Program Policies

Residential participants must be inside their assigned residential hall by 10:00 pm each night, Sunday through Saturday.  The Program will observe a “lights out” policy in effect at 11:30 pm each night, by which time all residents must be in their assigned room and their ceiling light must be off.  Absence from the residential hall during these times is not permitted without written consent from a parent or legal guardian. Any participant found in violation of this regulation will be required to leave the Program.

Residential participants are not permitted to have a personal vehicle on campus, and under no circumstances may a residential participant operate a motor vehicle. Residential participants are permitted to ride in a motor vehicle only under the following conditions: (1) the ride is part of an official, organized Program activity such as a field trip, or (2) the participant has written permission from a parent or legal guardian and approval from the Associate Director of Admissions and Residential Life.

Commuter participants are expected to depart campus at the conclusion of the class day or, with written consent from a parent or legal guardian, by 9:00 pm if they take part in organized evening Program activities. No overnight stays on campus are allowed. Any participant found in violation of this regulation will be dismissed from the Program.

Commuter participants must travel to and from all academic and recreational field trips only by Program transportation.

Commuter participants may drive a vehicle to and from USC campus in order to participate in the Program. Participants may not operate a vehicle while on campus except in the act of arriving or leaving campus by the most direct route.

Commuter participants are required to park their vehicle in the lot designated by the Program for such purpose. Participants may not: (1) transport any other Commuter participant to or from campus for the Program without the written permission of both participants’ parent/guardian (carpooling) (2) have any Residential participant in or on their vehicle at any time in any location, or (3) operate any vehicle during the Program (class or activity).

For clarity, Residential participants may not, under any circumstances, operate a vehicle while enrolled in the Program.

Any violation of these rules will result in immediate dismissal from the Program.

The university has six Unifying Values that support our mission and guide our behaviors.  These are reflected in the Integrity and Accountability Code that all members of the university community, including Summer Program participants, are expected to follow.

In addition, although Summer Program participants are not considered students at the university, all participants are required to follow the policies governing conduct and behavior set forth in Living Our Unifying Values: The USC Student Handbook. This document contains important policies that apply during your time as a participant in USC Summer Programs, including rules regarding academic integrity and safety. It is required that you thoroughly read through the USC Student Handbook.

USC Summer Programs, like all university programs, are operated in accordance with the Notice of Non-Discrimination.  Summer Program participants are required to follow the university’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation. Concerns regarding potential violations of this policy by faculty, staff, participants, or others should be reported to Policies for addressing prohibited discrimination, harassment, and retaliation are the purview of the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX. It is required that you read through these policies and view the websites.

Attendance is required at all classes and organized Program activities (including weekend field trips) for residential participants. Commuter participants are required to attend classes and can choose to participate in organized Program activities (including weekend field trips). An absence from the campus for periods that include classes or Program activities (in the case of residential participants) must be pre-approved in writing by the Associate Director of Admissions and Residential Life.

Residential participants are required to attend all classes and organized Program activities (including weekend field trips. Commuter participants are required to attend classes and can choose to participate in weekend organized Program activities. An absence from the campus for periods that include classes or Program activities (for residential participants) must be pre-approved by submitting the Absence Request form.

All program participants must submit their absence form electronically 72 hours prior to their absence. Parents/guardians will need to sign the form and have proper Identification when picking up residential participants.

Once the absence request form is approved, the faculty will be notified of the absence. Participants are responsible for submitting any assignments that are due. Participation cannot be made up if the participant is absent.

The University of Southern California is foremost a learning community committed to fostering successful scholars and researchers dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and the transmission of ideas. Academic misconduct is in contrast to the university’s mission to educate participants through a broad array of first-rate academic, professional, and extracurricular programs and includes any act of dishonesty in the submission of academic work (either in draft or final form).

All participants are expected to submit assignments that are original work and prepared specifically for the course/section in this academic term. You may not submit work written by others or “recycle” work prepared for other courses without obtaining written permission from the instructor(s). Participants suspected of engaging in academic misconduct will be reported to the Office of Academic Integrity.

Other violations of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, fabrication (e.g., falsifying data), knowingly assisting others in acts of academic dishonesty, and any act that gains or is intended to gain an unfair academic advantage.

Academic dishonesty has a far-reaching impact and is considered a serious offense against the university. Violations will result in a grade penalty, such as a failing grade on the assignment or in the course, and disciplinary action from the university itself, such as suspension or even expulsion.

The Academic Integrity section of the Student Handbook prohibits, among other things, the submission of material that was substantively drafted or revised by another (such as AI); the use or attempted use of external assistance in the completion of an academic assignment or examination unless expressly permitted by the instructor (such as accessing online resources or learning platforms); submitting material which is wholly or partially falsified, invented, or otherwise does not represent work accomplished or undertaken by the participant; and any act that is intended to gain an unfair academic advantage. 

Each instructor and class will have their own policies regarding the use of generative AI which will be included in the course syllabus. When in doubt about using generative AI in your class or for a particular assignment, participants should first speak with their instructors. Using generative AI inappropriately can result in potential disciplinary measures, up to and including dismissal and a notation in the participant’s file.

Slack is used as a messaging tool to facilitate communication and coordination of classroom and program-specific activities.  Faculty, staff, Resident Advisors and Program participants will have access to USC’s Slack environment. Program participants are encouraged to have Slack on their cell phone and read relevant messages that are distributed by faculty and staff.  Program participants may communicate in classroom or dorm channels but one to one communication on Slack is prohibited.

The usage of cell phones is not allowed in class sessions. All cell phones must be turned off and put away out of sight. Course instructors will have the right to enforce this policy and enforce consequences.

OSAS is the USC unit responsible for ensuring equal access for participants with disabilities in compliance with state and federal law. If you are an individual with a disability, or if you have ever received pull-out hours with teachers, or extra time on exams, or if you’ve had an IEP or a 504 Plan while in school, the Office of Student Accessibility Services (OSAS) can assist with accommodations when enrolled at USC Summer Programs.

Please note that high school accommodations do not automatically transfer over to the university setting. If you are interested in receiving accommodations, please reach out to OSAS Assistant Director Madison Shaw at mfrisch@usc.edu, to get started. They offer an interactive registration process that typically includes a call or meeting with an OSAS advisor, as well as a review of your disability documentation.

OSAS accommodations take about 2-3 weeks to be reviewed and approved. Submissions of documentation need to be completed by June 1, 2026 for timely implementation of any reasonable accommodations for participants in the Summer Programs.

For more information, visit USC’s Disability Accommodations policy, and see USC’s Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation.

Participants who cancel, or drop, the Program before June 26, 2026 will receive a refund for their paid tuition. All cancellation requests must be made in writing to summer@usc.edu. Application fees and deposits are nonrefundable.

Participants may withdraw from the Program from June 27, 2026 to July 13, 2026. Participants who withdraw are not eligible to receive a refund for their tuition, fees, or deposit. Their transcript will show a “W” (in lieu of a grade) for the course and the withdrawal will not affect their GPA. From July 14th-17th, participants who need to withdraw will receive a grade determined by their instructor on their course transcript.

Participants may be dismissed from the Program at any time and for any reason. Upon dismissal, the participant will be withdrawn from their course and the final grade submitted to the Registrar will be reflective of only the participant’s work submitted prior to the dismissal date. Assignments or any deliverables will not be accepted after the dismissal date.  Residential participants will be required to vacate the residential hall immediately upon dismissal.  No refund of tuition, fees, room and board charges, or any other Program charges will be provided in cases where a participant is dismissed.

International participants who cancel, withdraw, or are dismissed from the program will have their I-20 cancelled and will need to leave the U.S. immediately.

Safety of our participants is our top priority. In case of an emergency, we will notify the parent/legal guardian’s listed on the emergency contact form. In case parents need to reach participants for emergencies, please contact Sonny Hayes, Assistant Director of Admissions and Residential Life at (213) 308-4064 or by email at sonnyhay@usc.edu.

TrojansAlert is a campus-wide emergency notification system that allows university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. Participants are automatically enrolled and parents can sign up for TrojansAlert.

Parents or guardians of Summer Program participants can find a wealth of resources regarding USC’s commitment to protecting minors on its campus on the Office of Youth Protection and Programming website. Please read through USC’s Protecting Minors Policy, our staff Guidelines for Interacting with Minors, resources for abuse prevention, and information on USC’s protocols for reporting abuse or neglect. The safety and well-being of your child is our priority; should you have any concerns and wish to make a report, you may do so at any time by visiting USC’s Report & Response website (anonymous reporting is possible).

The safety and well-being of our participants is our priority, and we take all concerns seriously. Reports may be made by calling Summer Programs at (213) 740-5679 or by emailing summer@usc.edu.  You may also report concerns, including anonymously, by calling the USC Help & Hotline at (213) 740-2500 or (800) 348-7454. You can also make any report by completing this Notice of Concern form.  Additional information is available on the USC Report & Response website.

Reports of violations by Summer Programs participants of the USC Standards of Behavior for Youth Participants of Camps, Programs, Activities, and Events with Minors, the USC Student Handbook, or of another applicable university policy (except for reported violations of the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation, which are reviewed by the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX), will be reviewed and adjudicated by the Summer Programs Associate Director of Admissions and Residential Life, the Director of Academics & Operations or by a designee of the Executive Director of Summer Programs.

A participant may be dismissed from the program where, in the absolute judgment of the Director/Associate Director, designee, or Executive Director, the participant’s conduct results in or contributes to safety concerns for such participant or others or a material disruption in the program.

Interim Measures

The Director/ Associate Director, in their sole discretion, may impose interim measures, including:

• Removal of a participant from the program.
• Other restrictions on a participant’s participation in the program

Interim measures shall remain in place until explicitly lifted by the Director/ Associate Director, or the Executive Director.

Initial Review and Outcomes

The Director/ Associate Director will gather relevant information through interviews with involved parties and witnesses and review of written documentation, photos, and/or recordings.  They will then schedule a meeting with the participant who is reported to have engaged in misconduct and their parent/guardian.  During the meeting, the participant and their parent/guardian will be permitted to review and respond to the information gathered.  This meeting is not a legal proceeding and the participant may not be represented by an attorney or accompanied by anyone other than their parent/guardian.

Following the meeting, the Director/Associate Director will prepare a written determination and assign appropriate outcome(s), if applicable.  Outcomes may include, but are not limited to, a written warning, educational intervention such as a reflective paper or tutorial, suspension, or dismissal from the program.  Participants dismissed from the program will not receive a refund of tuition or fees, will be withdrawn from their course registration, and will receive a mark of W on their USC transcript for the course.

Appeal

Participants are entitled to appeal the Director/ Associate Director’s decision by submitting a written appeal within three business days by writing to the Executive Director of Summer Programs.  The appeal may be no more than two pages in length and is a written appeal only (there is no opportunity for a meeting or oral appeal to the Executive Director).  The Executive Director will review the appeal, the original decision, and the underlying file and render a final decision within three business days unless additional time is required.  This decision may not be appealed any further.

Participant disciplinary records that result in dismissal are maintained in the Summer Programs Office for no less than seven years.

Acknowledgement

The participant and their parent/guardian agree that this Misconduct Adjudication Procedure applies regardless of any other review/resolution process described elsewhere, such as in the USC Student Handbook or other university policies, except for reported violations subject to the Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation and its related Resolution Processes.