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Southwestern
Community College - Policies and Procedures Manual |
| Policy
Title: |
Standards
of Student Conduct |
6.25 |
| Responsible
Division: |
Student
Services |
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| Date
Approved: |
October
2001 |
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| 1. |
Preamble
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a. |
Academic
institutions exist for the transmission of
knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development
of students, and the well-being of society.
Free inquiry and free expression are indispensable
to the attainment of these goals. As members
of this academic community, students are encouraged
to develop the capacity for critical judgment
and to engage in a sustained and independent
search for truth. |
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b. |
Freedom
to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable
facets of academic conditions in the classroom,
on the campus, and in the community. Students
should exercise their freedom with responsibility.
As members of the larger community of which
the College is part, students are entitled
to all rights and protection accorded them
by the laws of that community. |
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c. |
Students
are also subject to all laws, the enforcement
of which is the responsibility of duly constituted
authorities. When students violate laws,
they may incur penalties prescribed by legal
authorities. In such instance, college discipline
will be initiated only when the presence
of the student on campus will disrupt the
educational process of the College. However,
when a student’s violation of the
law also adversely affects the College’s
pursuit of its recognized educational objectives,
the College may enforce its own regulations.
When students violate college regulations,
they are subject to disciplinary action
by the College whether or not their conduct
violates the law. If a student’s behavior
simultaneously violates both college regulations
and the law, the College may take disciplinary
action independent of that taken by legal
authorities.
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| 2. |
Student
Rights |
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a. |
All
rights and privileges guaranteed to every
citizen by the Constitution of the United
States and by the State of North Carolina
shall not be denied any student. |
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b. |
Students
are free to pursue their educational goals.
Appropriate opportunities for learning in
the classroom and on the campus shall be provided
for by the College. Student performance will
be evaluated solely on an academic basis,
not on opinions or conduct in matters unrelated
to academic standards. |
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c. |
Students
have the right to freedom of expression, inquiry,
and assembly without restraint or censorship
subject to reasonable and non-discriminatory
rules and regulations regarding time, place,
and manner. |
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d. |
Regulations
and procedures affecting the welfare of students
through established student government procedures,
campus committees, and college offices. |
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e. |
The
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
of 1974 provides safeguards regarding the
confidentiality of and access to student records,
and this Act will be adhered to by the College.
Students and former students have the right
to review their official records and to request
a hearing if they challenge the contents of
these records. No records shall be made available
to unauthorized personnel or groups outside
the College without the written consent of
the student involved, expect under legal compulsion.
(See Student Records Policy.) |
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f. |
No
disciplinary sanctions other than temporary
removal from class or activity (only for duration
of said activity) may be imposed upon any
student without due process. Due process procedures
are established to guarantee a student accused
of a Standards of Student Conduct violation
the right of a hearing, a presentation of
charge, evidence for charges, the right to
present evidence, the right to have witnesses
on one’s behalf and to hear witness
on behalf of the accuser(s), the right to
counsel, and the right to appeal.
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| 3. |
Standards
of Student Conduct |
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a. |
The
College reserves the right to maintain a safe
and orderly educational environment for students
and staff. Therefore, when, in the judgment
of college officials, a student’s conduct
disrupts or threatens to disrupt the college
community, appropriate disciplinary action
will be taken to restore and protect the sanctity
of the community. |
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b. |
Students
are expected to conduct themselves in accordance
with generally accepted standards of scholarship
and morality. The purpose of these standards
are not to restrict student rights but to
protect the rights of individuals in their
academic pursuits. |
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c. |
The
following regulation set forth offenses for
which disciplinary proceedings may be initiated.
Violation of one or more of the following
regulations may result in one of the sanctions
described in the Discipline and Appeals Procedure. |
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1. |
Academic
Dishonesty is defined as taking or acquiring
possession of any academic material (test
information, research papers, notes, etc.)
From a member of the college staff or student
body without permission; receiving or giving
help during test; copying from another student’s
test paper; using, during a test, materials
not authorized by the person giving the test;
collaborating with another student during
a test without authority; knowingly using,
buying, selling, stealing, transporting or
soliciting in whole or part the contents of
an unadministered or administered test; substituting
for another student or permitting another
student to substitute relative to a test or
examination; bribing another person to obtain
an unadministered or administered test or
information about an unadministered or administered
test; appropriation of another’s work
and the unacknowledged incorporation of that
work in one’s own written work offered
for credit (plagiarism); unauthorized collaboration
with another person in preparing written work
offered for credit (collusion). |
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2. |
Theft,
misuse, damage or defacing of college property,
or theft of or damage property of a member
of the college community or a campus visitor
on college premises or at college functions;
unauthorized entry upon the property of the
college or into a college facility or a portion
thereof which has been restricted in use and
thereby placed off limits; unauthorized presence
in a college facility after closing hours. |
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3. |
Possession
or consumption of alcoholic beverages or being
in a state of intoxication on the college
campus or at college-sponsored or supervised
functions off campus or in college-owned vehicles.
Manufacture, possession, use or distribution
of any illegal drugs, except as expressly
permitted by law. Any influence which may
be attributed to the use of drugs or of alcoholic
beverages shall not in any way limit the responsibility
of the individual for the consequences of
his/her actions. (See Student
Drug-Free College Policy.) |
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4. |
Lewd
or indecent conduct, including public physical
or verbal action or distribution of obscene
or libelous written material. |
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5. |
Mental
or physical abuse of any person on college
premises or at college-supervised function,
including verbal or physical actions which
threaten or endanger the health or safety
of any such persons or which promote hatred
or racial prejudice. |
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6. |
Any
act, comment, or behavior which is of a sexually
suggestive or harassing nature and which materially
interferes with a student’s or an employee’s
performance or creates an intimidating, hostile,
or offensive environment. |
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7. |
Intentional
obstruction or disruption of teaching, research,
administration or disciplinary proceedings,
or other college activities, including public
service functions, and other duly authorized
activities on college premises. |
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8. |
Occupation
or seizure in any manner of college property,
a college facility or any portion thereof
for a use inconsistent with prescribed, customary,
or authorized use. |
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9. |
Participating
in or conducting an assembly, demonstration
or gathering in a manner which threatens or
causes injury to person or property; which
interferes with free access to, ingress or
egress of college facilities; which is harmful,
obstructive or disruptive to the educational
process or institutional functions of the
College; holding rallies, demonstrations,
or any other form of public gathering without
prior approval of the College; remaining at
the scene of such an assembly after being
asked to leave by a representative of the
college staff. |
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10. |
Possession
or use of a firearm, incendiary device or
explosive, except in connection with a college-approved
activity. This also includes unauthorized
use of any instrument designed to inflict
serous bodily injury to any person. |
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11. |
Setting
off a fire alarm or using or tampering with
any fire safety equipment, except with reasonable
belief in the need for such alarm or equipment. |
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12. |
Illegal
gambling. |
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13. |
Smoking
and/or using other forms of tobacco products
in classrooms, shops, labs, offices or other
unauthorized areas. |
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14. |
Violation
of college regulations regarding the operation
and parking of motor vehicles, the registration
of student organizations, or use of college
facilities. |
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15. |
Forgery,
alteration, or misuse of college documents,
records, or instruments of identification
with intent to deceive. |
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16. |
Failure
to comply with instructions of college officials
acting in performance of their duties. |
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17. |
Violation
of the terms of disciplinary probation or
any college regulation during the period of
probation. |
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18. |
Fiscal
irresponsibility such as failure to pay college-levied
fines, failure to repay college-funded loans,
or the passing of worthless checks, drafts
or orders to college officials. A student’s
failure to pay the College the amount due
on a check, draft or order, on or before the
fifth class day after the day the Business
Office sends written notice that the student
has rightfully refused payment on the check,
draft or order, is prima facie evidence that
the student intended to defraud the College.
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19. |
Violation
of a local, state, or federal criminal law
on college premises adversely affecting the
college community’s pursuit of its proper
educational purposes. |
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20. |
Knowingly
giving false information in response to requests
from the College. |
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