What is the Student Commitment?

This is the commitment that all students make when they become USC Trojans – essentially, to act with integrity in the pursuit of excellence; to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion; to promote the well-being of ourselves and others; to engage in open communication; and to be accountable for living our Unifying Values and helping to make USC the best place it can be.  

Bringing these values to life in our day-to-day interactions supports USC’s mission and guides our behaviors – the ways in which we engage with fellow Trojans and others. When we actively embrace the Unifying Values, together we build a culture that instills trust in one another, reinforces ethical decision-making, and provides a strong foundation from which we can all grow and make a positive impact. 

The Student Commitment:

As Trojans, we always conduct ourselves in alignment with USC’s Unifying Values – which were created cooperatively by students, faculty, staff, and administration to reflect the unique spirit of our community and to guide us in our actions, interactions, and ethical decision-making every day, on campus and off.

In making this commitment, together we build and strengthen the culture of USC.

• We act with integrity in all situations.
• We work to foster a safe, civil, and equitable campus environment where well-being matters.
• We treat each other with respect, even when we have differences.
• We are accountable for our actions and decisions.
• We believe that diversity – of experiences, cultures, identities, and perspectives – is a cornerstone of our community.
• We value honest, open communication and robust debate.
• We strive for excellence in rigorous learning and in all scholarly, scientific, professional, artistic, and athletic endeavors.
• We champion ideological diversity and embrace freedom of expression.
• We refuse to engage in discrimination, harassment and hate in any form and on any platform.
• We avoid taking part in behavior that may be harmful to ourselves or others and offer/seek support if we witness dangerous behavior from our peers.
• We promote a culture in which people do not rush to judge others. Our actions are guided by empathy and grounded in facts and truth.