Student Code of Conduct

Purpose

The mission of Clovis Community College is to provide high-quality educational opportunities by keeping the learners’ needs at the center of decision making. In keeping with this mission, CCC has adopted a Student Code of Conduct that seeks to recognize both rights and responsibilities. Free inquiry and expression are essential parts of this learning environment; however, this also demands responsible behavior. This Code is designed to help ensure order in the college community, protect the rights of community members, and to create an environment that enhances the opportunity for learning. Any question of interpretation regarding the Student Code of Conduct shall be referred to the Executive Vice President, or his or her designee, for final determination.

Definitions

The following terms used in this Code are defined:

“College” means Clovis Community College.

“Faculty member” means any person hired by the College to conduct classroom, lab, or tutoring activities.

“College official” includes any person employed by the College performing assigned administrative or professional responsibilities.

“Student” includes all persons taking courses at the College, both full- and part-time, as well as those participating in services or activities provided by Community Services, the Center for Student Success, and the Career Services Office.

“College premises” includes all land, buildings, facilities, and other property in the possession of or owned, used, or controlled by the College.

“College-sponsored activity” means any activity on or off campus that is initiated, aided, authorized, or supervised by the College.

“Policy” is defined as the written regulations of the College as found in, but not limited to, the Student Code of Conduct, Student Handbook, College Catalog, Policy Manual, and Course Schedules.

Unacceptable Behavior

Three types of unacceptable behavior are defined in this Code: criminal offenses, disciplinary non-criminal offenses, and violations against the academic community. Each is treated separately, although some offenses listed as non-criminal, or violations against the academic community, may in fact constitute a criminal offense.

Criminal Offenses

Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person, whether perceived or real.

Attempted or actual theft of and/or damage to property of the College, property of a member of the college community, or other personal or public property.

Manufacture, possession, control, sale, transmission of or use of any controlled substance or illegal drugs on College premises.

Possession of a weapon, firearm, explosive and/or facsimile weapons on College premises.

Obstructing or restraining the lawful movement of another and thereby causing personal or campus disorder.

Intentionally initiating or causing to be initiated any false report, warning, or threat of fire, explosion, or other emergency on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.

Fraudulent use or forgery of any College seal or document, including the Student ID card.

Unauthorized possession, duplication, or use of keys to any College premises, or unauthorized entry to or use of College premises.

Violation of any other federal, state or local law on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.

Non-criminal Offenses

Verbal or written communication that exposes any individual or group to hatred, contempt, ridicule, racist slurs, or intimidation and thereby injures the person, property, or reputation of another.

Abusive and/or disruptive disagreement or personal harassment.

Personal misconduct, including all forms of sexual misconduct or harassment (see the Discrimination and Grievance Policy).

Littering and posting of notices in non-designated spaces without approval and unauthorized distribution or sale of goods on campus.

Violation of College traffic and parking regulations.

Smoking in areas designated non-smoking.

Possession or use of alcohol by any person on College premises.

Leaving children or animals unattended on campus.

Use of bicycles, skateboards, rollerblades and other non-motorized vehicles or equipment (except wheelchairs) outside designated areas (if any).

Failure to comply with a directive of College officials or security officers acting in performance of their duties and/or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.

Tampering with the election of any College-recognized student organization.

Intentionally or maliciously furnishing false information to the College.

Violation of any other published College policies, rules or regulations.

Offenses against the Academic Community

Disruption of the learning environment or any behavior that detracts from the goals of or diminishes the dignity, respect, or worth of other students on campus. This includes overt disrespect for the ideas and opinions of others; disruptive chatter during class; and bringing activated cellular phones, beepers, or other electronic devices to classes or computer labs without prior approval.

Academic dishonesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating, collusion, and forgery of any academic records. The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. The term “cheating” includes, but is not limited to:

Use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations;
Dependence upon the aid of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; or
The acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the College community.

Inappropriate use of computer time, including but not limited to:

Unauthorized entry into a file to use, read, or change the contents, or for any other purpose;
Unauthorized transfer of a file;
Unauthorized use of another individual’s identification and password;
Use of computing facilities to interfere with the work of any member of the college community;
Use of computing facilities to send obscene or abusive messages; or
Use of computing facilities to interfere with normal operation of the College computing system (see Acceptable Use Policy in Library and on the campus web page for further detail).

For additional information, please see the CCC Course Catalog.

Sanctions

Multiple sanctions or any level sanction may be imposed for a given offense. In the case of criminal behavior, CCC shall immediately inform the appropriate local law enforcement agency of any violation, whose procedures shall prevail. The College reserves the right to impose additional sanctions subsequent to civil and/or criminal proceedings.

Informal sanctions

Admonition: a verbal notice that continuation of policy violations will be cause for formal disciplinary action.

Formal sanctions

Warning: a written reprimand from the College.

Disciplinary probation: a written notice that further violations may result in suspension. Disciplinary probation may be imposed for any length of time and shall be automatically removed when the imposed period expires.

Disciplinary suspension:

Suspension of rights and privileges: an individual penalty imposing limitations or restrictions to fit the particular case, usually a curtailing of specific privileges.
Partial suspension: separation or dismissal from one or more classes.
Immediate interim suspension: imposed on an individual who has committed a violation judged to be of potential endangerment to persons or property, or of such magnitude as to be disruptive of routine College business.
Suspension from the College: involves the cancellation of a student’s current enrollment and prohibition from entering the College campus except in response to an official summons, and from registering for any kind of scholastic work at or through the College.

Bar against readmission: imposed on a student who has left the College for disciplinary reasons.

Towing of vehicle or suspension of campus parking privileges: may be imposed for gross vehicular violations or repeated parking violations.

Withholding of transcript or degree: imposed upon a student who has a disciplinary case pending final disposition.

Restitution: reimbursement for damage to or misappropriation of property.

Rules of Procedure

Informal Grievance Procedure

If problems between two or more students arise, these students should attempt to resolve the problems amongst themselves through an informal procedure. If the problem cannot be mutually resolved, it should be taken to their immediate supervisor or instructor for mediation. If this does not result in satisfactory resolution, the complainant should take the problem to the Executive Vice President, who may attempt to resolve the problem through discussion or mediation. Academic matters should be addressed through the Executive Vice President. If a dispute cannot be resolved through an informal procedure, it should be filed in a formal written grievance.

Formal Grievance Procedure

Charges and Administration Review

Any member of the College community may file charges against any student for misconduct. Charges shall be directed to the Executive Vice President. To be considered formal, the charges must be in writing and should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place. The Executive Vice President is authorized to take any interim action necessary to maintain the peace and integrity during the formal investigation and determination process.

The Executive Vice President shall conduct an investigation to determine if the charges have merit. If so, the Executive Vice President will provide due process by notifying the student of the charges against him/her in writing no later than five (5) working days after receipt of the grievance and offer an opportunity to respond. If a student is under 18 years of age, a copy of the letter will be sent to the parents or guardian of the student. A student charged will have five (5) working days to respond in writing to the charges.

Whether the student responds to the charges or not, the Executive Vice President will then render a decision that may involve dismissal of the charges or imposition of any of the sanctions listed above and will notify the student and legal guardian (if under 18) in writing of the outcome.

Appeals

A decision reached by the Executive Vice President may be appealed by accused students or complainants to an appeals board within five (5) working days of the sanctions imposed. Such appeals shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the Executive Vice President, who will forward the request for appeal to the President. Sanctions will remain in effect during the appeals procedure, unless otherwise directed by the Executive Vice President.

An appeal shall be conducted for one or more of the following purposes:
. To determine whether the original process was conducted fairly in light of the charges and
vidence presented, and in conformity with prescribed procedures giving the
omplaining party a reasonable opportunity to prepare and present evidence that the
student Code was violated, and giving the accused student a reasonable opportunity to
repare and to present a rebuttal of those allegations.
. To determine whether the decision reached regarding the accused student was based on
ubstantial evidence, that is, whether the facts in the case were sufficient to establish that
violation of the Student Code occurred.
. To determine whether the sanction(s) imposed were appropriate for the violation of the
student Code that the student was found to have committed.
. To consider new evidence sufficient to alter a decision, or other relevant facts not brought
ut in the original process, because such evidence and/or facts were not known to the
erson appealing at the time of the original hearing.

The President of the College will name an Appeals Committee to conduct a formal hearing to review the charges. This Committee will include representatives from various College constituencies, including faculty, professional and support staff, and students. The President will designate the chair for the Committee.

The Appeals Committee will set a hearing and notify the student in writing of the date and time, which should occur as soon as possible after the student has requested a hearing.

A student who fails to appear before the Appeals Committee shall forfeit his or her right to appeal.

Hearing shall be conducted by the Appeals Committee according to the following guidelines, adhering to the evidentiary standard:

Hearing normally shall be conducted in private.
Admission of any person to the hearing shall be at the discretion of the chairperson of the appeals Committee.
In hearing involving more than one accused student, the chairperson of the Appeals committee, at his or her discretion, may permit the hearings concerning each student to
be conducted separately.
The complainant and the accused have the right to be assisted by any advisor they choose, at their own expense. The advisor may be an attorney.
The complainant, the accused, and the Appeals Committee shall have the privilege of presenting witnesses, subject to the right of cross-examination by any of the parties. All testimony will be taken under oath.
Pertinent records, exhibits and written statements may be accepted as evidence for consideration by the Appeals Committee at the discretion of the chairperson.
All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the chairperson of the
Appeals Committee.
After the hearing, the Appeals Committee shall determine by majority vote, based on a
reponderance of the evidence, whether the student has more likely than not violated the
Student Code of Conduct and whether the sanctions imposed fit the nature of
the violation.

If an appeal is upheld, the Appeals Committee will forward binding recommendations to the Executive Vice President.

In all appeals, review of the sanction(s) by the Appeals Committee may not result in more severe sanction(s) for the accused student. Instead, following an appeal, and upon the recommendations of the Appeals Committee, the Executive Vice President may reduce, but not increase the sanction(s) originally imposed.

There shall be a single verbatim record, such as a tape recording or written minutes, of all hearing before the Appeals Committee. The record shall be the property of the College. A student who has filed an appeal may request to obtain a copy of the tape or transcript by paying the cost of reproduction.

Policies