Mar 28, 2024  
2018 - 2019 Catalog 
    
2018 - 2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED PUBLICATION]

Student Rights and Responsibilities


In order to ensure that all students are familiar with their rights and responsibilities, Delgado Community College publishes policy and procedures information on the College’s website. Student rights and responsibilities are also listed in each semester’s Student Handbook.

Student Rights

In order to preserve and to guarantee students of Delgado Community College those conditions indispensable to the full achievement of the objectives of higher education in a free democratic society, the College holds the following rights essential to the development of students as individuals and to the fulfillment of their responsibilities as members of society:

A. The right of every person to be considered for admission to Delgado Community College and to participate equally in all College offerings, programs and activities without regard to race, color, religious or political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship, national origin, age, disability/handicap or marital status or veteran’s status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, and the sickle cell trait;

B. The right to form and participate in campus, local, national, or international organizations for intellectual, religious, social, political, economic or cultural purposes when such organizations do not infringe upon the rights of others;

C. The right individually or in association with others, to engage freely in off-campus activities, provided they do not claim to represent the College;

D. The right to issue official student publications following the procedures set forth by the College;

E. The right to form and maintain democratic student governance;

F. The right to use campus facilities, provided the facilities are used for the purpose contracted subject to the approval of the appropriate college official;

G. The right of students to invite and hear speakers of their choice subject to the approval of the appropriate college official;

H. The right to address concerns in course scheduling, curriculum, or faculty through proper channels;

I. The right to due process in all disciplinary matters and the right to appeal to the proper authority or committee;

J. The right to have faculty who will maintain and encourage an atmosphere of integrity;

K. The right to file a complaint through the Student Grievance Procedures to the College when the student’s rights have been violated; and

L. Enumeration of certain rights herein shall not be construed as to nullify or limit other rights possessed by students.

Student Responsibilities

It is the responsibility of every student to conduct his or her self in a manner fitting an academic environment. In most cases, the exercise of good sense and judgment prevail. The following acts as set forth by legislative act and LCTCS policy are contrary to acceptable conduct. The College reserves the right to take any necessary and/or appropriate steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of the College community. Jurisdiction may be extended based on conduct off campus, when the behavior or the presence of the student, in the College’s sole judgment, adversely impacts or represents a threat to the College community, damages the reputation of the institution, or impairs, obstructs, or interferes with the interests and/or mission, processes, or functions of Delgado Community College. Behavior conducted through electronic means through blogs, web pages, social networking sites and any other modes of electronic communication are in the public sphere, are not private, and can be subject to allegations of misconduct. Any student who commits or attempts to commit any acts, such as, but not limited to the following, will be subject to disciplinary proceedings:

A. Academic dishonesty, such as cheating, plagiarism, academic misconduct, collusion, or accessory to acts of academic dishonesty. Students should be aware that personally completing assigned work is essential to learning. Students who are aware that others in a course are cheating or otherwise committing academic dishonesty have the responsibility to bring the matter to the attention of the course instructor and/or the Division Dean. Academic honesty and intellectual integrity are fundamental to the process of learning and to evaluating academic performance.  Maintaining such integrity is the responsibility of all members of the College. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

  1. Cheating–The act of deception by a student who misrepresents his mastery of information on an academic exercise.  These acts can be either premeditated or not.  Examples include copying or allowing someone else to copy work of another student; using a textbook or other material during an examination; collaboration during an academic exercise or giving or receiving information; and using specially prepared materials during an academic exercise, such as notes or formula lists.
  2. Plagiarism–The inclusion of someone else’s actual words or paraphrases, ideas, or data into one’s own work without acknowledging the original source. The included material must have appropriate citations such as footnotes or quotation marks and identification of the sources, published or unpublished, copyrighted or not copyrighted.
  3. Collusion–The unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing an academic exercise or committing an academic violation with another person.
  4. Academic Misconduct–The actual or attempted tampering or misuse of academic records or materials such as transcripts and examinations.  Examples include stealing, buying, or otherwise obtaining all or part of an non-administered test or academic exercise; selling, bribing or giving away all or part of an non-administered academic exercise or any information about it; changing or altering a grade book, test, change of student record form, or other official academic records of the College that would alter grades; and breaking in and/or entering a building or office for the purpose of changing a grade or tampering in any way with grades or examinations.
  5. Falsification/Fabrication–The intentional use of invented information or the falsification of research findings with the intent to deceive.  Examples include citation of information not obtained from the source indicated; listing sources in a bibliography not used in the academic exercise; inventing data or source information; submitting as one’s own, any academic exercise prepared totally or in part for/by another; taking a test for another student or permitting another student to take a test for oneself; submitting work previously used for credit in another course without express permission of the Instructor; and falsifying information on official school documents such as application, financial aid, and/or scholarship forms.
  6. Accessory to Acts of Academic Dishonesty–The act of intentionally facilitating, supporting, or conspiring with another student to commit any form of academic dishonesty.

B. Harassment defined as the act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or a group. Such actions will be considered a violation of misconduct if deemed, for example, as intimidating, disparaging, unwelcomed sexual advances, physical or verbal in nature. Furthermore, if a violation of legal statute is found to have occurred the matter may be pursued criminally.

C. Obstruction or disruption of teaching and research.

D. Obstruction or disruption of authorized college event, administrative procedure, or disciplinary procedure.

E. Unauthorized entry into or unauthorized occupation of any college facility.

F. Verbal, emotional, or physical abuse or threat thereof against any person on campus or at any college-authorized event, or other conduct which threatens or endangers the health and safety of any such person.

G. Theft or damage to personal property or to the property of the College or injury to a person on the campus.

H. Intentional interference with the right of access to college facilities or with any lawful right of any person on the campus.

I. Setting a fire on campus without proper authority.

J. Unauthorized use or possession of fire arms, ammunition, or other dangerous weapons, substances, or materials on the campus.

K. Knowingly furnishing false information to the College, which includes but is not limited to false reporting or false accusations.

L. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of college documents, records or identification.

M. Use, possession or distribution of narcotic or dangerous drugs such as marijuana, hallucinogens, and other drugs which are not prescribed or expressly permitted by law.

N. Failure to comply with the directives of campus officials and law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties, to identify oneself to these officers when requested to do so, or failure to respond to requests for information.

O. Conduct which adversely affects the student’s suitability as a member of the academic community (such as drunkenness, use of profanity, or behavior deemed unbecoming of a student).

P. Violating the Tobacco-Free College policy in accordance with Louisiana Revised Statutes 40:1300.251-263.

Q. Gambling in any form on College property.

R. Use or possession of any alcoholic beverage on campus or at College-related activities occurring off site, except at functions as approved by the Chancellor.

S. Misuse or Abuse of Computer Equipment, Programs, or Data - Unauthorized use of computing resources or use of computing resources for unauthorized purposes is prohibited by the College’s Information Technology Security policy. This may include but is not limited to such activities as accessing or copying programs, records, or data belonging to the College or another user without permission; attempting to breach the security of another user’s account or deprive another user of access to the College’s computing resources; knowingly or carelessly performing an act that will interfere with the normal operation of computers, terminals, peripherals, or networks; using the College’s computing resources for personal or financial gain; allowing non-college personnel access to college computing resources; displaying obscene, lewd, or sexually harassing images or text in use of college computing services; transporting copies of College programs, records, or data to another person or computer site without written authorization; attempting to destroy or modify programs, records or data belonging to the College or another user.

T. Aiding or inciting others to commit any act set forth above.

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