Doe

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

USC’s Student Conduct Code The Student Conduct Code (Student Code) prohibits “use or attempted use of external assistance” during an exam, including “use of unauthorized notes.” It also bars “[f]ailure to comply with testing protocols, policies, procedures, or instructions.” “Any act that gains or is intended to gain an unfair academic advantage may be considered an act of academic dishonesty.” Appellant Is Accused of Violating the Student Code On March 19, 2021, appellant “John Doe” took a biology midterm exam administered on-line via Blackboard.1 Students were not allowed to use outside sources during the exam. At the end of the semester, the instructor learned from an anonymous person that some students used a shared document posted on Blackboard, entitled Class Notes, during exams. USC’s IT department provided the names and IP addresses of six students who accessed the Class Notes during exams, with dates and times. IT logs showed that appellant viewed three items in the Class Notes during the March 19 exam.

1 Undesignated dates in this opinion are to the year 2021.

2 The topics he accessed were “photosynthesis,” “metabolism,” and “cell…