Student Handbook: Student Conduct Committee

Mission

Coffeyville Community College Student Conduct Committee supports the diverse educational community at CCC by serving as a resource and providing outreach on issues of student conduct. We ensure student development and success through consistent enforcement of student conduct policies and the commitment to a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment.

The Student Conduct Committee mission is completed through the following:

  • Develop and enforce standards of behavior and related student conduct policies and procedures;
  • Promote academic integrity and responsible student conduct
  • Provide a means to report and document concerns regarding behavior of CCC students
  • Assure due process rights are afforded to students who participate in the student conduct process
  • Facilitate learning experiences and opportunities for ethical growth and development for students who participate in the discipline, grievance, and conflict resolution processes
  • Foster respect for others and for CCC’s working environment of learning and service
  • Provide a voice for students, faculty, and staff in the student conduct issues and procedures
  • Serve as a resource for the campus community, including students, faculty, and staff.

Student Conduct Committee Process

  • A report or complaint is made to the Director of Students and Student Conduct.
  • Student Conduct Committee (SCC). A Disciplinary Referral (D.R.) must be completed and sent via email or hard-copy to the SCC Chairs, Vice Presidents and/or the Department of Student Life. The SCC Chairs consist of the Director of Student Life and the Assistant Director of Student Life.
  • SCC assesses if student(s) may have violated CCC’s institutional policies and procedures. Student(s) involved in alleged violation(s) are required to meet with the SCC. (Please note: It is the student’s responsibility to regularly check his/her email/mail and respond to administrative notices appropriately. Coffeyville Community College expects all students to maintain a current local and permanent address. Addresses may be updated with the Registrar or on their student account.)
  • Student may be referred to Student Conduct.
  • SCC meets with involved student(s) on his/her scheduled hearing date. Hearings are held in the Student Union classroom, however, occasionally special meetings are convened. The student will be scheduled for the first available SCC hearing immediately following the alleged violation(s).
  • SCC, Director of Student Life and Student Conduct will determine if a student more likely than not violated CCC’s policies. If the alleged violation(s) are egregious or repetitive in nature and requires immediate attention and/or reprimand, the case will be referred to the Dean of Students for immediate review.
  • If the student is found “responsible” for violating CCC’s institutional policies and procedures, the SCC will recommend and/or assign appropriate sanctions that are reviewed by the Dean of Students.
  • The Director of Student Life & Student Conduct enforces penalties which may include community service, restrictions, fines, suspensions, mandatory counseling sessions at a student’s expense, and/or expulsion.
  • Student may only appeal decisions made by SCC under the following provision: newly discovered evidence has surfaced that was not available at the time of the hearing.
  • Failure to appear for a scheduled hearing will result in additional penalties (including, but not limited to emergency suspension and/or permanent expulsion).

SCC Member Selection Process

The Student Conduct Committee determines whether students or recognized student organizations have violated CCC’s institutional policies and procedures and, if so, what action should be taken.

The Committee is composed of nine members to assure ready availability of hearing panels: A Chair and Co-Chairs,Director of Student Life and Assistant Director of Student, two faculty members, two athletic coaches, two activity sponsors, and two professional staff. Faculty and staff are appointed annually by the Vice President for Academic Services, Vice President for Operations and Finance and the Dean of Students.

Quorum Assignment

A weekly quorum of the committee consists of at least three persons from the committee, with at least two committee members, plus a Chair or Co-Chair present. In the absence of a quorum, the hearing will be rescheduled or ducted in the office of the Dean of Students.

Student Conduct Hearing Agenda

A SCC hearing will normally proceed as follows: The Chair shall rule on all questions of procedure and evidence, including but not limited to: the order of presentation of evidence, admissibility of evidence, applicability of regulations to a particular case, and relevance of testimony. An orderly hearing shall be maintained, and abusive or disruptive people shall be ejected or excluded. Irrelevant and repetitious evidence may be excluded as determined by the Chair. Student Conduct Committee members will be provided a copy of the Disciplinary Referral, email, or security report and any other documentary evidence provided by the College and the student or student organization during the hearing. Documentation of the case, including sanctions issued, will be supplied in writing to the Vice President for Academic Services and the Dean of Students. The Chair will ask all present at the hearing to introduce themselves for the record. The Chair will invite committee members to disqualify themselves from participation in the hearing due to prior involvement with students or if a committee member feels that it may be a conflict of interest. The Direct Report, Security Report or email report shall be read aloud, and the student or student organization shall be asked to respond to the charges by accepting responsibility, noting that there are mitigating circumstances, and/or denying responsibility for the alleged violations of CCC’s institutional policies and procedures. Student Conduct Committee shall present the College’s case. The accused student or organization shall have an opportunity to present his/her/its case.

  • The student or student organization shall be asked to affirm that their testimony is truthful and may be subject to charges of dishonesty pursuant to CCC’s institutional policies and procedures.
  • The student or organization shall not be required to give self-incriminating evidence at the hearing and no inference shall be drawn from silence.
  • Any witnesses or other individuals who may have relevant information about the incident may be asked to share this information and to respond to questions. Witnesses may be asked to affirm that their testimony is truthful and may be subject to charges of dishonesty, pursuant to CCC’s institutional policies and procedures.
  • The committee shall have the opportunity to ask questions.
  • The committee and the student or student organization will be invited to make closing statements.
  • The accused student or organization will be advised of the disciplinary recommendations of the decision.

The President or the Vice President for Academic Services may approve, reject, or modify the decision and sanction in question, or require that the original hearing be re-opened. Where the appeal is based upon new evidence, the case may be referred back to the hearing authority for further consideration.

1. Types of Cases

Cases involving alleged misconduct under the following categories of rules governing student conduct shall be referred to the Student Conduct Committee, including but not limited to: Coffeyville Community College campus-wide policies and procedures, Local, State and Federal Laws, and Rules established by campus entities (such as departments, residence units, and administration) that are applicable to their particular students.

2. Special Cases

a. Cases involving allegations of rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and/or gender discrimination.

In cases involving alleged rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and/or gender discrimination, the Title IX Coordinator, Investigator and Deputies will assemble to provide immediate response and support to the complainant and/or accused student(s). If the complainant requests a change in academic, living or work arrangements as a result of the alleged offense, reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate such requests.

b. Cases involving alleged misconduct by student organizations.

In cases involving alleged misconduct by student organizations, the Dean of Students, in collaboration with the Department of Student Life, will conduct the review of specific allegations and make necessary referrals and/or recommendations to the SCC.

c. Cases involving behavior that present an immediate threat to the health or safety of others.

In cases involving behavior that is willfully disruptive or presents an immediate threat to the health or safety of others, summary suspension or exclusion pursuant to Local, State and Federal Laws may be invoked in addition to, or instead of the initiation of disciplinary action. Immediate intervention and action will be taken by the Dean of Students and/or the Director of Student Life and Student Conduct.

d. Cases involving academic misconduct.

All forms of academic misconduct are prohibited. Academic misconduct is an umbrella term applying to the various forms that include, but are not limited to: Cheating, Plagiarism.

Unauthorized Collaboration, Facilitating Academic Misconduct, Fabrication, and/or Retaliation, Cases involving Academic Misconduct will be referred to the Vice President for Academic Services or the Dean of Students, who will decide which cases will be presented to the SCC.