate students about the impact their behavior may have on their own lives as well as on the greater community, and therefore it is not designed as an adversarial or legal process.


The Dean’s Discipline process is initiated when the College or University receives a report that a student has allegedly violated Columbia College or University policies or local, State, or Federal laws. Students may be subject to Dean’s Discipline for any activity that occurs on or off campus that impinges on the rights of other students and community members.


The Center for Student Success and Intervention (CSSI) is responsible for all disciplinary affairs concerning Columbia College students that are not reserved to some other office or organization within the College or University. CSSI uses a “360-degree lens” approach to its work with students, which includes matters of student conduct, intervention case management, and student support initiatives.

Columbia College students are expected to familiarize themselves with Standards and Discipline and the comprehensive list of policies and expectations available on the Center for Student Success and Intervention website.

Academic Integrity

A Columbia College education has two complementary elements: the intellectual development of bodies of knowledge and habits of mind, and the overall development of moral character and personal ethics. These elements are supported by a commitment to academic integrity.

Academic integrity defines an intellectual community and its educational mission. As members of the intellectual community of Columbia College, students are expected to respect and acknowledge the intellectual work of others and denote clearly how their own work relates to that of others.

Columbia College provides support for students as they learn and practice the tenets of academic integrity in their undergraduate studies through the office of Academic Integrity, a part of the office of Students and Family Support. The office of Academic Integrity provides training on academic integrity for all incoming students to the College through mandatory online programs for new students and through a variety of programs throughout the academic year. The office’s website provides detailed information for students on the policies around academic integrity, including the student Honor Code that governs all academic work, the various forms of academic dishonesty that students should avoid, and resources for students to utilize in their own work. Students with questions are encouraged to contact the office at ugrad-integrity@columbia.edu.

Violating the standards of academic integrity severely inhibits a student’s opportunity to mature academically, professionally, and socially. Consequently, a violation of academic integrity is one of the most serious offenses a student can commit at the University.

Violations of academic integrity may be intentional or unintentional and can include, but are not limited, to:

  • Academic Dishonesty, Facilitation of

  • Assistance, Unauthorized

  • Bribery

  • Cheating

  • Collaboration, Unauthorized

  • Dishonesty

  • Ethics, Honor Codes, and Professional Standards, Violation of

  • Failing to Safeguard Work

  • Giving or Taking Academic Materials, Unauthorized

  • Obtaining Advanced Knowledge

  • Plagiarism

  • Sabotage

  • Self-Plagiarism

  • Test Conditions, Violation of

  • Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools, Unauthorized

Violations of the policies regarding the above categories will be subject to Dean’s Discipline.

Academic Integrity in the Virtual and Hybrid Class Environment

The Columbia undergraduate classroom, whether real or virtual, is a vital and dynamic space for learning, sustained by the expectation that the class experience is shared only by participants in the course. The free and respectful exchange of ideas is the foundation of teaching and learning and can occur only if all course participants agree as a matter of academic integrity (subject to standard penalties) to respect the guidelines established below.

To support and sustain the class experience, the Columbia undergraduate Committee on Instruction sets forth the following expectations, pertaining both to course materials and to course meetings:

  • Course materials, including handouts, readings, slides, and attendant materials must not be broadly shared, distributed, or sold outside the course environment (including on social media) without permission of the instructor. They must be understood as the product of instructors’ intellectual work, and treated as their property.

  • The contents of class discussion and breakout rooms may not be circulated outside the classroom, in whole or in part, for non-educational purposes (e.g., on social media) or outside the Columbia community. Students are expected to respect the complex dynamics of class discussion and use discretion when repeating the ideas of others outside of the classroom. The audio and visual recordings of class discussion and breakout rooms belong to the course participants and must be understood in the context of the course. This is especially crucial to protect the identity of speakers; in certain circumstances, failure to do so could be a form of bullying and could endanger course participants.

  • Recordings of class sessions must not be shared, in whole or in part, with those outside the class. Students are not permitted to record any portion of class sessions without the explicit consent of the instructor.

Violations of the policies regarding the above categories will be subject to Dean’s Discipline.

Behavioral Standards

University policy regarding behavior standards have been developed for the purposes of maintaining a safe and healthy educational environment. Categories of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Unauthorized Access/Egress

  • Prohibited use of Alcohol

  • Collusion

  • Prohibited use of Columbia University Identification Card

  • Violation of Columbia University Non-Discrimination Statement 

  • Unauthorized Use of Columbia Identity (or affiliated organizations) 

  • Unauthorized Copying and/or Distribution

  • Disruptive Behavior 

  • Endangerment 

  • Endangerment to Animals 

  • Failure to Comply 

  • Falsification 

  • Violation of Fire Safety Policies

  • Harassment 

  • Hazing 

  • Violation of  Illegal Drugs Policy

  • Violation of Information Technologies Policies

  • Violation of the Laws

  • Retaliation 

  • Sales and Solicitation 

  • Violation of University Smoking Policy

  • Unauthorized  Surveillance/Photography

  • Theft 

  • Violation of University Policies

  • Vandalism/Damage to Property 

  • Weapons

Violations of the policies regarding the above categories will be subject to Dean’s Discipline.