Part I: Responsibilities

Listed below are the responsibilities that Macon State students accept as part of the learning community. The primary expectations of Macon State College students are integrity and civility. Each student should approach academic endeavors, relationships, and personal responsibilities with a strong commitment to personal integrity and interpersonal civility. These responsibilities apply collectively to the members of Recognized Student Organizations.

1.  Individuals will fulfill their academic responsibilities in an honest and forthright manner.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: plagiarizing another's work (such as using another's phrasing, concepts or line of reasoning as your own without giving proper credit to the author or creator); submitting course assignments that are not your own; submitting the same paper in different classes without prior approval from both instructors; cheating (the use of any unauthorized means to gain academic advantage on assignments, laboratory reports or examinations); acquiring or using test materials without faculty knowledge; accessing any information, resource, and/or means of communication during an exam or assignment without specific authorization from the professor; failing to follow class policy; obtaining academic benefits through computer fraud or unauthorized access; engaging in academic fraud alone or with others; using material downloaded off Internet without proper citation; illicitly attempting to influence grading; failing to abide by test-taking procedures.

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2.  Individuals will respect and foster the academic endeavors of other members of the College community.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: harassing a faculty member; disrupting teaching or research; creating excessive noise that disrupts classes, studying, or College activities; other activities that seriously disrupt learning.

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3.  Individuals will protect and support the personal safety of all members of the College community.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: sexual assault, sexual contact without expressed permission; indecent exposure, stalking (persistent unwelcome contact or observation); threatening with a weapon; fighting; battery; physical violence; unsolicited physical contact with another person; endangering the health or safety of another person; actions taken with disregard for the harm that may ensue. Macon State College observes a strict policy with regard to acts of physical violence. Any person perpetrating an act of physical violence is automatically subject to the severest penalty provided in the “Disciplinary Sanctions” section of this Code.

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4.  Individuals will respect other members of the College community.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: disruptive noise; terroristic threats; sexual harassment; verbal or written intimidation; verbal or written harassment; e-mail or telephone harassment; harassment based on group membership; falsely accusing another; verbal abuse  – beyond a reasonable statement of opinion -- that may cause humiliation or stress to another; hazing (defined as mandating undesirable activities, a pattern of banter/ridicule/criticism and/or the use of humiliation, as a form of initiation); calumny (making false statements with the intent to harm another); slander; any unauthorized use of electronic or other devices to make an audio or video record of any person while on College premises without his or her prior knowledge, or without his or her effective consent when such a recording is likely to cause injury or distress. This includes, but is not limited to, surreptitiously taking pictures of another person in a gym, locker room, or restroom;actions that unduly interfere with another student’s right to learn and participate.

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5.  Individuals will show regard for the property of the College, its community members, and visitors to the campus

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: vandalism, theft; destruction of property; acting fraudulently to obtain goods, services, or funds from College departments, student organizations, or individuals; using one’s leadership position for personal gain; misuse and/or wrongful use of College facilities, equipment; failure to comply with policies regarding timely return of materials or equipment checked out or on loan to the student; wrongful sale or use of another’s property; knowingly possessing or using stolen property; failure to report knowledge of an infraction; unauthorized possession or duplication of a College key(s); providing a key to another person without proper authorization; not reporting a crime committed on campus.

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6.  Individuals will respect the integrity of the College’s academic and administrative records.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to acting alone or with others to: misrepresent academic status, performance, awards, or graduation material; omit material from or manipulate records; falsify a signature; falsify, alter, steal, or destroy College documents; alter, forge, or misuse College academic records; obtain grades, course access, awards, or endorsements dishonestly; commit computer fraud.

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7.  Individuals will contribute to a safe environment within the College community.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: possession of firearms/weapons (except as permitted by Georgia law), incendiary devices, or explosives; possession of articles or substances that are used as weapons or simulated weapons unless prior authorization is received from the Macon State College Chief of Police; misuse of College keys; willful failure to identify or false identification of oneself or one’s guest(s); failure to assume responsibility for the actions of one’s guest(s); misuse or damage of fire fighting, safety, or other emergency equipment; interference in the provision of emergency services; failure to comply with appropriate requests from Public Safety officers or College staff members; intoxication that disrupts other individuals or the College’s activities/administrative responsibilities; failure to comply with restriction from areas on campus. Students may not participate in any activity that could cause harm to themselves or others.

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8.  Individuals will adhere to federal, state, local, State College Board, and College law/regulations that govern individual actions and relationships among community members.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: sexual assault; physical assault; unauthorized possession of alcohol; possession, sale, or distribution of illegal substances; violation of College or department regulations, i.e. Drug-Free Campus policy; Residence Life Handbook; parking regulations; violation of College e-mail or computer usage policy; violation of any College or Board of Regents’ policy; violations of laws.

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9.  Individuals will assist the College in fulfilling its administrative responsibilities.

Examples of prohibited behavior include but are not limited to: retaliation towards an individual for involvement in a College activity; disruption of programmatic, administrative, or public service activities of the College; harassment of College staff (including student staff); submission of a false or purposely incomplete statement/report; misuse, alteration, or transference to another person of the Student Identification Card; failure to appear, in response to a proper summons, when requested to do so by a College official; disruption of disciplinary procedures and activities; dishonesty as part of a College hearing; misuse of one’s position within the College; failure to comply with sanctions from a disciplinary hearing.

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