Student Code of Conduct

Students of Chattahoochee Technical College are guaranteed all of the rights, privileges and freedoms granted to a citizen of the United States. In addition, they are entitled to an environment that is conducive to learning and individual growth. To this end, students enrolled at Chattahoochee Technical College assume a citizen’s responsibility to abide by federal, state, and local laws. Violations of statutory laws or of Chattahoochee Technical College student conduct regulations or other Technical College System of Georgia policies, rules and regulations may lead to disciplinary actions by Chattahoochee Technical College. These regulations do not deny any previously guaranteed rights and privileges, but ensure a pleasant educational environment for all Chattahoochee Technical College students.

Standard of Conduct

Technical College students assume an obligation to act in a manner compatible with the fulfillment of the College mission. The Technical College community recognizes its responsibility to provide an atmosphere conducive to growth. With these principles in mind, Chattahoochee Technical College establishes this Student Code of Conduct.

The administration reserves the right to maintain a safe and orderly educational environment for students and staff. Therefore, when, in the judgment of college officials, a student’s conduct disrupts or threatens to disrupt the college community, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken to restore and protect the atmosphere of collegiality and mutual respect on campus. This procedure is intended to provide an orderly protocol for handling disciplinary cases in accordance with the principles of due process and justice.

Proscribed Conduct

Any student found to have committed the following misconduct is subject to disciplinary sanctions:

a) Acts of dishonesty, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty.
• Furnishing false information to any Technical College official, faculty member or office.
• Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any Technical College document, record, or instrument of identification.
• Tampering with the election of any Technical College recognized student organization.

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

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

d) Attempted or actual theft of and/or damage to property of the Technical College or property of a member of the Technical College community or other personal or public property.

e) 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.

f) Failure to comply with directions of Technical 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.

g) Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys to any Technical College premises or unauthorized entry to or use of Technical College premises.

h) Violation of published Department or Technical College policies, rules or regulations including, but not limited to, rules imposed upon students who enroll in a particular class or program.

i) Violation of federal, state or local law on Technical College premises or at Technical College sponsored or supervised activities.

j) Use, possession or distribution of narcotic or other controlled substances except as expressly permitted by law.

k) Use, possession or distribution of alcoholic beverages or public intoxication on Technical College premises or at off-campus activities sponsored by the Technical College.

l) Illegal or unauthorized possession of firearms, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals on Technical College premises.

m) Participation in a campus demonstration that disrupts the normal operations of the Technical College and infringes on the rights of other members of the Technical College community; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area; intentional obstruction that unreasonably interferes with freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular, on campus.

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

o) Conduct that is unbecoming to a student, including, but not limited to, conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; a breach of peace; or aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to breach the peace on Technical College premises or at other locations where classes, activities, or functions sponsored or participated by the Technical College may be held.

p) Theft or other abuse of computer time, including but not limited to:

• Unauthorized entry into a file, to use, read, or change the contents, or for any other purpose.
• Unauthorized transfer of a file.
• Unauthorized use of another individual's identification and password.
• Use of computing facilities to interfere with the work of another student, faculty member or Technical College Official.
• Use of computer facilities to send obscene or abusive messages or view obscene electronic information.
• Use of computing facilities to interfere with normal operation of the Technical College computing system.
• Violation of the College’s Computer and Internet Use policies.
• Violation of the College’s Printer Use policy or theft of printing services, to include unauthorized use of another individual's account.

q) Abuse of the Judicial System, including but not limited to:

• Failure to obey the summons of a judicial body or Technical College official.
• Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a judicial body.
• Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a judicial proceeding.
• Initialing a judicial proceeding knowingly without cause.
• Attempting to discourage an individual's proper participation in, or use of, the judicial system.
• Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a judicial body prior to and/or during the course of the judicial proceeding.
• Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of a judicial body prior to, during, and/or after a judicial proceeding.
• Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under the Student Code.
• Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the judicial system.

r) Use of tobacco products in campus buildings except in marked designated smoking areas.

Jurisdiction of the Technical College

Generally, Technical College jurisdiction and discipline shall be limited to conduct which occurs on Technical College premises, off-campus classes, activities or functions sponsored by the Technical College, or which adversely affects the Technical College Community and/or the pursuit of its objectives.