The University of Pittsburgh has established a tradition of Ethical Conduct at all levels of University life. As a student-athlete involved in the intercollegiate athletics program, you are expected to represent the University in an honorable manner at all times. You are expected to uphold the standards of ethical conduct established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Big East Conference, the Department of Athletics and the University of Pittsburgh.

Please take a moment to review the information included on this web page, and as always, if you should have any questions, feel free to contact the Compliance Office with any questions.


The Pitt Promise: A Commitment to Civility

All student-athletes will support the Pitt Promise, which is detailed below.

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to the advancement of learning and service to the society. This is best accomplished in an atmosphere of mutual respect and civility, self-restraint, concern for others, and academic integrity. By choosing to join this community, I accept the obligation to live by these common values and commit myself to the following principles.

As a Pitt Student and a member of the University community:

• I will embrace the concept of a civil community which abhors violence, theft, and exploitation of others,

• I will commit myself to the pursuit of knowledge with personal integrity and academic honesty,

• I will respect the sanctity of the learning environment and avoid disruptive and deceitful behavior toward other members of the campus community,

• I will support a culture of diversity by respecting the rights of those who differ from myself,

• I will contribute to the development of a caring community where compassion for others and freedom of thought and expression are valued,

• I will honor, challenge and contribute to the scholarly heritage left by those who preceded me and work to leave this a better place for those who follow.

By endorsing these common principles, I accept a moral obligation to behave in ways that contribute to a civil campus environment and resolve to support this behavior in others. This commitment to civility is my promise to the University of Pittsburgh and its community of scholars.


Pitt Student-Athlete Code of Conduct

Personal Conduct
For you, the student-athlete, participation as a member of an athletics team carries with it definite academic and athletic responsibilities. They are as follows:

Academic Responsibility - Student-Athletes Must:
1. Adhere to the rules outlined in the University's "Guidelines on Academic Integrity." The work, which you submit, must be your own. Representing the work of others as your own constitutes academic fraud.
2. Aggressively pursue the requirements for graduation, as that is the University of Pittsburgh's number one goal for all student-athletes;
3. Attend classes regularly and complete all academic assignments;
4. Consult with academic advisors and attend tutoring sessions, as directed;
5. Maintain an academic course load of at least twelve (12) credit hours per semester and make satisfactory progress toward a degree; and
6. Accept responsibility for maintaining all academic eligibility requirements each semester.

Athletic Responsibility - Student-Athletes Must:
1. Abide by all team, Department, University, Conference and NCAA rules;
2. Maintain oneself in top physical condition, within accepted health standards;
3. Attend all assigned events and organized practices unless officially excused;
4. Take proper care of equipment and return it in good condition;
5. Treat officials and opponents with respect, and avoid undue confrontations;
6. Maintain proper standards of grooming and dress; and
7. Abstain from using tobacco, alcohol and non-therapeutic drugs.

As a student-athlete, you are encouraged to obtain clarification of any Team, Department, University, Conference or NCAA rules and regulations which you do not understand from a member of the coaching staff or a member of the administrative staff.

Community Service Pledge
The student-athlete experience at the University of Pittsburgh encompasses more than what is learned in the classroom and achieved on the playing field. The Department of Athletics has a longstanding commitment toward furthering its student-athletes' relationship with the community. Each varsity athletic team is required to be involved in two (2) community service programs during the academic year (one each in the fall and spring semesters).

Sportsmanlike Conduct
Sportsmanlike conduct means more than the absence of negative actions made in public. It includes proper behavior both on and off the playing field. Coaches will expect from student-athletes appropriate and sportsmanlike behavior at all times. Examples of unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to:

1. Physical and verbal abuse towards officials, coaches, opponents or spectators;
2. Throwing of objects;
3. Unauthorized seizure of equipment from officials or news media;
4. Inciting players or spectators to negative actions or to any behavior which insults or defiles an opponent's traditions;
5. Use of obscene or otherwise inappropriate language or gestures;
6. Making public statements which are negative, controversial or outside the parameters of the Department of Athletics' media policy; or
7. Participating in any action that violates generally recognized ethical standards of intercollegiate athletics participation.


NCAA Ethical Conduct Standards (Bylaws 10.01 to 10.4)

10.01.1 Honesty and Sportsmanship.
Individuals employed by (or associated with) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports.

10.02.1 Sports Wagering.
Sports wagering includes placing, accepting or soliciting a wager (on a staff member's or student-athlete's own behalf or on the behalf of others) of any type with any individual or organization on any intercollegiate, amateur or professional team or contest. Examples of sports wagering include, but are not limited to, the use of a bookmaker or parlay card; Internet sports wagering; auctions in which bids are placed on teams, individuals or contests; and pools or fantasy leagues in which an entry fee is required and there is an opportunity to win a prize.

10.02.2 Wager.
A wager is any agreement in which an individual or entity agrees to give up an item of value (e.g., cash, shirt, dinner) in exchange for the possibility of gaining another item of value.

10.1 UNETHICAL CONDUCT
Unethical conduct by a prospective or enrolled student-athlete or a current or former institutional staff member (e.g., coach, professor, tutor, teaching assistant, student manager, student trainer) may include, but is not limited to, the following:

(a) Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by the NCAA or the individual's institution;
(b) Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete;
(c) Knowing involvement in offering or providing a prospective or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra benefit or improper financial aid;
(d) Knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual's institution false or misleading information concerning the individual's involvement in or knowledge of matters relevant to a possible violation of an NCAA regulation;
(e) Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for facilitating or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or advisor (e.g., "runner");
(f) Knowing involvement in providing a banned substance or impermissible supplement to student-athletes, or knowingly providing medications to student-athletes contrary to medical licensure, commonly accepted standards of care in sports medicine practice, or state and federal law;
(g) Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA, the NCAA Eligibility Center or institution's admissions office regarding an individual's academic record (e.g., schools attended, completion of coursework, grades and test scores);
(h) Fraudulence or misconduct in connection with entrance or placement examinations;
(i) Engaging in any athletics competition under an assumed name or with intent to otherwise deceive; or
(j) Failure to provide complete and accurate information to the NCAA, the NCAA Eligibility Center or the institution's athletics department regarding an individual's amateur status.

10.2 KNOWLEDGE OF USE OF BANNED DRUGS
A member institution's athletics department staff members or others employed by the intercollegiate athletics program who have knowledge of a student-athlete's use at any time of a substance on the list of banned drugs, as set forth in Bylaw 31.2.3.4, shall follow institutional procedures dealing with drug abuse or shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.5.2.2.

10.3 SPORTS WAGERING ACTIVITIES
The following individuals shall not knowingly participate in sports wagering activities or provide information to individuals involved in or associated with any type of sports wagering activities concerning intercollegiate, amateur or professional athletics competition: (a) Staff members of an institution's athletics department;
(b) Nonathletics department staff members who have responsibilities within or over the athletics department (e.g., chancellor or president, faculty athletics representative, individual to whom athletics reports);
(c) Staff members of a conference office; and
(d) Student-athletes.

10.3.1 Scope of Application.
The prohibition against sports wagering applies to any institutional practice or any competition (intercollegiate, amateur or professional) in a sport in which the Association conducts championship competition, in bowl subdivision football and in emerging sports for women.

10.3.1.1 Exception.
The provisions of Bylaw 10.3 are not applicable to traditional wagers between institutions (e.g., traditional rivalry) or in conjunction with particular contests (e.g., bowl games). Items wagered must be representative of the involved institutions or the states in which they are located.

10.3.2 Sanctions.
The following sanctions for violations of Bylaw 10.3 shall apply: (a) A student-athlete who engages in activities designed to influence the outcome of an intercollegiate contest or in an effort to affect win-loss margins ("point shaving") or who participates in any sports wagering activity involving the student-athlete's institution shall permanently lose all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports.
(b) A student-athlete who participates in any sports wagering activity through the Internet, a bookmaker or a parlay card shall be ineligible for all regular-season and postseason competition for a minimum of a period of one year from the date of the institution's determination that a violation occurred and shall be charged with the loss of a minimum of one season of eligibility. If the student-athlete is determined to have been involved in a later violation of any portion of Bylaw 10.3, the student-athlete shall permanently lose all remaining regular-season and postseason eligibility in all sports.

10.4 DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Prospective or enrolled student-athletes found in violation of the provisions of this regulation shall be ineligible for further intercollegiate competition, subject to appeal to the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement for restoration of eligibility. (See Bylaw 10.3.2 for sanctions of student-athletes involved in violations of 10.3.) Institutional staff members found in violation of the provisions of this regulation shall be subject to disciplinary or corrective action as set forth in Bylaw 19.5.2.2 of the NCAA enforcement procedures, whether such violations occurred at the certifying institution or during the individual's previous employment at another member institution.