Guiding the Princeton Community
The primary purposes of regulations and discipline in a university are to protect the well-being of the community and to advance its educational mission by defining and establishing certain norms of behavior.
At Princeton, disciplinary proceedings have a role that is subordinate to positive guidance, rational admonition, and reasonable appeal to members of the University to observe its stated norms. The disciplinary system establishes procedures for a fair hearing, including advising individuals fully of the charges against them, affording them ample time to speak on their behalf, and requiring a clear explanation of their rights of appeal.
Committee on Discipline
Violations of rules and regulations pertaining to any academic work that is not performed in class, including essays, term papers, problem sets, homework, laboratory reports and independent work, fall under the jurisdiction of the Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline. Composed of students, faculty members and administrators, the Committee on Discipline is responsible for administering the stated rules and regulations governing both academic integrity matters and serious non-academic misconduct; for assessing reported violations; and, when necessary, for assigning appropriate penalties. For more information about the Committee, see Rights, Rules, Responsibilities and these Frequently Asked Questions.
To report concerns regarding academic integrity or serious non-academic misconduct, please contact Joyce Chen at [email protected] or 609-258-3054. In her absence, please contact Amy Ham Johnson at [email protected] at 609-258-8380.
2024-25 Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline
Dean Joyce Chen (Secretary)
Dean Elizabeth L. Colagiuri (Assistant Chair)
Dean Regan Crotty (Chair)
Gabariel (“Gabby”) Graves-Wake ’25 (Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering)
Dean Amy Ham Johnson (Assistant Secretary)
Camille Jones ’26 (Politics)
Jordan S. Manela ’26 (Computer Science)
Professor Atif R. Mian (Economics)
Professor Elizabeth R. Nugent (Politics)
Professor Pedro Paredes (Computer Science)
Andrew Park ’26 (Economics)
Professor Jamie Rankin (German)
Professor Alejandro Rodriguez (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Khoa Sands ’26 (History)
Professor Thomas Silhavy (Molecular Biology)
Josie V. Smart ’25 (French & Italian)
Dean Mellisa Thompson (Assistant Secretary)
Professor Gabriele Villarini (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Suspected violations of rules and regulations regarding in-class examinations, tests and quizzes are the concern of the Undergraduate Honor Committee. To report concerns to the Honor Committee, please send a message to [email protected].
Residential College Disciplinary Board
General Procedures
Normally, if a student is alleged to have committed an infraction, other than sex discrimination or sexual misconduct, for which precedents are available and for which the penalty will not interrupt the student's academic career, the matter will be resolved by the Residential College Disciplinary Board (RCDB), comprising associate and assistant deans of undergraduate students responsible for discipline and the seven assistant deans for student life. General procedures are as follows:
The student will first be asked to meet with the appropriate assistant dean for student life, dean, or a University investigator. All complaints will be investigated promptly. The student may read all statements, reports, or other information relevant to the allegation. The facts of the case will be discussed and the student given ample opportunity to present the student's own account of the incident in question, including a written account, witnesses, or other relevant information, or to request clarification of any relevant information submitted by other parties. The student will be notified of the specific violation the student is alleged to have committed prior to the conclusion of the investigation.
The assistant dean for student life will then bring the case, with a recommendation regarding the student's responsibility for the alleged infraction, to the RCDB. The RCDB will determine the appropriate action, up to and including disciplinary probation (including housing and/or campus service sanctions or other restrictions on access to space, resources, or activities) and notify the student of the outcome.
For more information about RCDB, please see RRR 2.5.3 and these Frequently Asked Questions.
Honor Committee
All undergraduate written examinations, tests and quizzes that take place in class are conducted under the honor code. All violations of the honor code are the concern of the Undergraduate Honor Committee.
Violations by undergraduates of rules and regulations pertaining to all other academic work, including essays, term papers, laboratory reports and independent work, fall under the jurisdiction of the Faculty-Student Committee on Discipline.
Annual Discipline Reports
At the end of each academic year, information on disciplinary action involving undergraduate students during the preceding 12 months is published in the annual Discipline Report.
View past Disciplinary Reports >
Disciplinary Review Committee Report 2017
Rights, Rules, Responsibilities
Disciplinary proceedings are instituted only for violations of standards of conduct defined in advance and published, or for actions that can be reasonably deduced as violations in light of those specifically defined as such. Regulations governing the conduct of members of the University community will be revised only after deliberations in which representatives of the appropriate groups are invited to participate (Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 1.1.1.)
The University has several adjudicative bodies responsible for the administration of stated rules and regulations governing undergraduate student conduct, for assessing reported violations, and, when necessary, for assigning appropriate penalties. Those committees supported by ODUS are listed here. For further information, please see Rights, Rules, Responsibilities 2.5.1.
For more information about sanctions that can be issued by the University’s adjudicative bodies, please see Rights Rules Responsibilities 1.1.7. For more information about disciplinary probation, please see these FAQs.