STUDENT DISCIPLINARY CODE
DEFINITIONSA. The term “College” or “college” means Central Wyoming College.
B. The term “student” includes all persons taking courses at the college, both full-time and part-time.
C. The term “faculty member” means any person hired by the college to conduct instructional activities.
D. The term “designated college official” includes any person employed by the college, charged with policy and/or procedure enforcement by the President of the College.
E. The term “member of the college community” includes any person who is a student, faculty member, college official or any other person employed by the college. A person’s status in a particular situation shall be determined by the Director - Human Resources.
F. The “complainant” may be any member of the college community.
G. The “advocate” is a person that can be present for the purposes of support and assistance during a hearing. The advocate can NOT be a witness, and is not allowed to speak to the Student Grievance Committee on behalf of a grievant or complainant during a hearing.
H. The term “working day” means a calendar day, except a Saturday, Sunday, scheduled holiday, summer recess, or other recess observed by the college.
I. The term “college property” or “college premises” includes all land, buildings, facilities, vehicles, and other property in the possession of or owned, used, or controlled by the college.
J. The term “organization” means any number of persons who have complied with the formal requirements for college registration.
K. The term “shall” is used in the imperative sense.
L. The term “may” is used in the permissive sense.
M. The term “cheating” includes, but is not limited to:
(1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations;
(2) 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
(3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the college faculty or staff.
N. The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials.
ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY - Any designated college official, as determined by the President of the College may enforce college policy or procedure or cause enforcement action upon any member of the college community or any visitor for any violations to the policy or procedure, or federal, state or municipal laws, according to due process.
- The President of the College shall give enforcement authority to any designated college official as a privilege, not a right.
- The Director - Campus Security shall keep all incident reports and logs pertaining to enforcement activities on campus, and any requests for these documents should be forwarded through the Office of the Director - Campus Security.
PROHIBITED CONDUCT - General: Discriminatory, threatening, or harassing behavior against any individual or group of individuals based on, but not limited to, gender, color, disability, sexual orientation, religious preference, national origin, ancestry, or age is subject to the disciplinary process.
- Jurisdiction of the College: Generally, college jurisdiction and discipline shall be limited to student conduct, which occurs on or in college property or at or during college sponsored activities or trips (including Student Senate, student clubs, departmental, athletic, or any other college related groups), but may also cover behavior or actions off-campus that adversely affects the college community and/or the pursuit of its objectives.
- Conduct - Rules and Regulations: Any student found to have committed any of the following misconduct is subject to the disciplinary process:
1. Acts of dishonesty, including but not limited to the following:
a. Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty. Cases involving academic dishonesty may also be handled concurrently with actions taken by an academic division.
b. Furnishing false information to any College official, faculty member or office.
c. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any College document, record, or instrument of identification.
d. Tampering with the election of any College recognized student organization.
2. Disruption or obstruction of: teaching (including use of cell phones, pagers, etc. in class), research, administration, enforcement or investigation of policy/procedure infractions, disciplinary proceedings, other College activities, including its public-service functions on or off-campus, or other authorized non-College activities.
3. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person.
4. Attempted or actual theft of and/or damage to property of the College or property of a member of the College community or other personal or public property.
5. Hazing, defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a group or organization.
6. Failure to comply with directions of College officials or law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties and/or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.
7. Interference with or misuse of fire alarms, fire extinguishers, elevators, evacuation areas, or any other safety and security equipment or programs.
8. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys to any College premises or unauthorized entry to or use of College premises.
9. Violation of published College policies, rules or regulations.
10. Violation of federal, state or local law on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised activities.
11. Use, possession or distribution of narcotic or other controlled substances except as expressly permitted by law.
12. Use, possession or distribution of alcoholic beverages except as expressly permitted by the law and College regulations.
13. Use of tobacco products within any College building or vehicle.
14. Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, other weapons, fireworks, or dangerous chemicals. Firearms are not allowed on College sponsored trips and only authorized to be on campus through proper check-in, check-out and storage in the Housing area. See the Housing Department Office for specific procedures.
15. Participation in a demonstration which disrupts the normal operations of the College and infringes on the rights of other members of the College community; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area; intentional obstruction which unreasonably interferes with freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular.
16. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised functions.
17. Conduct which is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; breach of peace; or aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to breach the peace on College premises or at functions sponsored by, or participated in by, the College.
18. Theft or other abuse of computer time, including but not limited to:
a. Unauthorized entry into a file, to use, read, or change the contents, or for any other purpose.
b. Unauthorized transfer of a file.
c. Unauthorized use of another individual’s identification and password.
d. Use of computing facilities to interfere with the work of another student, faculty member or College official.
e. Use of computing facilities to send obscene or abusive messages.
f. Use of computing facilities to interfere with normal operation of the College computing system.
19. Abuse of the Student Grievance process, including but not limited to:
a. Failure to obey the summons of the Student Grievance Committee or College official.
b. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before the Student Grievance Committee.
c. Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a Student Grievance proceeding.
d. Institution of a Student Grievance proceeding knowingly without cause.
e. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the Student Grievance process.
f. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of the Student Grievance Committee prior to, and/or during the course of, the hearing/proceeding.
g. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of the Student Grievance Committee prior to, during, and/or after the hearing/ proceeding.
h. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under the Student Disciplinary Code.
i. Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the Student Disciplinary Code.
- Violation of Law and College Discipline
1. College disciplinary proceedings may be instituted against a student charged with violation of a law which is also a violation of this Student Code, even if both violations result from the same factual situation, without regard to pending civil litigation in court or criminal arrest and prosecution. Proceedings under this Student Code may be carried out prior to, simultaneously with, or following civil or criminal proceeding off-campus.
2. When a student is charged by federal, state or local authorities with a violation of law, the College will not request or agree to special consideration for that individual because of his or her status as a student. If the alleged offense is also the subject of a proceeding before a Student Grievance Committee under the Student Disciplinary Code, the College may advise off-campus authorities of the existence of the Student Code and of how such matters will be handled internally within the College community. The College will cooperate fully with law enforcement and other agencies in the enforcement of criminal law on campus and in the conditions imposed by criminal courts for the rehabilitation of student violators. Individual students and faculty members, acting in their personal capacities, remain free to interact with governmental representatives, as they deem appropriate.
3. Culpability is not diminished for acts in violation of this Code that are committed in ignorance of the Code or under influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or improper use of controlled substances.
- Sanctions
Process
1. The following sanctions may be imposed upon any student found to have violated the Student Disciplinary Code. Failure of a student to complete an imposed sanction will result in a hold being placed on the student’s grades, or the imposition of higher level sanctions i.e. fines, further loss of privileges, etc.:
a. Warning: A notice in writing to the student that the student is violating or has violated institutional regulations.
b. Probation: A written reprimand for violation of specified regulations. Probation is for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe disciplinary sanctions if the student is found to be violating any institutional regulation(s) during the probationary period.
c. Loss of Privileges: Denial of specified privileges for a designated period of time.
d. Attendance at educational/counseling sessions related to reason for disciplinary action, i.e. alcohol/drug abuse resistance education, anger management training, etc., at offenders own cost.
e. Fines, in addition to any restitution imposed:
- $50 for first violations of any kind
- $100 for second violations of any kind
- Higher fines may be levied at the discretion of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
f. Restitution: Compensation for loss, damage or injury. This may take the form of appropriate service and/or monetary or material replacement.
g. Discretionary Sanctions: Work assignments, service to the College or other related discretionary assignments (such assignments must have the prior approval of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs).
h. Housing Suspension: Separation of the student from Housing for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
i. Housing Expulsion: Permanent separation of the student from Housing.
j. College Suspension: Separation of the student from the College for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
k. College Expulsion: Permanent separation of the student from the College.
l. Restriction Order: Limits the student’s visitation privileges from certain areas on campus. This may be placed in conjunction with the Riverton Police Department’s assistance.
2. More than one of the sanctions listed above may be imposed for any single violation.
3. Other than College expulsion, disciplinary sanctions shall not be made part of the student’s permanent academic record, but shall become part of the student’s confidential record. Upon graduation, the student’s confidential record may be expunged of disciplinary actions other than housing expulsion, College suspension or College expulsion, upon application to the Chief Student Officer. Cases involving the imposition of sanctions other than housing expulsion, College suspension or College expulsion shall be expunged from the student’s confidential record three years after final disposition of the case.
4. The following sanctions may be imposed upon groups or organizations:
a. Those sanctions listed above.
b. Deactivation and/or loss of all privileges, including College recognition, for a specified period of time.
5. In each case in which the Student Grievance Committee determines that a student has violated the Student Disciplinary Code, the Student Grievance Committee shall recommend the sanction(s), and the Chief Student Officer or designee will impose them. The Chief Student Officer or designee is not limited to sanctions recommended by members of the Student Grievance Committee. Following the hearing, the Student Grievance Committee and the Chief Student Officer or designee shall advise the accused in writing of its determination and of the sanction(s) imposed, if any.
B. Interim Suspension
In certain circumstances, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs or a designee may impose a College or housing suspension prior to the hearing before the Student Grievance Committee.
1. Interim suspension may be imposed only:
a) to ensure the safety and well being of members of the College community or preservation of College property; or
b) to ensure the student’s own physical or emotional safety and well-being; or
c) if the student poses a definite threat of disruption of or interference with the normal operations of the College.
2. During the interim suspension, the suspended student(s) shall be denied access to Housing and/or to the campus (including classes) and/or all other College activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible, as the Chief Student Officer or designee may determine to be appropriate.
AppealsTo appeal a disciplinary action or sanction, submit documentation regarding the process, decision, and rationale for the appeal in a formal memo to the Chief Student Officer. This documentation must be received no later than 10 days after the sanction is imposed and prior to any meeting to discuss the issue. Disagreement with college rules or regulations will not be considered grounds for an appeal. The Chief Student Officer will investigate the claims and make a determination whether to adjust, reject or affirm the disciplinary action or sanction.
INTERPRETATION AND REVISIONAny question of interpretation regarding the Student Disciplinary Code shall be referred to the Chief Student Officer for final determination. The Student Disciplinary Code shall be reviewed annually under the direction of the Chief Student Officer.GRIEVANCESA grievance process is available to any student who has been sanctioned or disciplined for an academic, non-academic, or disciplinary violation of college rules or if the student has a grievance against a faculty or staff member for unprofessional behavior, a decision made or action taken by that staff member. The process should be invoked only after all existing administrative/informal channels have been exhausted.A basic tenet of the procedure is that the petitioner, the respondent, or any member of the committee established to hear the grievance shall not suffer retribution of any kind for his or her part in the action. Evidence of such retribution shall be grounds for a new hearing.-----------------------------
Revision History: 