Standards of Conduct

Students should act in a manner that demonstrates honesty and integrity. Violations include:

1. Falsification. Knowingly furnishing or possessing false, falsified or forged materials, documents, accounts, records, identification or financial instruments.
2. Academic Dishonesty. Acts of academic dishonesty as outlined in the Academic Integrity guidelines.
3. Unauthorized Access or Entry. Unauthorized access to any College building; unauthorized possession, duplication or use of means of access to any college/university building (i.e. keys, cards, etc.); failing to timely report a lost College identification card or key; or unauthorized entry to or use of buildings, including trespassing, propping or unauthorized use of alarmed doors for entry into or exit from an SCC building.
4. Collusion. Action or inaction with another or others to violate the Student Code of Conduct.
5. Taking of Property. Intentional and unauthorized taking of College-owned or controlled property or the personal property of another, including goods, services and other valuables.
6. Damage and Destruction. Intentional, reckless and/or unauthorized damage, defacing, vandalizing or destruction of College-owned or controlled property or the personal property of another.
7. Information Technology and Acceptable Use. Violating Copyright Infringement & Responsible Computing policy (See Copyright Infringement & Responsible Computing)

Students should act in a manner that demonstrates accountability and respect for others. Violations include:

1. Disruptive Behavior. Substantial disruption of College operations including obstruction of teaching, research, administration; other College activities both on and off campus; and/or other authorized non- College activities which occur on campus.  Examples of disruptive behavior that impact the teaching and learning environment, both in and out of the classroom include:
   1. Dominating conversations, digressing excessively from subject matter and interrupting faculty and/or students.
   2. Inappropriate or unauthorized use of electronic devices, cell phones, or pagers (such as repeatedly allowing cell phones to ring, answering cell phones or allowing pagers to beep).
   3. Sleeping in class that caused a disturbance.
   4. Persistent tardiness or leaving early (without permission, if timeliness is an expectation).
   5. Repeatedly leaving and entering the classroom without appropriate rationale or authorization if such permission is required.
   6. Eating/drinking in class when such behavior is not permitted.Persistent speaking outside of classroom expectations.
   7. Making loud and distracting noises.
2. Weapons. Possession, use, or distribution of explosives, guns, or other weapons or objects intended to be used to cause damage to property or harm to persons including the storage of any item that falls within the category of a weapon in a vehicle parked on College-owned or controlled property.
   Definitions/ Examples of Prohibited Items
   1. Firearms – Any weapons designed or readily converted to expel any projectile by the action of an explosive. Examples include: pistol, revolver, starter gun, rifle, shotgun, short rifle, and short shotgun.
   2. Weapons – Any knife with a blade over three and one-half inches in length. Examples include: daggers, dirks, knives, and stilettos, or other dangerous instrument capable of inflicting cutting, stabbing, or tearing wounds.
   3. Fireworks and Explosive Materials – Any composition or device designed for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, deflagration, or detonation. Examples include: common fireworks (firecrackers, bottle rockets, sparklers, ground/ aerial/whistling devices); ammunition; black powder; gun powder, other explosive or combustible articles.
   4. Dangerous Instruments – Any air or gas-powered pistol or rifle, including paintball/ BB/pellet or tranquilizer guns/rifles; knuckles and brass or iron knuckles; bow and arrow, or any other projectile weapon or device; atomic, radiological, chemical, bacteriological, or biological materials.
      Exceptions: These prohibitions apply to everyone (i.e., employees, students, invitees, and visitors) except:
      1. Law Enforcement Officials carrying or using weapons in conjunction with their official duties;
         and
      2. Use of prohibited items is permitted if/when an approved part of the regular course of instruction or college- approved activity.
3. Complicity
1. Complicity with or failure of any student to address known or obvious violations of the Student Code of Conduct or law;
2. Complicity with or failure of any organized group to address known or obvious violations of the Student Code of Conduct or law by its members.
4. Fire Safety. Violation of local, state, federal or campus fire policies including, but not limited to:
1. Intentionally or recklessly causing a fire which damages College or personal property or which causes injury.
2. Failure to evacuate a College-owned or controlled building during a fire alarm;
3. Improper use of College fire safety equipment; or
4. Tampering with or improperly engaging a fire alarm or fire detection/control equipment while on College property. Such action may result in a local fine in addition to College sanctions;

Students should act in a manner that demonstrates kindness and compassion. Violations include:

1. Harm to Persons. Physical, mental or verbal abuse to others or self on College owned or controlled property or at College sponsored or supervised functions, or conduct which threatens or endangers the health and safety of such persons.
2. Threatening Behaviors:
   1. Threat. Written or verbal conduct that causes a reasonable expectation of injury to the health or safety of any person or damage to any property.
   2. Intimidation. Intimidation defined as implied threats or acts that cause a reasonable fear of harm in another.
3. Bullying and Cyberbullying. Bullying and cyberbullying are repeated and/or severe aggressive behaviors that intimidate or intentionally harm or control another person physically or emotionally, and are not protected by freedom of expression.
4. Intimate Partner/Relationship Violence. Violence or abuse by a person in an intimate relationship with another (See Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Policy for further information).
5. Stalking. Stalking is a course of conduct directed at a specific person that is unwelcome and would cause a reasonable person to fear. (See Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Policy for further information).
6. Sexual Misconduct. Includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment, non-consensual sexual contact, non-consensual sexual intercourse, and/or sexual exploitation (See Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Policy). See Chapter 2 of the Annual Safety, Security and Crime/Fire Statistics Report (PDF) for additional Title IX/Sexual Misconduct Policy information).
7. Rioting. Causing, inciting or participating in any disturbance that presents a clear and present danger to self or others, causes physical harm to others, or damage and/or destruction of property;

Southeast Community College is committed to maintaining learning and working environments that are free from all forms of illegal harassment and discrimination. The College will not tolerate harassment or retaliation in the workplace or educational environment whether committed by faculty, staff, or students, or by visitors to the College while they are on College-owned or controlled property or at events conducted, sponsored or sanctioned by the College. Each member of the College community is responsible for fostering civility, for being familiar with this policy, and for refraining from conduct that violates this policy. Violations include:

1. Discrimination. Any act or failure to act that is based upon an individual or group’s actual or perceived status (race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex*, age, marital status, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors prohibited by law) that is sufficiently severe that it limits or denies the ability to participate in or benefit from the College’s educational program or activities.
2. Harassment. Harassment is any intentional behavior directed to another individual or group that is hostile, humiliating, or demeaning. Harassment, when directed at an individual, may include, but is not limited to: unwanted physical contact; use of epithets, inappropriate jokes, comments or innuendos; obscene or harassing telephone calls, emails, letters, notes or other forms of communication; and any conduct that may create a hostile working or academic environment. Harassment based on an individual’s race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex*, age, marital status, national origin, veteran status, sexual orientation, disability, or other factors is against SCC policy and against the law.
3. Sexual Harassment. Sexual harassment is any conduct on the basis of sex and that meets one or more of the following conditions:
   1. Involves an employee of the College conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit, or service of the College on another person’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct;
   2. Would be considered by a reasonable person to be severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies someone equal access to the College’s education program or activity; or
   3. Involves sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking.
4. Retaliatory Discrimination or Harassment. Any overt or covert act of reprisal, interference, restraint, penalty, discrimination, intimidation or harassment against one or more individuals for exercising their rights (or supporting others for exercising their rights) under this policy.
5. Items of Public Display. SCC does not condone the public display of items (e.g., posters, t-shirt designs, paintings, etc.) which are intended and/or deemed racist, sexist, indecent, illegal, inciting, or oppressive in nature.

*The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights enforces Title IX's prohibition on discrimination on the basis of sex to also include discrimination based on gender identity.

Students should act in a manner that fulfills their personal and academic responsibilities. Violations include:

1. Abuse of Conduct Process. Abuse or interference with, or failure to comply in, College processes including conduct and academic integrity hearings including, but not limited to:
   1. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information;
   2. Failure to provide, destroying or concealing information during an investigation of an alleged policy violation;
   3. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the campus conduct system;
   4. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a College Student Code of Conduct body prior to, during, and/or following a Student Code of Conduct proceeding;
   5. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed by the Student Code of Conduct system;
   6. Influencing, or attempting to influence, another person to commit an abuse of the campus Student Code of Conduct.
2. Drugs, Alcohol and Controlled Substances. Prohibits employees and students of the College from unlawfully manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing, using, or being under the influence of a controlled substance, including illegal drugs and alcohol, on College premises, in College-owned or controlled property, at any College sponsored or sanctioned activities (both on and off-campus) where alcohol is not permitted/is prohibited, and in all places where its employees and students work and learn. This campus prohibition includes campus student housing and applies to any person on College grounds, whether they are a member of the College community or not (See Drug, Alcohol and Controlled Substance Policy for further information).
3. Smoking. The College subscribes to the Nebraska Clean Indoor Air Act. Smoking and chewing of tobacco products are not allowed in any of the SCC buildings, in any College vehicles or outdoor areas designated as non-smoking. Smoking and non-smoking areas on the campuses conform to state law and are clearly marked. Spitting of chewed tobacco products is not permitted within the College facilities. Use of electronic cigarettes and or vaporizer pens is not allowed in SCC buildings or College vehicles.
4. Failure to Comply. Failure to comply with the reasonable directives of College officials or law enforcement officers during the performance of their duties and/or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so;
5. Financial Responsibilities. Failure to promptly meet financial responsibilities to the institution, including, but not limited to; knowingly passing a worthless check or money order in payment to the institution or to an official of the institution acting in an official capacity.
6. Other Policies. Violating other published College policies or rules, including all Residence Hall and program policies.
7. Health and Safety. Creation of health and/or safety hazards (dangerous pranks, hanging out of or climbing from/on/in windows, balconies, roofs, etc.)