Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student educational records. Aside from a few exceptions, institutions may not disclose information about a student without a student’s written consent.
For more information about FERPA as it applies to UC Irvine, please refer to the UCI Privacy and Student Records page.
If a student chooses to be accompanied by a support person/advisor during any meeting with our office, the student must complete and submit the FERPA waiver below.
FERPA Waiver
Please note this form is only for usage related to sharing information related to your student disciplinary record if you have an academic integrity or student conduct case with our office. General student privacy and record releases should be directed to the University Registrar.
Students may email this completed FERPA waiver directly to their Conduct Specialist or to conduct@uci.edu.
Support Person/Advisor Guidelines
Students are allowed to have a support person/advisor. A support person/advisor can be an attorney, parent, friend, etc. During academic integrity and student conduct related meetings, a support person/advisor may act as a consultant for the student; however, they may not speak on behalf of the student.
In the interest of expediency, as a general practice, hearings shall not be delayed due to the unavailability of a support person/advisor. Students and their support person/advisor should refer to the University of California Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students (103.11 E. Hearings) for more information about the role of the support person/advisor in the student conduct process or to the UCI Academic Senate Policy on Academic Integrity for more information about the role of the support person/advisor in the academic integrity process.
Support persons/advisors are cautioned that their participation in the conduct process in a manner that inhibits the student’s direct interaction with the adjudicating staff member or hearing board may be detrimental to the student’s case and may result in the support person/advisor’s exclusion from the review.
If a student chooses to have an attorney as the support person/advisor, the student shall pay all fees, costs, and expenses for the retention of an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the role of the support person/advisor?
A support person/advisor’s role in the process is to advise and consult the student. Because the campus academic integrity and student conduct process is not a court of law, the support person/advisor is not acting in a legal capacity.
In the meeting and hearing, the support person/advisor is allowed to:
- Assist the student in clarifying their response to questions
- Consult with the student during the meetings
A support person/advisor is not allowed to:
- Speak on the student’s behalf
- Object in any manner to questions asked or discussions raised during the Administrative Meeting or hearing
- “Cross-examine” or question witnesses in a hearing
- Interrupt the hearing proceedings
2. How do I access information about my student’s case, so that I may better assist them?
A support person/advisor may receive information directly from the student. The support person/advisor role in the academic integrity and student conduct process is purely advisory; all communication usually occurs between the student and the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct. However, if it is necessary for a support person/advisor to communicate directly with the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct, the student must complete and sign the FERPA waiver. In accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), the University cannot contact or share information about the student’s record without the student’s written permission.
3. Who do I talk to if I have questions about the case?
A support person/advisor may contact staff in the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct via phone at (949) 824-1479 or conduct@uci.edu to address general questions regarding the process.
4. What is the role of the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct staff?
Staff members in the Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct serve in multiple roles. They are responsible for reviewing all incident reports, deciding on appropriate charges and conduct process, supporting the Academic Integrity Review Board and Student Conduct Review Board hearings, and administering disciplinary conferences or hearing boards. They are also responsible for guiding a student through the academic integrity and student conduct process and providing information about policies, procedures, possible outcomes, and the student’s rights and responsibilities.
5. What can an attorney do?
The campus academic integrity and student conduct process is not a court of law; therefore, an attorney is not acting in a legal capacity. Rather, the attorney acts as a support person/advisor. The attorney may be present at the administrative meeting or hearing by permission of the student. The attorney cannot speak on the student’s behalf. It is not the role of the attorney to “win” the case for the student. Rather, the attorney may lend support to the responding student in developing their response, attending the conduct proceedings, and if necessary, assisting the student with an appeal.
In the meeting and hearing, the attorney is allowed to:
- Assist the student in clarifying their response to questions
- Consult with the student during the meetings
An attorney is not allowed to:
- Speak on the student’s behalf
- Object in any manner to questions asked or discussions raised during the Administrative Meeting or hearing
- “Cross-examine” or question witnesses in a hearing
- Interrupt the hearing proceedings
If a student chooses to have an attorney as a support person/advisor, the student shall pay all fees, costs, and expenses for the retention of an attorney. Support persons/advisors are cautioned that their participation in the conduct process in a manner that inhibits the student’s direct interaction with the adjudicating staff member or hearing board may be detrimental to the student’s case and may result in the support person/advisor’s exclusion from the review.
6. What if the student is facing criminal charges?
The Office of Academic Integrity & Student Conduct is obligated to move forward with all conduct matters. The academic integrity and student conduct process is an administrative, education-based process that is independent of the criminal justice system. The University is not required to defer to the timeline of the criminal courts and will not typically grant requests made on this basis. Please remember that the University is not attempting to determine if a student committed a crime; rather, the University is attempting to determine whether or not the UC Irvine Code of Student Conduct or Academic Integrity Policy has been violated.
Review of these common questions does not substitute for reading and understanding the Code of Student Conduct or the Academic Integrity Policy. This list is meant to answer questions that students, Registered Campus Organizations, advisors, and parents often have about the student conduct process at UC Irvine. Please refer to the Code of Student Conduct and the Academic Integrity Policy & Procedures for more detail.