Student Conduct

Student Conduct

Colleges recognize the student as an adult pursuing an education. Just as a student does not lose citizenship rights upon enrolling at a college, the student also does not become immune to society’s obligations and laws or to the responsibilities of daily living in a broader society. In general, the behavioral norms expected of the college student are those of common decency and decorum, recognition of and non-infringement upon the rights and property of others and of the College, honesty in academic work and all other activities, and observance of local, state, and federal laws.

When students enter Eastern Wyoming College, they take upon themselves certain responsibilities and obligations including satisfactory academic performance and social behavior consistent with the lawful purposes of the College. Student conduct, therefore, is not considered in isolation within the college community but as an integral part of the education process. All students are expected to know and abide by the Student Code of Conduct. A copy of the Student Code of Conduct is found in the Student Handbook available on the EWC website or upon request from the Office of the Vice President for Student Services.

Attendance

A student at Eastern Wyoming College is expected to attend all sessions of each course in which he/she is enrolled. Active participation in all scheduled learning activities is essential for the student to satisfactorily achieve the educational objectives of any course. An instructor is authorized to withdraw a student from a course whenever:

1. the student’s absences in the course exceed 20% (twenty percent) of the scheduled sessions for the semester, or
2. the student has been absent 6 (six) consecutive class hours in the course, or
3. the student has not completed 20% (twenty percent) of the assigned learning activities.

Where a special program attendance policy varies from the above, that program policy will prevail.

A student who is withdrawn from a course on or before the school’s official last day to drop classes will receive a grade of W (Withdrawal) for the course. A student who is withdrawn after the official last day to drop classes will receive a grade of F (Failure), a grade of IW (Institutional Withdrawal), or a grade of W (Withdrawal) for the course.

It is the responsibility of the instructor to notify, in writing, the College Registrar that the student is being withdrawn. The instructor also must indicate what grade the student is to receive. The College Registrar will then notify the student of the action taken.

Due to the variation of course content, make-up policies will vary from instructor to instructor and will be outlined in the course syllabus given to each student.

Leave of Absence

A student who must be absent for an extended period of time because of health or other unavoidable circumstances may petition the Vice President for Academic Services for a leave of absence. A leave accounts for absences from classes, but does not relieve the student from making up all work missed, nor does it excuse the student from going through the regular withdrawal procedure (outlined below) if the student discontinues attendance for the remainder of the semester.

Academic Dishonesty

Eastern Wyoming College regards all forms of academic dishonesty as serious offenses that cannot be condoned. These forms include inappropriate dependence upon the aid of other persons in carrying out class or laboratory assignments; plagiarism; and cheating on quizzes, tests, or examinations. For a first offense, a student will be subject to the instructor’s disciplinary action which may include a grade of zero on the affected coursework, lowering of the final grade in the course, receiving a grade of “F” in the course or withdrawal from the course. The student who commits such an offense a subsequent time will be assigned the grade of “F” and may be subject to dismissal from the College with the reason for dismissal specifically stated and retained in college records. A student who has been the subject of disciplinary action for academic dishonesty may follow the EWC Grievance Policy included in the Student Code of Conduct.

Turnitin is a cloud-based text review service utilized by EWC for originality checking, including improper citations or potential plagiarism. Student work in a course may be submitted to and retained by this service, though the student retains copyright of their written work. Students can view information regarding Turnitin’s privacy and copyright policy at www.turnitin.com.

Sexual Harassment Policy

Definition

Eastern Wyoming College endorses the definition of sexual harassment provided under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Accordingly,

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Policy Statement on Sexual Harassment

Eastern Wyoming College strives to create a work environment that is desirable for all employees and students.

Sexual harassment of employees or students is reprehensible, illegal, and will not be tolerated at Eastern Wyoming College. Such activity which influences employment decisions or the academic success of students is contradictory and antithetical to the environment provided by this institution, and prompt and remedial action will be taken by Eastern Wyoming College upon any finding of sexual harassment.

All complaints of sexual harassment will be investigated. Employee complaints should be filed with the complainant’s immediate supervisor or the Affirmative Action Officer. Student complaints should be registered with the relevant Division Chair or the Affirmative Action Officer. If the complaint cannot be resolved at this level, the College Grievance Procedure under EWC/Board of Trustees Grievance Policy No. 1.7 should be followed. Victims of sexual harassment are strongly encouraged to disclose any episode(s) of sexual harassment. Such disclosure will assist EWC in its attempts to prevent future episodes of sexual harassment.

Any Eastern Wyoming College agent or employee who is found to have engaged in sexual harassment of another employee or student will be subject to disciplinary sanctions which may include, but not limited to, written reprimand, demotion, transfer, required professional counseling, and/or termination of employment. Any student who violates this policy will be subject to prompt and appropriate discipline. Such discipline may result in the student being expelled from Eastern Wyoming College.

No employee or student shall suffer reprisal from Eastern Wyoming College as a consequence of filing a “good faith” complaint.

Complaint Log

Eastern Wyoming College maintains a record of all formal student complaints received in the office of the President, Vice President for Academic Services, or the Vice President for Student Services. Student complaints are defined as those which are nontrivial in nature, either academic or nonacademic, made formally in writing, signed by a student, and addressed to and submitted to an organizational officer with the responsibility to handle the complaint. The formal Complaint Log is maintained in the office of the Vice President for Student Services and contains the following information:

1. Date the complaint was first formally submitted to an appropriate officer;
2. Nature of the complaint (e.g. dispute about a grade, allegation of sexual harassment etc.);
3. Steps taken by EWC to resolve the complaint;
4. EWC’s final decision regarding the complaint including referral to outside agencies; and
5. Any other external actions initiated by the student to resolve the complaint, if known to the institution (e.g. lawsuit, EEOC investigation, etc.).

EWC will maintain, at a minimum, records of complaints for a two year period. The log is available for review by college staff, representatives of accrediting agencies, and by other, appropriate outside agencies. The names of any individuals involved in the complaint (including the names of any student(s) or EWC staff directly involved) are not part of the log.

Complaints, at EWC, are first addressed through the Informal Grievance procedure as outlined in the EWC Student Handbook. Those complaints that are not resolved using the Informal Grievance procedure, are resolved using the Formal Grievance Procedure also outlined in the EWC Student Handbook. The Handbook contains the EWC Student Code of Conduct (Board of Trustee Policy 5.13) that addresses how behavioral and other issues, including student complaints, are addressed by the College.

Informal Grievance Procedure (As It Pertains to Students)

In order to ensure the most complete processing of complaints or concerns within the environs of Eastern Wyoming College, the College adopts the following procedures: The first procedure, the informal grievance procedure, is designed to permit an expedited and orderly processing of all complaints or concerns of students in an informal manner, while at the same time ensuring that the complaints are fully explored and that a reasonable effort has been made to resolve the difficulties without the necessity of formal grievance proceedings.

The informal complaint procedure may be utilized to resolve any student or personnel problems arising at the College. If the grievance cannot be resolved through this informal procedure, the person or persons involved may avail themselves of the formal grievance procedure.

The informal complaint process is limited to fifty (50) calendar days from the alleged event. Complaints of events exceeding 50 days prior to statement of the complaint shall be handled through the formal complaint procedure. Any student who has a complaint may utilize this informal complaint procedure. In implementing this procedure, the complaining party should proceed as follows:

1. A complaint should be discussed initially between the persons involved; many problems may be resolved on this one-to-one basis.
2. If the persons(s) concerned are unable to resolve the problem on a one-to-one basis, the following procedures should be followed:
   1. In the event that the grievance concerns the College President, the complaint will be submitted to a mediation committee of three individuals. One individual shall be selected the complainant, one by the College President, and the two selected individuals shall jointly select a third individual. This committee shall then make recommendations in an effort to resolve the matter.
   2. A student should define the complaint to the appropriate Division Chairperson regarding instructional personnel or matters; and to the appropriate student activities director regarding non-instructional personnel or matters.

This informal procedure does not rule out discussions among the complainant, his/her supervisors, or any other person who may assist in resolving the situation, including the Vice President in charge of the particular department or activity involved. The Board of Trustees should not be involved in any informal discussion of the grievance with any party involved.

In the event the above procedure does not result in a mutually agreeable solution, the student may file a formal grievance which will then be processed in accordance with the procedures set forth within the College’s Formal Grievance Procedure.

Formal Grievance Procedure (As It Pertains to Students)

If the complaining party or parties have been unable or unwilling to resolve the complaint utilizing the procedures available under the “Informal Grievance Procedure,” the complaining party or parties may proceed to file a formal grievance.

1. The formal grievance procedure begins with the filing of a written complaint. The written complaint must be filed within ten (10) working days following the alleged event, or ten (10) working days after unsuccessfully resolving the complaint informally.
   
   The format of the written formal grievance shall contain the following:
   1. A concise statement of the grievance;
   2. A complete description of the action(s) of all parties involved;
   3. A detailed description of the alleged events;
   4. The date of the alleged occurrence;
   5. The place of occurrence of the alleged events;
   6. The relief or remedy sought by the complainant.
2. If the grievant is a student, the grievant shall submit the written complaint to the appropriate Division Chairperson, if the grievance involves instruction matters, and to the Vice President for Student Services if the grievance involves noninstructional matters. All formal student complaints are kept on file in the Vice President for Student Services’ office. The Division Chairperson, or Vice President for Student Services, 1) shall notify the relevant parties in the dispute of the receipt of the formal grievance within five (5) working days; and 2) shall investigate, facilitate and answer the grievance in writing.
3. If either party is dissatisfied with the written decision from the Division Chairperson or Vice President for Student Services, either party may request a review by the Grievance Review Committee. Such request must occur within five (5) working days after receiving the written decision from the Division Chairperson or Vice President for Student Services. The Grievance Review Committee shall conduct an investigation of the matter within ten (10) working days after the request is submitted. A written decision shall be submitted to the respective parties within five (5) working days after the investigation is completed.
4. If either party is dissatisfied with the written decision of the Grievance Review Committee, either party may request a review of the decision by the College President. The request must occur within five (5) working days after receiving the written decision from the Grievance Review Committee. The President shall conduct an investigation of the matter within ten (10) working days after the request is submitted. A written decision shall be submitted to the respective parties within five (5) working days after the investigation is completed.
5. If either party is dissatisfied with the written decision of the College President, either party may request a hearing before the Board of Trustees. Such a request for hearing must occur within five (5) working days after receiving the written decision from the College President. The Board shall then conduct a formal hearing in accordance with its Rules of Practice For Contested Cases.
6. COLLEGE PRESIDENT. If the grievance or complaint concerns the College President, the formal Complaint shall be submitted directly to the Grievance Review Committee within ten (10) working days following the alleged event, or ten (10) working days after unsuccessfully resolving the complaint informally. The Grievance Review Committee shall conduct an investigation of the matter within fifteen (15) working days after the Complaint has been submitted. A written decision shall be submitted to the respective parties within five (5) working days after the investigation is completed. If either party is dissatisfied with the written decision of the Grievance Review Committee, either party may request a hearing before the Board of Trustees. Such a request for hearing must occur within five (5) working days after receiving the written decision from the Grievance Review Committee. The Board shall then conduct a formal hearing in accordance with its Rules of Practice For Contested Cases.
7. Student Grievance Review Committee:
   • Administrator (Chairperson) appointed by the College President
   • Professional Staff Member appointed by the Chairperson
   • Faculty Member appointed by the Chairperson
   • Classified Staff Member appointed by the Chairperson
   • Student Senate Member recommended by Student Senate President