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As faculty, I've had to report academic misconduct (usually plagiarism) many times but that doesn't mean I know everything about how it works. My understanding has always been that the only people who know about the report are the faculty who reported the incident, the student being reported and the conduct officer or honor committee (depending on the institution) investigating the report. The student can certainly tell whoever they like but regardless of the outcome, everyone else is required to keep the information confidential.

But what happens if the result is dismissal (permanent separation from the university)? Is there typically any indication of this on the student's transcript? I've heard from colleagues that at some institutions, it will be indicated on the transcript but I'm not sure if that's correct. If the dismissal is indicated and the misconduct was especially serious, e.g., rape, is that fact also reported? What would it say?

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    I added the tag united-states to limit the scope, because otherwise it would be really too broad, and in many countries the example you give would lead to a criminal prosecution.
    – Massimo Ortolano
    Sep 8, 2017 at 5:36

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Transcripts usually do show that students have withdrawn or have been expelled for policy or academic infractions. The specific grounds, however, are probably not stated on most transcripts, perhaps for privacy reasons.

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    My instinct says no, they wouldn't. Colleges usually don't like to talk about the details of disciplinary actions.
    – aeismail
    Sep 8, 2017 at 3:19
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    Why is "expelled for plagiarism" more private than "failed Temporal Wormhole Dynamics II"?
    – David Richerby
    Sep 8, 2017 at 9:45
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    @DavidRicherby: Because character flaws are more private than proficiency flaws.
    – user541686
    Sep 8, 2017 at 10:39
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    I think this varies enormously by institution and maybe even by program. The only way to be sure what happens at your own school is to ask the registrar or office of academic affairs.
    – Elizabeth Henning
    Sep 8, 2017 at 19:07
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    @ElizabethHenning: Different departments might have differing standards for releasing information about disciplinary proceedings. However, I would expect that what appears on the transcript is under the authority of the registrar (or equivalent), and should thus be uniform for undergraduates or graduates.
    – aeismail
    Sep 8, 2017 at 19:49

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