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Sources: Graduate Handbook Appendix A and Student Life Handbook.
- Every K-State graduate student has:
- Freedom of inquiry, conscience, expression, and association and the right to petition for the redress of grievances.
- The right to have any information about his or her opinions and associations unrelated to academic performance or assigned responsibilities that has been acquired by professors or administrators in the course of their work as instructors, advisors, or counselors held confidential at his or her request and not disclosed to others without his or her consent.
- Freedom from unfair treatment by faculty or administration in the assignment and evaluation of academic work toward the completion of requirements for a particular course.
- The right to due process in the conduct of proceedings pursuant to the provisions of this document or of any proceedings conducted under any other provisions of any other rule or regulation governing Kansas State University.
- The right to immunity from reprisal in the form of university disciplinary action or proceedings for seeking redress pursuant to the provisions of this document.
- Every graduate student is responsible for:
- The exercise of applicable rights and freedoms, as enumerated above, in a manner that does not materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the institution or infringe upon the rights of other students.
- The completion of requirements and meeting the standards of any course in which he or she is enrolled.
Graduate student grievance procedures
If a graduate student feels he or she has been unjustly treated in some aspect of academic work and has been unable to secure a remedy through consultation with the professor(s) involved, with the supervisory committee, and thereafter with the head of the department or chair of the program, it is the student's prerogative to take the matter to the dean of the Graduate School. If the dean is unable to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution with the persons concerned, at the student's request the dean will initiate the grievance procedures adopted by the Graduate Council and described in the Graduate Handbook.
Philosophy of student conduct
The purpose of discipline in the university setting is to educate students about the consequences of their behaviors and to protect the rights and interests of the campus community and its members. Students at K-State are expected to abide by university rules and policies pertaining to non-academic conduct. Persons who violate these rules, disrupt the educational process, or violate laws will be held accountable for their actions in part by the K-State judicial program.
The following principles govern the judicial program: due process will be exercised in all formal hearing procedures to protect the rights of all parties involved; student judicial boards will hear most cases; privacy and confidentiality will be maintained whenever possible; sanctions will be educational in nature; positive outcomes will be sought for all parties. The procedures and regulations for the K-State judicial program are detailed in the Kansas State University Student Governing Association constitution and by-laws and are available free of charge in the Office of Student Activities and Services (OSAS) located on the first floor of the K-State Student Union.
Prohibited conduct
Important definitions of terms describing prohibited conduct are stated in the K-State SGA constitution and by-laws. These documents should be referenced for additional details on prohibited conduct and student rights. The following described behaviors constitute misconduct for which disciplinary procedures will be implemented and sanctions will be imposed.
- Acts of dishonesty, including but not limited to the following:
- Furnishing false information to any University official, faculty/staff member, or office.
- Forgery, alteration, or misuse of any University document, record or instrument of identification.
- Tampering with the election of any organization or student governing body.
- Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, other University activities, including its public-service functions on or off campus, or other authorized non-University activities.
- Conduct that threatens or endangers the mental or physical health or safety of any person, including, but not limited to, physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, and coercion.
- Attempted or actual theft of, or damage to property.
- Hazing, which is defined as an act which endangers the mental 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, a group or organization. Consent by the person hazed shall be no defense to the hazing.
- Telephone harassment, which shall include:
- Making calls containing lewd or obscene remarks.
- Making calls intended to harass whether or not conversation ensues.
- Making the telephone ring repeatedly with intent to harass.
- Making repeated calls in which conversation ensues solely to harass.
- Failure to comply with directions of University officials or law enforcement officers acting in performance of their duties or failure to identify oneself to these persons when requested to do so.
- Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys, or other devices that provide access to any University premises.
- Unauthorized presence in or use of University premises, facilities, or property.
- Violation of University policies, rules or regulations
- Violation of federal, state, or local law.
- Unauthorized distribution, use or possession of a controlled substance as described in Chapter 65, Article 41 of "Kansas Statutes Annotated" on University premises or at University-sponsored activities.
- Unlawful use, possession or distribution of alcoholic beverages or violation of the University's Alcoholic Beverage Policy.
- Illegal or unauthorized possession or use of firearms, explosives, weapons, or dangerous chemicals on University premises or at a University-sponsored activity.
- Intentionally initiating or causing to be initiated, any false report, warning or threat of fire, explosion or other emergency on University premises or at a University-sponsored activity.
- Participation in a campus demonstration which unreasonably disrupts the normal operations of the University and infringes on the rights of other members of the University community; inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus building or area; intentional obstruction which unreasonably interferes with freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular, on campus.
- Intentionally interfering with the freedom of expression of others on University premises or at a University-sponsored activity.
- Conduct that is disorderly, lewd, or indecent; breach of peace; or aiding, abetting or procuring another person to breach the peace on University premises or at University-sponsored activities.
- Any violation of the stated "KSU Information Technology Usage Policies." (www.ksu.edu/uauc/docs/usage.html)
- Abuse of the SGA Judicial Program, including but not limited to:
- Falsification, distortion, or misrepresentation of information.
- Disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of a judicial proceeding.
- Knowingly initiating a complaint without cause.
- Attempting to discourage an individual's proper participation in, or use of, the judicial system.
- Attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of a judicial board prior to, or during the course of, the judicial proceeding.
- Verbal, written, phone, or physical harassment, and/or intimidation of a member of a judicial board.
- Failure to comply with the sanction(s) imposed under this Code.
- Influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the judicial system.
- Misconduct may also include any violation of any rules appearing in the leases and contracts entered into by a student to obtain accommodations with the Department of Housing and Dining Services.
All academic relationships ought to be governed by a sense of honor, fair play, trust, and a readiness to give appropriate credit for the intellectual endeavors of others when credit is due. K-State's policy on academic dishonesty assures due process and provides guidelines for action in instances where the proper academic relationships and attitudes have broken down.
Any student enrolling at K-State implicitly accepts the university's stipulations concerning academic honesty and the procedures they entail.
Complete copies of the academic dishonesty policy are available from the Office of Student Activities and Services in the K-State Union. The policy outlines grievance procedures for all matters of academic dishonesty, grade appeals, or other academic grievances brought by students against faculty members or by faculty members against students.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, that is taking someone else's intellectual work and presenting it as your own, covers unpublished and published sources. Borrowing another's term paper, handing in a paper purchased from an individual or agency, or submitting papers from living group, club, or organization files are all considered plagiarism and punishable as such.
The standard for attribution and acknowledgment of literary indebtedness is set by each discipline. Students should consult with their department or with recognized handbooks in their field.
The guidelines apply to faculty and research assistants in their possible use of students' and colleagues' research and ideas, as well as to students' use of source materials and authorities, and student use of other students' ideas and work.
Other forms of academic cheating
Other forms of academic dishonesty subject to penalties include, but are not limited to, consultation of books, library materials, or notes during a test; use of hidden notes during an examination or looking at another student's answers; having a confederate supply questions or answers from an examination to be given or in progress; having another person take an exam or other graded activity in your place; deliberate falsification of lab results; submission of falsified data; procurement or alteration, without permission, of examinations or other academic exercises; collaborating on projects where collaboration is forbidden; and other forms of academic dishonesty and fraud.
Adjudication and penalties
Guidelines for adjudicating charges of dishonesty are described in the policy. Further information is contained in the Faculty Senate Minutes, April 11, 1989, Student Grievance Procedures.
The minimum penalty for cheating on an examination or paper, if proved, is an F for the assignment; maximum penalty is dismissal from the university. Minimum penalty for cheating on a comprehensive final, if proved, is an F for the course; maximum penalty is dismissal from the university.
In a second proved instance of academic dishonesty, suspension from the university is automatic. Dismissal from the university is the maximum penalty.
Students, faculty, and administrators are members of a community dedicated to the growth and development of individuals.
Enrollment at K-State entails responsibilities as well as privileges. Acceptance of and adherence to the following policies is necessary for the protection of the rights of others and the protection and health of the community. Copies of the following policies are available in the Student Activities and Services Office in the K-State Union and from the Dean of Student Life Office in Holton Hall, unless otherwise indicated.
Advertising, sales, and solicitation
Facilities of Kansas State University are not available for unrestricted use by non-university groups. University property may not be used for commercial purposes except when sponsored by a university-affiliated organization or department. The regulations governing fund-raising and posting and distributing literature are available in the Office of Student Activities and Services.
AIDS, ARC, and HIV virus guidelines
Under the direction of the Kansas Board of Regents, the university has developed guidelines to assist students, staff, and faculty members in the event that they have to deal with situations involving acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), HIV, or AIDS-related complex (ARC). Complete copies of the guidelines are available in the Lafene Health Center.
Alcohol and cereal malt beverage policy
The legal drinking age in Kansas for alcoholic beverages is 21. The Kansas Board of Regents policy permits the use and sale of cereal malt beverages (3.2% alcohol beer) under authorized and appropriately controlled conditions and regulations. By state law, the sale of alcoholic liquor is not permitted on state property. Included in the K-State policy is information on alcohol and cereal malt beverage consumption in residence halls, at athletic events, and for student organizations.
Drug-free workplace policy
In 1988, the U.S. Congress passed the Drug-Free Workplace Act. This act applies to all institutions holding and applying for federal grants and contracts. K-State adopted the policy that the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of controlled substances is prohibited in its workplace.
Facilities usage
K-State facilities are available for use by authorized groups for activities that complement the teaching, research, and service programs of the university. Policies and procedures for use of K-State facilities (other than the K-State Union) are available in the Division of Facilities Management in Dykstra Hall. Policies and procedures for use of the K-State Union are available in the Union Reservations Office on the second floor or in the Handbook for Registered Student Organizations.
Gender
The goal of this policy is to create an environment in which all students, faculty, and staff interact solely on the basis of individual strengths and characteristics without having those interactions shaped by generalizations, stereotypes, or valuations based on gender. Copies are available in the Women's Center in Holton Hall and Affirmative Action Office in Anderson Hall.
Political activity guidelines
All members of the university community are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to educate themselves regarding the candidates and issues relating to national, state, and local elections. Copies of the university guidelines related to political activities on campus are available in the Office of Student Activities and Services.
Prayer at university functions
Nonsectarian prayers, invocations, benedictions, or silent meditations are permitted at university functions to enhance mutual respect and awareness.
Religious activities
In a pluralistic, multicultural, and interdenominational university environment, freedom of worship is supported. Religious programs and activities on campus must comply with university policies as well as federal, state, and local laws. In keeping with its education mission, the university may specify the time, place, and manner of religious events, but may not regulate content.
Racial and/or ethnic harassment
K-State prohibits racial and/or ethnic harassment which includes, but is not limited to, verbal, physical, or written behavior directed toward or relating to an individual or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, or racial affiliation. Such behavior has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment; interfering with an individual's work, academic performance, living environment, personal security, or participation in any university-sponsored activities; and threatening an individual's employment or academic opportunities.
Racial and/or ethnic harassment should be reported to the university administrator responsible for the department or unit or to the Affirmative Action Office. For students with complaints of harassment by other students, the Dean or Associate Dean of Student Life may be regarded as the appropriate administrator. Copies of the policy are available from the Affirmative Action Office, 214 Anderson Hall, affact@ksu.edu, 785-532-6220, fax 785-532-4374.
Sexual harassment policy
K-State prohibits sexual harassment and has defined sexual harassment as any behavior that, through inappropriate sexual content or disparagement of members of one sex, interferes with an individual's work or learning environment. This policy applies to the working and learning relationships of all individuals within the university community, including faculty, staff, and students.
Sexual harassment should be reported to the university administrator responsible for the department or unit or to the Affirmative Action Office. For students with complaints of harassment by other students, the Dean of Student Life may be regarded as the responsible administrator. Copies of the Policy Prohibiting Sexual Harassment are available from the Office of Student Activities and Services, departmental offices, or the Affirmative Action Office, 214 Anderson Hall, affact@ksu.edu, 785-532-6220, fax 785-532-4374.
Sexual violence
No form of sexual violence will be tolerated or condoned at Kansas State University. This policy prohibits not only those acts commonly understood to constitute ''sexual assault,'' but all attempts to coerce sexual activity as well. The university will investigate acts of sexual violence perpetrated by and/or against students and will respond with appropriate action, which may include suspension or dismissal from the University. Copies of the policy are available in the Women's Center in Holton Hall or the Office of Student Life.
