Code of Conduct-Policies and Procedures

Alcohol

The Lake Erie College Alcohol Policy conforms to all regulations set forth in the OHIO REVISED CODE and will enforce those regulations. Lake Erie College prohibits students under the age of 21 from buying, possessing, being furnished with and/or consuming alcoholic beverages on its campus. A residential student who is 21 years of age may possess and consume bottled or canned beer only within the closed-door confines of his/her residence hall room provided that his/her roommate is also 21 years of age. All students present in the room must be 21 years of age if alcohol is consumed. A 21 year old residing with another student who is not of that age automatically forfeits this privilege. Kegs and other types of alcoholic beverages are prohibited. Students who are of legal age assume an obligation and liability when they bring alcohol into the residence halls. Students are expected to be responsible in all matters related to alcohol consumption Residential students are held responsible for the behaviors of their guests.

No student is permitted to bring beverages containing alcohol to any College sponsored activity or event whether that event is held on or off campus. Under special conditions, alcohol is permitted to be sold to students who are 21 years of age or older at off-campus events such as Homecoming and Spring Formal.

• Drinking games are not permitted in the residence halls. This includes, but is not limited to: beer pong, quarters, Beirut etc.
• Staff members will confront any individuals where they perceive mass consumption will occur.
• Staff members will confront any individual who is exhibiting intoxicated behaviors in a common area of the residence hall. These behaviors include but are not limited to: slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, strong odor of alcohol and a gaited walk.
• Alcohol paraphernalia: beer bongs, funnels etc. are not permitted in the residence halls.
• Beer containers may not exceed 16 ounces.
• Alcohol containers are not permitted to be displayed anywhere in student rooms. If a student is 21 or older and would like to consume alcohol in his/her room, s/he must discard containers once the alcohol has been consumed.

Local authorities may be called or become involved in an on campus or off campus incident involving alcohol. Whether or not criminal proceedings are expected to be initiated, the College will impose a sanction(s) upon a student found to have been involved. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to probation, educational task, fines or penalties.

If a staff member believes a student needs medical attention due to alcohol consumption, the staff member will contact 9-1-1. The student needing medical attention will be responsible for all costs of medical treatment.

Commuter students who violate policy are subject to all fines and sanctions, as will their hosts/hostesses.

Assault

Every member of the College community is expected to conduct themselves in a mature and appropriate manner at all times. Inflicting harm on another member of the Community is a severe violation of College policy and may be of local, state and federal laws. Any act that causes injury to another person, including but not limited to physical fighting; inflicting harm with objects and/or weapons will not be tolerated on campus or at any College sponsored event. Individuals violating this policy will be subject to local, state and federal laws and proceeding in addition to campus judicial proceedings.

Computer Usage Policy

When users are granted access to a shared computer or Network system, they become part of a community. The Lake Erie College system user policy applies to anyone who uses a computer or Network resource.

Violations to this policy may include:

• Use another person’s USER ID.
• Allow another person to access your account or share your password.
• Attempt to circumvent or subvert system or network security measures.
• Engage in any activity that might be harmful to systems or to any information stored thereon, such as creating or propagating viruses.
• Attempt to add, modify or damage files or data on any College computer; make any unauthorized deletions of files or data on any College computer; damage computer equipment or degrade system performance.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to local or remote computers.
• Use College Computing resources for private profiting of any type.
• Make illegal copies of copyrighted software, published materials or music, store such copies on College systems, or transmit them over college networks.
• Intentionally impede the legitimate use of computing facilities by other people.
• Use Email to harass, intimidate, or otherwise annoy another person, including cyber bullying
• Use facilities, including printers, for junk mail or mass mailings.
• Waste computing resources, including printing on excessive amounts of paper.

Email should be read, responded to and deleted in a timely manner. The amount of email and their accompanying attachments in a user’s mailbox may never exceed 1 gigabyte. The computer accounts with mailboxes containing over 1 gigabyte of email may be disabled. System administrators reserve the right to delete email from the account of users who have exceeded the limit without notice.

Computer programs, executable files, MP3 files, video files and large graphic files may not be stored on a shared drive unless approved by the I.T. department. System administrators reserve the right to delete these files without notice along with any files that were obtained or used in a violation of the law.

All users have space on a network server called their Z drive. This is the recommended place for users to store documents and files. The amount of materials stored on a user’s Z Drive may not exceed 250 megabytes unless approved by the I.T. department. MP3 files and video files may not be stored on a user’s Z drive. System Administrators reserve the right to delete these files without notice along with any files that were obtained or used in a violation of the law. The user account that exceeds the size limit not be allowed to save any more files to their drive until data is deleted.

Users who do not return to Lake Erie College during the next school semester or have graduated will continue to have access to their email, documents and account for no more than 60 days. After that time all data, including the student user account will be removed from the system.

Email

All students, faculty and staff are issued a campus email address. Email is the major form of communication on the Lake Erie College campus. Students are required to check their campus email on a daily basis for announcements, news or correspondence from faculty and staff members. Email should be read, responded to and deleted in a timely manner.

All users: webmail and campus network
 

Email is accessible on and off campus. To gain access off campus, visit www.lec.edu and select “webmail” link on the main page. Password will be the same as being on the network while on campus

Fraternization

The faculty and staff of Lake Erie College assist the College in meeting its mission of providing a quality higher educational environment for its students that supports the goals of the College. Students should be assured that the relationships they develop with faculty and staff members will always be built upon the highest ethical precepts of the educational profession.

Virtually all faculty members, administrators and staff members are, or can appear to be, in a position to exercise power or authority, directly or indirectly, over students, whether or not an individual student is enrolled in their classes, are subject to their direct supervision, or have some form of business to transact with offices at the College. Many students are at a stage in their development when they may be particularly vulnerable to the influence of faculty members, administrators, and staff members who are in positions where they can affect the terms and conditions of a student’s standing at the College.

If a student consents to a romantic relationship with a faculty member, administrator or staff member, the existence of such a relationship could have unintended adverse effects on the educational environment of the College. In some cases such a relationship can end unhappily or become problematic, resulting in charges of sexual harassment, and even physical or psychological abuse.

Because of the commitment to maintaining an environment that supports our educational goals and in order to promote the efficient and fair operation of the College ,and to avoid misunderstandings, complaints of favoritism, supervision problems, security problems, morale problems, questions regarding academic achievement, and possible claims of sexual harassment, the College prohibits romantic, sexual and exploitative relationships between employees and students including but not limited to: dating, pursuing to date, and pursuing or having romantic or sexual relationships with students. Employees or students who violate this policy will be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of employment for employee violators.

There are exceptional circumstances in which the spouse or partner of a college employee is a student at the College. This fraternization policy does not apply in such circumstances. The President, in consultation with the President’s Cabinet and Director of Human Resources, is the administrative officer who determines whether an exceptional circumstance applies.

Grievance Procedure

Students have the right to present any personal concern or dissatisfaction regarding their enrollment to the appropriate College personnel and have it considered on its merits.

Students will advise the Chief Student Affairs Officer or the Title IX Officer briefly in writing of the problem within ten (10) working days of the incident. A response will be provided, in writing to the complaint. If the grievance is directed to the Chief Student Affairs Officer, the student will advise the Title IX Officer briefly in writing of the problem within ten (10) working days of an incident.

Every effort should be made to resolve the conflict or problem on an informal basis. In the event a compromise/solution cannot be agreed upon, the grievance will move from this informal procedure to a formal one as follows:

• The student will put the complaint in writing again stating the full facts and providing evidence of the grievance.
• A meeting will then take place between the appropriate parties and the Vice President for Student Affairs or his/her designee in order to resolve the conflict.

If the grievance is not resolved at this level, all relevant information should be submitted to the respective area Vice President for action, which may include a Review Panel (LEC faculty, staff and students). All relevant information will be submitted to the appropriate Vice President who will share with the President of the College. The President’s written response concludes Lake Erie College’s provisions for addressing the allegation.

The purpose of this procedure is to promote an equitable, orderly resolution of problems arising at Lake Erie College. It is necessary that each step be followed to assure the student of the proper consideration of his or her grievance. In a situation where the student feels discriminated against, he or she should file a complaint with the Title IX Officer.

Amnesty Policy

Lake Erie College views student safety as paramount. In incidents of crisis or medical emergency, Lake Erie students are expected to care for themselves and for others in the College community by getting help from appropriate officials even when violations of the Code of Conduct have occurred. Because the College understands that fear of disciplinary actions may deter requests for emergency assistance, the Amnesty Policy was created to alleviate such concerns and reduce hesitation by Lake Erie students to seek help.

In crisis situations involving alcohol, drugs, and/or sexual misconduct, the College strongly considers the positive impact of taking responsible action when determining the appropriate response for alleged policy violations relating to the incident. This means that no formal College disciplinary actions or sanctions will be assigned to the reporting student(s). The incident will still be documented, and educational and/or health interventions may be required as a condition of deferring disciplinary sanctions.

This policy does not protect repeated, flagrant, or serious violations of the Code of Conduct (e.g. abusive conduct, sexual misconduct, distribution of alcohol or drugs, hazing, theft, property damage, etc.) or violations that caused harm to another person requiring emergency response, nor does the policy preclude or prevent action by police or legal authorities.

Failure of students to take responsible action under this policy where action is clearly warranted and harm results may, in egregious circumstances, constitute a violation of the College’s “Civility Statement” and will void all protections under this provision.

Harassment

In providing a productive learning environment, the College believes that its students, faculty and staff should be able to enjoy an environment free from all forms of discrimination, including harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability and sexual orientation.

It is against the policy of the College for any student to harass another member of the College community. Harassment occurs when verbal, written or physical conduct defames or shows hostility toward any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability or sexual orientation, or that of the individual’s relatives, friends, or associates. Harassment occurs when a situation creates or is intended to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment; interferes or is intended to interfere with an individual’s academic performance; or otherwise adversely affects an individual’s learning opportunities.

Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to: epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or threatening, intimidating or hostile acts, which relate to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability or sexual orientation. Written or graphic material that defames or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group because of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability or sexual orientation that is placed on walls, bulletin boards, or elsewhere on the College’s premises, or circulated in the residence halls will not be tolerated.

Illegal Drugs

The use of illegal drugs is a serious matter involving violations of Federal and Ohio laws. The College will uphold the laws and will cooperate with the apprehension and legal prosecution of violators. When a staff member perceives that a student is buying/selling/using any illegal drugs, the Painesville Police Department will be called to campus. Whether or not criminal proceedings have been initiated or are expected to be initiated, the College will impose a sanction(s) upon a student found to have possessed, consumed, sold or otherwise provided illegal drugs, on or off campus, as the College’s judgment deems appropriate. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to probation, fines, removal from campus, suspension and/or expulsion and do not preclude, alter or in any way have an impact on criminal charges or penalties.

Lost, Stolen, Damaged Items

Lake Erie College students, faculty and staff are responsible for properly securing vehicles, offices, rooms, computers, electronic devices, books and other valuable items, at all times. The College is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. Students, faculty and staff should call Security, 440/375.7575 immediately to report lost, stolen or damaged items, followed by Painesville Police or Lake County Sherriff (where appropriate).

The College encourages residential students to obtain personal property insurance while residing in campus operated facilities. In addition, computers and other electronic devices should be clearly marked and identifiable information should be kept in a secure place in the event it is needed to identify a stolen item.

Pets

Pets are not permitted in campus buildings except for registered service animals, this includes residence halls and campus leased apartment facilities. Resident students are permitted fish in a 20 gallon tank or less. Please see service animal/emotional support animal policy for more information.

Posting

The Student Life Office must approve the posting of announcements, notices, and/or promotional material in advance. Postings may not be affixed to walls, buildings or trees in such a way as to cause damage. Any reference to alcoholic beverages, illegal substances, pornography or anything that is deemed offensive is prohibited.

Residency

All full-time students are required to live in campus housing during the academic year {on campus residence halls or residential apartments}. Resident students sign and submit a Housing and Food Accommodations Contract for one academic year, both Fall and Spring semesters, unless the student cancels the contract through the Student Life Office and it is approved. Housing and Food Accommodations Contracts cannot be cancelled unless students meet the residency requirements as listed or are no longer attending Lake Erie College. A cancellations fee of $100 may apply.

All residential students must be currently registered full-time at Lake Erie College. All financial obligations to the College must be taken care of prior to move in. Students with an unpaid balance will not be permitted to receive a room key or move in prior to the fall and spring semesters. In addition, students must have all medical forms completed and submitted prior to move in.

Without exception, all students residing on campus are required to be enrolled in one of the College board (meal) plans. Student accounts will be charged accordingly. Failure to choose a meal plan will result in the default 19 meals per week.

Students may only reside in the residence halls when the College is in session. Students are provided with the College calendar as well as the dates they are permitted to move in and the dates they are required to move out of the residence halls. Travel arrangements must be made accordingly. The campus dining facility is closed during break periods. Students can complete an application to stay on campus during break periods. Applications will be approved based on necessity; those approved will be charge $25 per night during break periods.

Residency Exemption

If a student wishes to commute, ALL the following requirements must be met:

• have more than 64 credit hours
• above the age of 22
• official residence is inside of a 25- mile radius of the college
• does not receive a Presidential Scholarship or Athletic Scholarship

Any student that meets one or more of the above requirements, and wishes to petition for an exemption must complete a Residency Exemption Application, available in the Student Life Office. The Residency Exemption Committee will meet five (5) times per year: August, November, January, April and June. The Residency Exemption Committee reserves the right to deny applications or request more information.

Students who have other reasons may apply for a residency exemption, reasons may include-participating in Study Abroad; graduating at the end of the current semester; lived in college housing four (4) consecutive semesters at a previous institution, married, dependent children.

Students should review any and all scholarship requirements prior to submitting an application.

Applications must be approved by the Residency Exemption Committee. Students will be billed for housing and meal plan accommodations accordingly if an application is denied.

Emotional Support and Service Animals Policy

Lake Erie College has a “no pet” policy. Service animals and emotional support animals may be a reasonable accommodation to No Pet Policies.

According to the Fair Housing Act, emotional support animals “provide emotional support to persons with disabilities who have a disability-related need for such support.” Under the FHA, individuals with a disability may be entitled to keep an emotional support animal as “a reasonable accommodation in housing facilities.” In order to qualify for such an accommodation, the emotional support animal must be necessary to afford the individual an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling or to participate in the housing service or program. Further, there must be a “relationship between the individual’s disability and the assistance the animal provides.”

Emotional Support animals are not considered service animals by the ADA Regulations published by the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. Emotional Support animals have additional restrictions regarding where they can be utilized. Emotional Support animals provide people with therapeutic contact to improve physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning. In the residential setting an approved Emotional Support Animal is allowed, when under the control of its handler, in the handler’s room or common spaces within the residence. Emotional Support Animals approved for the residential setting are not permitted in other buildings.

In the residential setting an approved Emotional Support Animal is allowed, when under the control of its handler, in the handler’s room or common spaces within the residence. Emotional Support Animals approved for the residential setting are not permitted in other buildings. Emotional Support animals must be approved by the Director of Accommodation Support and Counseling Services and The Director of Student Life/ or designee. Residential students must sign a “pet agreement” for every academic year the student and/or animal will be in campus residency.

There are a variety of different types of ways an animal may be used by a student with a disability. In order to be considered for an emotional support animal, supporting documentation must be submitted from a qualified provider currently providing treatment for the disability you describe, including documentation of a disability and the disability-related need for the animal. The information must answer the questions specific to the type of animal requested. The student must:

1. Complete and submit a description of the disability for which an ESA is requested.
2. Submit a disability accommodation verification form from a qualified provider.
3. Submit proof of insurance on the animal in case of injury to others, and sign a document releasing Lake Erie College of any liability in the event of injury to others.
   *Insurance requirement is currently under review. Although not required, it is highly recommended at this time.

Both of the above must be submitted for each semester for which an ESA is requested on the following schedule: August 1 (for Fall Semester), December 1 (for Spring Semester), and May 1 (for Summer Semester).

In addition to the documentation above, the student requesting an ESA must submit:

1. A certificate of health (including up to date shots) from a qualified Veterinarian for the animal at the time of the application. Rabies vaccination is mandatory for animals that are eligible.
2. A copy of the animal’s Ohio license if required by the State of Ohio.

Once a determination has been made, you will be notified in writing, and a request for Accommodation Form will be generated that must be signed and returned both by the student and by the Director of Student Life, or designee. If you live in campus housing, the Student Life Office will also communicate with you regarding the “Guidelines and Check List for Maintaining an Approved Animal” which must be completed by you and/or your roommates before the animal can be brought on campus.

All animals are the responsibility of their handlers and should be under their control (in proximity to the handler and responsive to commands, in harness, leashed or in a carrier). An animal’s behavior is considered the handler’s behavior; the animal will be held to the same basic standard of conduct as their handlers. If they are disruptive to college business or community behavioral expectations for educational, medical and residential environments, handlers may be asked to correct the animal’s behavior or remove it from the environment.

Service animals which are permitted under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) are broadly defined to include “any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” 28 CFR 36.104

Lake Erie College fits within the definition of a public place of accommodation as defined by 28 CFR 36.104, therefore follows all rules and regulations associated with Service Animals as defined by the ADA.

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed, which include:

• Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
• What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Staff and faculty cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training document for the dog, or ask that the dog perform a task.

Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service. When a person who is allergic and a person who uses a service dog must spend time in the same room or facility, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations. Students should work directly with Director of Accommodation Support and Counseling Services regarding this and any other accommodation need.

Service animals must be harnessed, leashed or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through another effective control method.

Owners and/or users must abide by current city ordinances/laws pertaining to licensing and vaccination requirement for the service animal. It is the responsibility of the owner and/or user of the animal to know about these ordinances and/or laws. All owners and or users of the service animals are responsible to clean up after and properly dispose of waste.

Guidelines for emotional support and service animals

• The animal should meet the licensing requirements of Ohio. (Copy required.)
• Students will provide vaccination records. (Copy required.)
• Animals must be quarantined for at least 2 weeks from other animals before arriving at school.
• The student must immediately clean up after the animal.
• Students need to maintain the hygiene of the animal. Preventative measures should be taken for flea and odor control. Consideration of others must be taken into account when providing maintenance and hygiene of assistance animals.
• It is recommended that the animal wear some type of commonly recognized identification symbol, identifying the animal as a working animal, but not disclosing disability.
• Emotional Support Animals are permitted in the student’s residence to whom the accommodation is granted only, and not in classrooms, or other campus facilities.
• Emotional Support Animals can weigh no more than 15 pounds due to residential living arrangements.

Control Requirements

• While in public, the animal should be on a leash when not providing a needed service to student.
• The animal should respond to commands at all times, and be in full control of the student. To the extent possible, the animal should be as unobtrusive to other students and the learning environment as possible.
• A service/emotional support animal may be excluded from the campus when that animal’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. Although the campus may exclude any service animal that is out of control, it will not exclude the individual with a disability. A corrective action plan may be developed to allow the animal to return to campus e.g. muzzling a barking animal, refresher training for the animal and the student, etc.
• Emotional support animals are not permitted in College Buildings or general public areas other than personal residence.

Public Etiquette
The animal should not:

• Sniff people, restaurant tables or the personal belongings of others.
• Display any behaviors or noises that are disruptive to others unless part of the service being provided to the student.
• Engage in personal grooming in public settings.
• Block an aisle or passageway for fire egress.

The general public should avoid:

• Petting a service animal as it may distract them from the task at hand.
• Feeding the service animal.
• Deliberately startling a service animal.
• Separating or attempting to separate a student from his/her service animal.
• Hesitating to ask a student if she/he would like assistance if there seems to be confusion.

Areas of Safety Concern

As cited above, there are certain instances when it may be considered unsafe for service animals in such places as laboratories, mechanical rooms or any other place where the safety of the animal or student may be threatened. When it is determined unsafe for the student and service animal to be in one of these areas, reasonable accommodations will be provided to assure the student equal access to the activity. The decision regarding safety of the service animal and student will be determined through consultation with the student, Director of the office of Accessibility and Accommodations and/or designee and may include faculty from the designated program.

Emergency Situations

Any emergency response efforts should make every effort to keep the service animal and its student together; however, the first effort should be toward the student; this may necessitate leaving the animal behind in certain emergency evacuation situations.