Student Conduct - Rights and Responsibilities

Purpose

It is the policy of the College that appropriate processes and procedures be followed in all matters pertaining to the conduct of students. Bon Secours Southside College of Health Sciences, SCHS, seeks to:

• reinforce a sense of personal responsibility, respect for others, and mature behavior.
• foster the development of professional standards.

As a member of the student body, the student is expected to meet the College’s standards of personal and professional responsibility, accountability, and conduct at all times. A student must, at all times, satisfy and comply with the College’s academic standards, financial requirements and guidelines, and policies. Possible violations of academic integrity will be addressed according to policy ACA 1.09.

Scope

All SCHS faculty, staff, and students.

Definitions

Rights

Every student has the right to:

1. Learn and pursue their educational goals without fear of unlawful discrimination, intimidation, prejudice, or threat.
2. Free inquiry, free expression and assembly, so long as they do not interfere with the rights of others or the operation of the College.
3. Learn in a safe environment that is free of disruption and is conducive to teaching and learning.
4. Be advised of the course objectives and how grades are assigned.
5. Inspect and review their student record within a specified time frame upon written request, and to expect confidentiality regarding this record.
6. Evaluate the curriculum and make recommendations for change.

Responsibilities

A student’s acceptance of admission into the College signifies that the student has an interest in learning and that they want to be a part of this academic community. As such, the student will be required to:

1. Respect the learning environment and its members.
2. Devote the amount of time and effort necessary to meet the educational objectives.
3. Conduct themselves in a manner consistent with ethical, legal and professional standards.
4. Know and comply with College policies and guidelines.
   

Student Conduct

The student is expected to always conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner both within the College and the community. The student’s behavior must always reflect:

1. Integrity and honesty.
2. The exercise of rational judgments.
3. Sensitivity and caring.
4. Self-control.
5. Acceptance of different beliefs, values and lifestyles.
6. Flexibility.
7. Willingness to accept guidance and direction.
   

Conduct Subject to Disciplinary Action

Conduct that is subject to disciplinary action by the College includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Endangering the safety and welfare of patients, students, faculty, or staff.
2. Substance abuse.
3. Violation of local, state, or federal laws.
4. Misuse, destruction, or damage of College property.
5. Sexual harassment, assault, misconduct, physical and/or mental abuse or threat of such abuse of any person involved in educational or College activities, in the online environment, or in clinical areas.
6. All forms of dishonesty, to include stealing.
7. Unprofessional and/or disruptive conduct.
8. Inappropriate use of social media platforms or violating news media policies.
9. Conviction of an offense that would render the student unemployable by Bon Secours Richmond Health System.
10. Failure to comply with guidelines/policies of the College and/or the clinical agencies.
11. Any form of hazing. See ADM 9.15 Anti-Hazing for more information on hazing.

Business Day

Defined as Monday through Friday when the College is not on break as stated on the published Academic Calendar.

Designee

A person who has been officially appointed to act on behalf of someone else in their absence to carry out a responsibility.

Policy Details

Authority of College

The College is authorized to enforce the standards of conduct specified herein and to impose such disciplinary measures as are deemed appropriate in response to student conduct that reasonably may be expected to discredit or injure the College or its reputation, or that otherwise may endanger the safety and welfare of others.

Discipline for Misconduct

The College is authorized to impose at any time such disciplinary measures as are deemed appropriate, up to and including suspension and dismissal from the College. Penalties are not sequential and may be imposed at the College’s discretion.

1. Warning: A written or verbal notice to a student advising that they are violating or have violated the College rules and may be subject to more severe disciplinary action if the behavior continues. May include a corrective plan of action that must be followed by the student.
2. Probation: A written notice to a student advising that they have violated the College rules and will be dismissed if corrective action is not taken immediately.
3. Restitution: Repayment in money or service for damage to or loss of the property of another.
4. Loss of course credit.
5. Suspension: Exclusion from enrollment as a student for a specified period of time not to exceed one year. During a suspension, a student may not participate in any College activities.
6. Interim Suspension: Temporary separation of a student from the College to provide reasonable time for fact-finding and decision making in the situation.
7. Dismissal: Termination of student status for an indefinite period. The conditions of readmission, if such is to be permitted, will be stated in a letter of dismissal.

Right of Removal

Faculty or staff members have the immediate right, where reasonably necessary in their discretion to preserve an appropriate learning environment and/or to protect the health and safety of the student(s) or of others, to remove such student from the academic environment, from a clinical setting, or from any other College-related activity or function.

Reporting and Review Procedure;
Upon becoming aware of any possible violation of this policy; faculty, staff, and students should submit a report to the Director of Student and Alumni Affairs (“Director”) as soon as practicable. Reports should be made to the Director via the Student Conduct Reporting Form and should include as much detail about the alleged violation as possible. Questions regarding reporting and other elements of this policy may be directed to the Coordinator for Student Engagement.

Prior to submitting a report, associates must address the matter with the involved student(s) and attempt to resolve the matter informally if appropriate. Associates should exercise their professional discretion when determining if a particular incident amounts to a possible violation of this policy. Reports that are submitted will not be accepted if the concern has not been directly addressed first with the student(s) involved in the allegation.

Procedures

The student conduct process occurs in the following order:

Level 1:
Within five (5) business days of receiving a report of the suspected violation, the Director (or designee) will investigate the allegation and meet with the involved student(s) individually to outline the allegation, allow the student(s) to provide their understanding of the incident(s), and discuss potential sanctions. The Director may consult with appropriate institutional leadership as needed.

Within three (3) business days of meeting with the involved student(s) the Director will communicate their determination of the matter to the involved student(s) in writing. If it is determined that a violation occurred the Director will document in summary the allegation, subsequent investigation, and student meeting, including any corrective plan of action or sanction, in a written memo. The written memo will be sent to the involved student(s) as well as to the Dean of Student Affairs. If it is determined that a violation did not occur, the involved student(s) will be notified in writing in the same timeframe (within three (3) business days).

Level 2:
The involved student(s) may file a written appeal of the Level 1 decision within five (5) business days of the written memo being communicated. The appeal should be sent to the Dean of Student Affairs (“Dean” or designee) and should include the Level 1 written memo. Within five (5) business days of receipt of the appeal, the Dean will review documentation related to the situation and meet with the involved parties to determine whether to uphold or overturn the conduct investigation outcome and corresponding sanctions. No later than five (5) business days from the meeting with the involved parties, the Dean will send a letter to the student(s) of their decision. The decision is final and may not be appealed. The letter is entered into the student’s official record and retained according to the records retention policy.

Conduct Meetings – The involved student(s) will meet with a College associate at both levels of the conduct process. No attorneys or other professional advisors/counselors may attend these meetings. No audio taping or other recording will be permitted during these meetings.

Decision standard – Decisions made under this policy are determined on a preponderance of the evidence. A preponderance of the evidence is evidence that shows the fact sought to be proved is more probable than not.

Note: In some instances, a violation of this Policy may impact a student’s progression in their program. Students who appeal a conduct matter may be permitted to progress to the next course/semester pending a final decision in their case or may be permitted to go on a standard period of non-enrollment. Those who progress are responsible for any tuition and fees associated with such progression and may be at risk of financial loss should their appeal be unsuccessful. A period of non-enrollment will impact the student’s anticipated date of graduation, even if successful on appeal.

Retaliation - SCHS has zero tolerance for retaliation against any individual who reports a suspected violation of any provision of this Policy in good faith. Incidents of retaliation violate this Policy and will be subject to disciplinary action.