Student Code of Conduct

MCC is committed to the philosophy that people should be given an opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge, as well as an awareness of their roles and responsibilities in society. The College is devoted to serving the educational and occupational needs for the four-county area and the State of Nebraska.

Registration at the College means a commitment to seriousness of purpose, academic integrity and high standards of personal and social behavior. Each student is expected to be cooperative and a responsible member of the College community, to comply willingly with College regulations, and to abide by local, state, and federal laws.

Student Conduct Guidelines:

Questions regarding academic misconduct should be made to the appropriate Academic Dean; questions regarding non-academic misconduct should be made to the appropriate Campus Dean or administrator. Violations of these standards are subject to sanctions as set forth in Procedures Memorandum V-4.

Academic Misconduct includes:

• Unauthorized collaboration or use of external sources during exams, quizzes, or similar activities intended to evaluate or measure student learning or progress.
• Any form of plagiarizing or of representing another’s ideas as one’s own in connection with a matter upon which the student or another’s performance is being or will be evaluated.
• Obtaining, soliciting, distributing, using, receiving, furnishing, or offering to furnish exams, quizzes or academic research materials without faculty or other proper authorization for the purpose or with the intent of obtaining or conferring an unfair or improper academic advantage.
• Falsifying academic records, knowingly furnishing false academic records to the College, or knowingly furnishing false information to the College respecting an academic matter.
• Improperly altering or inducing another to improperly alter any instructional or academic record.
• Engaging in any conduct which is intended or reasonably likely to confer upon one’s self or another an unfair or improper advantage or benefit respecting an academic mater.
• Knowingly encouraging, aiding, assisting or abetting any other person(s) to do any act prohibited by the above Academic Misconduct Rules.
• Attempting to do any act prohibited by the above Academic Misconduct Rules.

Non-academic Misconduct includes:

• All forms of dishonesty (other than Academic Misconduct as defined above); knowingly furnishing false non-academic information to the College; forgery or alteration of College non-academic documents, records, or instruments of identification; use of College documents or instruments of identification with intent to mislead or defraud; theft of property or services; or knowingly having possession of stolen property.
• Disrupting or obstructing teaching, research, or administrative activities, disciplinary proceedings or other College-affiliated activities.
• Unauthorized entry into any College office or area or unauthorized accessing of College records.
• Physically and/or psychologically harassing or abusing any person on College premises or at or in the course of College activities or engaging or threatening to engage in harassment or abuse which creates or in part creates a hostile, abusive, coercive, or intimidating College or College-related educational, learning, or working environment.
• Participating in or enticing a riot, disturbance, or disorderly assembly that disrupts or obstructs any College activity or function.
• Seizing, holding, taking, commandeering, or damaging any College property or facilities or threatening to do so or refusing to depart from any College property or facilities upon direction to do so by any faculty or staff member, public safety officer, administrator, or other College representative.
• Using alcoholic beverages (including the purchase, consumption, possession, or sale of such beverages) on College property other than at an event where consumption of alcoholic beverages has been approved by the College President or Executive Vice President in advance.
• Gambling or holding a raffle or lottery on campus or at any College or College-affiliated function or premises without the approval of the College President or Executive Vice President.
• Intentionally initiating or causing to be initiated any false report, warning or threat of fire, explosion, or other emergency.
• Any action or conduct which improperly or unlawfully interferes with any person’s lawful and permitted personal, academic, or employment pursuits.
• Unauthorized possession, use or duplication of keys or passwords to College vehicles, buildings, computer systems, or other property.
• Possessing, using, selling or distributing, or attempting to sell or distribute any type of controlled substance, such as drugs, on College property or at any College or College-affiliated function or activity (not including possession or use of medications pursuant to a physician’s prescription). This includes, but is not limited to, unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs, and alcohol on college property or as part of or at or during any of the College’s activities.
• Possessing on College property, or at any College or College-affiliated function or activity, any dangerous chemical or explosive element or the component parts thereof, or any rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver, or other firearm or weapon not required for lawful College studies without the authorization of the College President or Executive Vice President. (Pocketknives are permitted as long as no blade thereon is longer than three inches in length)
• Physically detaining or restraining, however briefly, any other person against his/her will, removing any person against such person’s will from any place where the person is authorized to remain, or in any way purposely obstructing the free movement of persons or vehicles on College premises or at College or College-affiliated functions or activities.
• Littering; willfully or recklessly defacing, destroying, or damaging property of the College (or property under its jurisdiction or control); or property of another person or entity; or removing or using such property without proper authorization.
• Violating any local, state, or federal law, ordinance or regulation (a) while on College property or (b) while in the course of any College or College-affiliated function or activity of (c) which violation adversely affects or adversely reflects upon the College’s pursuit of its educational activities or the pursuit of educational, employment or other lawful activities of any student, visitor, employee of the College, or any other person.
• Violating any rule or regulation not contained or referred to within the official College catalog after notice of such rule or regulation, or after publication on College bulletin boards (or otherwise) of such rule or regulation.
• Violating campus or College parking regulations.
• Any disruptive or disorderly conduct that interferes with the rights and opportunities of those attending the College for the purpose for which the College exists.
• Fighting or causing, attempting to cause, or threatening to cause physical injury to a College employee, official, student, visitor, or guest (nota including injury caused by accident occurring despite the use of reasonable care or self-defense or action undertaken under a reasonable belief that it was reasonably necessary to prevent serious injury or harm to some other person).
• Violating any policy or rule governing the conduct of students which has been adopted by the College Area Board of Governors or the College President or other authorized College official.
• Intentionally disrupting access of other students, faculty, or staff members to College computers and other technical resources by using these resources in an inappropriate manner; knowingly obtaining without authorization access to a computer account assigned to another person or using an account assigned to another student, faculty, staff member, or other person or department or organization, for other than its intended purpose or without permission from the account assignee; intentionally using any unauthorized account; using College computer equipment to interfere with the lawful rights of others; falsifying or altering records; creating fraudulent documents; damaging programs belonging to the College or to another; sending harassing or threatening material or communication; duplicating software unlawfully; or using College facilities and/or resources for non-academic or personal computer programs.
• Using force or assisting others in any way in the use of force or counseling, recommending or urging the use of force or the threat of force or the seizure of property under the control of the College, or commission of any act or action not sanctioned by law to prevent the faculty, administrative officers, employees or students of the College from engaging in their duties in connection with the operation of the College or pursuing their studies at the College.
• Knowingly encouraging, aiding, assisting or abetting any other person(s) to commit any act of Non-Academic Misconduct prohibited herein.
• Attempting to do any act prohibited by the above Non-Academic Misconduct Rules.

In addition to the foregoing general standards of conduct which apply to all students, individual educational programs within the College may have standards of conduct that students within those programs must observe.

Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Notice

Metropolitan Community College's standards of conduct prohibit the unlawful possession, use or distribution of illicit drugs and/or alcohol by students and employees on College property or as part of any of the College’s activities. “Illicit drug use” means the use of illegal drugs and the abuse of alcohol and other drugs, including anabolic steroids. State and federal laws and any applicable city ordinances pertaining to the possession and use of illicit drugs and alcoholic beverages shall be observed by all College students and employees. A student’s violation of the standards stated in this paragraph shall result in disciplinary sanctions.

Provisions of this act require the annual distribution to students of a notice of the standards of conduct. A copy of this brochure is available from any Student Services office.

Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act

Metropolitan Community College upholds the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. The act affords the student certain rights with respect to his/her educational records. These rights include:

• the right to inspect and review his/her education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access
• the right to request the amendment of his/her education records that she/he believes are inaccurate or misleading
• the right to consent to disclosures of personal identifiable information contained in his/her education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent
• the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Metropolitan Community College has designated the following contained in educational records as "directory information" so that the College may, at its discretion, disclose the information without the student's prior consent:

• The student's name.
• The student's address.
• The student's phone number.
• The student's date of birth.
• The student's email address
• Degrees and awards received
• The student's major field of study.
• Confirmation of enrollment/degree.

Students must notify the Director of Admissions and Records in writing of any or all items they do not wish to be designated as directory information in their records.

For detailed information regarding student rights as provided for in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, see the Student Rights and Responsibilities Guidelines that are available in Admissions and Records.