A COMMUNITY OF HONOR
The terms and conditions of the Honor Code function as an integral part of the Student Code of Conduct and the procedures outlined within. As members of the Columbia College community, we believe that the Honor System is more than just a set of rules; we believe it is a way of living. The central purpose of the Honor System is to sustain and protect a community of trust in which students can enjoy the freedom to develop their potential, both intellectually and personally, without restraint or limitation. We feel that dishonest means are incompatible with this development. Both the Student Code of Conduct and the Honor Code support the development of persons who will be trusted and respected both as members of this community and after they leave Columbia College.

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT
As a community, the College is dedicated to both academic and personal excellence. Therefore, choosing to join the Columbia College community obligates each member to a code of honorable behavior.

By enrolling in Columbia College, each student accepts the responsibility to become fully acquainted with the College’s community standards, to comply with the College’s authority, to respect the rights and property of others, and to recognize that student actions reflect upon the entire College community as well as the student involved. The College reserves the right to take appropriate action for any conduct which reasonably interrupts and/or infringes upon orderly life in the College community, disrupts the academic environment, or infringes on the rights of others. Students shall be afforded all opportunities for fairness in judicial proceedings. However, the College reserves the right to suspend or expel a student at any time for any reason deemed sufficient by the College in accordance with the procedures outlined in this chapter. Students are reminded that Columbia College’s judicial system operates within the boundaries of fundamental fairness and not criminal and civil rules of due process.

Section 1: Definitions

1. The term “College” means Columbia College.

2. The term “student” includes all persons taking courses at the College, both full-time and part-time, pursuing undergraduate studies.

3. The term “faculty member” means any person hired by the College to conduct classroom activities. 

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

5. 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 Judicial Coordinator. 

 6. The term “College premises” includes all land, buildings, facilities, and other property in the possession of or owned, used, or controlled by the College (including adjacent streets and sidewalks).

7. The term “organization” means any number of persons who have complied with the formal requirements for College recognition.

 8. The term “judicial body” means any person or persons authorized by a Judicial Coordinator to determine whether a student has violated the Student Code and/or the Honor Code and to recommend imposition of sanctions.

9. The term “Judicial Coordinator” means a College official authorized to select a judicial body, assist in procedural matters in hearings, and who will be available for consultation with respect to procedural matters during the judicial body’s deliberations, although not present during those deliberations, or consulting on any matter. The Judicial Coordinator(s) will be appointed by the Dean of Students and/or Provost.

10. The term “Appellate Board” means any person or persons selected by the College’s President to consider an appeal from a judicial body’s determination that a student has violated the Student Code and/or the Honor Code or from the sanctions imposed by the judicial body.

11. The term “shall” is used in the imperative sense.

12. The term “may” is used in the permissive sense.

13. 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; (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the College faculty or staff; or (4) submitting an assignment for more than one course without the permission of the instructor(s).

16. The term “plagiarism” includes, but is not limited to, the use, 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.

Section 2: Judicial Authority

1. The Judicial Coordinator shall determine the composition of judicial bodies and determine which judicial body shall be authorized to hear each case.

2. The Judicial Coordinator shall develop procedures for the administration of the judicial program and procedural guidelines for the conduct of hearings which are not inconsistent with provisions of the Student Code and/or Honor Code and the judicial system.

3. Decisions made by a judicial body and/or Judicial Coordinator shall be final, subject to the normal appeal process.

4. A judicial body may be designated as arbiter of disputes within the student community in cases which do not involve a violation of the Student Code (e.g., roommate conflict). All parties must agree to arbitration and to be bound by the decision with no right to appeal.

Section 3: Expectations for Student Conduct

A. Jurisdiction of the College
Generally, College jurisdiction and discipline shall be limited to conduct which adversely affects the college community and/or the pursuit of its objectives, whether it occurs on the College premises, at a College-sponsored event, or elsewhere while a student is enrolled at the College.

B. Conduct - Policies and Procedures
Any student found to have committed the following misconduct is subject to sanctions outlined in Section IV:

1. Acts of dishonesty, including, but not limited to, the following:

a. Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty.

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. The falsification of any official time sheet or record of employment by any student either employed by the College or working in a position on College property is prohibited.

2. Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other College activities, including its public service functions on or off campus, or other authorized non-College activities, when the act occurs on College premises.

3. Physical abuse/assault, verbal abuse/assault, threats (verbal or written), intimidation, harassment, coercion and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person (including oneself) and any actions which serve to interfere with, impede, or harass students. For the purposes of this policy, harassment means inappropriate conduct directed towards an individual or individuals based on the race, sex, religion, color, creed, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, or age of the individual or individuals.

4. 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. 

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. Unauthorized possession, duplication, or use of keys or access cards to any College premises or unauthorized entry to or use of College premises or failure to report lost or stolen keys or access cards.

8. The altering or misuse of a student identification card is prohibited. Each student shall be required to obtain an official student identification card within one week of enrollment at the College. Students are required to carry their student identification cards with them at all times and to present them when requested to any College official who makes such a request while in the performance of her/his duties. Students must surrender their student identification cards to the Office of Student Affairs upon withdrawal from the College.

9. Violation of published College policies, procedures, or community standards.

10. Violation of federal, state, or local law on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised activities.

11. Use, possession, or distribution of narcotics 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 policies, or public intoxication.

13. Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals on College premises.

14. Participation in a campus 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, on campus.

15. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on College premises or at College-sponsored or supervised functions.

16. Conduct which is disorderly, lewd, indecent or inconsistent with the values of a Columbia College.

17. Breach of peace or aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to breach the peace on College premises or at functions sponsored or participated in by the College. Examples of such conduct include, but are not limited to: abuse, nuisance, obscene telephone calls, excessive noise, exhibitionism, and fighting.

18. Theft or other abuse of computer resources, including but not limited to:

a. Unauthorized entry into a file to use, read, 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. Inappropriate use of the class or college listserves.

g. Use of computing facilities to interfere with normal operation of the College computing system.

19. Abuse of the Judicial System, including but not limited to:

a. Failure to cooperate in the investigation of an alleged judicial matter or complaint.

b. Failure to obey the summons of a judicial body or College official.

c. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a judicial body. d. Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a judicial proceeding.

 e. Falsely charging a student with a policy violation.

f. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or the use of, the judicial system.

g. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a judicial body prior to and/or during the course of the judicial proceeding.

h. Interference with, coercion of, abuse of (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a judicial body prior to, during, and/or after a judicial proceeding.

i. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under the Student Code.

 j. Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the judicial system.

C. Violation of Law and College Discipline

1. If a student is charged only with an off-campus violation of federal, state, or local laws, but not with any other violation of this Code, disciplinary action may be taken and sanctions imposed for grave misconduct which demonstrates flagrant disregard for the College community. In such cases, no sanction may be imposed unless the student has been found guilty in a court of law or has declined to contest such charges, although not actually admitting guilt (e.g., “no contest” or “nolo contendere”).

2. College judicial proceedings may be instituted against a student charged with violation of a law which is also a violation of this Student Code, for example, if both violations result from the same factual situation, without regard to the pendency of 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 proceedings off campus.

3. When a student is charged by federal, state, or local authorities with a violation of the 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 judicial body under the Student Code, however, 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.

Section 4: Judicial Policies

A. Charges and Hearings

1. Any member of the College community may file complaints against any student for misconduct. Charges shall be prepared in writing and directed to the appropriate Judicial Coordinator responsible for the area in which the violation occurred. Any charge should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within one week.

2. The Judicial Coordinator may conduct a preliminary investigation to determine if the charges appear to have merit and/or if they can be disposed of administratively by mutual consent of the parties involved on a basis acceptable to the Judicial Coordinator. Such disposition shall be final, and there shall be no subsequent proceedings.

3. The Judicial Coordinator shall present all charges in writing to the accused student and shall inform the student to contact her or him within three but not more than five business days after the student has been notified of the charges to schedule a hearing. The charge(s) will inform the student whether she is being charged under the Student Code, Honor Code or both. Notification will be to the last address provided by the student to the College. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the College in the event of a change in address. Should a student fail to pick up the notification of charges within ten business days of the date of the mailing, the Judicial Coordinator may schedule the hearing. If the student intentionally fails to appear for a hearing and the Judicial Coordinator has, in good faith, exhausted all reasonable efforts to schedule a hearing, the judicial body shall conduct a hearing in the student’s absence and on the basis of the information made available during the course of the hearing, may make a determination whether a violation of the Student Code and/or Honor Code has occurred and may impose a sanction if a violation has been found to occur. This decision shall be communicated in writing to the student. The student will have no right to appeal.

4. A time shall be set for a hearing, not less than five nor more than 15 business days after the student has been notified. Maximum time limits for scheduling of hearings may be extended at the discretion of the Judicial Coordinator.

5. Hearings shall be conducted by a judicial body according to the following guidelines:

a. Hearings shall be conducted in private, unless the Judicial Coordinator approves a request from the accused or complainant to have the hearing open to specified people.

b. Admission of any person other than the accused or complainant along with their respective campus advisors, to the hearing shall be at the discretion of the judicial body and/or its Judicial Coordinator.

c. In hearings involving more than one accused student, the chairperson of the judicial body, at her/his discretion, may permit the hearings concerning each student to be conducted separately.

d. The complainant, if a student, and the accused have the right to be assisted by a campus advisor. The campus advisor may be a current student, faculty or staff member. The complainant and/or the accused are responsible for presenting his or her own case; therefore, campus advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any hearing before the judicial body.

e. The complainant, the accused, and the judicial body shall have the privilege of calling witnesses, subject to the right of questioning by the opposing party and the judicial body.

f. Pertinent records and exhibits may be accepted as evidence for consideration by a judicial body at the discretion of the chairperson.

 g. For any judicial hearing, the accused student shall be:

i. afforded the privilege to remain silent and not have that silence taken as admission of responsibility for the violation;

ii. afforded the privilege to have a campus advisor who does not appear as a witness during a hearing. Advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any hearing before a judicial body. In answering a question, the student may seek assistance from the campus advisor;

iii. afforded the privilege to present witnesses of fact and information on her/his behalf;

iv. informed that any oral or written statements the student may make pertaining to the alleged violation may be presented in any subsequent proceedings;

v. afforded the privilege to prepare a written statement concerning the alleged violation(s);

vi. informed that her/his academic, student conduct, and co-curricular activities record may be presented as a part of any proceeding;

vii. presumed not in violation until a violation is determined;

viii.afforded the opportunity to review all evidence against her/him in any proceeding;

ix. afforded the privilege to question witnesses in any proceedings;

x. afforded the privilege to appeal a decision by the judicial body to an Appellate Board (See Item D: Appeals).

h. All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the chairperson of the judicial body. The chairperson may consult with the Judicial Coordinator on procedural issues, as the chairperson deems necessary.

i. After the hearing, the judicial body shall convene outside the presence of everyone else and determine (by majority vote if the judicial body consists of more than one person) whether the student has violated each section of the Student Code and/or Honor Code which she/he has been charged in writing with violating.

j. The judicial body’s determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the accused student violated the Student Code and/or Honor Code.

6. There shall be a single verbatim record, such as an audio recording, of all hearings before a judicial body. The record shall be the property of the College.

B. Sanctions

1. The following sanctions may be imposed upon any student found to have violated the Student Code and/or Honor Code.

a. Warning - A notice to the student that she or he is violating or has violated institutional policies and/or procedures. A warning can be given verbally or in writing, depending on the nature of the violation.

b. Reprimand - A letter of disapproval for violation of College policies and procedures that reflects unfavorably on the student and/or the College.

c. Probation - A written reprimand for violation of specified policies and/or procedures. 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 policies and/or procedures during the probationary period.

d. Loss of Privileges or Activity Restriction - Denial of specified privileges for a designated period of time.

e. Fines - A monetary assessment may be imposed.

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, writing assignments, service to the College, counseling/mediation, or other related discretionary assignments (such assignments must have the prior approval of the Judicial Coordinator).

h. 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.

i. College Expulsion - Permanent separation of the student from the College.

2. More than one of the sanctions listed above may be imposed for any single violation.

3. Other than College expulsion, judicial sanctions shall not be made a part of a student’s permanent academic record, but shall become a part of the student’s confidential conduct record. Confidential conduct records will be maintained for no more than four years from the time of the violation or one year after a student graduates, whichever is earlier. If a student has graduated, withdrawn permanently from the College, or is otherwise permanently disassociated from the institution, and wishes to have judicial actions that did not result in college suspension or college expulsion removed from her conduct record prior to the four-year deadline, he/she may request, in writing, to the appropriate Judicial Coordinator that those judicial actions be expunged. The Judicial Coordinator has the sole discretion to grant or deny the request.

4. The following sanctions may be imposed upon groups or organizations:

a. Deactivation - Loss of all privileges, including College recognition, for a specified period of time.

b. Sanctions listed in Section B 1, a through g. 5. In each case in which a judicial body determines that a student has violated the Student Code and/or Honor Code, the sanction(s) shall be determined by the judicial body and implemented by the Judicial Coordinator. Certain sanctions imposed by the judicial body are made in the form of a recommendation to the Judicial Coordinator. These include a fine, restitution, college suspension, or college expulsion. The Judicial Coordinator has the authority to approve, reject or modify the recommended sanctions of fine, restitution, college suspension, or college expulsion if recommended by the judicial body; however, in no case may the Judicial Coordinator impose a sanction more severe than recommended by the judicial body. Following the hearing, the Judicial Coordinator shall advise the accused in writing of the judicial body’s determination and of any sanctions imposed.

C. Interim Suspension In certain instances, interim suspensions can occur prior to a hearing before a judicial body, in instances where the College is trying to prevent a judicial matter from occurring, or when the College determines that a student’s behavior warrants a medical assessment. 

1. Interim suspension may be imposed for the following reasons:

a. to ensure the safety and well-being of members of the College community or preservation of College property,

b. to ensure the student’s own physical or emotional safety and well-being, or

c. if the student’s behavior poses a definite threat of disruption or interference with the normal operations of the College.

2. Interim suspension will be imposed in all instances of physical violence. Involved students will be asked to leave campus immediately and will not be permitted to return to campus until the matter is adjudicated.

3. During the interim suspension, the student may be denied access to the campus (including classes) and/or all other College activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible, as the Judicial Coordinator may determine to be appropriate.

 D. Appeals

1. A decision or sanction may be appealed by an accused student, complainant(s), or organization to an Appellate Board within five business days of notification of the decision. Such appeals shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the appropriate Judicial Coordinator or his or her designee.

2. Except as required to explain the basis of new evidence, an appeal shall be limited to review of the verbatim record of the initial hearing and supporting documents for one or more of the following purposes:

a. To determine whether the original hearing was conducted fairly in light of the charges and evidence presented, and in conformity with prescribed procedures giving the complaining party a reasonable opportunity to prepare and to present a rebuttal of the charges and evidence presented.

 b. To determine whether the decision reached regarding the accused student was based on evidence sufficient to establish that a violation of the Student Code or Honor Code occurred.

 c. To determine whether the sanctions imposed were appropriate for the violation of the Student Code or Honor Code which the student was found to have committed.

d. To consider new evidence, sufficient to alter a decision or other relevant facts not brought out in the original hearing, because such evidence and/or facts were not known to the person appealing at the time of the original hearing.

e. The Appellate Board may deny the appeal if it does not address one or more of the above or if it does not believe the appeal is meritorious.

3. If the Appellate Board upholds the appeal, the matter shall be sent back to the Judicial Coordinator and judicial body for a re-hearing if the basis of the Appellate Board’s decision is for either of the reasons expressed in D.2.a. or D.2.d. above. If the Appellate Board determines the decision regarding the accused student was based on insufficient evidence, the judicial body’s decision will be withdrawn, the charges will have not been proven and the matter will be at an end. If the Appellate Board determines that sanctions imposed were inappropriate, the matter will be sent back to the Judicial Coordinator and judicial body for reconsideration of the sanction(s) based upon the evidence adduced at the original hearing. Any subsequent appeal of a new hearing will be made to the appropriate person or body as set forth in the Columbia College Bylaws, not to the Appellate Board. Such appeals must conform to the provisions outlined in Section D, Appeals, numbers 1 and 2, located in this chapter, and be received within five business days of the decision of the re-hearing judicial body. In such cases, the decision of the appropriate person or body as set forth in the Columbia College Bylaws shall be final and binding.

4. If the student or complainant disagrees with the decision of the Appellate Board, he/she may appeal in writing to the appropriate person or body as set forth in the Columbia College Bylaws within five business days of the decision of the Appellate Board, delivering the appeal to the appropriate Judicial Coordinator. The appeal must conform to section D, Appeals, number 2, located in this chapter. In such cases, the decision of the appropriate person or body as set forth in the Columbia College Bylaws shall be final and binding.

5. In cases involving appeals by a student accused of violating the Student Code or Honor Code, review of the sanctions by the Appellate Board or appropriate person or body as set forth in the Bylaws of Columbia College may not result in more severe sanction(s) for the accused student. In cases involving appeals by persons other than students accused of violating the Student Code or Honor Code, the outcome of the hearing may or may not result in a more severe sanction.

HONOR CODE
Columbia College is a vital learning community committed to honor. We are dedicated to both academic and personal excellence through the pursuit of knowledge, the transmission of ideas, and the cultivation of character. The College fosters an environment that emphasizes a sense of responsibility for oneself, for others, and for the society at large.

Our Preamble “Columbia College…We Choose Honor”

 The following values support and sustain the legacy and mission of Columbia College:

1. Responsibility is taking personal accountability for one’s own honesty and behaviors, taking action in the face of wrongdoing, and upholding the integrity of our community. 

 2. Integrity is open, honest, and responsible activity-within the realms of academics and our community-creating and protecting an environment that will not compromise the worth of others and where all contributions are valued. 

3. Respect is regard for the dignity of self and others, and therefore demands a commitment to fairness and concern for the rights and property of our community.

 4. Compassion is sensitivity of spirit to others’ life experiences that compels one to reach out with empathy in loving-kindness and service.

Columbia College’s values are the foundation for the Honor Code and the Student Code of Conduct. The Honor Code and the Student Code of Conduct support the development of persons who will be trusted and respected both while they are members of this community and after they leave Columbia College.

Our Code

I. Every student shall be honor bound:

A. To refrain from cheating, including plagiarism.

B. To refrain from stealing.

C. To refrain from lying.

 II. Any student failing to abide by the Honor Code is subject to suspension or expulsion from the College.

Section 1. Honor Offenses

A. Lying

1. Any misrepresentation of the truth in academic work or in social obligations is lying. This offense shall include, but is not limited to, lying to a faculty member, a member of the administration or other College official, or judicial boards.

2. Taking advantage of services to which one is not entitled is lying. This includes, but is not limited to, dishonesty concerning meal cards in the Dining Hall or Terrace Café.

B. Stealing:

 1. Taking any article that one is not personally entitled to constitutes stealing.

2. Taking any kind of college property without authorization also constitutes stealing. In particular, this includes taking material from the library without signing it out