4.15.1 Code of Student Conduct

Blue Ridge Community College (“College”) students assume an obligation to conduct themselves in a manner compatible with the College’s function as an educational institution. The College has adopted basic standards of student conduct. These standards apply to the College campus, College activities including public service functions and other duly authorized or College sponsored activities, either on or off the College premises. When these standards are violated, penalties may be incurred. Consequences for violations include, but are not limited to: warnings, fines, restitution, loss of privileges or access to campus resources, probation, suspension or expulsion. The College reserves the right to withhold academic records or to deny registration for subsequent semesters.

If a student’s behavior simultaneously violates both College regulation and federal, state and/or local laws, the College may take disciplinary action independent of that taken by legal authorities.

The following regulation sets forth offenses for which disciplinary proceedings may be initiated. Violation of one or more of the following code provisions may result in one of the sanctions described in Procedure 4.15.1.1– Discipline and Appeal Procedures for Academic Violations and/or Procedure 4.15.1.2– Discipline and Appeal Procedures for Non-Academic Violations.

1. Academic Honesty Violations
   A student who violates the academic honesty policy, either directly or indirectly, is immediately responsible to the instructor of the course. The following terms are defined:
   1. Cheating: To practice or attempt to practice dishonesty or deception in the taking of tests or in the preparation or submission of academic work purporting to be one's own; or to do any of the following without instructor permission; to copy or attempt to copy from another person's test, paper, online file, or other graded work in a course; to allow someone to copy one's test, paper, online file, or other graded work; to use during a testing period, or bring into a testing area with the intent to use, any notes or other materials which a student is not permitted to consult. Cheating also includes creating, falsifying or misrepresenting any data in connection with a seated (traditional) class, lab or online class or the act of giving any unauthorized assistance or collaboration in a learning environment.
   2. Plagiarism: The act of copying a sentence, several sentences, or a significant part of a sentence that has been written by someone other than the person submitting the paper, and then neglecting to indicate through the use of quotation marks or blocking that the material has been copied; also, copying from another writer in such a way as to change one or two words in the sentence, or to rearrange the order of the wording, or to paraphrase, or to summarize information and then neglect to furnish documentation. Failure to cite sources, when appropriate, is a form of dishonesty.
   3. Online identity: Any student registered in an online/hybrid course(s) will be the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the credit for the online/hybrid course. Further, any student who allows his/her unique username and password to be used by another individual to complete an assignment or participation within the course will be in violation of this policy.
   4. Aiding Acts of Academic Dishonesty: Providing information to another student and knowing, or reasonably should have known, that the student intends to use the information for cheating or other deceptive purposes.
      The acts of cheating and/or plagiarism shall encompass, but shall not be limited to the examples or context cited above.
2. Non-Academic Violations
   1. Types of student conduct for which disciplinary proceeding may be initiated include but are not limited to the following:
3. 1. Disruption of College - A student shall not by use of violence, force, noise, coercion, threat, intimidation, fear, passive resistance or any other conduct intentionally cause the substantial and material disruption or obstruction of any lawful mission, process, or function of the College. Neither shall a student engage in such conduct for the purpose of causing the substantial and material disruption if obstruction is reasonably certain to result.
      The following illustrates the kinds of offenses encompassed here:
      1. occupying any College building, grounds, or part thereof, with intent to deprive others of its use;
      2. blocking the entrance or exit of any College building or corridor or room therein with intent to deprive others of lawful access to or from, or use of, the building or corridor or room;
      3. setting fire to or damaging any College building or property;
      4. firing, displaying, or threatening use of firearms, explosives, or other weapons on the College premises for any unlawful purpose;
      5. prevention of or attempting to prevent by physical act the convening or continued functioning of any College class, or activity, or of any lawful meeting or assembly on the campus;
      6. preventing students from attending a class or College activity;
      7. except under the direct instruction of an administrator, blocking normal pedestrian or vehicular traffic on campus;
      8. making noise or acting in any manner so as to interfere seriously with the instructor's ability to conduct the class; and
      9. unruly conduct at a College activity, function or event.
   2. Damage or Destruction of College Property - A student shall not intentionally cause or attempt to cause damage to College property or steal College property. Students who are caught stealing or damaging said property will be required to make restitution and may be eligible for civil or criminal prosecution as well as College discipline.
   3. Damage or Destruction of Private Property - A student shall not intentionally cause or attempt to cause damage to private property or steal or attempt to steal private property on the College grounds. Repeated damage, theft, or fraud involving private property shall be a basis for long-term suspension or expulsion.
   4. Trespass to Property- Students are trespassing if in an unauthorized area of the College campus; present on the College campus after closing hours (without permission); or remaining on the College campus after having been directed to leave by a College official.
   5. Mental/Physical Abuse- Students shall not mentally or physically abuse any person on the College premises or at a College-supervised function, including verbal or physical actions that threaten or endanger the health or safety of any such persons.
   6. Weapons and Dangerous Instruments - A student shall not knowingly possess, handle, or transmit any object that can reasonably be considered a weapon. Weapons and dangerous instruments are defined in Procedure 9.5.1.
   7. Narcotics, Alcoholic Beverages and Stimulant Drugs - A student shall not knowingly possess, use, transmit or be under the influence of any narcotic drug, hallucinogenic drug, amphetamine, barbiturate, marijuana, alcoholic beverage, or intoxicant of any kind (including, but not limited to, bath salts, inhalants, or synthetic herbs). Use of a legal drug authorized by a medical prescription from a registered health care provider shall not be considered a violation of this rule; however, possession, use or transmittal of legal drugs that have been obtained illegally or without a prescription by a registered healthcare provider is prohibited.
   8. Tobacco Use - A student shall not violate the College Tobacco-Free Campus regulations. Smoking and the use of smokeless tobacco products are prohibited on all College properties including inside any building or facility and on College grounds. Exceptions are limited only to smoking or the use of tobacco products inside the confines of a motor vehicle on College grounds. See Procedure 2.15.1.
   9. Campus Parking and Traffic Regulations - A student shall not violate campus parking and traffic regulations. See Procedure 9.13.1.
   10. Discrimination, Harassment and Sexual-Based Offenses – for all issues related to this topic, see Procedure 3.15.1 and Procedure 3.19.1.
   11. Computer Use - For all issues related to violations of the College Computer Use policy, see Procedure 8.1.3.
   12. Disruptive Communications - A student shall not intentionally send electronic communications which disrupt the learning environment. In addition to items listed specifically in the College Computer Use procedures, this may include but is not limited to the use of profanity, insulting or harassing remarks in e-mail, discussions, chat, electronic text, or telephone communications. Violations may be grounds for the student to receive a failing grade, suspension, or expulsion.
   13. Classroom Conduct - In addition to the other provisions contained herein, students will not engage in physical or verbal behavior that a reasonable person would view as interfering with the instructor’s teaching and/or learning in a classroom, whether online, hybrid or seated, or in the ability of other students to access information. Students may not defy reasonable directives by instructors pertaining to classroom behavior and rules. Students shall abide by instructor’s classroom rules. Students are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with generally accepted standards of scholarship and professionalism and behavior for a reasonably prudent community college student. While students are free to agree or disagree with their instructor and classmates, students will demonstrate their agreement or disagreement through reasonable and respectful behavior. This provision is not intended to operate as speech codes, promote content and viewpoint discrimination or suppress minority viewpoints in the academic setting.
   14. Field trips, Work Based Learning (WBL), Job Shadowing, Events or any Academic-Related Off Campus Activity – Students shall abide by both the College’s Student Code of Conduct and any host facility rules. For Example, a host facility might dictate dress code, proof of US citizenship, drug screen, behavior and safety expectations, wearing of protective clothing or equipment, and/or prohibit the use of cell phones. This is not an exhaustive list. The instructor arranging the academic-related off-campus activity is responsible for obtaining and sharing as much of this information as possible prior to the actual event.
   15. Public Laws/College Policy - Violations of any federal, state, or local laws occurring while on campus may lead to legal actions as well as campus discipline. Violations of federal, state, or local laws occurring off campus may result in disciplinary action if the student’s continued presence on campus constitutes a threat to the safety and order of the campus. Violations of College policies and procedures may result in disciplinary action.
   16. Assault – Students shall not assault or threaten to assault another person for any reason whatsoever. Assault includes a demonstration of force, unlawful physical touching or striking. For sexual assault, see Procedure 3.19.1 Sexual Harassment and Violence.
   17. Communicating Threats – Students shall not verbally, in writing, through a third party or by any other means threaten to physically injure another person or that person’s child, sibling, spouse or dependent or willfully threaten to damage the property of another.
   18. Bullying – Students shall not intimidate or threaten with harm any other individual. Bullying is defined as any pattern of gestures or written, electronic or verbal communications or any physical act or any threatening communication that takes place on the College premises or at any College sponsored function that: (a) places a person in actual and reasonable fear of harm to his or her property; or (b) creates or is certain to create a hostile environment by substantially interfering with or impairing a student’s educational performance, opportunities or benefits or a College employees ability to perform the essential functions of his/her job. Hostile environment means that the victim subjectively views the conduct as bullying and the conduct is objectively severe or pervasive enough that a reasonable person would agree that it is bullying. A hostile environment may be created through pervasive or persistent misbehavior or a single incident if sufficiently severe.
   19. Threats – Students shall not engage in any behavior that constitutes a clear and present danger to the physical and/or emotional well-being of the student and/or other students, faculty, and staff.
   20. Tampering with Fire Alarms-Setting off a fire alarm or using or tampering with any fire safety equipment, except with the reasonable belief there is a need for such alarm or equipment.
   21. Gambling– Students may not gamble on campus or at any College-affiliated activities or events.
   22. Providing False Information– Students shall not present to the College or its employees false information as part of an investigation, inquiry, hearing or in other matters related to College activities; neither may a student knowingly withhold information which may have an effect on their enrollment or their status with the College.
   23. Financial Impropriety– Financial impropriety such as failure to pay College-levied fines, failure to repay College-funded loans, misuse or failure to properly account for club or student organization funds, or the passing of worthless checks, drafts or orders to College officials.
   24. Failure to Report Criminal Activity- Failure to inform the College, in writing, within five (5) days after he or she is convicted for violation of any federal, state, or local criminal drug statue or alcoholic beverage control statute where such violation occurred while on College property.
   25. Unauthorized Access to College Records– Students may not access, view, copy or change official College records without expressed authority to do so.
   26. Violation of Policies and Procedures– Students are expected to be familiar with the College’s policies and procedures. Students may be disciplined for failure to follow the College’s policies and procedures.

   27. Behavioral Assessment Team– Not complying with a recommendation or directive by the Behavioral Assessment Team.