Expectations & Campus Policies

• Study Abroad Participant Contract
• Academic Conduct
• Conduct Expectations
• UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct
• UC Davis Principles of Community
• University of California Standards of Conduct

Study Abroad Participant Contract

When completing your enrollment in a study abroad or virtual program, you will agree to certain terms and conditions defined in the Study Abroad Participant Contract. Before you enroll, make sure you read this contract thoroughly and understand what is required of you as a participant in a study abroad or virtual program. If you have questions about this contract, please contact UC Davis Study Abroad for a clarification of the terms. 

Additionally, for Quarter Abroad students, the UC Davis Quarter Abroad program allows you to study abroad and at the same time remain enrolled as a UC Davis student. As a UC Davis student you are subject to the contract between you and The Regents of the University of California, a contract you agreed to when enrolling at UC Davis. 

It is essential that you understand and abide by the contracts you have made with UC Davis and UC Davis Study Abroad. Violation of the UC Davis contract or Study Abroad Participant Contract may result in your exclusion from a portion of the program (classes and/or activities, facilities, or accommodations) or your removal from the entire program. Violations will be reported to the UC Davis Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs. Students from other campuses will have a report sent to their home campus. Upon your return, the UC Davis Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs may impose disciplinary action. Refunds are not given if you are excluded or removed from a program.

Academic Conduct

UC Davis Study Abroad participants commit to attending all class meetings and scheduled activities and commit to doing their homework and studying. Thus, you should review the grading standards in the program’s syllabus and at UC Davis and be aware that a failing grade is non-reversible. Additionally, the course may not be taken again, nor can the work be made up.

Conduct Expectations

While on the program, you are a representative of your country and of UC Davis. Behaviors that you would define as tolerable in your home environment could be understood as inappropriate in a different social environment. It is better to err on the side of caution than to find yourself in situations that will be difficult to disentangle.

Misconduct on a program can be defined as any action in which students jeopardize the welfare of fellow students or the program. Misconduct can also be considered as the failure to comply with the customs of the host community, the violation of the laws of the host country, or regulations governing the host university. 

It is inappropriate for any UC Davis Study Abroad student to interfere with the domestic affairs of their host country. Involvement in demonstrations or meetings which host country university or governmental authorities declare illegal may result in interruption of academic schedules and loss of time, personal injury, and open manifestations of hostility and violence to students (either as random targets or as representatives of the U.S.) and could jeopardize the present or future existence of the UC Davis Study Abroad program.

It is imperative that you understand the laws of your host country and how they differ from U.S. laws. For example, prescription drugs that may be legal in the U.S. may not be legal in other countries.

If you abuse alcohol or drugs, you may be dismissed from the program and sent back to the U.S. at your own expense. You will also be subject to local (not U.S.) laws. In many other nations, the use of illegal drugs is punishable by severe penalties, including death.  

If a student is arrested for involvement in an illegal activity, the U.S. government can seek to ensure only that the student is not discriminated against; that is, that the student receives the same treatment as would a national of the country who is arrested and charged with the same offense. 

Any inappropriate conduct abroad is a violation of participation in the program and can result in dismissal from the program and from UC Davis. The program instructor has primary responsibility for discipline in connection with violations of the rules and regulations of the UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct and reporting of matters of social misconduct. Ultimately, with illegal activity, the host country’s government and police have control over matters of misconduct, although the University of California may consult with them.

The UC Davis Office of Student Support and Judicial Affairs website defines student misconduct and provides specific examples of behaviors that constitute student misconduct. It also clarifies the responsibilities of UC Davis students in A Student’s Guide to Student Judicial Affairs. The Study Abroad Participant Contract signed as part of enrollment has additional information about UC Davis Study Abroad program conduct rules.

UC Davis Code of Academic Conduct

The Code of Academic Conduct outlines the responsibilities students and faculty share in upholding university standards for academic integrity. Review the UC Davis publication on integrity and standards of conduct in the UC Davis Standards of Conduct for Students.

UC Davis Principles of Community

The UC Davis Principles of Community affirm the respect our community shares for the diversity of its members.

University of California Standards of Conduct

These policies include standards that apply to University of California activities, organizations, and students.