Conduct and Grievances

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ACQUAINTANCE WITH POLICIES, RULES AND REGULATIONS

Each student is expected to be fully acquainted with all published policies, rules, and regulations of the College, copies of which shall be available to each student for review at the Student Services Office. The College holds each student responsible for compliance with these policies, rules, and regulations. For a complete listing of College policies and their specific procedures, please visit the Conduct and Grievances webpage at www.wc.edu/campus-resouces/conduct-grievances.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity is fundamental to the educational mission of Weatherford College and the College expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials. Any student who is demonstrated to have engaged in any of these activities, will be subject to immediate disciplinary action in accordance with institutional procedures.

Examples of cheating, plagiarism, collusion, or abuse of source materials include, but are not limited to:

  • Copying from another student’s test paper or devices;
  • Failing to comply with instructions given by the person administering the test;
  • Possession of materials during a test which are not authorized by the person administering the test, such as class notes or other unauthorized aids;
  • Using, buying, stealing, transporting, selling, or soliciting in whole or part items including, but not limited to, the contents of an un-administered test, test key, homework solution, or computer program;
  • Collaborating with, seeking aid, or receiving assistance from another student or individual during a test or in conjunction with other assignments without authority;
  • Discussing the contents of an examination with another student who has taken or will take the examination without authority;
  • Appropriation through purchasing, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means, material that is attributable in whole, or in part, to another source including words, ideas, illustrations, structure, computer code, other expression, and media, and presenting that material as one’s own academic work to instructors for credit;
  • Unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing academic assignments offered for credit, or collaboration with another person to commit a violation of any section of the rules on academic dishonesty.
  • Unauthorized use of Generative AI to produce work of any type (text, image, code, etc.) and presenting that work as one's own;
  • Citation of sources that do not exist or citation of material within a source that does not exist;
  • Misrepresentation of information or phrasing taken out of context changing the original meaning of the source;
  • Falsifying research data, laboratory reports and/or other academic work offered for credit;
  • Substituting for another person or permitting another person to substitute for oneself to take a course, take a test or complete any course-related assignment.

Faculty may request, through the appropriate instructional dean, that an allegation of Academic Integrity violation be reviewed for possible academic sanction. Appeals concerning academic sanctions may be made through the Student Appeals Procedure.

ALCOHOL AND DRUG POLICY STATEMENT

A student shall be prohibited from using or being under the influence of intoxicating beverages in classroom buildings, laboratories, auditoriums, library buildings, museums, faculty and administrative offices, intercollegiate and intramural athletic facilities, and all other public campus areas. State law shall be strictly enforced at all times on all property controlled by the College District in regard to the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages.

No student shall possess, use, transmit, or attempt to possess, use, or transmit, or be under the influence of, any controlled substance, abusable inhalant, performance-enhancing drug, designer drug or any other intoxicant behavior-altering drug on College District premises or off premises at a College District-sponsored activity, function, or event.

The transmittal, sale, or attempted sale of what is represented to be any of the above-listed substances shall also be prohibited under the policy.

A student who uses a drug authorized by a licensed physician through a prescription specifically for that student’s use shall not be considered to have violated this rule.

APPEALS (DUE PROCESS)

Weatherford College recognizes the importance of providing an opportunity for students to appeal the decisions made by college administrators, committees, and faculty and staff. Particular care is taken to provide safeguards for students if any action significantly alters their status at the College. In cases in which the accused student disputes the facts and/or penalties upon which the findings were based, an appeals committee shall hear such charges. The appeals committee shall be impartial and shall be designated by the Assistant Vice President of Student Services. The appeals committee shall preside over a fair hearing for the student and holds the authority to affirm, modify, remand, or reverse sanctions. The student and the College may be represented by counsel during the appeals. Weatherford College has one standing appeal committee.

The Student Appeals Committee will convene for a student disputing the facts and/or sanctions in the following circumstances:

  • Violations of the Student Code of Conduct
  • Violations of program-specific rules and regulations
  • Non-Academic Success resulting in a delay of education

All students appearing before the Student Appeals Committee shall be informed of their due process rights.  The procedural processes are listed in the student handbook.  Students may request an appeal in the Office of Student Services. 

Students may petition the College President in writing to review the Student Appeals Committee decision, within ten business days of receiving notice of the committee's decision. The College President will follow the procedures set forth in the College Policy. If the College President affirmed or modified the decision of the appeals committee or if the time for a response has expired, the student may appeal the decision to the Board in writing.

BULLYING

Bullying of a student may include hazing, threats, taunting, teasing, confinement, assault, demands for money, destruction of property, theft of valued possessions, name-calling, rumor spreading, and/or ostracism, all of which are prohibited activities at Weatherford College and college-sponsored events. Bullying can occur in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct. 

Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to an instructor, counselor, administrator, or another college employee who shall notify the Executive Dean of Student Services. A report may be made orally or in writing.

COMPLAINTS

Weatherford College encourages students to discuss their concerns and complaints through informal conferences with the appropriate instructor or another campus administrator. Concerns should be expressed as soon as possible to allow early resolution at the lowest possible administrative level. 

If an informal conference regarding a complaint fails to reach an acceptable outcome for the student, the student may initiate the formal complaint process by filing a written complaint form. The student complaint form is found online at www.wc.edu, and in the Office of Student Services. Completed forms should be directed to the Executive Dean of Student Services. The Executive Dean will then forward to the appropriate administrator who can address the concern. If the student did not receive the relief requested, the student may request a conference to the next level of administration by following the student complaint policy. When addressing a student complaint, the college will follow the institution’s student complaint policy, unless the complaint is regarding discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disciplinary decisions, or commissioned peace officers employed by the college. These alleged grievances are adjudicated through separate policies and have varying due process procedures.

DISCIPLINARY ACTION

Disciplinary action may originate with the Executive Dean of Student Services or designee or in other units of the College District, which may initially deal with the alleged misconduct. A faculty member, staff member, or student shall report any student violation that is not resolvable through an informal process if he or she believes that disciplinary action may be warranted. Any such referral(s) to the Executive Dean of Student Services shall be in writing and shall be signed by the college official making the referral. 

The Executive Dean of Student Services or designee may conduct an investigation to determine if the charges have merit and/or if they can be disposed
of administratively by mutual consent of the student(s) and/or the college official who referred the matter. After the initial investigation, the Executive Dean of Student Services or designee may issue one or more of the following:

  1. Take no action.
  2. Take administrative action to counsel, advise, or admonish the student.
  3. Forward the grievance to an appropriate administrator/committee
  4. Take disciplinary action against the offending student.

The discipline of students at Weatherford College is, in all but the case of expulsion, a part of the education process. Disciplining students is intended to be instructional and help students ultimately discipline themselves. A student shall be subject to discipline for violation of College policies and procedures, including the rules outlining expectations for student conduct (see Student Handbook). If a student commits an infraction or engages in misconduct, the college may impose penalties outlined in the Student Discipline Policy.

The disciplinary record shall be maintained permanently in the event that a student is expelled or subject to an extended suspension. In all other cases, the disciplinary record shall be maintained in accordance with the College’s record retention schedule and kept separate from the student’s academic record.

DISCRIMINATION, HARASSMENT & RETALIATION

Weatherford College prohibits discrimination, including harassment, against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law. Retaliation against anyone involved in the complaint process is a violation of the College policy and is prohibited.

Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to an instructor, counselor, administrator, another college employee, or the appropriate college official listed below: 

Reports of discrimination based on disability may be directed to the ADA/ Section 504 coordinator. The College District designates the following person to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title II of the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, which incorporates and expands the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended:

  • Name: Dawn Kahlden
    Position: Director of Special Populations
    Address: 225 College Park Drive, Weatherford, TX 76086
    Telephone: 817-598-6350

Reports of discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment and sexual harassment in the form of sexual violence, and bullying may be directed to the Title IX coordinator. The College District designates the following person to coordinate its efforts to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended:

  • Name: Adam Finley
    Position: Executive Dean, Workforce
    Address: 225 College Park Drive, Weatherford, TX 76086
    Telephone: 817-598-8831

A student shall not be required to report prohibited conduct to the person alleged to have committed the conduct. Reports concerning prohibited conduct, including reports against the ADA/Section 504 coordinator or the Title IX coordinator may be directed to the College President. A report against the College President may be made directly to the Board.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT/SEXUAL VIOLENCE

 

Weatherford College forbids employee conduct constituting sexual harassment of students. The college forbids students from engaging in unwanted and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature directed toward another student or to a college employee. Any student who believes that he or she has experienced prohibited conduct or believes that another student has experienced prohibited conduct should immediately report the alleged acts to an instructor, counselor, or administrator. Additionally students can contact the Human Resources Director at 817-598-6276 to report any alleged prohibited contact from a college employee. Students reporting any alleged prohibited contact from another student should contact the Title IX coordinator at 817-598-8831.

STUDENT CONDUCT

The conduct of Weatherford College students, both on and off campus, is expected to be that of any responsible adult in a public place. Students should consider at all times the effect of their actions on the reputation of the college. It is recognized that each student has the inherent right of free speech and free thought. However, it is also recognized that these rights must be extended to all individuals.

With these statements as guidelines, the college reserves the right to immediately suspend any students found guilty of a felony, found guilty of the possession or use of narcotics, engaged in action that disrupts or interferes with regular college classes or college-sanctioned functions, found guilty of academic dishonesty or who is responsible for the obstruction of the normal administrative operations of the College. Any student suspended or expelled under this policy may appeal the ruling before the appropriate committee (see Appeals (Due Process).

A complete set of policies regarding student conduct may be found in the current student handbook available online at www.wc.edu.

TOBACCO USE POLICY

Weatherford College prohibits the use of any type of tobacco products on college grounds and in college buildings, facilities, and vehicles in order to provide students, employees, and visitors a safe and healthy environment. The use of “vapor” or electronic cigarettes are prohibited in any classroom or building on college property. This prohibition shall also apply to spaces leased by the College. The use of tobacco products shall be permitted in private vehicles parked on College property provided any residue is retained within the vehicle.