Student Misconduct

APUS students are expected to demonstrate the highest degree of personal and intellectual honesty at all times and to conform to all published rules and regulations in the most current version of this Student Handbook. Failure to follow APUS rules and regulations may result in initiation of formal disciplinary action.

Potential disciplinary actions at APUS include:

All notifications of disciplinary actions will be sent to you by email, to your email address on record, and will include the appropriate avenue of redress for appealing the adverse action.

Letters of Student Misconduct

You may be expelled for repeated offenses or for a one-time flagrant violation of University policy such as cheating on an examination, falsifying application records, falsifying medical or other documentation submitted for appeals or accommodations, or using harassing and/or abusive language when interacting with other students or APUS staff. Other instances of student misconduct may include but are not exclusive to the following:

The use, publication or other dissemination to any third-party of any other APUS student’s information, coursework, or other academic contributions, without that student’s consent.
The use of obscenities in the classroom, student lounge, or in any contact with university staff.
The use of any racial, gender, political or ethnic attacks in the classroom, student lounge, or in contact with university staff.
Harassment of fellow students, faculty, or staff either through personal attacks or uncivil, contentious, or discourteous behaviors.
Any yelling or other personally threatening behavior with faculty or staff.
Intentional disruption of, or interference with, University academic or administrative activities, such as (but not limited to) repeated attempts to get a response from staff or faculty prior to the published acceptable response time, or after an appeal or other request has been formally rejected by the university.
Continued disruption of classroom learning.
Any act of cheating in a course or aiding another student in cheating.
Knowingly publishing or circulating damaging or false information (slander or libel).
Any deliberate attack on or vandalism of University website or networks.
Unauthorized access to another student record or classroom.
Submission of any falsified APUS student information to any third party, including diplomas, transcripts, and registration information.
Submission of fraudulent information on a student or loan application.
Submission of any fraudulent information including information provided in the application.
Submission of any falsified medical documentation, death certificates, or other third party documentation for disability accommodations, SAP appeals, or appeals of academic dismissal.
Failure to supply upon request appropriate or sufficient documentation to verify information submitted to APUS as part of the application process or otherwise.
Failure to return material loaned by APUS staff or faculty.
Conduction of human subject research without securing IRB approval first.
Failure to comply with student agreement documentation outlining acceptable frequency of contact with an individual or department, or which designates provisions or limitations to access or use of APUS resources.

If you or a proxy commits a conduct offense that is deemed to not merit expulsion on its own, you may be sent a letter of student misconduct from the Student Conduct Officer. This letter will be placed in your student record and may be included in any future background investigation request. A Letter of Student Misconduct on your record may also make you ineligible for any inclusion on the Dean’s List, President’s List, or any honor societies throughout your academic program at APUS. Students are responsible for the adherence to APUS conduct expectations for all designated third parties approved by a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or Power of Attorney (POA) form.

Two instances of student misconduct will count as multiple offenses as long as counseling has occurred prior to the subsequent incident. If a second instance of student misconduct occurs after you have received a Letter of Student Misconduct, you may be placed on suspension pending review of your case for possible expulsion.

Students will be placed on suspension for submitting falsified documentation to APUS for any purpose, pending the outcome of a dismissal committee to determine the possibility of future enrollments. Any requests which the documentation was meant to support may be denied without reconsideration regardless of the outcome of the dismissal committee to permit future enrollments.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any instance of student misconduct of a possible sexual nature, which may include, but is not limited to, sexual discrimination, sexual harassment, or sexual violence, that denies or limits on the basis of sex an employee’s ability to provide aid, benefits, or services to students, or a student’s ability to participate in or benefit from APUS’s programs and activities may be addressed under APUS’s Title IX Compliance Policy and Title IX Grievance Procedures, the implementation of which may include processing under other APUS policies as APUS may determine in its sole discretion.