It is the responsibility of Oakton College to provide equal access to its educational opportunities and to prevent interference with those educational opportunities by maintaining an orderly, civil, and safe educational environment.
To that end, the Board of Trustees, recognizing both the rights and responsibilities of students that accrue to them as citizens or residents and guests of the United States, the State of Illinois, and Community College District 535, authorizes the President to develop a Code of Student Conduct and Procedures to implement it.
The purpose of the Code of Student Conduct is to provide fair and reasonable rules and procedures to promote human development and to ensure that students do not engage in conduct that materially or substantially interferes with the requirements of appropriate discipline for the operation of the College. Sanctions imposed for violating the Code may range from warning through expulsion.
A. Jurisdiction of the College
Generally, College jurisdiction and discipline will be limited to conduct which occurs on College premises and other sites at which instruction is being conducted or which adversely affects the College Community and/or the pursuit of its objectives.
B. Conduct - Rules and Regulations
Students at Oakton College are expected to demonstrate qualities of morality, honesty, civility, honor and respect. Behavior which violates this standard are represented by but not necessarily limited to the following list. Any student found to have committed the following misconduct is subject to the disciplinary sanctions outlined in Article III:
1. Acts of dishonesty, including but not limited to the following:
a. Furnishing false information to any College official, faculty member or office.
b. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any College document, record, or instrument of identification.
c. Tampering with the election of any College recognized student organization.
d. Academic dishonesty as defined in P5102.
e. Violation of copyright and/or failure to acknowledge the source of material submitted for evaluation or publication.
2. Speech and Related Behavior:
a. Any verbal, written, electronic, or physical behavior, such as a disparaging comment, epithet, slur, insult, or other expressive behavior, that is directed at a particular person or a group of persons, and which creates an environment wherein the verbal or physical behavior is inherently likely to provoke a violent reaction whether or not it actually does so.
b. Behavior by any student, in class or out of class, which for any reason materially disrupts the class work of others, involves substantial disorder, invades the rights or others, or otherwise disrupts the regular and essential operation of the College.
c. Participation in a campus demonstration which: (1) Disrupts the normal operations of the College and infringes on the rights of other members of the College community; (2) Leads or incites others to imminent lawless action or which is likely to incite such action; (3) Disrupts the scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area.
d. Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, 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.
e. Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, sexual assault and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person.
f. Participating in, making claims of, or claiming responsibility for terrorist activity (such as threats of bombs, biological weapons, et.al.), whether in fact or as a hoax.
g. Acts of hazing include participation in any act or activity by an organization or group, or by a member of the organization or group, in which a member(s) or prospective member(s) is subjected to an activity that might cause or create a substantial risk to one's physical or mental health. Hazing includes any act or activity that might cause, but is not limited to, the following: fear or intimidation; embarrassment or ridicule, physical exhaustion, endangerment, harm, mutilation, or alteration of any part(s) of the body; mental fatigue, harassment, or duress; and defacement, damage, or destruction of property. The intent of the act or the consent or the cooperation of the hazing recipient shall not constitute a defense of hazing. The College or the hazing recipient may charge an individual and/or the recognized student organization with responsibility for the hazing act(s) committed either on or off campus.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys to any College premises or unauthorized entry to or use of College premises.
6. Violation of published College policies, rules or regulations.
7. Violation of federal, state or local law on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised activities.
8. Use, possession or distribution of narcotic or other controlled substances except as expressly permitted by law.
9. Use, possession or distribution of alcoholic beverages except as expressly permitted by the law and College regulations. Public intoxication.
10. Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals on College premises.
11. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised functions.
12. 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.
13. Theft or other abuse of computer time, (as defined in Policy 1106) 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, threatening or abusive messages;
f. Use of computing facilities to interfere with normal operation of the College computing system.
g. Use of computing facilities to violate College policy and/or local, state, or national law.
14. Abuse of the Judicial System, including but not limited to:
a. Failure to obey the summons of a judicial body or College official;
b. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a judicial body;
c. Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a judicial proceeding;
d. Institution of a judicial proceeding knowingly without cause;
e. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the judicial system;
f. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a judicial body prior to, and/or during the course of, the judicial proceeding;
g. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a judicial body prior to, during, and/or after a judicial proceeding;
h. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under the Student Code;
i. 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 or poses a threat to the College community. The Vice President for Student Affairs will review these cases to make a determination for appropriate action.
2. College disciplinary proceedings may be instituted against a student charged with violation of a law which is also a violation of this Student Code, that is, 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 proceedings off-campus.
3. 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 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 violators who are also students. Individual students and faculty members, acting in their personal capacities, remain free to interact with governmental representatives as they consider appropriate.