What Are the Student Rights and Responsibilities at the University of Arizona?

Updated

At the University of Arizona, students are expected to uphold an honest academic environment and abide by the standards set by the Arizona Board of Regents. The Dean of Students Office frames this under "Student Rights & Responsibilities" and encourages all members of the University community to know these expectations and understand their rights and responsibilities. If you are a Wildcat trying to figure out what you are accountable for and where to go when something goes wrong, the Dean of Students Office is the central support hub for that.

The Core Expectation

The Dean of Students Office states two connected obligations for students:

  • Maintain an honest academic environment. Academic honesty is treated as a shared standard, not an individual preference.
  • Abide by the standards set forth by the Arizona Board of Regents. These are the governing rules the University applies to student conduct.

The office also notes that all members of the University community — not just students — are encouraged to know these expectations and understand their rights and responsibilities. That means the standard is meant to be legible to you before a problem arises, not only after.

Why the Dean of Students Office Is the Place to Start

The office describes itself as "the central support hub for all Wildcats." Its Student Rights & Responsibilities area sits alongside two other functions that matter when you are trying to understand your standing:

Area What it covers
Student Assistance Helps students, plus their family, friends, faculty, and staff, navigate University resources, understand policies and procedures, and manage crises, life traumas, and other barriers to success
Campus Communities Connects students with campus programs and fosters a caring culture so students feel supported and equipped to thrive
Student Rights & Responsibilities Sets out the expectation to uphold an honest academic environment and follow Arizona Board of Regents standards

If your question is "what am I supposed to do," the Rights & Responsibilities area is the direct answer. If your question is "something is getting in the way and I need help understanding the rules," Student Assistance is the entry point — and it explicitly serves family, friends, faculty, and staff as well as students.

How to Use This as a Student

  1. Read the expectations before you need them. The office's own framing is that community members should know these expectations in advance.
  2. Identify which standard applies. Academic honesty questions and broader conduct questions both trace back to the Arizona Board of Regents standards.
  3. Bring your question to the Dean of Students Office. It positions itself as the hub that helps you navigate University resources and understand policies and procedures.
  4. Loop in your support network if needed. Student Assistance is designed for students and the people around them, so a family member, friend, faculty member, or staff member can help you find the right resource.

What This Page Does Not Tell You

The Dean of Students Office landing page establishes the framework — honest academic environment, Arizona Board of Regents standards, know your rights and responsibilities — but it does not list the specific conduct rules, the full text of the standards, or the procedures for a conduct case. For those details, you need the Student Rights & Responsibilities section itself and the Arizona Board of Regents standards it references, rather than the welcome page.

Beyond the Rules: Getting Connected

The same office also houses student media and community programs, which is a useful signal that its role is broader than enforcement:

  • The Daily Wildcat — an award-winning, student-managed and student-produced news outlet serving the University of Arizona and greater Tucson since 1899, publishing daily at DailyWildcat.com with a print edition distributed across campus and neighboring communities.
  • KAMP Student Radio — home to more than 100 student volunteers and employees hosting shows across music, talk, sports, and more, with students managing the station and providing mobile DJ services to campus organizations and local businesses.
  • UATV 3 — the University of Arizona's editorially independent, student-run television station, broadcasting to more than 6,500 students across 23 on-campus residence halls via "Channel 3" and streaming online.

Knowing your rights and responsibilities is the baseline. Knowing where to get help, get involved, and stay informed is how you actually use them.