Student Code of Conduct Policy

Latest Amendment/Approval Date: February 2022

1. Purpose

1.1 This policy supports the Student Code of Conduct (“the Code”) appendixed.

1.2 The Code sets out what the College expects from students as members of the Campion community. All students at enrolment must accept their shared responsibility for maintaining a safe, harmonious and tolerant environment in which to study and work.

1.3 The Code details the College’s responsibilities and what students can reasonably expect in terms of quality provision, a safe and fair learning environment and the Campion student experience.

1.4 The Code provides a framework for the standard of behaviour expected of students of the College with respect to their:

a) academic integrity (in combination with the Student Academic Integrity Policy), and

b) general conduct (in combination with the Consumption of Alcohol on Campus Policy, the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Facilities, and SASH Policy). It outlines the primary obligations of students, and directs staff and students to the code and related procedures.

1.5 The Code is underpinned by two primary objectives:

a) To foster a learning environment that enables students to achieve their full potential.

b) To provide a safe environment where students and staff are not threatened, intimidated, harassed, or assaulted.

1.6 Where a student breaches the Code—either through a breach of academic integrity or general misconduct—the College may take disciplinary action. Such matters will be handled in accordance with the Student Misconduct Procedures.

2. Definitions

Academic Integrity means, as according to the Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015, ‘the moral code of academia. It involves using, generating and communicating information in an ethical, honest and responsible manner’.

Academic Misconduct means obtaining academic advantage for oneself or for others by dishonest or unfair means. It refers to a breach of academic integrity.

Collusion means conspiring with another student to pass someone else’s work off as one’s own. It refers to students sharing or using assignments; lending assignments to one another for the purpose of copying; acquiring an assignment from someone else in order to plagiarise it; offering to complete another student’s work.

Contract Cheating means when students employ or use a third party to undertake their assessed work for them.

General Misconduct means conduct by a student that is contrary to accepted standards of behaviour at the College including conduct that:

a) places at risk the health, safety or welfare of any person;

b) places at risk the ability of the College to provide a learning environment that enables students to achieve their full potential.

Plagiarism means the use of someone else’s ideas and/or words as if they were one’s own. It is one form of academic misconduct. It may take the minor form of a non-deliberate omission of references or poor paraphrasing. It may also take the major form of a deliberate effort to draw upon unacknowledged sources in such a way as to pass off intellectual content and phrasing as one’s own.

Sexual Assault means a range of behaviours, all of which are unacceptable and constitute a crime. Sexual assault occurs when a person is forced, coerced or tricked into sexual acts against their will or without their enthusiastic consent, including when they have withdrawn such consent.

Sexual Harassment means an unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature which, in the circumstances, a reasonable person, aware of those circumstances, would anticipate the possibility that the person would feel offended, humiliated, or intimidated.

3. Scope

3.1 This policy applies to:

• All enrolled students of Campion.
• Students previously enrolled or on leave, where the event forming the basis of the grievance occurred while they were enrolled or is directly related to their enrolment.
• Students on exchange from other universities where the matter relates the student’s experience at Campion.
• The College and its staff.

3.2 In the context of:

• All aspects of a student’s experience at the College.
• All activities on Campion premises, the local community and all external activities related to study.
• Activities in relation to online academic work, and to examinations and academic work in remote locations.
• Actions taken by students representing the College (such as at conferences or sporting and cultural activities or on a College facilitated international exchange).
• Behaviour in College owned or managed residential accommodation.
• The activities of the College and its staff in relation to students.

4. Principles

4.1 The Student Code of Conduct is the basis for the relationship between the College and its students. The College is committed to providing a fulfilling and rewarding experience that enables students to achieve their full academic potential.

4.2 The Code of Conduct is aimed at providing a safe learning environment for all students, without fear of suffering from physical harm, emotional distress, harassment, bullying, or any form of discrimination.

4.3 The College takes a zero-tolerance approach to proven cases of harm caused by one student toward another individual.

4.4 This policy operates within the context of, and subject to, State and Commonwealth anti-discrimination and harassment legislation and within the context of other College rules and policies. It is not possible, to cover every circumstance and situation in the Code. If a circumstance or situation arises which is not expressly covered in the Code, individuals are expected to act in accordance with the underlying principles of the Code.

5. Policy

The Student Code of Conduct is attached as Appendix A and forms the central platform of this policy. It consists of the general objectives and the standards to be observed.

The standards consist of five primary student responsibilities:

1. A condition of enrolment that students inform themselves of and obey the College’s rules and policies affecting them, and conduct themselves accordingly.
2. An obligation to act with integrity in academic work, to ensure that all academic work is conducted ethically.
3. An obligation to observe standards of equity and respect in dealing with every member of the College community.
4. An obligation to use and care for College resources in a lawful and appropriate manner.
5. An obligation to not diminish the College’s reputation in the carrying out of academic and other associated College activities.

6. Roles, Responsibilities and Rights

6.1 The President has overall responsibility for supervision of the discipline of the College and has power to impose penalties for breach of discipline or for misconduct of any kind. This power may be delegated.

6.2 All staff and students are responsible for reporting breaches of the Code that they have witnessed or heard about.

6.3. Any student or staff member may report an allegation of student misconduct to either the Dean of Studies, Director of Operations, College President, or other appropriate staff, pursuant to the Student Misconduct Procedures.

6.4 All staff who witness or receive reports of criminal activity, including using, selling or possessing illegal substances and items, or cases of assault or rape, are obliged to encourage complainants to contact authorities immediately.

7. References

• NSW Ombudsman Complaint Handling at Universities: Australasian Best Practices Guidelines 2015
• Universities Australia, Respect. Now. Always. 10-Point Action Plan, August 2017
• TEQSA Guidance Note: Wellbeing and Safety, 8 January 2018
• The Student Code of Conduct was benchmarked with The University of Notre Dame Australia Code of Conduct and the UNSW Student Code of Conduct

Appendix A – The Student Code of Conduct

This Code of Conduct provides a guideline for appropriate standards of behaviour. Breaches of this code will not be tolerated and may be dealt with in accordance with the Student Misconduct Procedures.

General Principles

The Code of Conduct is underpinned by two primary objectives:

1. To foster a learning environment that enables students to achieve their full potential.
2. To provide a safe environment where students and staff are not threatened, intimidated or harassed.

To achieve these objectives, the College has a regulatory framework, consisting of guidelines, policies and procedures. But the successful implementation of those regulations relies not only on staff. Students also have a duty to behave appropriately in order to create and maintain a safe and productive environment for all.

Standards to be Observed

All students enrolled at the College have the following responsibilities under this Code.

1. Conditions of enrolment

Students must:

• Inform themselves of and obey all College rules and policies which apply to them
• Ensure that their contact details are up to date.
• Ensure that they read all emails sent by Campion to their Campion provided email address.
• Identify themselves truthfully when required to do so by a College staff member fulfilling the requirements of that staff member’s duties.
• Meet their financial commitments to the College.

2. Academic integrity

Students are expected to:

• Conduct themselves honestly and in compliance with College policy.
• Not engage in collusion, plagiarism, contract cheating, or other academic misconduct.
• Conduct themselves in a manner conducive to the proper functioning of the College, recognising that a primary function of the College is the pursuit of academic excellence.
• Actively participate in the learning process.
• Attend scheduled teaching and learning activities.
• Submit assessment tasks by required dates and times, unless unforeseen or exceptional circumstances arise.
• Behave ethically, avoiding any action or behaviour that would unfairly advantage or disadvantage either themselves or another student.
• Comply with the conventions of academic scholarship and ensure the proper use of copyright material.
• Ensure their academic activities are conducted safely and do not place others at risk of harm.
• Be familiar with the programs and resources made available or recommended by the College to assist them in conducting their studies appropriately,  including resources to help students avoid plagiarism.
• Not behave in any way which impairs the reasonable freedom of other persons to pursue their studies, work or research or to participate in the life of the College.

3. Equity, respect and safety

Students are expected to:

• Treat all College staff, other students, and visitors to the College with courtesy, tolerance and respect. This extends to venues off- campus and online and within the local neighbourhood where student behaviour is likely to be linked to the College.
• Respect the rights of others to be treated equitably, free from all forms of  unlawful discrimination, harassment and bullying.
• Respect the rights of others to express political and religious views in a lawful manner.
• Not engage in behaviour that is perceived to be threatening or intimidating or causes any person to fear for their personal safety or well-being, including sexual harassment.
• Not behave in a way that deliberately, recklessly or negligently endangers a person’s life, health or safety on a College site or in connection with legitimate College activities.
• Not behave in a way that disrupts or interferes with any teaching, learning or academic activity of the College or any political, cultural, social or sporting gathering conducted by the College or authorised to be held on campus.
• Not use, sell or possess drugs or banned alcoholic beverages on Campion premises or any residences run by the College.
• Not use any form of physical violence which may cause serious personal injury to another individual, including rape.
• Not participate in any learning activity under the influence of alcohol or a prohibited substance.
• Comply with any reasonable direction or request from a Campion staff member where the direction or request supports safety, good order and compliance with Campion policy.

4. College resources

Students are expected to:

• Use and care for all College resources, such as buildings, equipment and grounds, Library, information and communication technology resources, in a lawful and ethical manner, mindful of the need for resources to be shared by all members of the College community.
• Not engage in behaviour that is detrimental to College property.
• Not misuse Library, computing or communications or other facilities in a manner which is unlawful or which will be detrimental to the rights and properties of others.

5. College reputation

Students are expected to:

• Conduct themselves in an appropriate manner while on a Campion facilitated exchange program at an overseas institution, including complying with relevant academic standards and protocols.
• Conduct themselves in an appropriate manner while participating in College activities conducted off-campus, or within the immediate neighbourhood where student behaviour is likely to be linked to the College.
• Ensure their actions or inactions do not harm, or bring into disrepute, the College’s reputation or good standing.
• Not use the College’s name, reputation or logo for private gain or the gain of a third party, or private business or commercial purposes, without prior permission.
• Not use College resources for private gain or the gain of a third party, or private business or commercial purposes, without prior permission.
• Not engage in any fraudulent or corrupt conduct.