Student Code of Conduct

Get to Know the Student Code of Conduct

• Jurisdiction

  Students will be held accountable for policy violations that take place between the time an offer of admission is extended and their graduation, completion of their program, or Champlain’s confirmation of their resignation or dismissal. Students who have taken a leave of absence or have withdrawn may be held accountable for allegations of misconduct that occurred prior to or during their absence or withdrawal, and a hold may be placed on their ability to re-enroll pending a hearing and/or completion of sanctions. Students who graduate may also be held accountable for allegations of misconduct prior to commencement, and a hold may be placed on their ability to receive their diploma and official transcripts, pending a hearing and/or completion of sanctions. In the event of serious misconduct committed while still enrolled but reported after the accused student has graduated, Champlain College may pursue action under the conduct review process, and should the accused student be found responsible, may revoke the student’s degree.

  Potential violations that take place on or near Champlain premises or property or occur at or in connection with a Champlain-related event may be subject to Champlain’s Student Code of Conduct. Conduct that occurs off-campus but may represent a threat to the safety of the Champlain community or its members, the pursuit of its objectives, and/or the educational environment of others, may also be subject to the Student Code of Conduct. Accordingly, alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct outlined below may be applied to off-campus conduct.

  The College reserves the right to take disciplinary action against Champlain College students who are involved in any off-campus incidents of criminal activity or alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct, particularly when such incidents have implications for campus safety or affect the reputation or operation of the College.

  The scope of the Student Code of Conduct extends to online and social media activity, and students may be held accountable for online activity that adversely impacts the educational environment of others or affects the reputation or operation of the College. Behavior that violates this includes, but is not limited to: online harassment, intimidation or threats, and distribution of photos or recordings of another without their consent, including other alleged violations found in the Student Code of Conduct.

  Members of the Champlain community are also responsible for the actions of their guests/visitors, and therefore may be held accountable for any Student Code of Conduct violations committed by those guests/visitors.

  Student organizations and Champlain College 365体育官网 students are also subject to the Student Code of Conduct, and may be charged with alleged violations of Champlain policy and adjudicated accordingly.

  In cases where a student is found responsible for a policy violation while participating in any Champlain program, the finding of responsibility may also be referred to the appropriate authority overseeing any additional Champlain program in which the student is or will also be enrolled for other action as deemed appropriate. This may include but is not limited to: further investigation; additional adjudication under existing policies (using only information gathered in the first disciplinary process, or using subsequently gathered information, or both, as deemed appropriate by the overseeing authority); disciplinary action; or other remedies or processes deemed appropriate by the authority overseeing the additional Champlain program.

  While students are enrolled at the College, they must inform the College of any occasion on which they are charged with a criminal offense by local, state, or Federal authorities. Failure to do so may itself result in disciplinary action. Students who are charged with a criminal offense are expected to provide the Office of Community Standards with relevant documentation, including affidavits and other evidence, regardless of the status of their legal case. Failure to provide such evidence may result in a hold on the student’s account, which could prevent them from registering for classes, graduating, or obtaining official transcripts.

• Authority of Champlain’s Conduct Review Process

  The responsibility for the College’s Community Standards system lies with the following individuals:

  The Dean of Students, under the direction of the Vice President for Student Affairs has ultimate authority over the College Conduct Review process, including interpretation of policies, the system’s procedures, and approval of changes to the Student Code of Conduct.

  The Director of Community Standards is the professional staff member responsible and is charged with providing comprehensive leadership, management, and vision for the Office of Community Standards. They set the tone and direction for the Office and develop the conduct codes, adjudication process, related procedures, and training. The Director of Community Standards is responsible for the overall coordination of the processes used to administer the Student Code of Conduct, including interpretations of policies and the process’s procedures.

  Hearing Officers are individuals who, through their job responsibility or authorization by the Director of Community Standards, initiate action on alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct. The Hearing Officer may hear or otherwise resolve student misconduct.

• Definitions

  Alleged: Means any?student, organization, club, or team accused of violating the Student Code of Conduct.

  Advisor: Means a person who serves as a support person through a hearing process.

  Complainant: Means the person(s) who initiates a complaint by alleging that a student(s) violated the Student Code of Conduct. Champlain College can also be a Complainant.

  Days: Unless otherwise expressly stated, all references in this procedure to “days” are business days, excluding holidays when the College is closed. Any deadline that falls on a weekend or other day when the College is closed shall be extended to the next business day.

  Disciplinary Standing: The Office of Community Standards is often asked to share information regarding a student’s disciplinary standing for various campus leadership positions and opportunities. The Office of Community Standards shares whether or not a student is in “good disciplinary standing” meaning a student is not currently on Disciplinary Probation or a higher disciplinary status at the College. While the Office of Community Standards shares this information, it is the determination of the specific College office whether or not a student’s disciplinary standing factors into their hiring practices or educational opportunities. Inquiries about criteria for specific student opportunities should be directed to the corresponding College office or staff.

  Hearing Officer: A College official who is authorized to determine the appropriate resolution of an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct, and/or to impose sanctions or affect other remedies as appropriate. A Hearing Officer is vested with the authority to, among other duties: investigate a complaint of an alleged violation of the Student Code of Conduct, decline to pursue a complaint, refer identified parties to mediation or other appropriate resolution options, and establish alleged charges against a student(s).

  Policy: The written regulations, standards, and community standards expectation adopted by Champlain College and found in, but not limited to the College Catalog, the Housing and Residential Life guidelines, and other publicized College notices.

  Preponderance of the evidence: Also known as “more likely than not,” this is the standard of evidence the College will use to determine if a violation of the Student Code of Conduct occurred.

  Student: Any person who is registered for courses at the College. Individuals no longer enrolled for a particular semester, but maintaining a continuing relationship with the College (for example, on an approved leave of absence), are considered students. Individuals enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, and certificate courses are considered students.

  Student organization: Any two or more student(s) in an organization (recognized or unrecognized). This includes but is not limited to groups recognized by SGA, those seeking and securing funding through SGA, unrecognized groups operating without SGA funding, student clubs, teams, varsity teams, and Esports.

• Medical Amnesty & Good Samaritan Program

  In the interest of protecting Champlain College students from serious injury due to impairment caused by alcohol or drugs, students should be aware that in ALL cases where safety is at risk, the proper agencies must be contacted for assistance. These agencies include Champlain College Campus Public Safety (802) 865-6465, local police or emergency services (911) or a member of the Housing & Residential Life staff (student RA or other Housing & Residential Life professional).

  It is our belief that we all have a responsibility to help those in need by seeking the proper medical assistance when necessary. This policy hopes to promote all members of the Champlain College community in seeking out help for themselves or others when assistance is needed for the safety, security, and health of others. If a student is experiencing an emergency, we want their friends and peers to worry about nothing except getting them help.

  The program is twofold, applying to both the student experiencing the emergency (Medical Amnesty) and the person(s) who make the call to get them help (Good Samaritan).

  This program has the potential to remove formal College disciplinary action, but may still include educational components. This resolution is available for isolated incidents and does not excuse or protect those who repeatedly violate Champlain College’s Alcohol, Cannabis, and other Drug Policy. It is our belief that we all have a responsibility to help those in need by seeking the proper medical assistance when necessary.

• Community Standards Student Expectations & Responsibilities

  As members of the Champlain College community, students and student organizations are expected to know and abide by the Student Code of Conduct. Champlain has identified the behavioral expectations and standards it has for its students. Students who fail to do so may be referred to the College’s Conduct Review process.

  Community standards proceedings may be instituted against a student and/or student organization that is subject to prosecution for violation of law in any judicial venue without regard to the timeline or outcome of the judicial proceedings, when the alleged conduct is also a violation of the Champlain College Student Code of Conduct.

  Student Expectations

  • Written notification of alleged violation of College policy within a reasonable period of time from the College’s receipt of a complaint or incident report;
  • A student may choose not to participate in the conduct review process. The College may choose to pursue an investigation, hold a hearing, and issue sanctions regardless of the student’s chosen level of participation, but the student will not be subject to additional charges or sanctions due to their choice to abstain from participation.
  • A student has the right to a hearing before an objective Hearing Officer. Accordingly, reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that no conflict of interest exists between the student and the Hearing Officer.
  • The opportunity to request to reschedule a hearing date, due to academic or other reasonable conflicts. Requests may be granted at the discretion of the Hearing Officer and/or Office of Community Standards.
  • The opportunity to coordinate with the Office of Accessibility to request any accommodations or adjustments needed to participate in the community standards process in an equitable manner;
  • A student may be accompanied by one advisor of their choosing during a hearing. The advisory role is a non-participatory one, and the advisor may not ask questions of the Hearing Officer or speak for the student. If an advisor does not comply, they will be asked to leave the hearing room;
  • The Hearing Officer to make reasonable efforts to issue a decision letter within 10-15 business days after the conclusion of the hearings pertinent to the case;
  • Students have the right to appeal responsible findings made as a result of the community standards process.

  Student Responsibilities

  Each Champlain student has the responsibility:

  • To review and abide by the Student Code of Conduct and College policies and procedures, both academic and otherwise;
  • For all events, items, and/or behaviors that occur in their room, suite, or apartment, if they live in College housing;
  • To address concerns with their peers, set mutually acceptable expectations, and uphold the expectations of the College;
  • To leave their College housing and contact College officials if they’re uncomfortable with behavior occurring in their College housing, if it is not possible to address concerns with their peers;
  • To monitor their College email address and respond to Champlain notifications sent directly to the student;
  • To represent the College appropriately, both on and off-campus;
  • To respect the differences of individuals and treat others in a civil and respectful manner;
  • To carry their College ID with them at all times and present it to College officials when reasonably requested to do so;
  • To honor their fiscal responsibilities to the College.

  Residential Student Responsibilities

  Residential students are responsible for all events, items, and/or behaviors that occur within their room, suite, or apartment. If a residential student is uncomfortable with what is taking place in their residence (e.g., drinking, drug use, noise, too many guests, etc.), the College expects students to address concerns with their peers, to set expectations that are mutually acceptable, and to uphold the expectations of the College. If this is not possible, the student is obligated to leave their residence, to contact a member of the Housing & Residential Life team, and/or call Campus Public Safety.

  Champlain College students are expected to know and abide by each of the following policies and prohibited behaviors, outlined in the sections below.

• College Policies

  Information about College Policies can be found in the Champlain College Catalog. Please be sure to choose the appropriate catalogue category and year when viewing.