Student Code of Conduct

The Student Code of Conduct

A. Community Standards

Unauthorized possession, duplication, or use of keys (including proximity cards) to any College premises.

Unauthorized entry to or unauthorized or improper use of a College private room, building, structure, vehicle, or facility.

Conduct that is disruptive, lewd, or indecent, regardless of intent, which breaches the peace of the community.

Illegal or unauthorized possession of any firearms, explosives, other weapons, or dangerous chemicals, whether in proper working condition or not.

Including but not limited to:

  1. Falsely reporting a bomb, fire, or any other emergency by means of activating a fire alarm or by any other means.
  2. Unauthorized possession, use, or alteration of any College-owned emergency or safety equipment.
  3. Failure to evacuate a building or other structure during an alarm activation.
  4. Actions that create a substantial risk such that the safety of an individual is compromised.
  5. Tampering with fire safety or other safety equipment. (Covering/disabling detectors, exit signs, fire extinguishers, etc.)

Committing acts of arson, creating a fire hazard, or unauthorized possession or use of flammable materials or hazardous substances.

Including but not limited to:

  1. Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, or other College activities, including its public-service functions on or off campus, or other authorized non-College activities, when the act occurs on College premises.
  2. Leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities associated with the operations of the College; intentional obstruction that unreasonably interferes with freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular, on campus.
  3. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised functions.

Violation of federal, state, and/or local laws

Violation of published College policies, rules, and regulations. Note: See the SUNY Broome College Handbook for more information.

All selling and soliciting of merchandise and services on campus and in the Student Village is prohibited; unless approved through Campus Life or the Director of Housing, respectively.

Guests are defined as non-SUNY Broome students who are visiting. All students are responsible for the actions of their guests for any violations committed on College premises, or at College sponsored or supervised functions. Students are also expected to take reasonable action to prevent their guests from violating College policies.

Any affiliation with an unrecognized organization is prohibited. Affiliation includes recruiting for; joining; rushing; pledging; accepting an offer of membership or being involved in any activity that would normally be associated with being a member of the unrecognized organization.

The use of electric transportation devices is prohibited on SUNY Broome property walkways and crosswalks, and inside all buildings owned, leased, or rented by SUNY Broome. (Electric or hybrid vehicles inspected and registered in order to be operated or driven on public roads and highways in accordance with NYS VTL, are exempt from this policy. Motorized accessible scooters, covered by NYS VTL Article 34-C, are exempt from this policy.)

 

B. Personal Responsibility and Integrity

Including but not limited to:

  1. Providing false information to any College official, faculty member, College office or others acting in the performance of their duties.
  2. Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any document, record, or instrument of identification.
  3. Tampering with the election of any College recognized student organization.
  4. Aiding, abetting, or procuring another person to violate a College policy.
  5. Academic dishonesty

  1. Possession or use of altered or another person’s documents, including those used to identification either on campus or in the College community.
  2. Manufacture, sale, or distribution of an identification to another individual.
  3. Failure to show proper student identification to any faculty, staff, or student staff in the performance of their official duties.

  1. Failure to comply with reasonable and lawful requests or directives of College officials or law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties and/or interference with faculty, staff, or student staff acting in the performance of their official duties. This includes, but is not limited to: not appearing at meetings when directed to do so; not providing identification; not abiding by any temporary and/or administrative directive; and not leaving areas/events when directed to do so.
  2. Failure to comply with and/or complete assigned conduct sanctions or Good Samaritan mandates.
  3. Violation of disciplinary probation or deferred suspension.

Any action that causes damage or which would tend to cause damage to the property of the College or property of a member of the College community or other personal or public property.

Including but not limited to:

  1. Attempted or actual theft of College property or services or property belonging to any member of the College community.
  2. The unauthorized possession of stolen property, College property, or property belonging to any member of the College community.
  3. Unauthorized use or abuse of computer time and/or computer systems, information, passwords, or computerized data.
  4. Obtaining or attempting to obtain telephone service by any devious means, including but not limited to: unauthorized charging of another person for service, utilizing fraudulent mechanical means to gain service, and/or tampering with connections, facilities, or documents.

Consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages, with the only exception being for individuals of the age 21 or older at a SUNY Broome sponsored event. Alcohol is not permitted in the Student Village regardless of legal age

The possession of any instrument or equipment that can be used for the rapid consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. (e.g. funnels, beer pong tables, etc.)

Students may not possess, distribute, or be knowingly in the presence of any drug, including cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol derivatives, narcotics or other controlled substances, on property owned by the College or property that directly supports the College’s educational purposes except as expressly permitted by law and College policy. Conduct related to the use of drugs where the individual becomes a disruption to the community is prohibited.

Any items that can be utilized for or are designed for the use of drugs (e.g. bowls, bongs, grinders, etc.) are not allowed on campus property. Any items that are fashioned for the purpose of drug use will also be considered a violation of this policy.

Tobacco, cannabis, and electronic cigarette/electronic aerosol delivery device use is prohibited everywhere within the perimeter on all SUNY Broome property, both indoors and outdoors, as well as in College-owned vehicles, and in any vehicle on SUNY Broome property. The only exception are the two designated smoking areas; the small white gazebos.  Smoking at College sponsored events is also prohibited.

Including, but not limited to:

  1. Failure to comply with the instructions of a student conduct body or College official.
  2. Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information before a student conduct body.
  3. Disruption or interference with the orderly administration of a student conduct proceeding.
  4. Institution of a student conduct proceeding knowingly without cause by filing a false report or statement.
  5. Attempting to discourage an individual’s proper participation in, or use of, the student conduct system or Title IX grievance process through intimidation, threats, coercion, discrimination or any other means.
  6. Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a student conduct body prior to, and/or during the course of, the student conduct proceeding.
  7. Harassment (verbal or physical), threats and/or intimidation or attempting to influence of a member of a student conduct body, Student Conduct staff or witness in the conduct process prior to, during, and/or after a student conduct proceeding either directly or through a third party.
  8. Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the student conduct system.

Misuse or abuse of the College computer system, voice mail or telephone services as defined by the College. This includes but is not limited to:

  1. Unauthorized use or abuse of your computer account, including failure to safeguard User IDs and passwords.
  2. Sending abusive or threatening messages to students, faculty, or staff.
  3. Repeatedly sending messages with no appropriate intent.
  4. Accessing a student or staff account without authorization.
  5. Using a College office email account to send messages without authorization.
  6. Failure to comply with College technology policies.
  7. Illegal use including but not limited to illegal downloading, uploading, or use of file sharing programs with regard to copyrighted materials.

Any unauthorized use of electronic or other devices to surreptitiously make an audio, video, photographic, or digital record of any person without their prior knowledge or without their effective consent when such a recording is likely to cause injury or distress. This includes but is not limited to surreptitiously taking pictures or videos of another person in the locker room, shower stall or restroom, or other location in which that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy.

 

C. Violations of Health and/or Safety of an Individual

Includes such acts as, but is not limited to:

  1. Attempting or threatening to subject another person to unwanted physical contact.
  2. Persistent, pervasive, or severe bullying behaviors such as theft or destruction of personal property, public humiliation, intimidating or threatening behaviors.
  3. Directing obscene language or gestures at another person or group of people in a threatening manner.

Any activity that humiliates, degrades, abuses or which endangers the mental, emotional, or physical health or safety of a student, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in an organization or team whose members are or include students at SUNY Broome. Hazing can occur regardless of the person’s willingness to participate.

Including but not limited to:

  1. Inflicting bodily harm upon any person.
  2. Taking any action for the purpose of inflicting harm upon any person.
  3. Threatened use of force upon any person.
  4. Subjecting another person to unwanted physical contact.

Taking any action that creates a substantial risk such that bodily harm could result to any person. These include but are not limited to:

  1. Objects or people on window ledges.
  2. Use of weapons of any kind for any purpose.
  3. Throwing objects (e.g. snowballs).
  4. Use of fireworks.
  5. Jeopardizing the physical or emotional safety of oneself or another.

Includes such acts believed to be motivated by a consideration (real or perceived) based on race, color, age, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or other protected characteristics is oral, written, graphic or physical conduct relating to an individual’s race, color, gender identity, national origin (including an individual’s ancestry, country of origin, or country of origin of the student’s parents, family members, or ancestors) or other protected characteristics that is sufficiently severe, pervasive, or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an individual to participate in or benefit from the educational institution’s programs or activities. This includes but is not limited to:

  1. Bias-related harassment or discrimination
  2. Threatening, intimidating or fear provoking behavior
 

D. Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct

Any sexual act directed against another person, without the consent of the victim including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent.

Generally described as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.

  1. An employee conditioning educational benefits on participation in unwelcome sexual conduct (i.e., quid pro quo);
  2. Unwelcome conduct that a reasonable person would determine is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the educational institution’s education program or activity
  3. Sex and/or gender-based discrimination.
  4. Sexual Exploitation including but not limited to nonconsensual verbal, nonverbal or cyber communication of a sexual nature as well as nonconsensual photography, video or audio taping, posting of sexual activity or sexually explicit images.

Stalking any person by any means including by physical, electronic, written or telephonic means.

Any violence committed by a person: (A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and (B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following factors: (i) The length of the relationship; (ii) The type of relationship; (iii) The frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.

Any felony or misdemeanor crimes of violence committed by a current or former spouse or intimate partner of the victim, by a person with whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is cohabitating with or has cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or intimate partner, by a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under New York States domestic or family violence laws or by any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws of New York State.

 

E. Student Village Regulations

Including but not limited to:

  • Noise that can be clearly heard outside of one’s immediate apartment during established quiet hours.
  • Noise that infringes on the rights of others to reasonable peace and quiet at any time (Courtesy Hours).

Coffee makers, toasters and other cooking devise are to be used in the kitchen area only. Students are not to use their oven to heat their suite; leaving the oven on, open, and unattended can result in loss of use of the oven in that apartment.  All additional appliances must be UL-approved (UL-Underwriters’ Laboratories). Air conditioners, space heaters, toaster ovens, halogen lamps, and multi-bulb ‘octopus’ lamps are not permitted.  Appliances may not be left unattended while in use.

All students are responsible for the actions of their guests for any violations committed on College premises, or at College-sponsored or supervised functions. Students are also expected to take reasonable action to prevent their guests from violating College policies. Also, failure to properly register or sign-in guests or visitors is a violation of this policy.

Pets are not allowed in the Student Village, with the exception of fish that are kept in bowls that do not require filters, heaters, or lights.

Including but not limited to:

  • Unauthorized lofts and waterbeds are not permitted in the Student Village.
  • Furniture that is designated as lounge furniture is not permitted in individual student rooms, or apartments.
  • Non-College furniture items that do not meet fire resistance requirements are strongly discouraged (requirements may be obtained through the Housing & Residential Life). Sofas, love seats, and stuffed chairs are prohibited.

In order to protect the safety of residents within the Student Village and to protect the safety of those people who pass by, the College has created guidelines for students regarding windows. These include but are not limited to prohibitions against:

  • Sitting or climbing on window ledges.
  • Removing screens from windows.
  • Direct yelling or music out of windows.
  • Throwing, tossing, or dropping items out of windows.
  • Placing objects (such as antennae) outside of windows.

Including but not limited to:

  • Flammable devices are not permitted in the Student Village. These include, but are not limited to candles, incense, and wax warmers.
  • Decorations.
  • Extension cords, or multi-plug outlets.

Students are expected to comply with all reasonable requests in regard to recycling.

Social games of chance on equal terms with other participants are permitted. Organized gambling is not allowed in the Student Village.

Ball playing (throwing, kicking, batting, etc.), boxing, wrestling, rollerblading, skateboarding, use of toy guns that shoot any kind of projectile (e.g. Nerf guns), use of lacrosse or hockey sticks, and other similar activity is not permitted inside the Student Village. Ball playing (i.e. lacrosse, softball, football, soccer) in areas that are immediately adjacent to the Student Village is not permitted.

Other Student Village policies, as defined by the Director of Housing & Residential Life or their designee. These policies shall be properly communicated to the College community in a timely manner. Examples of violations include but are not limited to violating the 24-hour quiet hours policy during study and final examination period.

 

F. Retaliation

Taking adverse action against any individual on the basis of a good faith report made by such individual, or on the basis of such individual’s participation in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry by the University or an appropriate authority, or the individual’s participation in a court proceeding relating to suspected wrongful conduct.

Please note: These general standards and expectations do not limit or restrict specific department, program, or course guidelines or expectations. It is the expectation that every student abide by all SUNY Broome policies, including but not limited to behavioral expectations stated in individual course syllabi.