Community Standards

The faculty, staff and students of the College are a multicultural community of individuals encompassing a broad spectrum of religious traditions, political beliefs, ethnicities, cultures, genders, sexual orientations and gender identities. The College community is unique in that it strives to work and live together. In the process, members of the College community learn from one another in an atmosphere of positive contact and mutual respect. The College community is committed to behaving and expecting others to behave in ways that demonstrate its beliefs about the respectful treatment of each member of the College community. Davis & Elkins College believes that members of the College community are individually and collectively responsible for their behavior and are fully accountable for their actions. Davis & Elkins College students must take initiative and responsibility for their own learning and awareness of the differences which exist in the community and avoid all actions that negatively impact others. Davis & Elkins College is committed to these principles which are an integral part of the College’s purpose, values and daily activities. Individuals engaging in behavior that is believed to violate these policies will be held accountable through the appropriate disciplinary process.

Employee Ethical Conduct Policy

All employees and individuals representing Davis & Elkins College, within the scope of their employment, are expected to conduct themselves ethically, honestly and with integrity and agree to adhere to the following Code of Ethics.

1. Proper operation of the College requires that employees provide responsible service and use the designated organizational channels when seeking decisions and policy determinations.
2. Davis & Elkins College employees are expected to behave in a professional, business-like manner at work, on College premises, whenever representing the College or within the scope of their employment. Employees are accountable for behavior outside of work that has a negative impact on the individual’s ability to perform their responsibilities at work.
3. Davis & Elkins College employees are bound to observe, in their official acts and while within the scope of their employment, the highest standards of ethics and morality and to faithfully discharge the duties of their position regardless of personal considerations.
4. Davis & Elkins College employees must not act in any way to intentionally breach College policy and procedure or federal, state or local laws, nor should they ask others to do so.
5. When engaging in business or financial transactions on behalf of the College, either directly or indirectly, Davis & Elkins College employees must refrain from actual or potential conflicts of interest.
6. Davis & Elkins College employees must protect confidential information concerning members of the campus community.

Engaging in behavior and conduct that violates the College’s Code of Ethics could lead to corrective disciplinary action up to and including an unpaid suspension or termination of employment without prior warning.

Student Code of Conduct

All students, faculty members and staff are charged with the responsibility for referring violations of the Code of Conduct and/or residence hall contract to the Office of Student Life and/or the Office of Public Safety for possible disciplinary action.

Generally, institutional discipline is limited to conduct that adversely affects the College community’s pursuit of its educational objectives. The College strongly believes that students are adults who are expected to take personal responsibility for their own conduct. The College has determined that the following behaviors constitute a violation of College norms. This listing is not to be considered exhaustive but, rather, suggestive of forms of inappropriate behavior.

1. Intentionally or recklessly causing physical harm to any person on College premises or at College-sponsored activities. This includes engaging in any form of fighting.
2. Intentionally or recklessly placing any person under mental duress or causing any person to be in fear of physical danger through verbal abuse, harassment, improper use of campus communication network, hazing, bullying, intimidation, threats or other conduct which threatens or endangers that person’s emotional, mental or physical safety and well-being. A violation will be considered aggravated if it occurs in connection with an actual or pending disciplinary proceeding.
3. Engaging in sexual misconduct, criminal sexual behavior, sexual exploitation, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking and other related behaviors on College premises or at College-sponsored activities, or against a member of the campus community off campus as outlined in the College Gender-Based Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy.  Criminal sexual behavior shall include, but not be limited to, the use or threatened use of force to engage in any sexual act against the person’s will and/or engaging in such behavior with a person who is unconscious or substantially mentally impaired (including an intoxicated individual), intentionally touching another person or making physical advances in a sexual way without the person’s knowing consent.
4. Unauthorized use or possession of any weapon (licensed or otherwise) on College premises or at College-sponsored activities. This includes, but is not limited to, possession or use of BB guns, hunting knives, bows, etc.
5. Intentionally initiating or causing to be initiated any false report, warning or threat of fire, explosion or other emergency on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.
6. Intentionally or recklessly interfering with normal College or College-sponsored activities, including, but not limited to, teaching, research, College administration and/or city fire, police or emergency services.
7. Public intoxication or possession of an open container of alcoholic beverage on College premises except in specific areas or at pre-approved special events.
8. Providing alcohol to a person under 21 years of age.
9. Failure of an individual or group to comply with the College Alcohol Policy.
10. Use or possession of any controlled substance or illegal drug paraphernalia on College premises or College-sponsored activities in violation of the College Drug Policy.
11. Unauthorized distribution or possession for purposes of distributing any controlled substances or illegal drug on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.
12. Intentionally or recklessly misusing or damaging fire safety equipment.
13. Intentionally furnishing false information to College personnel or an agent of the College.
14. Forgery, unauthorized alteration or unauthorized use of any College document or instrument of identification.
15. Intentionally and substantially interfering with the freedom of expression of others on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.
16. Theft of property or of services on College premises or at College-sponsored activities or possession of stolen property on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.
17. Unauthorized presence in, or use of, College premises, facilities or property. This includes unauthorized presence in another student’s room, any College building or roof or other College premises or property. This also includes unauthorized access or attempted access to any computer file, program or facility or the unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys or access cards to any College premises.
18. Intentionally or recklessly destroying, damaging or defacing College property or personal property found on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.
19. Intentionally or recklessly causing physical abuse or any form of suffering to animals on College premises or at College-sponsored activities.
20. Failure to comply with the directions of College officials, including, but not limited to, campus public safety officers, student life administrators, residence life staff or faculty members acting in the performance of their duties.
21. Unauthorized use or possession of fireworks on College premises.
22. Intentional littering in residence halls and on campus property. This includes throwing any items out of residence hall windows/doors (bottles, cans, paper, trash, furniture, clothing, etc.).
23. Public or semi-public nudity.
24. Violating any policy, procedure, notification, regulation or condition established in the residence halls, including published and non-published materials. This also includes rules established by resident directors and/or building leadership.
25. Presence when and where a violation of the Code of Conduct is occurring and failing to leave the scene and not notifying campus authorities of a violation of the Code of Conduct.
26. Off campus behavior that violates College expectations and policies and/or when the College’s interests as an academic community are clearly involved, including violation of any local, state or federal law classified as felonies, misdemeanors or citations.
27. Representing oneself as having the authority to enter into contracts or agreements that affect the College in any way.
28. Misusing a College identification card including, but not limited to, transferring and/or copying ID cards, possession of another person’s ID card or using the ID card in a fraudulent manner.
29. Using another person’s parking sticker (unauthorized provision of a sticker to another student).
30. Engaging in unauthorized soliciting on campus.
31. Playing or engaging in any illegal gambling activity while on College property.
32. Causing another person to become impaired without his/her knowledge by administering or employing drugs or other intoxicants.
33. Violation of the College Smoking and Tobacco Use Policy.
34. Violation of any College Information Resource Policy.
35. Violation of the College’s copyright policies, including illegal peer-to-peer file sharing.
36. Violation of other published College regulations or policies, as approved and compiled by the Office of Student Life and vice president for student affairs not listed herein. Such regulations or policies include, but are not limited to, the College policies on alcohol and illegal drugs, the College policy on discrimination and harassment (including acts of retaliation), the Student Housing Contract, which includes policies pertaining to visitation, alcohol, quiet hours, security, pets, keys, room capacity, health and cleanliness, as well as those regulations relating to entry and use of College facilities, use of motor vehicles, use of amplifying equipment, postings on campus and misuse of identification cards.
37. Knowingly violating the terms of any disciplinary sanction imposed in accordance with this Code.

Note: In conjunction with misconduct governed by other policies, the College reserves the right to determine on a case-by-case basis whether a charge of misconduct should be investigated as a Code of Conduct violation.