Student Conduct Code - Purpose
 

8.010. Purpose.  State statutes provide that the governing boards of public colleges and universities "shall possess full power and authority to adopt all needful rules and regulations for the guidance and supervision of the conduct of all students" and "to enforce obedience to the rules." Although the grant of authority is broadly stated, it is well recognized that students are citizens. Students have legal rights, and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. For that reason, it is important that the University’s standards of student conduct, and the procedures for the enforcement of such standards, are fair and reasonable and are made available to all members of the University community.

Truman State University is a community of scholars. The University aspires to transmit knowledge, to foster student development, and to promote the quality of a mature and diverse society. By enrolling in the University, the student neither loses the rights nor escapes the duties of a citizen but conducts his or her life in the context of mutual regard for the rights, property, and privileges of others. In seeking these goals, the University recognizes the significance of students’ rights. Those rights include:

• freedom of expression

• autonomy

• procedural protection, and,

• respect for personal integrity of all members of the community and their property.

By ensuring those individual rights, the University fosters an environment conducive to student success and well-being. In addition, efforts are made to foster the personal and social development of students.

Of course, students have obligations as well as rights. As members of an academic community, students must observe rules that benefit this community. Students must practice personal integrity. By doing so, they respect the dignity, rights, and property of all members of the University community. The Student Conduct Code thus creates an expectation of behavior that the University views as acceptable and appropriate. By fulfilling these expectations, students can enjoy their own rights, while also respecting others’ rights and furthering the University’s mission.

Student organizations often enrich the campus and community by providing a source of intellectual, personal, and social development for students through their programs and activities. The University fulfills an important mission by providing procedures and policies for the registration and support of student organizations.  Inherent in University registration of student organizations is the obligation of each organization to conduct activities in accordance with all University rules, policies, and applicable laws.  It is the responsibility of the officers of each student organization to ensure that the student organization complies with the Student Conduct Code, that activities of the organization are conducted properly, and to actively oppose and prevent any organizational activity that would violate it. It is also the obligation of the officers of any student organization to advise and counsel individual members of their organization whose conduct could lead to misconduct allegations against the organization.

The University, as any other, must have a system to address those instances when a member, members, or student organization(s) fails to adhere to the expectations of the community. This Student Conduct Code describes University expectations of students and student organizations and the processes available when a student or student organization has failed to adhere to these expectations.  The Code also strives to support the educational environment by being proactive in nurturing appropriate personal and organizational development.

While the university places a high priority on student rights, the University conduct process differs from criminal law processes. This process is designed, in part, to determine whether a student has violated the Student Conduct Code only, not guilt or innocence. The University conduct process is informal and it is not bound by legal jargon, court-like proceedings, formal rules of evidence or the legal definitions that are the province of the criminal courts.  Procedures and rights in student conduct proceedings are conducted with fairness to all, but do not include the same protections of due process afforded by the courts.  Due process, within these procedures, assures:

• written notice;

• a hearing before an objective decision-maker;

• a finding of in-violation of Truman State University policy will not be made without information showing that it is more likely than not that a policy violation occurred; and

• sanctions will be proportionate to the severity of the violation. 

This policy has been developed in accord with such philosophy and will be administered accordingly.