Student Conduct Code - Responsible Action Policy
 

8.050.3. Responsible Action Policy.  The welfare of our students is of the highest importance to Truman State University.  There will be times when individual students, both on and off campus, may have knowledge of a situation that may present a significant threat to the health and welfare of themselves or others.  Truman wants to eliminate any hesitation that students or student organizations might have in obtaining help due to concern that their own behavior might be a violation of University policy. 

The University will take into consideration the positive impact of reporting an incident on the welfare of students when determining the appropriate response for policy violations by the reporter of the incident.  Any possible negative consequence for the reporter of the problem will be evaluated against the positive consequences of the intervention for the student in need.  Responsible citizens recognize and accept the duty to make ethical and moral decisions about the health and safety of themselves or others even when to do so might result in personal inconvenience.  At a minimum, Truman hopes that a student or student organization would make an anonymous report that would put the student in need in touch with professional helpers.  If charged and found responsible for a violation of the Code, sanctions imposed, if any, will be less severe when students or student organizations appropriately report dangerous circumstances than if  students or student organizations fail to report.

 

Examples where the Responsible Action Policy may influence educational sanctions are:

 

1. A female student is reluctant to report that she has been sexually assaulted because she had been smoking marijuana just prior to the assault.

 

2. A student is reluctant to call an ambulance when a friend becomes unconscious following excessive consumption of alcohol because the reporting student is under the age of 21 and was also consuming alcohol.

 

3. A member of a student organization is reluctant to report a possible suicide attempt by a prospective member because prospective members have been required to perform activities that might be considered hazing.

 

In all three of these examples, a student’s physical and/or psychological well-being is in serious jeopardy.