SECTION 1. Jurisdiction of Rhodes College
Students may be sanctioned for conduct which constitutes a hazard to the health, safety, or well- being of members of the College community or which is detrimental to the College’s interest whether such conduct occurs on campus, off campus, or at College-sponsored events. The OCS Administrator or designee, upon consultation with the Community Standards Council President, shall determine whether cases are within the jurisdiction of the Rhodes College Community Standards Council.
SECTION 2. Violations
The Community Standards Council recognizes three major responsibilities of every student:
- Each student is responsible for their behavior at all times and under all circumstances. Intoxication or the influence of drugs will not be considered a mitigating circumstance in judgment by the CSC of disruptive behavior.
- Each student is responsible for the actions of their guest and may be held socially and financially responsible for any social offenses committed by that guest.
- Since shared community standards are necessary to maintain an atmosphere of respect among individuals in the community, it is the responsibility of every member of the community to report to the CSC any violation of the Standards of Conduct.
Violations of the Standards of Conduct include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Lying in Official Matters and/or Dishonest Conduct. The term “lying” in official matters or “dishonest conduct” is defined as:
- Making an untrue or deceptive statement;
- Making a material omission, or conveying a false impression, with the intent to mislead a Rhodes College official in an official matter; or falsifying, altering, or misusing official material with the intent to mislead a Rhodes College official in an official matter. Official matters and material include, without limitation, matters having to do with course work, college administration, faculty, residence hall administration, Campus Safety, Honor Council, or Community Standards Council. If an respondent student has lied in an Honor Council hearing, the Council may use the lie as evidence relating to the Respondent to the Honor System when determining a outcome.
- Misuse or falsification of any state, federal, or University documents, forms, records, identification cards, or funds by actions such as forgery, alteration, or improper transfer;
- Possession of a false identification card or possession of another’s identification card.
- Stealing. The term “stealing” is defined as the act of intentionally taking, appropriating, or transferring, without right or permission, the academic property of any individual, organization, or institution, either permanently or temporarily associated with the Rhodes community. Outside the academic context, stealing is the attempted or actual theft of services or property of the College, of a member of the College community, or other personal or public property. The following are examples of what could be considered under the definition of stealing:
- Appropriating or obtaining access to files or any other electronically stored information without authorization of the owner of such files or information
- Taking papers, files, gradebooks, notes, past tests or exams or other academically-related information without the owner’s authorization
- Removal of or otherwise making unavailable any material from the Rhodes College library without permission
- Guest Behavior. Any Honor Code/Standards of Conduct violation committed by a guest of a Rhodes College student, excluding prospective students registered through the Admissions Office, shall be the responsibility of their host. Failure of a student host to reasonably supervise guest behavior, including behavior occurring in their residence hall rooms, behavior at student organization events, college-sponsored events, and behavior by off-campus guests. See Guests and Visitors policy for more information.
- Interfering with College or College sponsored activities, including but not limited to, studying, teaching, research, college administration, campus safety, or fire, police, or emergency services.
- Bullying and Other Abusive Behavior. This offense includes, but is not limited to:
- A pattern of targeted, unwelcome conduct directed at an individual or group that is a reasonable person would determine is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the College’s educational programs or activities.
- Hate-Motivated Acts. Engaging in verbal, written or physical conduct that is (i) based on a person’s or group’s race, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, age (40 or over), or disability; and (ii) is intended to intimidate or injure the person physically, mentally or emotionally.
- Disorderly Conduct. Conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; conduct that has the effect of unreasonably disrupting the life of or interfering with the activities of persons or groups in the college community.
- Harm/Endangerment. Attempting or causing physical assault, verbal abuse, threats, coercion, and/or other conduct that threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person, including the accused student. Includes conduct that reasonably makes or could be anticipated to make others feel unsafe.
- Interfering with the freedom of expression of others. This includes, but is not limited to, the Student Expressive Speech and Demonstration Policy.
- Vandalism/Property Damage. Attempted or actual destruction/damage and/or defacement to property of the College or property of a member of the College community or other personal or public property, on or off campus.
- Violation of the College's Hazing Policy.
- Failure to comply with College policies/procedures and/or directions of College officials, including, but not limited to, Campus Safety Officers, Resident Assistants, Staff, Faculty, etc., in the performance of their duties.
- Unauthorized use or entry of institutional facilities/resources. Unauthorized entry or use of institutional facilities/resources refers to accessing, occupying, or utilizing any college-owned or operated building, room, space, or equipment without proper authorization. This includes, but not limited to: 1)entering or remaining in any building, room, or area of campus without proper authorization, 2) climbing on or accessing the roof of any campus building or structure, regardless of intent, 3) accessing restricted areas such as maintenance rooms, utility tunnels, or secured administrative spaces without permission, 4) entering or climbing onto balconies, ledges, or exterior architectural features of college facilities not intended for general use, etc.
- Tampering with safety equipment. Any unauthorized modification, interference, disabling, or misuse of equipment intended for safety purposes. Includes but is not limited to fire alarms, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, emergency lighting, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers (i.e., misusing and/or discharging without cause), emergency exit signage, and electrical systems (i.e., manipulating wiring, outlets, fuse boxes, or lighting) designed to ensure safety.
- Possession of weapons of any type by students or guests while on College property, including firearms, B-B guns, pellet guns, bows and arrows, hunting knives, explosives or other weapons, except as specifically permitted by the Weapons Policy in the Student Handbook.
- Violation of any College regulation or policy, including but not limited to Campus Policies, Campus Safety Policies, Residence Hall Policies, etc.
- Violating the terms of any disciplinary outcome imposed in accordance with the Honor Code or Standards of Conduct.
- Violation of any federal, state or local law.
- Silent Agreement/Passive Participation: The agreement to (can be inferred by silent presence or failure to act) or support for an act that is against federal, state, or local laws, Honor Code, Standards of Conduct, or College policy.
Lack of knowledge of these policies does not absolve responsibility for these violations.