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Student Services

The Student Services Department consists of Academic and International Student Advisors. Student Services works with every student to orient them to the University and understand policy and procedures. Among other services, Academic Advisors assist our students to develop and accomplish academic goals, utilize and access student success resources, assisting with Faculty outreach, registration questions, and tutoring services.

Orientation

All incoming students must attend an orientation. The orientation provides an opportunity for students to meet with a designated Academic Advisor. It also orients students on policies and procedures and their rights and responsibilities as a student. During this orientation, students will learn how to navigate through the classroom platform and discuss various program requirements.

In addition, international students are required to attend the mandatory orientation at the campus. Students will check in with their International Student Advisor who will orient them on academic and classroom success and SEVP/SEVIS regulation requirements.

Student Photo Identification Cards

Student Photo Identification Cards (ID) serve as a way to verify student's identity when attending on or off campus activities. To obtain a student identification card, please complete the Student ID Request Form. Students will need to include Full Legal Name, mailing address and a passport style photo. Students who lose their ID card may be required to obtain a replacement and pay the replacement fee. Please refer to the Tuition and Fee section of this catalog.

Academic Tutoring

The University provides tutoring services for Math, English and other areas of need with the purpose of helping students maintain proficiency or improve in a specific subject. Students are encouraged to seek help if needed to enhance their academic performance. Please contact student services to obtain additional information regarding tutoring resources.

Textbooks and Course Materials

Course syllabi contain information about textbooks and supplemental materials for the individual courses. A textbook list is also available in the student portal.

Health Care Services

The University does not provide professional counseling services for students. Students may contact the Student Services Department which maintains information on general wellness, drug and alcohol abuse, nutrition, and volunteer opportunities.

Smoking

United States University is committed to protecting the health of its students and employees. Smoking, including the use of e-cigarettes, is prohibited in all public areas of the University campus where nonsmokers cannot avoid exposure to smoke including all indoor facilities, exterior dining facilities, and within 20 feet of entrances to all University facilities.

Housing

The university does not assume responsibility for student housing. It does not have dormitory facilities under its control, nor offer student housing assistance.

There are independent housing options available in the vicinity of the campus. Apartment complexes are within a five (5) mile radius and monthly rent ranges from $1,700 to $3,000 per month

Verbal, Written, and E-mail Communication

The University’s policy is to maintain respectful, professional, and polite conduct in all its communications and by all of its members. This includes all forms of verbal and/or written communication in meetings, courses, and via email. When people are upset or angry, they often engage in irate, sarcastic, threatening and/or unpleasant verbal and written communications (including emails and texts) in an attempt to vent their frustration. These types of verbal and written communications are not acceptable in a professional environment.

USU assigned email accounts are critical and are the primary form of communication within the University. Students, faculty, and staff must use the USU e-mail system for electronic communication. 

Any member of the University who initiates and engages in an irate, sarcastic, impolite or rude communication (verbal, written, or email formats) with another member of the University will be subject, but not limited to: non-admission, disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the University, performance improvement plan, or other action by the University.

Faculty Response Time

The institution's best practice for online learning recommends that faculty respond to student communications within 24 hours, and provide feedback on student submissions within 96 hours from the assignment due date.

Diversity

As forged by its mission and vision and The University’s unique and distinctive character to serve the underserved community in California and the nation, USU ensures an uncompromising commitment to offering access to affordable higher education to all individuals who meet the criteria for admission regardless of age, gender, culture, ethnicity, socio-economic class and disability. At all times, USU shall strive to ensure equitable representation of all diverse groups in its student body. USU’s diverse administration, faculty and staff shall be equally dedicated to the success of all students. The diversity of USU’s administration and faculty shall help enrich curricula, while a diverse staff shall serve students with sensitivity to special needs.

Student Code of Conduct

The University is committed to upholding a learning environment in which all members of the community are held to the highest standards of conduct consistent with respect for the law, fulfillment of contractual obligations, consideration for the rights of others, and a high level of personal integrity. All members of the University may face sanctions when not behaving in a manner consistent with the mission and policies of United States University both on- and off-campus.

Students should refer to the Student Code of Conduct Handbook available on the University Website for more information.

Student Discipline

Students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner that reflects ethics, honor and good citizenship. They are also expected to abide by the regulations of the University. It is the students’ responsibility to maintain academic honesty and integrity and to manifest their commitment to the goals of the University through their conduct and behavior. Any form of academic dishonesty, or inappropriate conduct by students or applicants, may result in penalties ranging from warning to dismissal, as deemed appropriate by the University. Students will be informed in writing of the nature of the charges against them. They will be given a fair opportunity to refute the charges and there will be provisions for appeal of a decision.

Student Ethical Behavior

The personal behavior and ethical conduct of students impact the climate and reputation of the entire institution. It is essential that students act with integrity and with respect toward all members of the campus community. The University assumes that all students will conduct themselves as mature, responsible, law-abiding citizens who will comply with all policies and regulations (refer to the Student Code of Conduct for complete information).

Dress Code

Students are expected to maintain a neat, clean appearance at all times during their educational training, both on campus and at clinical sites. Certain items of clothing, such as shorts and open shoes, may not be worn for safety reasons.

Nursing students are required to wear their designated uniforms at all times while attending clinical sites. See Nursing Handbook for more detailed information.

Violations of Student Code of Conduct

The following procedures have been approved by the Board of Trustees. Any student on campus may be placed on probation, suspended, expelled, or given a lesser sanction for one or more of the following:

  • Cheating or plagiarism in connection with any academic program
  • Forgery, alteration or misuse of campus documents, records, or identification or knowingly furnishing false information
  • Misrepresentation of oneself or of an organization to be an agent of the University
  • Obstruction or disruption, on or off campus property, of the educational process, administrative process or other function
  • Physical abuse of the University, family members, or the threat of physical abuse
  • Theft of, or non-accidental damage to, University property, or property in the possession of, or owned by, members of the University
  • Unauthorized entry into, unauthorized use of, or misuse of University property
  • On University property, the sale of dangerous drugs, restricted dangerous drugs, or narcotics as those terms are used in California statues, except when lawfully prescribed pursuant to medical or dental care, or when lawfully permitted for the purpose of research, instruction or analysis
  • Knowing, possessing, or use of explosives, dangerous chemicals or deadly weapons on campus property or at a campus function
  • Engaging in lewd, indecent or obscene behavior on campus property or at a campus function
  • Abusive behavior, directed toward, or hazing of, a member of the University campus
  • Violation of any order of the University President, notice of which had been given prior to when such violation occurs; either by publication in the campus bulletin, or by posting notice on the official bulletin board designated for this purpose, or by any other means of verifiable communication including an email message
  • Soliciting or assisting another to do any act which would subject a student to expulsion, suspension or probation.

Consequences for violating the Student code of conduct may include but are not limited to failure of the assignment, failure of the course, expulsion from the University, rescinding of a diploma or degree.

All violations of the code of conduct will be reported to the University’s administration to investigate. Individual reports will also be evaluated in the context of potential patterns of dishonesty. The faculty, in conjunction with administration, will make a determination of the effect on student status and/or course grades resulting from substantiated reports of code violations. Academic dishonesty jeopardizes the quality of education provided and depreciates the genuine achievements of others. It is everyone’s responsibility to actively deter it. Ignoring the presence of academic dishonesty is not acceptable. All members of the University community share the responsibility and authority to challenge and make known acts of apparent academic dishonesty. Students, faculty, and staff are all responsible for understanding and upholding the University’s policy.

Disciplinary Hearing

The President of the University shall take appropriate disciplinary action against any individual who has been found to have violated any of the above listed conducts and/or disrupted the orderly operation of the University. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit, where an immediate suspension is required in order to protect lives or property and to ensure the maintenance of order, interim suspension pending a hearing, provided that a reasonable opportunity be afforded the suspended person for a hearing within ten (10) days. The disciplinary action may include, but need not be limited to, probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Dismissal for Conduct

The University regards studying at the University as a privilege granted in consideration of specified levels of performance and of maintaining the established standards of scholarship and personal and professional conduct. The University reserves the right to require withdrawal at any time it deems necessary to safeguard its standards of scholarship, conduct, and orderly operation. The student concedes this right by the act of matriculation. At the same time, the student has the right of appeal.

Within 5 working days following written notification to the student of the action by the Program Director/Dean, the student may appeal the decision in writing to the Provost, who may then approve, reject, or modify the decision in question. The Provost’s decision on this matter is final.

If a student is suspended for any reason, and receives financial aid, all student financial aid will be withheld until reinstatement of the student or dismissal of the student resolves the appeal process. If reinstated, the financial aid funds can be released to the student. If the student is dismissed, the funds will be returned to the proper agency/lender respectively.

Academic Integrity

Academic honesty, integrity, and ethics are required of all members of the University. Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner reflecting the ideals, values, and educational aims of the University at all times. Academic integrity and honorable behavior are essential parts of the professionalism that will be required well beyond graduation from the University.

The general public, professional organizations and accrediting bodies hold individuals to a high standard and expect us to monitor the professional behavior of our colleagues. Students at the University have a responsibility to follow this model and guide their actions to serve the best interest of their fellow students, faculty and potential patients by maintaining the highest degree of personal and professional integrity. Students are representatives of their profession in and out of the academic environment. Therefore, allegations of misconduct by any student of the University will be taken very seriously.

Work for which students receive credit must be the result of their own effort. Acting honorably in an academic setting requires more than simple honesty. Academic dishonesty takes place whenever a student undermines the academic integrity of the University or attempts to gain an unfair advantage over others. Examples of violations include, but are not limited to:

  • Cheating
  • Using unauthorized materials such as books, notes, any portal device, or “cheat” sheets to answer examination questions.
  • Taking advantage of information considered unauthorized by an instructor regarding examination questions.
  • Copying another student’s homework, written assignments, examination answers, electronic media, or other data.
  • Assisting or allowing someone else to cheat.
  • Failure to report cheating to an academic official of the University.
  • Plagiarism
  • Representing the ideas, expressions, or materials of another without references providing credit.
  • Paraphrasing or condensing ideas from another person’s work without proper citation.
  • Failing to document direct quotations and paraphrases with proper citation.
    • Students can check their work for improper citation or potential plagiarism by comparing it against continuously updated databases.
  • Other forms of academic dishonesty
  • Fraud, deception, and the alteration of grades, attendance, or official records.
  • Changing examination solutions after the fact, inventing, changing or falsifying laboratory data or research.
  • Purchasing and submitting written assignments, homework, or examinations.
  • Reproducing or duplicating images, designs, or web pages without giving credit to the developer, artist, or designer.
  • Submitting work created for another module or course without instructor approval.
  • Misrepresenting oneself or one’s circumstance to gain an unfair advantage.
  • Collaborating with another person(s) without instructor approval.
  • Selling or providing term papers, course work, or assignments to other students.