Students of Dalton State College have an obligation to assist in making the College an effective place for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of self, and the improvement of society. As citizens, students enjoy the same freedoms that other citizens enjoy and, in turn, they are responsible for conducting themselves in accordance with the requirements of law and the DSC Code of Student Conduct.

As students of Dalton State College, they are responsible for compliance with all College regulations. Under the authority of the Board of Regents, the College is delegated the responsibility for establishing and enforcing regulations pertaining to student conduct. (Regents Bylaws, Article VI, Section B.)

ARTICLE I: DEFINITIONS

1. The term College means Dalton State College.
2. The term "student" includes all persons taking courses (for credit and not for credit) at the College, either full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies. Persons who withdraw after allegedly violating the Code of Student Conduct, who are not officially enrolled for a particular term but who have a continuing relationship with the College or who have been notified of their acceptance for admission are considered "students" as are persons who are living in College residence halls, although not enrolled in this institution. This Code of Student Conduct does apply at all locations of the College, including the campus in Ellijay, GA, Dalton State East, and all Study Abroad sites.
3. The term "faculty member" means any person hired by the College to conduct classroom or teaching activities or who is otherwise considered by the College to be a member of its faculty.
4. The term "College official" includes any person employed by the College, performing assigned administrative or professional responsibilities.
5. The term "member of the College community" includes any person who is a student, faculty member, College official or any other person employed by the College. A person's status in a particular situation shall be determined by the Office of Enrollment Services.
6. The term "College premises" includes all land, buildings, facilities, and other property in the possession of or owned, used, or controlled by the College (including adjacent streets and sidewalks). This includes any areas off campus at college sanctioned events.
7. The term "Student Conduct Board" means any person or persons authorized by the Student Conduct Administrator to determine whether a student has violated the Code of Student Conduct and to recommend sanctions that may be imposed when a rules violation has been determined to have been committed.
8. The term "Student Conduct Administrator" means a College official authorized by the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services to impose sanctions upon any
   student(s) found to have violated the Code of Student Conduct and to be responsible for the administration of the Code of Student Conduct. The Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services may authorize the Student Conduct Administrator to serve simultaneously as the Student Conduct Administrator as a sole hearing officer or one of the members of the Student Conduct Board. The Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services may authorize the same Student Conduct Administrator to impose sanctions in all cases.
9. The term "Appellate Board" means any person or persons authorized by the Student Conduct Administrator to consider an appeal from a Student Conduct Board's determination as to whether a student has violated the Code of Student Conduct.
10. The term "shall" is used in the imperative sense.
11. The term "may" is used in the permissive sense.
12. The term "policy" means the written regulations of the College as found in, but not limited to, the Code of Student Conduct, Residential Life/Housing Contract, the College web page and computer use policy, and Catalog.
13. The term "academic dishonesty" includes cheating and plagiarism.
14. The term "cheating" includes, but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in preparation for or in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; (2) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor in preparing or in writing papers, preparing reports, solving problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) the acquisition, without permission, of tests or other academic material belonging to a member of the College faculty or staff (4) engaging in any behavior specifically prohibited by a faculty member in the course syllabus or class discussion.
15. The term "plagiarism" includes, but is not limited to, the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the published or unpublished work of another person without full and clear acknowledgment. It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. When direct quotations are used, they must be indicated, and where the ideas of another are incorporated in the paper, they must be appropriately acknowledged.
16. The term "Complainant" means any person who submits a charge alleging that a student violated this Code of Student Conduct. When a student believes that s/he has been a victim of another student's misconduct, the student who believes s/he has been a victim will have the same rights and requirements as a Complainant under this Code of Student Conduct as are provided to the Complainant, even if another member of the College community submitted the charge itself.
17. The term "Accused Student" means any student accused of violating this Code of Student Conduct.
    

ARTICLE II: CODE OF STUDENT: CONDUCT AUTHORITY

1. The Student Conduct Administrator shall determine the composition of Student Conduct Boards and Appellate Boards and determine which Student Conduct Board, Student Conduct Administrator and Appellate Board shall be authorized to hear each matter. Four members and a Student Conduct Administrator will make quorum for a panel hearing. The Student Conduct Administrator will set the hearing times, dates,
and places.

2. Five faculty members, one from each school, shall be appointed by the faculty each August to serve a two year, renewable term on the Student Conduct Board.

3. Two staff members shall be appointed by the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services each August to serve a two year, renewable term on the Student Conduct Board.

4. Three students shall be appointed by the Student Advisory Council each August to serve a one year, renewable term on the Student Conduct Board.

5. The Student Conduct Administrator or any member of the Student Conduct Board shall disqualify himself/herself if his/her personal involvement in the case is of such a nature as to be detrimental to the interest of the accused or of the institution.

6. If members appointed to the Student Conduct Board unexpectedly step down from their appointment before their term is over, a temporary appointment will be made by the original referring person or group until a new member is selected for the next term.

7. The Appellate Board will consist of three members of the Student Conduct Board who did not previously hear the case.

8. The Student Conduct Administrator shall develop policies for the administration of the student conduct system and procedural rules for the conduct of Student Conduct Board Hearings that are not inconsistent with provisions of the Code of Student Conduct.

9. Decisions made by a Student Conduct Board and/or Student Conduct Administrator shall be final, pending the normal appeal process.

ARTICLE III: PROSCRIBED CONDUCT

A. Jurisdiction of the College Code of Student Conduct

The College Code of Student Conduct shall apply to conduct that occurs on College premises, at College sponsored activities, and to off-campus conduct that adversely affects the College Community and/or the pursuit of its objectives. Each student shall be responsible for his/her conduct from the time of application for admission through the actual awarding of a degree, even though conduct may occur before classes begin or after classes end, as well as during the academic year and during periods between terms of actual enrollment (and even if their conduct is not discovered until after a degree is awarded). The Code of Student Conduct shall apply to a student's conduct even if the student withdraws from school while a disciplinary matter is pending. The Student Conduct Administrator shall decide whether the Code of Student Conduct shall be applied to conduct occurring off campus, on a case by case basis.

B. Conduct—Rules and Regulations

Any student found to have committed or to have attempted to commit the following misconduct is subject to the disciplinary sanctions outlined in this document.

1. Academic Dishonesty

   a. No student shall give or receive assistance not authorized by the instructor in the preparation of or in the execution of an essay, laboratory report, examination or other assignment included in an academic course, nor shall the student use unapproved assistance, resources, paper, electronic, or otherwise, in any testing situation or assignment.
   

   b. No student shall take or attempt to take, steal or otherwise procure in an unauthorized manner any material pertaining to the conduct of a class, including but not limited to tests, examinations, laboratory equipment, and roll books.
   

   c. No student shall sell, give, lend, or otherwise furnish to any unauthorized person material which can be shown to contain the questions or answers to any assignments or examinations scheduled to be given at any subsequent date in any course of study offered by the College, without authorization from the instructor.
   

   d. Plagiarism is prohibited. Themes, essays, term papers, tests, and other similar requirements must be the original work of the student and should not have been previously submitted elsewhere. When direct quotations are used, they must be indicated, and where the ideas of another are incorporated in the paper, they must be appropriately acknowledged.

2. Alcohol

   Use, possession, consumption, sale, manufacturing, or distribution of alcoholic beverages or paraphernalia (except as expressly permitted by College regulations), including public intoxication, on college premises. This is to include off campus distribution of alcoholic beverages by students to students under twenty-one (21) years of age.

3. Damage to Property

Malicious or unauthorized intentional damage or destruction of property belonging to the College, to a member of the College Community, or to visitors to the campus is prohibited. Violations to the Posting and Publicity policy fall under this statute.

4. Disorderly Assembly

   a. No student shall assemble on campus for the purpose of creating a riot, or destruction, or disorderly diversion which interferes with the normal operation of the College. This section should not be construed so as to deny any students the right of peaceful, non-disruptive assembly.
   

   b. No student or group of students shall obstruct the free movement of other persons about the campus, interfere with the use of College facilities, or materially interfere with the normal operation of the College.
   

   c. The abuse or unauthorized use of sound amplification equipment indoors or outdoors during classroom hours is prohibited. Any use of sound amplification equipment must be cleared through the Office of Student Life. Any group not using or following the parameters of the Freedom of Assembly and Expression Form are subject to disciplinary sanction under this statute.

5. Disorderly or Disruptive Conduct

   a. Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person, or causes significant distress or alters daily living.. This includes electronic communication.

   b. Any student, acting individually or in concert with others, who clearly obstructs, disrupts, or attempts to obstruct or disrupt any teaching, research, administrative, disciplinary, or public service activity, or any other activity authorized to be discharged or held on college premises.

   c. No student shall enter or attempt to enter any dance, social, athletic, or any other event sponsored or supervised by the College or any recognized College organization without credentials for admission, i.e., ticket, invitation, student I.D. or other proper identification or any reasonable qualifications established for attendance. At such College functions, a student must present proper credentials to properly identified College faculty and staff upon their request.

   d. Stalking behavior, pursuing another individual against his/her will, is prohibited.

   e. Any act of terrorism, harassment, or sexual harassment which uses force or threats to intimidate or cause fear is prohibited.

6. Drugs

   The possession or use (without valid medical or dental prescription), manufacture, distribution, or sale of any narcotic or other federal or state controlled substances, even synthetic varieties (to include prescription drugs and/or any item misused for the purpose of intoxication).

7. Explosives

   a. No student shall possess, furnish, sell or use explosives of any kind on College property or at functions sponsored or supervised by the College or any recognized College organization.

   b. The possession or use of fireworks on College property or at events sponsored or supervised by the College or any recognized College organization, is prohibited.

   Fireworks are defined as any substance prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion, explosion, or detonation.

8. Failure to Comply

   Failure to comply with directions of properly identified 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.

9. Falsification

   a. No student shall alter, falsify, counterfeit, forge, or cause to be altered, counterfeited, or forged any record, form or document used by the College.

   b. No student shall interfere with, or give false name to, or fail to cooperate with, any properly identified College faculty, administration, or staff personnel while these persons are in the performance of their duties

   c. Lending, selling, or otherwise transferring student identification material is prohibited.

   d. The use of student identification materials by anyone other than the original holder is prohibited.

10. Fire Safety

    a. No student shall tamper with fire safety equipment.

    b. All occupants of a building must leave the building when the fire alarm sounds or when directed to leave by properly identified College faculty or staff while these persons are in the performance of their duties.

    c. The unauthorized possession, sale, furnishing or use of any incendiary device is prohibited.

    d. No student shall set or cause to set any unauthorized fire in or on College property.

    e. All fire safety hazards included in the on campus housing contract is included in this clause.

11. Gambling

    The playing of cards or any other game of skill or chance for money or other items of value is prohibited on Dalton State property or at Dalton State sponsored events.

12. Harm to Self or Others

    Intentional action(s) or inaction(s)/negligence that lead(s) to actual or potential harm to self or others.

13. Hazing

    Hazing, defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, a group or organization. The express or implied consent of the victim will not be a defense. Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing are not neutral acts; they are violations of this rule.
    All rites and ceremonies of induction, initiation, or orientation into college life, or into the life of any college group which cause physical, mental, or emotional suffering are prohibited.

14. Joint Responsibility for Infractions

    Students who aid, abet, and/or encourage violation of College regulations have individual responsibility for such violation, and such concerted acts are prohibited.

15. Other Campus Policies

    Students accused of violating any campus, program, or housing policies or regulations published in hard copy or available electronically on the College website may also be found in violation of the Code of Student Conduct.

16. Theft

a. No student shall take, attempt to take, or keep in his/her possession or resell items of the College, its property, or other items belonging to students, faculty, staff, student groups, or visitors to the campus without proper authorization.
b. No student shall provide to others copies of copyrighted or licensed software or documentation while maintaining copies for one's own use or use such an unauthorized copy provided by another student, unless there is a specific provision in the license allowing such activity. The activity is forbidden even if the software is provided without cost for educational purposes.

17. Tobacco

    Dalton State College is a tobacco free campus. All smoking and tobacco products are prohibited. The Brown Center and on-campus housing are also tobacco free. Wood Valley at Dalton State College residents will have a designated smoking/tobacco use area(s) on the premises.

18. Unauthorized Entry or Use of College Facilities

a. No student shall make unauthorized entry into any College building, office, or other facility, nor shall any person remain without authorization in any building after normal closing hours.

b. No student shall make unauthorized use of any College facility, equipment, or materials.

19. Violation of Outside Law

    Violation of local, state, or federal law, on or off the campus, which constitutes a clear
    and present danger of material interference with the normal, orderly operation and processes of the College, or with the requirements of appropriate discipline, is prohibited.

20. Violations to On Campus Housing Contract

    Violations to the on campus housing contract or housing policies and procedures that are also violations to the Student Code of Conduct will be heard by a Conduct Officer or the Student Conduct Board

21. Weapons

    a. Students are prohibited from possession of firearms on College property or at events sponsored or supervised by the College or any recognized College organization, unless allowed by federal, state, or local law. Exceptions may be made for official use authorized by the College. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers are exempt from this firearms regulation. Even if legally possessed, it is prohibited to posses such firearms in a manner that harms, threatens or causes fear to others.

    b. The possession or use of any other items brandished in a threatening manner as a weapon, are prohibited.

22. World Wide Web Policy

All students who use computers on the Dalton State College Campus and extended campuses must abide by the Appropriate Use Policy and Network Connection Policy. (Last Reviewed, Edited, and Approved in April 2012 by the Student Conduct Board and the Student Advisory Council.)

(Last Reviewed, Edited, and Approved in April 2012 by the Student Conduct Board and the Student Advisory Council.)