Student Conduct Standards

For the purpose of this procedure, the term "student" includes applicants, enrolled students, students between academic terms, graduates awaiting degrees, and students who withdraw from school while a disciplinary matter is pending.

Students are expected to obey all federal and state laws as well as all District policies and procedures. Students are obligated to treat all District activities with respect so as not to disturb the opportunity for faculty and staff to perform their duties and for students to gain the full benefits of participation in their classes and other District programs.

A student may be disciplined, and sanctions imposed, in accordance with the procedures set forth

in Administrative Procedure 5520, Student Discipline, relating to attendance or District activity.

Student misconduct constituting good cause for imposition of discipline includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Academic Misconduct – Plagiarism (including plagiarism in a student publication), cheating, or other forms of academic dishonesty, intended to gain unfair academic advantage. The following list of offenses is not intended to be fully exhaustive of all potential instances of academic dishonesty, cheating, plagiarism or falsification. Faculty and administrators may identify other acts constituting any of said types of student misconduct.
   1. a. Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: presenting work, words, ideas, theories, etc., derived in whole or in part from a source external to the student as though they are the student's own efforts. Examples of plagiarism include, but are not limited to the following:
      1. Failing to use proper citations as acknowledgment of the true source of information found in a paper, written or oral examination, or any other academic exercise.
      2. Presenting any work completed in whole or in part by any individual or group other than the student, as though the work is the student's own, in any academic exercise.
      3. Buying, selling, bartering, or in any other fashion obtaining or distributing material to be used fraudulently as part of any academic exercise.
      4. Disseminating or receiving answers, data, or other information by any means other than those expressly permitted by the professor as part of any academic exercise.
      5. Copying answers, data, or other information (or allowing others to do so) during an examination, quiz, laboratory experiment, or any other academic exercise in which the student is not expressly permitted to work jointly with others.
      6. Assuming another individual's identity or allowing another person to do so on one's own behalf for the purpose of fulfilling any academic requirement or in any way enhancing the student's grade or academic standing.
      7. Using any device, implement, or other form of study aid during an examination, quiz, laboratory experiment, or any other academic exercise without the faculty member's permission.
   2. Other Academic Misconduct: Alteration, distortion, forgery, falsification, or fabrication of data, records, or any information relevant to the student's participation in any course or academic exercise or tampering with such information as collected or distributed by the faculty member.
      1. Falsifying, or attempting to falsify, attendance records, graded exercises of any kind, or any information or document intended to excuse the student from participation in any academic exercise.
      2. Inventing, fabricating, or falsifying data as part of the completion of any academic exercise.
      3. Knowingly furnishing false information (or facilitating the furnishing of false information) to a District official, faculty member, or staff member or campus office.
      4. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of a District document, key, or identification instrument.
      5. Misrepresenting one's self to be an authorized agent of the District or one of its auxiliaries.
2. Other Misconduct (Non-Academic):
   1. Any act chargeable as a violation of a federal, state, or local law that poses a substantial threat to the safety or well-being of others participating in District activities, to property within the District community or poses a significant threat of disruption or interference with District operations.
   2. Dishonesty (Non-academic dishonesty), lying, corruption, deceit, fraud or deception.
   3. Unauthorized entry into, presence in, use of, or misuse of District property.
   4. Willful, material and substantial disruption or obstruction of a District-related activity, or any on-campus activity.
   5. Participating in an activity that substantially and materially disrupts the normal operations of the District, or infringes on the rights of others participating in District activities.
   6. Willful, material and substantial obstruction that impedes the flow of pedestrian or other traffic, on or leading to District property or at a District- activity held at a remote location.
   7. Disorderly, lewd, indecent, or obscene behavior on District property or at a District activity, or directed toward a others participating in District activities.
   8. Disruptive behavior, willful disobedience, habitual profanity or vulgarity, open and persistent defiance of the authority of, or persistent abuse of, District personnel.
   9. Encouraging, permitting, or assisting another person to do any act that could subject him or her to discipline.
   10. Engaging in expression which is obscene; libelous or slanderous; or which incites students so as to create a clear and present danger of the commission of unlawful acts on the District premises, or the violation of lawful District administrative procedures, or the substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the District.
   11. Conduct that threatens, endangers, or harms the health or safety of any person within the District community; including communicable disease and the failure to address or treat communicable disease, infection or infestation (including insects), strong body odor of alcohol or marijuana emanating from one's person, spitting, physical abuse, physical injury, threats, intimidation, harassment, stalking, sexual harassment, indecent exposure, sexual battery, rape or other types of sexual misconduct.
   12. Engaging in harassing or discriminatory behavior based on religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation of any person, or status as a veteran or other status protected by law.
   13. Hazing or conspiracy to haze is defined as any method of initiation or pre-initiation into a student organization or student body, whether or not the organization or body is officially recognized by an educational institution, which is likely to cause serious bodily injury to any former, current, or prospective student of a college (Penal Code 245.6), and in addition, any act likely to cause physical harm, personal degradation or disgrace resulting in physical or mental harm, to any former, current, or prospective student of a College. The term "hazing" does not include customary athletic events or District sanctioned events. Neither the express or implied consent of a victim of hazing, nor the lack of active participation in a particular hazing incident is a defense. Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing is not a neutral act, and is also a violation of this section.
   14. Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of illegal drugs or drug-related paraphernalia, (except as expressly permitted by law and District procedures) or the misuse of legal pharmaceutical drugs (BP/AP 3550).
   15. Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of alcoholic beverages (except as expressly permitted by law and District procedures), or public intoxication while on District property and/or at a District activity (BP/AP 3560) at a remote location.
   16. Smoking, use or sale of tobacco-related products in any area prohibited by law or by regulation of the District (BP/AP 3570).
   17. Theft or extortion of property or services from the District or others participating in District activities, misappropriation of District resources, or knowing receipt of any stolen property including that of the District or private property while on District property and/or at a District activity at a remote location.
   18. Unauthorized destruction or damage to District or property under the use of the District (BP/AP 6520).
   19. Possessing, selling, using or misusing, or furnishing, firearms or guns, replicas, BB, pellet or soft air guns, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, knives, swords, tasers, stun guns or other weapons, dangerous chemicals, or other dangerous objects (without the prior authorization of the District Superintendent/President or designee) on District property or at a District activity at a remote location.
   20. Unauthorized recording, photographing, dissemination, or publication of academic presentations (including handwritten notes) for any purpose.
   21. Possessing, selling, using or misusing, or furnishing pornographic materials or items.
   22. Misuse of District computer facilities, its network, or resources including:
       1. Unauthorized entry into a file for any purpose; including electronic sabotage, i.e., downloading virus software or any other method of sabotaging District computers.
       2. Unauthorized transfer of a file.
       3. Use of the identification or password of other individuals.
       4. Interference with the work of a member of the District community, interference with normal District operations, or violation of copyright laws.
       5. Sending obscene or intimidating and abusive messages through the District's network services.
       6. Accessing, viewing or downloading any type of lewd, obscene or pornographic materials, and/or sharing or sale of said materials.
       7. Violation of the District's computer use policy.
   23. Violation of any published District policy, rule, regulation or Superintendent/President's or designee's directive.
   24. Failure to comply with directions of, or interference with, any District official or any public safety officer while acting in the performance of his/her duties.
   25. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information related to a student discipline matter.
   26. Initiation of a student discipline proceeding in bad faith.
   27. Disruption or interference with the orderly progress of a student discipline proceeding:
       1. Attempting to discourage another from participating in the student discipline matter.
       2. Attempting to influence the impartiality of any participant in a student discipline matter.
       3. Verbal or physical harassment or intimidation of any participant in a student discipline matter.
       4. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under a student discipline proceeding.

Any other conduct that threatens the health, safety or security of the campus community, or substantially disrupts the functions or operation of the District is within the jurisdiction of this Article, regardless of whether it occurs on or off campus, and whether or not it is specifically described above.

Nothing in this procedure may conflict with Education Code Section 66301, which prohibits disciplinary action against students based on behavior protected by the First Amendment. Students who engage in misconduct as described herein are subject to the procedures outlined in Administrative Procedure, AP 5520 Student Discipline, for determination of misconduct and imposition of sanctions. Violations must be reported on Form 5510 Student Misconduct Report (available on the District's Student Services Division Web page). (AP 5500 5/14/14)