3.9 Student Responsibilities for Conduct
I. Purpose
To outline expectations of student conduct that promotes an environment conducive to learning, and to further define the judicial process for violations of the stated code of conduct.
II. Scope
Applicable to all students.
III. General
In order to provide the maximum opportunity for learning and to support the mutual respect necessary within the teaching/learning environment, students are expected to adhere to the following guidelines while on-campus and/or during any college-sponsored off-campus event.
Student Responsibilities
Students are expected to:
- Report to class on time and remain for the duration of the class.
- Be responsible for all material covered and announcements made within class, even when
absent from class. - Come to class prepared (completed homework and readings).
- Refrain from conversations whenever the instructor or another student is speaking.
- Maintain an atmosphere conducive to the teaching/learning process.
- Silence all electronic devices during class.
- Abide by the college’s Guide for Responsible Use of Electronic Communication and not
abuse the privileges of access to electronic information and communication. - Adhere to classroom policies set by their instructors in the class format/syllabus.
- Submit assignments on time (in the proper format), participate in class discussions, and prepare for tests.
- Adhere to the college’s Academic Integrity Policy.
- Abide by college policies related to children on campus.
- Refrain from tobacco use in unauthorized areas.
- Abide by the Student Code of Conduct contained within this document.
- Abide by all college policies.
Infractions/Violations
The following student actions are Code of Conduct Violations and may result in sanctions:
- Plagiarism or academic cheating.
- Forgery or alteration of the college identification card or records.
- Destruction of, damage to, malicious misuse of, or abuse of college property
- Destruction of, damage to, malicious misuse of, or abuse of another’s personal property
on campus. - Assault upon another person or the threat thereof while on campus or at a college-
sponsored off-campus event. - Theft of college property or personal property on campus.
- Lewd or indecent conduct on campus or at a college-sponsored event.
- Possession, use, or sale of unauthorized narcotics or illegal substances on campus or at
college-sponsored off-campus events. - Unauthorized use, possession, or sale of firearms or other dangerous weapons on
campus. - Drunk and/or disorderly conduct on campus or at college-sponsored off-campus events.
- Possession of alcoholic beverages on campus property except where expressly
authorized by the President. - Harassment/bullying (including, but not limited to, directing physical or verbal conduct
toward an individual because of the individual’s age, race, color, ancestry, national
origin, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, etc.) - Gender-based misconduct including sexual harassment, sex or gender-based
discrimination, unlawful retaliation, sexually-related crimes including sexual assault or violence, intimate partner violence, stalking, and exploitation (see Policy 1.13 Gender- based Misconduct for further detail). - Failure to provide proper identification of oneself when requested by a college official including security officers, faculty, and staff members.
- Failure to respond to official correspondence and communication from the college.
- Gambling on college property.
- Smoking in unauthorized locations.
- Disruptive behavior or conduct.
- Misrepresentation of proper identification of oneself in the transaction of college business and dealings with college officials and representatives.
- Unauthorized possession of animals on college premises.
- Abuse of privileges of access to electronic information and communication.
- Violation of other college rules and regulations after publication, distribution, or posting
thereof in such a manner to ensure fair notice to the student.
Sanctions
If a student is found guilty of a violation(s), one or more of the following sanctions may be imposed:
- Expulsion: permanent separation of the student from the college. Notification will appear in the official disciplinary file in the Office of Student Life Programs. The individual will also be barred from college premises.
- Suspension: separation of the student from the college for a specified period of time.
Notification will appear in the official disciplinary file. The individual shall not participate in
any college sponsored activity and may be barred from college premises. - Temporary Suspension: the college reserves the right to temporarily suspend any individual
charged under the Code with any violation which is a serious threat to the physical well- being of any individual(s) or property. In the event of such temporary suspension, a hearing must be held before the appropriate college official within seven (7) calendar days of the date of the incident or discovery thereof. - Monetary Fines: not to exceed $125. Notification will appear on the student's financial records and in the official disciplinary file.
- Restitution: the student is required to make payment to the college or other persons, groups, or organizations for damages incurred as a result of commission of a Code violation.
- Other Sanctions: to include disciplinary probation consisting of written letters of reprimand, restrictions upon participation in college activities, requirement of formal apologies, explanations, and assignments of research and/or work projects. Other academic sanctions might include expulsion from a class or instructor initiated withdrawal from a course or courses. See policy on cheating and plagiarism for sanctions related to these violations.
IV. Procedures
Any person who exhibits conduct not in keeping with the established standards of the college is subject to penalty with possible fine, probation, suspension, or expulsion from the college.
Any member of the college community may charge any other member of the college community with a Code of Conduct violation.
Violations
All Code of Conduct violations must be filed in writing within seven (7) calendar days of their occurrence, with the exception of cases involving gender-based misconduct which have no time limit (see policy on Gender-Based Misconduct for related information).
- Non-academic (non-classroom) violations must be reported to the Director, Student Life and Athletic Programs in the Office of Student Life.
- Academic violations regarding plagiarism and cheating must be reported to the Provost. Academic violations regarding classroom offenses must be filed with the appropriate Academic Dean in the Academic Affairs Division.
- Academic violations regarding classroom offenses in Integration of Knowledge (INTG) classes must be filed with the INTG Coordinator.
- In cases of emergency, violations should be reported immediately to the Office of Safety and Security.
Following a report of a violation, the following judicial processes will take place.
Non-Classroom Violations
Upon report of a Code of Conduct violation, the Director of Student Life (Judicial Officer) will begin a preliminary investigation to determine if there is a reasonable cause to believe that a specific policy has been violated. If reasonable cause exists, the Judicial Officer will issue written notice of the code violation to the alleged code violator(s) within seven (7) calendar days of receiving the code violation incident report. This notification will include the alleged violator(s) and date, time, and location of the disciplinary hearing. The investigation may continue throughout this time.
There are two options for a hearing in a non-classroom oriented violation:
Option #1 for disciplinary hearing:
The alleged code violator(s) may choose to have the hearing with the Director, Student Life Programs. The Director will meet with the alleged code violator(s) in a one-on-one setting. Once all evidence has been reviewed, the Director has the option of deciding sanctions at that time. The Director will inform the alleged code violator(s) of the official college ruling in writing no later than seven (7) calendar days following the disciplinary hearing.
Option #2 for disciplinary hearing:
The alleged code violator(s) may choose to have the hearing with the Student Judicial Board with the exception of violations involving the college’s Gender-Based Misconduct Policy, in which case, the hearing will be held before a specially appointed board of faculty and staff trained in handling such cases (see Policy 1.13 on Gender-Based Misconduct for related procedures).
The Student Judicial Board is appointed by the President of the college upon the recommendation of the Student Government Association. Involvement of the Student Judicial Board regarding a disciplinary matter is the option of the individual(s) charged with a code violation.
The Student Judicial Board is a committee of five (2 students, 2 faculty, 1 staff member) who will review the code violation, evidence and documentation, and make a written recommendation regarding findings and related sanctions to the Judicial Officer. The Judicial Officer will review the recommendation of the Student Judicial Board and will inform the alleged code violator(s) in writing of the official college ruling no later than seven (7) calendar days following the disciplinary hearing. Outcomes of hearings involving Gender-based misconduct cases will be shared simultaneously with all involved parties.
Academic Violations for Cheating and Plagiarism: see college policy on Academic Integrity.
Academic Violations regarding Classroom Offenses:
Disruptive classroom behavior and other classroom offenses, including both face-to-face and online learning environments, will be filed with the Academic Dean in the department where the violation occurred, or with the INTG Coordinator for such offenses in INTG classes. Faculty members make primary decisions regarding student discipline in the classroom. These decisions are subject to review by the appropriate Academic Dean responsible for the department, or by the INTG Coordinator for those classes.
The following procedure will take place after a classroom Code of Conduct violation:
Faculty member will ask the student to cease the disruptive or code violating behavior.
- If student does not cease the behavior, the faculty member may ask the student to leave the class.
- If asked to leave a class, the student must meet with the faculty member before the next scheduled class meeting to resolve the behavioral issue before continuing in the class.
- If in subsequent classes the student does not change his/her disruptive or code violating behavior, the faculty member will refer the student to the Academic Dean or the INTG Coordinator responsible for that department or class for a disciplinary hearing.
- The Academic Dean or the INTG Coordinator will give the alleged code violator(s) written notice of what they are accused within seven (7) calendar days of the most recent violation, including the date and time of their hearing.
- A disciplinary hearing will be conducted by the Assistant Academic Dean or INTG Coordinator who will determine the sanctions, if any.
- The Academic Dean or the INTG Coordinator will inform the alleged code violator (s) in writing of the official College ruling no later than seven (7) calendar days following the disciplinary hearing.
Appeals
Appeals regarding disciplinary cases can only be submitted based on the following criteria:
- The hearing was not conducted fairly because the accused student was not given a reasonable opportunity to present their case.
- The procedures for the hearing were not properly followed.
- The facts presented at the hearing were insufficient to establish responsibility for the violation.
- The sanctions imposed were disproportionate to the nature of the offense(s).
- New information, that was unavailable at the time of the hearing, has surfaced and would significantly impact the case. If there is any new information, the person hearing the appeal can either render an independent decision or refer the case back to the judicial hearing board for further review.
Appeals must be filed according to the following instructions:
- Appeals to all rulings must be made in writing within fourteen (14) calendar days of the disciplinary hearing date.
- All academic oriented appeals will be filed with the Provost.
- Non-academic oriented appeals will be filed with the Vice President of Student Affairs.
- A subsequent appeal may be made in writing within fourteen (14) calendar days of the first level appeal hearing date to the college President. The decision of the college President shall be final.
Disciplinary Records
Student disciplinary records are kept by the Office of Student Life Programs. These records are:
- confidential;
- available for examination by the student upon request;
- held indefinitely;
- excluded from an academic transcript and placement record;
- disclosed to all persons only upon subpoena, by written permission of the student, or as provided for elsewhere in this document.
V. Approval
President, August 3, 2015; Reviewed December 2023
VI. Responsibility
Enforcement of a College Code of Conduct requires the cooperation of the college community. The ultimate responsibility for enforcement of the Code of Conduct rests with the college President and Board of Trustees however the college President may delegate enforcement of the Code of Conduct to appropriate college administrative officials and staff members.
- Chief responsibility for the enforcement of academic-oriented violations and maintenance of related records rests with the Provost.
- Chief responsibility for the enforcement of non-academic oriented violations and maintenance of related records rests with the Associate Provost.
- Day-to-day enforcement responsibility rests with all members of the college community including students, faculty, administrators, and staff members.