Expectations of Civility and Respect

While the Code of Conduct defines and identifies the rules and regulations regarding student conduct, there is a more fundamental expectation that all students, employees and guests of the Community of College build and maintain a culture of civility, respect and safety. These behavioral cornerstones support the mission of the college and provide a framework within which all other college activities take place. We are all expected to treat one another with respect through our greetings, our language, our appearance, and actions. We exhibit civility through our language, our attitude and our behavior. We contribute to one another’s safety through our carefully thought-out actions and words.

We seek to build a culture that fosters mutual respect, kindness and a drive toward learning and self-improvement. As an institution of higher learning we seek to understand that which separates us and build connections that increase knowledge, understanding and community strength. As a community, we expect standards of civility and respect to be upheld at all times, in all situations. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Conducting oneself appropriately in the classroom, participating, arriving on time, avoiding distracting or disruptive situations, respecting differences of opinion, completing work in a timely manner and being respectful of others’ needs in the classroom that may be different from your own.
• Understanding that, as the state’s only community college, all residents of the state who seek to learn and improve themselves are welcome and belong here.
• That the diversity of the state and of our college is a strength and that no one should be made to feel inferior or treated as anything other than a human being worthy of respect.
• Affirming that, when we disagree, we do so respectfully, without anger or resorting to personal attacks, and that we will seek to understand why others think or believe as they do in a spirit of honest inquiry.
• Accepting that our disputes should be resolved by designated parties when they cannot be resolved by ourselves. There is no place for violence, verbal or mental abuse, or harassment in higher education or in our community.
• Avoiding inflammatory, rude, sarcastic, obscene or disrespectful speech and disruptive behavior that has a negative impact on everyone’s learning.

Civility and respect are not rules that can be violated and heard in a disciplinary setting. They are standards of the community that should be encouraged and supported by all members of the community in all settings. Should others question your adherence to the standards of civility and respect, approach using the examples above- seek to understand the difference in opinion, respectfully agree to disagree if there is no common ground, seek appropriate college support to help resolve unresolved conflicts.