Article IiI: Proscribed Conduct

A. Conduct – Rules and Regulations
Any student found to have committed the following misconduct is subject to the disciplinary sanctions outlined in Article V, Section B

1. Acts of dishonesty, included but not limited to the following:

a.Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty covered under Parkland College policy, including Policy 8.06;

b.Furnishing false information to any Parkland College official, faculty member, or office;

c. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any Parkland College document, record, or instrument of identification;

d. Tampering with the election of any Parkland College recognized student organization.

2. Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, other Parkland College activities, including its public service functions on or off campus, or other authorized non-Parkland College activities, when the act occurs on Parkland premises.

(Hearings associated with faculty-initiated Administrative Removal from the Classroom Due to Student Behavior will follow a separate hearing procedure as outlined under the Classroom Contract section).

3. Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, and/or other conduct which threatens or endangers health or safety of any person. This is to include acts or threats to one’s personal safety and/or life. 

4. Attempted or actual theft and/or damage to property of Parkland College or property of a member of the Parkland College community or other personnel or public property, on or off campus.

5. 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, not will apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing. 

6. Failure to comply with directions of Parkland 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.

7. Unauthorized possession, duplication, or use of keys to Parkland College premises or unauthorized entry to or use of Parkland College premises.

8. Violation of any Parkland College policies, rules, or regulations published in hard copy or available electronically on the Parkland College premises. 

9. Violation of federal, state, or local law on Parkland College premises or at Parkland College sponsored or supervised activities.

10. Use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of illegal drugs or controlled substances except as expressly permitted by law. 

In compliance with the Smoke-Free Campus Act (110 ILCS64/), all tobacco use will be prohibited on the Parkland College campus effective July 1, 2015.  For the purpose of this policy, “campus” means all property owned or leased by, or leased to the college, including buildings, grounds, roads, parking lots, and vehicles. 

11. Use, possession, manufacturing, or distribution or alcoholic beverages on property, or intoxication at any college sponsored event on or off campus, or appearance on campus while under the influence of intoxicants. Alcoholic beverages may not, in any circumstances, be used by, possessed by, or distributed to any person under twenty-one (21) years of age.

12. Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, other weapons, look-alike weapons, or dangerous chemicals on Parkland College premises or use of any such item, even if legally possessed, in a matter that harms, threatens, or causes fear to others. 

13. Participation in campus demonstration which disrupts the normal operations of Parkland College and infringes on the rights of other members of the Parkland College community; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area; intentional obstruction which unreasonably interferes with freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular, on campus. See Policy 8.31 for additional information. 

14. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian traffic inside or outside the facilities or vehicular traffic on Parkland College premises or at Parkland College sponsored or supervised functions.

15. Conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; breach of peace; or aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to breach the peace on Parkland College premises or at functions sponsored or participated in by Parkland College. Disorderly conduct includes, but is not limited to, any unauthorized use of electronic or other devices to make an audio, video, or photographic record of any person while on Parkland College premises without his/her prior knowledge, or without his/her effective consent when such a record is likely to cause injury or distress.

16. Theft or other abuse of computer facilities and resources, including but not limited to:

a.Unauthorized entry into a file, to use, read, or change contents, or for any other purpose;

b. Unauthorized transfer of a file or software;

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 Parkland College official;

e. Use of computing facilities to send obscene or abusive messages;

f. Use of computing facilities to interfere with normal operation of any Parkland College computing system;

g. Use of computing facilities and resources in violation of copyright laws;

h.Violation of the Parkland computer/e-mail use policies

For more information, see Policy 3.40 Computer Access/Network Usage and Policy 3.41 Electronic Mail (EMAIL) Accounts and Usage

17. Abuse of the student conduct system, including but not limited to:

a. Failure to obey the notification from a Student Conduct Committee or Parkland College official;

b. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation, if information before a Student Conduct Committee;

c. Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a student conduct proceeding;

d. Interruption of a student conduct proceeding knowingly without cause;

e. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the student conduct system;

f. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of the Student Conduct Committee prior to, and/or during the course of the student conduct proceeding;

g. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of the student conduct system and/or a Student Conduct Committee prior to, during, and/or after a student conduct proceeding;

h. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under the Student Conduct Code;

i. Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the student conduct system

18. Violating special safety regulations that are necessary to govern various facilities and activities of the college.

19. Violating the Sexual Discrimination, Harassment, and Misconduct policy of the college (Separate investigation and adjudication procedures exist for this policy).  
For more information, please refer to Policy 3.01 Sexual Discrimination/Harassment/Misconduct.   

20. Violating the policy on harassment/discrimination of students.

For more information, please refer to Policy 8.26 Harassment/Discrimination – Students

B. Violation of law and Parkland College discipline
1. Parkland College administration may institute disciplinary proceedings against a student charged with violation of a law that is also a violation of this Student Conduct Code, for example, if both violations result from the same factual situation, without regard the pendency of civil litigation in court or criminal arrest and prosecution.  Proceedings under this Student Conduct Code may be carried out prior to, simultaneously with, or following civil or criminal proceedings off campus.

2. When a student is charged by federal, state, or local authorities with a violation of law, Parkland College will not request or agree to special consideration for that individual because of his or her status as a student. However, if the alleged offense is also the subject of a proceeding before a Student Conduct Committee under the Student Conduct Code, Parkland College may advise off-campus authorities of the existence of the Student Conduct Code and how such matters will be handled internally within the Parkland College community. Parkland 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 student violators. Individual students and faculty members, acting in their personal capacities, remain free to interact with governmental representatives as they deem appropriate. 
C. Interim Suspension
In certain circumstances, the Dean of Students may impose an interim suspension prior to a student’s hearing before a Student Conduct Committee. 

1. A student will be subject to involuntary interim suspension from Parkland College, if it is determined, by clear and convincing evidence, that the student:

a. Engages or threatens to engage in behavior which poses a danger of causing physical harm to self or others.

b. Engages or threatens to engage in behavior which would cause significant property damage, or directly and substantially impedes the lawful activities of others.

c. Engages or threatens to engage in behavior which significantly disrupts or obstructs teaching and learning

d. Failure to comply with requested psychiatric evaluation as set forth in the involuntary withdrawal section below

2. Interim suspension process

a. A letter of investigation will be prepared and delivered to student involved either personally, by parkland email and/or by certified US mail.

i. This letter will contain:

(a) A summary of the conduct being investigated

(b) The date, time, and location of a meeting with the Dean of Students to discuss the potential interim suspension.  This meeting will give the respondent an opportunity to be heard with regard to the potential interim suspension.

ii. The meeting to discuss the potential interim suspension will be scheduled no earlier than 2 business days from the sending of the investigation letter.

iii. Within 2 business days after the conclusion of this meeting, the student will be delivered a letter either personally, by parkland email and/or by certified US mail that indicates the outcome of the meeting – whether or not the interim suspension will be imposed.  This disposition letter will be sent whether or not the student chooses to attend the meeting regarding potential interim suspension.

iv. These standards do not preclude removal from Parkland College, in accordance with provisions of other college rules or regulations.

v. During the interim suspension, students shall be denied access to the campus (including classes - in-person, online, hybrid, and any other delivery mode) and/or all other Parkland College activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible.  A Ban Notice will be prepared and processed with the student through the Department of Public Safety.

vi. The student may participate in the ongoing conduct processes at Parkland by contacting the Department of Public Safety before doing so.
vii. An interim suspension will last until the conclusion of the conduct investigation and any subsequent Student Conduct processes.