Students as Citizens
Students have the right to be treated with respect and dignity. In all meetings regarding discipline concerns, students will be assured rights. This Code of Conduct is intended to provide guidelines to develop students as citizens. In the same manner that citizens of a community accept responsibility for their actions, so do college students in a college environment. With this in mind, we support the five "Ethical Principles to Live By..." authored by Karen Kirchener (1985):
- RESPECT AUTONOMY. Individuals have the right to decide how they will live their lives, as long as their actions do not interfere with the welfare of others.
- DO NO HARM. We all have an obligation to avoid inflicting either physical or psychological harm on others and avoid actions that risk harming others.
- BENEFIT OTHERS. There is an obligation to improve or enhance the welfare of others.
- BE JUST. To be just in dealing with others assumes equal treatment of all; to afford each individual their due portion, and in general to observe the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you."
- BE FAITHFUL. One should keep promises, tell the truth, be loyal and maintain respect and civility in human discourse. Only insofar can we expect to be seen as trustworthy.
Normandale Community College is an educational institution and not a court of law. Therefore, the concept of fair play will take precedence in all settings and the philosophy of discipline will be one of an educational approach. It is hoped that most disciplinary concerns may be settled early in the process in an informal setting using the following goals:
- Assist the student or student group in confronting the value questions surrounding the behavior;
- Assist the student or student group to understand the causes of the behavior;
- Encourage the student or student group in understanding the importance of taking responsibility and recognizing consequences for their actions; and,
- Learn from the incident so that they may make better decisions in the future. This publication is prepared by the Dean of Students Office for the use by students and staff at Normandale Community College. The Code is available in alternate media upon request.
Any question of interpretation regarding the Student Code shall be referred to the Associate Dean of Students or designee for final determination.
This policy is subject to change without notice.
For a complete copy of the Code of Conduct including Judicial Process, see Normandale Community College Catalog.
