Code of Conduct

Preamble to the Student Conduct Code

The mission of Springfield College is to educate students in the spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service to humanity by building upon the foundation of the Humanics and academic excellence.
The purpose of the Springfield College Student Conduct Code is to promote a campus environment that supports the mission of the College, by articulating appropriate standards of individual and group behavior.
Springfield College students are disciplined and respectful of the rights of others and uphold the norms of civic responsibility and conduct Themselves in accordance with the Humanics Philosophy.
Violations of the norms of civility and other accepted rules of behavior, whether or not covered by specific regulations, may subject a student to disciplinary action.
Students are required to familiarize themselves with all College policies and regulations. Ignorance of said policies and regulations regarding expected behavior will not be accepted as a defense or excuse.

Student Rights

The following enumerated rights which are deemed necessary to achieve the
educational goals of the college are guaranteed to each student within the limitations of statutory law and college policy.

● A student shall have the right to participate in a free and civil exchange of ideas.
● Students shall be treated on an equal basis in all areas and activities of the college regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
● A student has the right to personal privacy except as otherwise provided by law, and in accordance with other College policies, and this will be observed by students and college authorities alike.
● Each student shall be free from disciplinary action by college officials for violations of civil and criminal law off campus, except when such a violation is determined also to be a violation of the provision regarding off-campus conduct in the Student Conduct Code and college policies.
● Each student subject to disciplinary action arising from violations of the Student Conduct Code and college policies shall be assured procedural due process.
● Students’ academic rights include competent instruction for full-allotted time and sufficient assignments graded fairly and promptly to inform the student of academic standing.

Student Responsibilities

● A student has the responsibility to respect the rights and property of others, including other students, the faculty and the administration.
● A student has the responsibility to be fully acquainted with the published college policies and to comply with them and the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
● A student has the responsibility to recognize that student actions reflect upon the individuals involved and upon the entire college community.
● A student has the responsibility to recognize the college’s obligation to provide an environment for learning.

Student Conduct Code

Interpretation of Regulations

Article I. Definitions

1. The term “College” means Springfield College.

2. The term “student” includes all persons taking courses at the College, either full-time or part-time, pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional studies. Persons who withdraw after allegedly violating the Student Conduct Code, 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 Student Conduct Code does apply at all locations of the College.

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 Human Resources and/or the Office of the Registrar.

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).

7. The term “organization” means any number of persons who have complied with the formal requirements of College recognition.

8. The term “Student Conduct Board” means any person or persons authorized by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students to determine whether a student has violated the Student Conduct Code and to recommend sanctions that may be imposed when a rule(s) violation has been committed.

9. The term “Student Conduct Administrator” means a College official authorized on a case-by-case basis by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students to impose sanctions upon any student(s) found to have violated the Student Conduct Code. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students may authorize a Student Conduct Administrator to serve simultaneously as a Student Conduct Administrator and the sole member or one of the members of the Student Conduct Board. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students may authorize the same Student Conduct Administrator to impose sanctions in all cases.

10. The term “Appellate Board” means any person or persons authorized by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students to consider an appeal from a Student Conduct Board's determination as to whether a student has violated the Student Conduct Code or from the sanctions imposed by the Student Conduct Administrator.

11. The term “shall” is used in the imperative sense.

12. The term “may” is used in the permissive sense.

13. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students is the person designated by the College President to be responsible for the administration of the Student Conduct Code.

14. The term “policy” means the written regulations of the College as found in, but not limited to, the Student Conduct Code, Residence Life Handbook, the College web page(s) and computer use policy, and Graduate/ Undergraduate Catalogs.

15. The term “cheating” includes, but is not limited to: (1) use of any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, or examinations; (2) use of sources beyond those authorized by the instructor 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.

16. 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.

17. The term “Complainant” means any person who submits a charge alleging that a student violated this Student Conduct Code. 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 under this Student Conduct Code as are provided to the Complainant, even if another member of the College community submitted the charge itself.

18. The term “Accused Student” means any student accused of violating this Student Conduct Code.

19. The term “Business Day” means any day, Monday through Friday during which the college is open for business.

Article II. Student Conduct Code 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.
2. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students 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 Student Conduct Code.
3. Decisions made by a Student Conduct Board and/or Student Conduct Administrator shall be final, pending the normal appeal process.

Article III. Proscribed Conduct

(Click here to return to the top of the page.)
A. Jurisdiction of the College Student Conduct Code

The College Student Conduct Code 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 Student Conduct Code shall apply to a student's conduct even if the student withdraws from school while a disciplinary matter is pending. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, or designee, shall decide whether the Student Conduct Code shall be applied to conduct occurring off campus, on a case by case basis, in his/her sole discretion.

(Click here to return to the top of the page.)
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 Article IV:

1. Acts of dishonesty, including but not limited to the following:
....a. Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty.
....b. Furnishing false information to any College official, faculty member, or office.
....c. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any College document, record, or instrument of identification.

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

3. Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion, and/ or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health or safety of any person or the community.

4. Attempted or actual theft of and/or damage to property of the College or property of a member of the College community or other personal 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. Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of hazing are not neutral acts; they are violations of this rule.

6. Failure to comply with directions of 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. Organizing or participating in any illegal gambling activity. This includes but is not limited to; Internet gambling, sports betting, bookmaking, placing bets with bookmakers. Student athletes must comply with existing NCAA standards.

8. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys to any College premises or unauthorized entry to or use of College premises.

9. Violation of any College policy, rule, or regulation published in hard copy or available electronically on the College website.

10. Violation of any federal, state or local law.

11. Violations included in drug policy including but not limited to use, possession, manufacturing, or distribution of marijuana, heroin, narcotics, or other controlled substances except as expressly permitted by law.

12. Violations included in alcohol policy including but not limited to use, possession, manufacturing, or distribution of alcoholic beverages (except as expressly permitted by College regulations), or public intoxication. Alcoholic beverages may not, in any circumstance, be used by, possessed by or distributed to any person under twenty-one (21) years of age.

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

14. Participating in an on-campus or off-campus demonstration, riot or activity that disrupts the normal operations of the College and/or infringes on the rights of other members of the College community; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area.

15. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised functions.

16. Conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; breach of peace; or aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to breach the peace on College premises or at functions sponsored by, or participated in by, the College or members of the academic community. Disorderly Conduct includes but is not limited to: Any unauthorized use of electronic or other devices to make an audio or video record of any person while on College premises without his/her prior knowledge, or without his/her effective consent when such a recording is likely to cause injury or distress. This includes, but is not limited to, surreptitiously taking pictures of another person in a gym, locker room, or restroom.

17. 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 the contents, or for any other purpose.
....b. Unauthorized transfer of a file.
....c. Use of another individual's identification and/or password.
....d. Use of computing facilities and resources to interfere with the work of another student, faculty member or College Official.
....e. Use of computing facilities and resources to send obscene or abusive messages.
....f. Use of computing facilities and resources to interfere with normal operation of the College computing system.
....g. Use of computing facilities and resources in violation of copyright laws,
....h. Any violation of the College Computer Use Policy.

18. Abuse of the Student Conduct System, including but not limited to:
....a. Failure to obey the notice from a Student Conduct Board or College official to appear for a meeting or hearing as part of the Student Conduct System.
....b. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a Student Conduct Board.
....c. Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a Student Conduct Board proceeding.
....d. Institution of a student conduct code proceeding in bad faith.
....e. Attempting to discourage an individual's proper participating in, or use of, the student conduct system.
....f. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a Student Conduct Board prior to, and/or during the course of, the Student Conduct Board proceeding.
....g. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a Student Conduct Board prior to, during, and/or after a student conduct code 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 code system.

19. Students are required to engage in responsible conduct that reflects credit upon the College community and to model good citizenship in any community.

(Click here to return to the top of the page.)
C. Violation of Law and College Discipline

1. College disciplinary proceedings may be instituted against a student charged with conduct that potentially violates both the criminal law and this Student Conduct Code (that is, if both possible violations result from the same factual situation) without regard to the tendency of civil or criminal 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 at the discretion of Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. Determinations made or sanctions imposed under this Student Conduct Code shall not be subject to change because criminal charges arising out of the same facts giving rise to violation of University rules were dismissed, reduced, or resolved in favor of or against the criminal law defendant.

2. When a student is charged by federal, state, or local authorities with a violation of law, the College will not request or agree to special consideration for that individual because of his or her status as a student. If the alleged offense is also being processed under the Student Conduct Code, the College may advise off-campus authorities of the existence of the Student Conduct Code and of how such matters are typically handled within the College community. The College will attempt to cooperate 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 (provided that the conditions do not conflict with campus rules or sanctions). Individual students and other members of the College community, acting in their personal capacities, remain free to interact with governmental representatives as they deem appropriate.

Article IV. Student Conduct Code Procedures

A. Charges and Student Conduct Board Hearings

1. Any member of the College community may file charges against a student for violations of the Student Conduct Code. A charge shall be prepared in writing and directed to the Student Conduct Administrator. Any charge should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place, preferably within 72 hours.

2. The Student Conduct Administrator may conduct an investigation to determine if the charges have merit and/or if they can be disposed of administratively by mutual consent of the parties involved on a basis acceptable to the Student Conduct Administrator. Such disposition shall be final and there shall be no subsequent proceedings. If the charges are not admitted and/or cannot be disposed of by mutual consent, the Student Conduct Administrator may later serve in the same matter as the Student Conduct Board or a member thereof. If the student admits violating institutional rules, but sanctions are not agreed to, subsequent process, including a hearing if necessary, shall be limited to determining the appropriate sanction(s).

3. All charges shall be presented to the Accused Student in written form. A time shall be set for a Student Conduct Board Hearing, not less than five nor more than fifteen business days after the student has been notified. Maximum time limits for scheduling of Student Conduct Board Hearings may be extended at the discretion of the Student Conduct Administrator.

4. Student Conduct Board Hearings shall be conducted by a Student Conduct Board according to the following guidelines except as provided by Article IV(A)(7) below:
....a. Student Conduct Board Hearings normally shall be conducted in private.
....b. The Complainant, Accused Student and their advisors, if any, shall be allowed to attend the entire portion of the Student Conduct Board Hearing at which information is received (excluding deliberations). Admission of any other person to the Student Conduct Board Hearing shall be at the discretion of the Student Conduct Board and/or its Student Conduct Administrator.
....c. In Student Conduct Board Hearings involving more than one Accused Student, the Student Conduct Administrator, in his or her discretion, may permit the Student Conduct Board Hearings concerning each student to be conducted either separately or jointly.
....d. The Complainant and the Accused Student have the right to be assisted by an advisor they choose, at their own expense. The advisor must be a member of the College community and may not be an attorney. The Complainant and/or the Accused Student is responsible for presenting his or her own information, and therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in any Student Conduct Board Hearing before a Student Conduct Board. A student should select as an advisor a person whose schedule allows attendance at the scheduled date and time for the Student Conduct Board Hearing because delays will not normally be allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an advisor.
....e. The Complainant, the Accused Student and the Student Conduct Board may arrange for witnesses to present pertinent information to the Student Conduct Board. The College will try to arrange the attendance of possible witnesses who are members of the College community, if reasonably possible, and who are identified by the Complainant and/or Accused Student at least two business days prior to the Student Conduct Board Hearing. Witnesses will provide information to and answer questions from the Student Conduct Board. Questions may be suggested by the Accused Student and/or Complainant to be answered by each other or by other witnesses. This will be conducted by the Student Conduct Board with such questions directed to the chairperson, rather than to the witness directly. This method is used to preserve the educational tone of the hearing and to avoid creation of an adversarial environment. Questions of whether potential information will be received shall be resolved in the discretion of the chairperson of the Student Conduct Board.
....f. Pertinent records, exhibits, and written statements (including Student Impact Statements) may be accepted as information for consideration by a Student Conduct Board at the discretion of the chairperson.
....g. All procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the chairperson of the Student Conduct Board.
....h. After the portion of the Student Conduct Board Hearing concludes in which all pertinent information has been received, the Student Conduct Board shall determine (by majority vote if the Student Conduct Board consists of more than one person) whether the Accused Student has violated each section of the Student Conduct Code which the student is charged with violating.
....i. The Student Conduct Board's determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the Accused Student violated the Student Conduct Code.
....j. Formal rules of process, procedure, and/or technical rules of evidence, such as are applied in criminal or civil court, are not used in Student Conduct Code proceedings.

5. There shall be a single verbatim record, such as a tape recording, of all Student Conduct Board Hearings before a Student Conduct Board (not including deliberations). Deliberations shall not be recorded. The record shall be the property of the College.

6. If an Accused Student, with notice, does not appear before a Student Conduct Board Hearing, the information in support of the charges shall be presented and considered even if the Accused Student is not present.

7. The Student Conduct Board may accommodate concerns for the personal safety, well-being, and/or fears of confrontation of the Complainant, Accused Student, and/or other witness during the hearing by providing separate facilities, by using a visual screen, and/or by permitting participation by telephone, videophone, closed circuit television, video conferencing, videotape, audio tape, written statement, or other means, where and as determined in the sole judgment of Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students to be appropriate.

(Click here to return to the top of the page.)
B. Sanctions

1. The following sanctions may be imposed upon any student found to have violated the Student Conduct Code:
....a. Warning—A notice in writing to the student that the student is violating or has violated institutional regulations.
....b. Probation—A written reprimand for violation of specified regulations. Probation is for a designated period of time and includes the probability of more severe disciplinary sanctions if the student is found to violate any institutional regulation(s) during the probationary period.
....c. Loss of Privileges—Denial of specified privileges for a designated period of time.
....d. Fines—specific fines may be imposed.
....e. Restitution—Compensation for loss, damage, or injury. This may take the form of appropriate service and/or monetary or material replacement.
....f. Discretionary Sanctions—Work assignments, essays, service to the College or surrounding community, or other related discretionary assignments.
....g. Residence Hall Suspension—Separation of the student from the residence halls for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
....h. Residence Hall Expulsion—Permanent separation of the student from the residence halls.
....i. College Suspension—Separation of the student from the College for a definite period of time, after which the student is eligible to return. Conditions for readmission may be specified.
....j. College Expulsion—Separation of the student from the College for a period of time, after which the student is eligible to reapply.
....k. Dismissal—Permanent separation of the student from the College.
....l. Revocation of Admission and/or Degree—Admission to or a degree awarded from the College may be revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, or other violation of College standards in obtaining the degree, or for other serious violations committed by a student prior to graduation.
....m. Withholding Degree—The College may withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the completion of the process set forth in this Student Conduct Code, including the completion of all sanctions imposed, if any.

2. More than one of the sanctions listed above may be imposed for any single violation.

3. (a) Other than College expulsion or revocation or withholding of a degree, disciplinary sanctions shall not be made part of the student's permanent academic record, but shall become part of the student's disciplinary record. Upon graduation, the student's disciplinary record may be expunged of disciplinary actions other than residence hall expulsion, College suspension, College expulsion, or revocation or withholding of a degree, upon application to the Student Conduct Administrator. Cases involving the imposition of sanctions other than residence hall expulsion, College suspension, College expulsion or revocation or withholding of a degree shall be expunged from the student's confidential record 7 years after final disposition of the case. (b) In situations involving both an Accused Student(s) (or group or organization) and a student(s) claiming to be the victim of another student's conduct, the records of the process and of the sanctions imposed, if any, shall be considered to be the education records of both the Accused Student(s) and the student(s) claiming to be the victim because the educational career and chances of success in the academic community of each may be impacted.

4. The following sanctions may be imposed upon groups or organizations:
....a. Those sanctions listed above in Article IV(B)(l)(a)-(e).
....b. Loss of selected rights and privileges for a specified period of time.
....c. Deactivation. Loss of all privileges, including College recognition, for a specified period of time.

5. In each case in which a Student Conduct Board determines that a student and/ or group or organization has violated the Student Conduct Code, the sanction (s) shall be determined and imposed by the Student Conduct Administrator. In cases in which persons other than, or in addition to, the Student Conduct Administrator have been authorized to serve as the Student Conduct Board, the recommendation of the Student Conduct Board shall be considered by the Student Conduct Administrator in determining and imposing sanctions. The Student Conduct Administrator is not limited to sanctions recommended by members of the Student Conduct Board. Following the Student Conduct Board Hearing, the Student Conduct Board and the Student Conduct Administrator shall advise the Accused Student, group and/or organization (and a complaining student who believes s/he was the victim of another student's conduct) in writing of its determination and of the sanction(s) imposed, if any.

(Click here to return to the top of the page.)
C. Interim Suspension

In certain circumstances, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, or a designee, may impose a College or residence hall suspension prior to the Student Conduct Board Hearing before a Student Conduct Board.

1. Interim suspension may be imposed: 1) to ensure the safety and well-being of members of the College community or preservation of College property; b) to ensure the student's own physical or emotional safety and well-being; or c) if the student poses an ongoing threat of disruption of, or interference with, the normal operations of the College.

2. During the interim suspension, a student shall be denied access to the residence halls and/or to the campus (including classes) and/or all other College activities or privileges for which the student might otherwise be eligible, as the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or the Student Conduct Administrator may determine to be appropriate.

3. The interim suspension does not replace the regular process, which shall proceed on the normal schedule, up to and through a Student Conduct Board Hearing, if required. However, the student should be notified in writing of this action and the reasons for the suspension. The notice should include the time, date, and place of a subsequent hearing at which the student may show cause why his or her continued presence on the campus does not constitute a threat.

(Click here to return to the top of the page.)
D. Appeals

1. A decision reached by the Student Conduct Board or a sanction imposed by the Student Conduct Administrator may be appealed by the Accused Student(s) or Complainant(s) to an Appellate Board within five (5) business days of the decision. Such appeals shall be in writing and shall be delivered to the Vice President for Student Affairs or designee.

2. Except as required to explain the basis of new information, an appeal shall be limited to a review of the verbatim record of the Student Conduct Board Hearing and supporting documents for one or more of the following purposes:
....a. To determine whether the Student Conduct Board Hearing was conducted fairly in light of the charges and information presented, and in conformity with prescribed procedures giving the complaining party a reasonable opportunity to prepare and to present information that the Student Conduct Code was violated, and giving the Accused Student a reasonable opportunity to prepare and to present a response to those allegations. Deviations from designated procedures will not be a basis for sustaining an appeal unless significant prejudice results.
....b. To determine whether the decision reached regarding the Accused Student was based on substantial information, that is, whether there were facts in the case that, if believed by the fact finder, were sufficient to establish that a violation of the Student Conduct Code occurred.
....c. To determine whether the sanction(s) imposed were appropriate for the violation of the Student Conduct Code which the student was found to have committed.
....d. To consider new information, sufficient to alter a decision, or other relevant facts not brought out in the original hearing, because such information and/ or facts were not known to the person appealing at the time of the original Student Conduct Board Hearing.

3. If an appeal is upheld by the Appellate Board, the matter shall be returned to the original Student Conduct Board and Student Conduct Administrator for reopening of Student Conduct Board Hearing to allow reconsideration of the original determination and/or sanction(s). If an appeal is not upheld, the matter shall be considered final and binding upon all involved.

Article V. Interpretation and Revision

A. Any question of interpretation or application of the Student Conduct Code shall be referred to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or his or her designee for final determination.
B. The Student Conduct Code shall be reviewed every year under the direction of the Vice President of Student Affairs.

Student Conduct Code Development