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Program Discipline

CIEE High School USA has a formal disciplinary system for students who do not adhere to our program rules or U.S. laws. (Please note: If you are a grant student, you must adhere to an additional set of Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs rules as stated in the program application.) There are three stages of discipline: warning, probation, and dismissal. For more information about these stages, please read below.

Warning
If a student violates a rule or conducts him or herself in inappropriate ways, the Local Coordinator may request a written letter of warning. CIEE will send copies of this letter to the Local Coordinator, host family, and natural family of the student in question. The intent of this warning letter is to make the student aware of the serious nature of their violation.

A warning letter will:

  • Inform the student of the specific unacceptable behavior or program violation, and that there should be no further infractions.
  • Advise the student that CIEE has discussed the student’s behavior with their Local Coordinator. The student should speak with the Local Coordinator or a CIEE staff member if the reasons for the warning letter are unclear.
  • Advise the student that through the CIEE office, the CIEE international representative and the student’s natural parents have been informed.
  • Inform the student of the specific steps that must be taken by the student to avoid probation, which is the next possible step in the disciplinary system.
  • Identify a time frame for reviewing the student’s behavior or academic performance.

Probation
If a student does not meet the terms of the warning letter and continues their inappropriate behavior, the student will be placed on probation by CIEE.

The intent of probation is:

  • To advise the student that he or she is in very serious trouble and if the student does not adjust their behavior, they will be withdrawn from their program.
  • To inform the student that their CIEE international representative and the student’s natural parents have been formally notified of the student’s disciplinary status and possible consequences.

Dismissal
If a student continues to violate the rules and fails to adhere to the conditions of the letters of warning and probation, CIEE will dismiss the student from High School USA. If you are dismissed, that means you must immediately return to your home country at your own cost.

Please note: Serious violations of the program rules (such as drinking, using drugs, or driving) can result in immediate dismissal from the program.