Code of Student Responsibility

The following Code of Student Responsibility outlines standards of student conduct and serves to promote an environment that fosters a safe and enriching study abroad experience for all students, enabling personal growth, cultural engagement, and academic excellence.

All students enrolled at DIS are responsible for knowing and following the Code of Student Responsibility throughout their enrollment at DIS. By accepting admission to DIS, students confirm that they understand and agree to abide by this Code of Student Responsibility and are expected to honorably represent both DIS and their home institution at all times.

Students violating DIS regulations and policies will be subject to reviews and possible sanctions. DIS reserves the right to dismiss students from the program for failure to maintain appropriate academic or behavioral standards. A student dismissed due to a violation of the Code of Student Responsibility will not be eligible for a refund of tuition, tour costs, etc. and will be financially responsible for transportation home and all other related costs incurred.

Information regarding violations of the DIS Code of Student Responsibility may be shared with a student’s home institution.

I. Student Conduct Policies

A) Laws: Students will follow the laws and customs governing Denmark, Sweden, and any other country they visit both on official DIS activities and during personal travel. For more information on key laws that may differ from those in the U.S., students are encouraged to review their compass course, Study Tour materials and, also, complete their own review of resources from the US Department of State. Students are reminded that neither DIS nor the U.S. Embassy can interfere with legal proceedings or obtain release from jail. Students who have been the victim of a crime abroad are encouraged to reach out to DIS and/or the U.S. embassy in Copenhagen or Stockholm for support.

B) Housing: Students will foster a healthy living environment within the DIS community by treating their DIS-arranged housing as if it were their own property and by representing themselves positively as an individual, a DIS student, and as an ambassador for their home university and country. Students are required to attend all mandatory housing meetings and/or activities throughout the term, and are held to the DIS Housing Regulations and Expectations in Copenhagen and Stockholm as part of this Code.

C) Academic: Students will abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work and are held to the DIS Academic Regulations in Copenhagen and Stockholm as part of this Code.

D) Community Standards: Students will contribute to a positive community where violence, harassment, discrimination, and disruptive behavior are not tolerated. Students will participate in conflict mediation, when necessary, to seek a resolution. Students are held to the DIS Community Standards Policy as part of this Code.

E) Property and Facilities: Students will respect DIS property and facilities including, but not limited to, buildings, housing, equipment, technology (computers, networks, software), data, and transportation. Theft, vandalism, and unauthorized use are prohibited.

F) Alcohol and Drugs: DIS aims to provide an environment that facilitates the achievement of educational goals and supports student development and autonomy. However, autonomy and freedom of choice exist with the expectation that you respect the intellectual, physical, and emotional health of yourself and others. Students are held to the DIS Alcohol and Drug Safety Policy in Copenhagen and Stockholm as part of this Code.

G) Support and Service Animals: Animals, in general, are not allowed in DIS buildings or DIS housing. Support and service animals may be approved based on required documentation and dependent on the availability of designated housing. Students who wish to live with a pet that is not a support or service animal must do so in independent housing. Students with animals are held to the Support and Service Animals Policy as part of this Code. In addition, all students living in DIS housing where support and/or service animals are present must follow this policy when interacting with them.

H) Use of the DIS Name and Logo: Students will not use DIS physical locations or DIS social media platforms to promote any events not supported by DIS. Use of the DIS brand requires written permission from the Communications and Marketing Department prior to use (contact: studentmedia@dis.dk).

I) Compliance with DIS Directions: Obstruction of classes, Study Tours, and program activities is prohibited. Students agree to comply with directions of DIS officials and partners acting in performance of their duties, including communication of guidelines, directives, timetables, and instructions.

II. Home Institution Conduct Code

DIS students will follow their home college or university code of conduct, as well as that of DIS. Students are responsible for understanding their responsibilities under their home school code of conduct. DIS will honor the home school’s decisions related to their own code and will support their decisions, to the extent possible. For example, if a home school withdraws their support of a student on a DIS program as a result of a violation of the home school’s code, DIS will not allow the student to remain with DIS.

III. Code of Conduct Disciplinary Process:

A) Review: The DIS disciplinary process is designed to be fair to all individuals involved. In reviewing alleged violations under this Code, DIS will honor the student’s right to understand the allegations against them as well as their right to be heard in response to the allegations. If a group of students is involved and the responsible individual(s) cannot be identified, the group will face review and possible sanctions as a whole. DIS uses preponderance of the evidence as the standard of proof for alleged violations of the Code of Student Responsibility. This means that students will be held responsible for a violation of the Code of Student Responsibility if it is more likely than not that the violation has occurred.

B) Sanctions: If the Code of Student Responsibility, or any rules or policies enforceable under the code is violated, sanctions will vary depending on the circumstances. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to:

  • Oral and/or written warnings
  • Behavioral Agreements
  • Removal from housing
  • Disciplinary Probation
  • Failing grade on an assignment
  • Failing grade and/or removal from a course
  • Removal from Study Tour
  • Restitution – Students are financially responsible for their own actions and any property damage, fines, etc. are the responsibility of the student to rectify.
  • Dismissal

C) Appeal Procedure: Students may appeal a DIS decision which resulted in sanctions under this Code by contacting codeappeals@dis.dk. A committee will decide if a serious error has been made, considering any or all of the following:

  • Information that should have been considered but wasn’t;
  • A sanction issued in bad faith or that does not match the violation;
  • New information since the original decision was made that substantially affects the decision;
  • Other errors

The appeal must be timely (generally within the same term of study as the original disciplinary decision) and sanctions will, in most cases, remain in place until an appeal decision is reached.