2023-2024 Catalog and Student Handbook

Standards of Conduct

The College considers the behavior described in the following subsections as inappropriate and in opposition to the core values set forth in the Pioneer Pledge and the College’s mission statement. These expectations and rules apply to all students, whether undergraduate or graduate. The College encourages community members to report to College officials all incidents that involve the following actions. Any student found to have committed or to have attempted to commit the following misconduct is subject to the sanctions outlined in Student Conduct Sanctioning.

Dishonesty:

Students will always communicate truthfully and respectfully with all members of the Marietta College Community. Behavior that violates this value includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Falsification. Knowingly furnishing, manufacturing, or possessing false, falsified, or forged materials, documents, accounts, records, identification or financial instruments; knowingly providing false information or false identification to a Marietta College official.
  2. False report of any emergency . Reporting a false emergency incident when knowing the information reported, conveyed or circulated is false or baseless.
  3. Unauthorized access or entry. Unauthorized access or entry to any College building or to any space in any College building (including rooftops and unoccupied residence hall rooms) or unauthorized possession, duplication, distribution, or use of any means of access to any College building including using another student’s room key or student ID or failing to timely report a lost College identification card or key.
  4. Unauthorized use of services. Using another student’s student ID to gain use of campus services; or presenting false or misleading information to access campus services
  5. Unauthorized loaning of keys or student IDs. Giving another student a room key or student ID for access to buildings or services. Student keys and IDs are issued to individual students, giving another student your ID or keys to access facilities or services is a violation of this policy.

Integrity Violations:

Students will always hold themselves to the highest ethical principles both personally and academically. Behavior that violates this value includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Collusion. Knowingly assisting in the violation of any provision of the Student Code of Conduct.
  2. Conduct unbecoming of a Marietta College student. Any conduct committed on- or off-campus that threatens the security, well-being, or reputation of the College.
  3. Vandalism or theft of property. Intentional damage to or theft of College property or the personal property of another, including goods, services, and other valuables.
  4. Stolen property. Knowingly taking or maintaining possession of stolen property (including residence hall common area furniture).
  5. Obstruction of official College duties. Interference with or obstruction of College officials in the performance of their duties.
  6. Failure to Comply. Failure to comply with reasonable directives from College officials during the performance of their duties and/or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.
  7. Disruptive Behavior. Substantial disruption of the College operations or residence hall life including obstruction of teaching, research, administration, other College activities, and/or other authorized non-College activities that occur on campus.
  8. Disorderly Conduct. Unreasonable or reckless behavior by an individual or group that creates a potentially unsafe situation for the members of the community on or off campus, or damages property; and/or infringes on the rights of others.

Disrespect:

Students will treat each individual on campus with respect, and learn to appreciate the differences that make each individual and culture within our community unique. Behavior that violates this value includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Assault. Assault of any member of or visitor to the College community, including harassing or threatening any person, engaging in menacing behavior, or fighting with another member of or visitor to the College community.
  2. Threats. Written or verbal conduct that causes a reasonable expectation of injury to the health or safety of any person or damage to any property.
  3. Intimidation. Intimidation is defined as implied threats or acts that cause a reasonable fear of harm in another.
  4. Bullying and Cyberbullying. Bullying and cyberbullying are repeated and/or severe aggressive behaviors that intimidate or intentionally harm or control another person physically or emotionally, and are not protected by freedom of expression.
  5. Hazing. The state of Ohio defines hazing as doing any act or coercing another, including the victim, to do any act of initiation to any student that causes or creates a substantial risk of causing mental or physical harm to any person. No person shall participate in the hazing of another or knowingly permit others to do so (Please see the Hazing Policy in Marietta College Community Standards and Ohio State Law at http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2903.31 for further information).
  6. Intimate Partner Violence. Intimate partner violence is defined as violence or abuse between those in an intimate relationship WITH each other. (Please see the Sexual Misconduct Policy for further information).
  7. Stalking. Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to: fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or suffer substantial emotional distress (Please see the Sexual Misconduct Policy for further information).
  8. Sexual Misconduct. Includes, but is not limited to, sexual harassment, non-consensual sexual contact, non-consensual sexual intercourse, and/or sexual exploitation (Please see the Sexual Misconduct Policy for further information).
  9. Discriminatory Harassment. Discriminatory harassment is severe and/or pervasive unwelcome behavior that creates an environment that intimidates, or is hostile or offensive to, a person or persons because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex or sexual orientation, age, or disability (See the Harassment Policy for further information).
  10. Invasion of Privacy. Making, attempting to make, transmitting, or attempting to transmit audio, video, or images of any person(s) on College premises or viewing or spying on a person(s) on College premises where there is an explicit expectation of privacy with respect to nudity and/or sexual activity without knowledge or consent of all participants. (Please see the Invasion of Privacy Policy in Marietta College Community Standards for further information ).
  11. Undisclosed Recording. Making, attempting to make, or transmitting an audio or video recording of private, non-public conversations and/or meetings on College premises without the knowledge and consent of all participants (See Undisclosed Recording Policy in Marietta College Community Standards for further information) .
  12. Unacceptable IT Use. Violating the Network Use Policy for Information Technology or the Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Policy (Please see Network Use Policy and Peer-to-Peer File Sharing Policy for further information).
  13. Abuse of the Conduct Process. Abuse or interference with, or failure to comply with, College conduct hearings, including, but not limited to:
    1. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information;
    2. Failure to provide, destroying, or concealing information during an investigation of an alleged policy violation;
    3. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the student conduct system;
    4. Harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of the student conduct body prior to, during, and/or following a student conduct proceeding;
    5. Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed by the student conduct system;
    6. Influencing, or attempting to influence, another person to commit an abuse of the student conduct system.

Irresponsibility:

Students will take responsibility for all of their decisions, and will challenge others to make decisions that put the community’s best interest at the forefront, while holding them accountable for the decisions that they make. Behavior that violates this value includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Alcohol . Use, possession, or distribution of alcoholic beverages or paraphernalia except as expressly permitted by law and the College’s Alcohol Policy (See Alcohol Policy in Marietta College Community Standards for further information).
  2. Controlled Substances. Use, possession or distribution of illegal drugs and other controlled substances or drug paraphernalia, including medical marijuana, except as expressly permitted by law and the College’s Controlled Substances Policy (See Controlled Substances Policy in Marietta College Community Standards for further information).
  3. Smoking and Tobacco . Smoking or tobacco use, including the use of e-cigarettes and hookahs inside any College-owned or-operated facility or within 20 feet of a College-owned or-operated facility (See Smoking and Tobacco Policy in Campus Policies for further information).

Disruptive Guests. Failure to monitor guests’ behavior to assure adherence with the Student Code of Conduct.

Safety Hazards:

Students will avoid behaviors that create a threat to the safety of others. Behavior that violates this value includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Weapons . Possession, transport and storage of weapons on College-owned or leased property, including in personal vehicles or at any College-sponsored function. Dangerous weapons include, but are not limited to: handguns and other firearms, explosives, ammunition, fireworks, knives, martial arts equipment, clubs, brass knuckles, bows and arrows, or any instrument that emits a projectile by way of compressed air, gas, or explosive device, or is defined as a weapon by federal, state or local laws (See Weapons Policy in Marietta College Community Standards for further information).
  2. Health and Safety Hazards . Creation of health and/or safety hazards (dangerous pranks, throwing items from windows, hanging out of or climbing from/on/in windows, balconies, roofs, etc., being on any part of a building’s outside structure); causing physical harm or a reasonable expectation of physical harm to any person; removing or opening security window screens; obstructing or impeding entrance or egress from a residence hall; possession of any prohibited item within the residence halls (See Prohibited Items list for further information).
  3. Fire Hazards . Violation of local, state, federal or College fire policies including, but not limited to:
    1. Intentionally or recklessly causing a fire that damages College or personal property or that causes injury.
    2. Failure to evacuate a College-controlled building during a fire alarm.
    3. Hanging items from sprinkler systems.
    4. Possession, use, or manufacture of explosive, flammable, or harmful materials.
    5. Improper use of College fire safety equipment.
    6. Tampering with or improperly engaging a fire alarm or fire detection/control equipment while on College property. Such action may result in a local fine in addition to College sanctions.
  4. Residential. Failure to follow residential policies, including but not limited to:
    1. Violating quiet and/or courtesy hours.
    2. Bringing or housing an animal inside a residence hall that is not a service animal or emotional support animal registered with the Office of Accessibility Services.
    3. Renting, subleasing, or loaning of a residence hall space.
    4. Remaining in a residence hall room without the resident’s permission.
    5. Changing residence hall rooms without permission of the Office of Community Living.
    6. Removing furniture from residence hall rooms.
    7. Propping open any wing or exterior door.
  5. Unapproved Wheeled Devices . Skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, bicycles and similar wheeled devices are not permitted inside College buildings, residence halls or on tennis courts. Additionally, skateboards and other wheeled items may not be ridden on raisings, curbs, benches, or any such fixtures that may be damaged by these activities; individuals may be held liable for damage to College property caused by these activities. Hoverboards are not permitted to be used on-campus or to be used or stored inside any College building or residence hall.
  6. Littering. Littering is the act of throwing, dropping, discarding, or placing garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, automobile parts, furniture, glass, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature.
  7. Motor Vehicle Policy. Failure to follow any tenet of the Motor Vehicle Policy, including but not limited to:
    1. Failure to register a vehicle.
    2. Parking in unauthorized or restricted areas.
    3. Driving in unauthorized or restricted areas. (See Motor Vehicle Policy in Campus Policies for further information).
  8. Student Organization Policies: Failure to follow any outlined student organization policy (See Student Organization Policies and Campus Policies for further information).
  9. Other Violations : Violating other published College policies or rules, including all residence hall policies.