Welcome New Tigers!

Clemson University and the Office of Community and Ethical Standards (OCES) is so excited to see the many new Clemson Tigers here for Orientation. OCES strives to ensure a safe campus environment by encouraging everyone to uphold Clemson University's core values and community standards. The Core Values for our community are integrity, honesty, and respect. Our community standards can be found in the Clemson Student Handbook in the form of the Student Code of Conduct. You can access the Student Code of Conduct on the Division of Student Affairs website at: http://www.clemson.edu/studentaffairs/studenthandbook/index.php

The Student Code of Conduct includes a list of student regulations that help to create a safe campus community. It is the responsibility of every student to familiarize themselves with our policies. Also, included in the code are procedures for the administration of the student conduct process that we follow as well as list of sanctions that may result from a violation of one or more of the student regulations. This is not an exhaustive list. Throughout the process we make every attempt to be educational in our efforts and we take seriously the growth and personal development of every student we meet with and each student here at Clemson University. Here are just a few remarks from past students:

"I thought it was going to be a lot different than what it turned out to be. It was clearly pointed out to me what I did wrong, I was able to tell my side of the story and the process went well."

"I was expecting an actual judicial hearing...but found that the process was very informal and the people in the room were in there to help me and the community of Clemson."

"I was expecting a fair judgement [sic] through the student conduct process and let me fully understand the situation and the sanction. The process lived up to every expectation and more."

"I was worried that my side of the story would not be taken seriously, and whomever I talked to would not believe me, but Justin Carter was very understanding and open minded."

"I thought Wade Livingston was great and helped me to feel comfortable. I also liked talking on a friendly level as opposed to being talked down to [sic] or feeling attacked."

This is just a sample of the many glowing comments about OCES this past year from the survey we send out to students after an encounter with our office. Please understand that we are here for you and not "the place you go to when you get into trouble." We want to make sure Clemson University continues to be a safe place for you and your friends. We also try to honor those students that help us create a safe environment through our Citizen-of-the-Month program. Reading some of the archived posts, you will be able to learn more about our past winners. These are all individuals that have served as role models of the Clemson Core Values. Please give consideration to nominating yourself or a friend for this award.

 If you have questions about university policies, about OCES, or our educational programs feel free to post those questions here and we will be sure to answer them. Otherwise, you can send your question via email to jcarte2@clemson.edu. You can also find answers to many questions on our official website. Please go to http://www.clemson.edu/oces. Thank you so much for choosing Clemson University as your home and we look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Justin Carter

Associate Director

Educational Programs, OCES