Conduct Record Retention

All student conduct records are kept in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 and the Clery Act of 1990. Subject to the provisions and exceptions of FERPA, all Student conduct files are private. Files may only be reviewed in the approved process as approved by the Director of Student Conduct and Care or designee. Nothing may be removed from or added to a record once a conduct case is resolved. Copies of files, including the content of Hearings or outcome letters, will not be provided except under compliance with federal regulations or legal subpoena.

The University will retain student conduct records (non-Clery) for seven (7) years from the date of the incident. The University reserves the right to keep records for a longer period of time if unresolved or deemed necessary. In cases of expulsion, the University will retain records indefinitely.

The University may disclose the final results of a student conduct proceeding against a Student found in violation of a policy involving violence or a non-forcible sex offense. In such cases, the University will only release the name of the Student found in violation, the violation committed, and any sanctions imposed on the Student.

Expungement Policy and Process

Expungement only applies to disciplinary records maintained by Student Conduct & Care. Copies of letters distributed to other University departments, incident reports, police reports, and the results of previous background checks reported and/or maintained outside of Student Conduct & Care are not affected by an expungement.

The University is required by law and University policy to retain, for statistical purposes, information regarding certain types of disciplinary violations. Statistical information from expunged files may be retained, with the Student's name and Student identification number removed.

Students may apply to have their disciplinary record expunged if the following criteria have been met:

1. An undergraduate student has completed 96 credit hours.*
2. It has been at least one (1) year since the completion of the date of the last sanction issued.
3. The sanctions did not include suspension or expulsion.**

If all three of the criteria outlined above have been met, a Student may request consideration for expungement and requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. If an expungement is granted, the record will be maintained for seven (7) years but not reported as a disciplinary violation. If a Student is found responsible for another violation of the Code of Conduct after a record is expunged, then the expunged record may be removed from the expunged list and become active again.

An expungement petition is discretionary and is not automatically granted; a Student submitting a petition should provide a thorough explanation of the reasons they believe an expungement is warranted. Once received, the Director of Student Conduct and Care or designee will review the petition and provide a written response to the Student's Drexel University email (if applicable) within ten (10) calendar days.

Factors that will be considered in the review of such petitions shall include:

• The nature of the violation(s)
• The number of violations
• Whether the Student completed sanctions by the deadline imposed
• The Student's behavior after the violation(s)
• The Student's reason(s) for requesting the expungement
• How the Student believes that they have contributed to the Drexel community
• Any other factors believed to be reasonable and appropriate

In considering expungement, the Director of Student Conduct and Care or designee may, in their sole discretion, confer with others in the University who may have relevant information about subsequent issues, as well as contributions to the community, to decide on the request. The current demeanor of the Student, the Student's conduct after the violation, and the nature of the violation, including the severity of any other Student's damage, injury, or harm, will be considered. The Director of Student Conduct and Care or designee will determine in their sole discretion whether the request is granted or denied. No appeal is permitted.

To have a disciplinary record considered for expungement, a Student must have satisfactorily completed all their sanctions and must submit a Request for Conduct Record Expungement Form to Student Conduct & Care.

Any violations of EIC policy that have been petitioned for expungement will be reviewed in consultation with the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture and a decision will be reached on a case-by-case basis.

*Graduate student petitions will be considered on a case-by-case basis with consideration to the Student's academic program, the violation(s) and/or sanction of the violation(s), and/or the specific professional criteria for the field of study.

**Please note that all suspension cases will be automatically expunged seven (7) years from the completion date of the sanctions.

Student Conduct & Care has the sole authority to grant or deny an expungement request. No appeal is permitted.