Students enrolled at St. Petersburg College are expected to conduct themselves in a manner, which will reflect credit to the College, the community and themselves. Each student, by registering, assumes the responsibility to become familiar with and to abide by the general regulations and rules of conduct listed in the Board of Trustees’ Rules. If found guilty of violation of any of these rules, a student may be subject to the placing of a hold on the student’s record, the withholding of grades, credits, transcripts or diplomas, disciplinary probation, suspension or dismissal, in accordance with prescribed Rules for the handling of disciplinary cases. (See Board of Trustees’ Rule 6Hx23-4.35)

1. The following actions are prohibited at or on any campus or center of the College or at any College-sponsored or College-affiliated activity or event. Violation of any of these regulations may result in disciplinary action. In addition, the College reserves the right to impose discipline based on any student conduct, regardless of location, that may adversely affect the College or College community. Further, disciplinary action may be imposed in special circumstances where prescribed by law.
   
   

   1. Possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

   2. Use, possession, sale, barter, exchange, gift, distribution, or other transaction of any drugs which would be in violation of Chapter 893 of the Florida Statutes.

   3. Cheating in any form.

   4. Stealing or attempting to steal.

   5. The use of indecent or abusive language.

   6. Gambling.

   7. Hazing. The College's anti-hazing policy and the penalties for violations thereof are set forth in Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-4.331.

   8. Vandalism or destruction of property.

   9. Unauthorized possession, duplication or use of keys or access cards to any College premises or services.

   10. Taking or unauthorized use or possession of College property or the private property of another.

   11. Falsification, forgery, alteration, or misuse of any College record, document or identification card.

   12. Permitting another to use his or her College identification card, impersonating another or misrepresenting being authorized to act on behalf of another.

   13. Failure to comply with lawful directives of College officials or security officers acting within the performance of their duty.

   14. Any action which causes or attempts to cause a fire, explosion (including bomb threats), or any false reporting of a fire, explosion or any tampering with the fire safety equipment or other safety devices or the failure to evacuate the College buildings during a fire alarm.

   15. Fraudulent and/or unauthorized official use of College name, seal, emblem, nickname or motto.

   16. Lewd or indecent conduct.

   17. Behavior or actions which are disruptive of the normal, peaceable, and orderly operation of the College.

   18. Any disorderly conduct or breach of peace. This includes, but is not limited to, such conduct as threatening, fighting or other tumultuous behavior, the making of unreasonable noise or offensively coarse utterances, gestures or display, or abusive language to any person, creation of a hazard or offensive condition or other causes or matters resulting in the disturbance of the public tranquility and order of the College, its students or personnel.

   19. Participation in a campus demonstration which unreasonably disrupts the normal operations of the College and infringes upon the rights of other members of the College community; leading or inciting others to disrupt scheduled and/or normal activities within any campus (site), building or area; intentional obstruction which unreasonably interferes with freedom of movement, either pedestrian or vehicular on campus (site).

   20. Obstruction of the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on College premises or at College sponsored or supervised functions.

   21. Acts of verbal or written abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, coercion and/or other conduct which creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working and/or educational environment.

   22. Violation of a federal or state law, county or city ordinance.

   23. Repeated offenses of a less serious nature.

   24. Assault or physical abuse.

   25. Possession or use of explosives (including fireworks), chemical agents, or deadly weapons (including firearms). No person shall possess or carry a firearm upon College property except municipal, county, state and federal law enforcement officers either on or off duty and except students at the indoor firing range of the SPC Allstate Center. When said law enforcement officers are not in uniform and carry an exposed firearm on their person, they shall be required to display their officially issued badge, shield or identification tag while participating as a student or instructor in Criminal Justice Institute programs at the Allstate Center. At all other sites, law enforcement officers not on duty or not in official uniform must conceal their weapons. When carrying concealed weapons on St. Petersburg College property, law enforcement officers must be ready to display officially issued badge, shield or law enforcement identification upon request. Registered students and employees of the College who are licensed to carry concealed weapons as authorized by F.S. 790.06, must register and receive written permission from the President or his designee to carry an authorized weapon on SPC property. Weapons carried upon College property by registered students and employees licensed pursuant to F.S. 790.06 must be with the written permission of the President or his designee. Said weapons shall be limited to a stun gun, or non lethal electric weapon or device solely designed for defensive purposes and the weapon does not fire a dart or projectile and shall be concealed at all times.

   26. Unauthorized entry and/or occupancy of College facilities.

   27. Violations of student traffic and parking control as listed in Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-4.34.

   28. Sexual harassment as listed in Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-2.011.

   29. Sexual misconduct as defined in Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-4.332.

   30. Discrimination. The denial of services or access to activities to an individual because of his/her race, religion, age, national origin, gender, marital status, or disability constitutes discrimination.

   31. Stalking. To follow or harass repeatedly another person so as to put that person in fear for his/her safety.

   32. Actions that are committed with disregard of the possible harm to an individual or group which could or does result in injury to an individual or group.

   33. Failure to respect the right-to-privacy of any member of the College community.

   34. Disobedience. Failure to abide by official College rules, procedures, policies or guidelines.

   35. Conduct endangering safety and welfare. The commission of any act which one could reasonably foresee as having the potential to threaten or endanger the health or well being of any person or property.

   36. Misuse of Computer and Computer Information Resources:

       1. Altering, modifying, destroying, disclosing or taking information resource property (including equipment, supplies, data, programs, software, and supporting documents) as well as modifying equipment or supplies without proper authorization.

       2. Unauthorized entry into a file, to use, read, or change the contents, or for any other purpose.

       3. Unauthorized transfer of a file.

       4. Unauthorized use of another individual's identification and/or password.

       5. Use of any computing facilities, either locally or remotely, to interfere with the work of another student, faculty or staff member of the College, or negatively impact the College network and/or computing system.

       6. Use of any computing facilities, either locally or remotely, to send obscene or abusive messages through the College network and/or computing system.

       7. Use of any computing facilities, either locally or remotely, to interfere with the normal operation of the College network and/or computing system.

       8. Misuse of College computers. See BOT Rule 6Hx23-6.900.

   37. False information. Furnishing false information to a college official in the exercise of his/her responsibilities.

   38. Engaging in commercial solicitation on College property. This does not apply to approved College organization sales when approved by the College.

   39. Knowingly instituting a false charge against another.

   40. Intentionally, without consent, limits or restricts the freedom of another to move about in a lawful manner.

   41. Any action which interferes with or obstructs the College's hearing process, including failure to appear upon request of a Chair for a hearing panel at a hearing; failure to testify upon a request of a Chair of a hearing panel at a hearing; improper conduct at a hearing; knowingly making false statements at a hearing; disruption or interference with the orderly conduct of the hearing process; attempting to discourage an individual's proper participation in or use of the hearing process; attempting to influence the impartiality of a member of the hearing panel prior to and/or during the course of the hearing process; harassment (verbal or physical) and/or intimidation of a member of the hearing panel prior to, during or after the hearing proceedings; influencing or attempting to influence another person to commit an abuse of the hearing process; and/or failure to complete imposed sanctions. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to compel self incrimination.

   42. Conspiracy to commit violation of any of the above or aiding, abetting, assisting, hiring, soliciting, or procuring another in the violation of any of the above.

   
   
   

Student Organizations
Student organizations are also prohibited from engaging in the conduct listed above. Violations of this Rule by a student organization could result in the rescission of the authority for such organization to operate on college property or under the sanction of the College.

Students Threatening Harm
This section of the Rule is implemented as a result of growing conduct throughout the United States, the State of Florida and Pinellas County, including the College, of students threatening physical harm to other students, instructors and/or staff with an unpredictable but growing frequency of a student carrying out the threat or causing harm which necessitates the implementation of this Rule in order to better provide a reasonably safe academic and work environment. Due process of the accused, suspected student is believed to be protected by the following.


Therefore, a student may be immediately suspended from classes and/or from the College and its grounds and premises upon the recommendation of the student's campus/center associate provost or designee upon approval of the provost or designee or the President or designee when one or more of the following circumstances exist:

1. A student is reasonably suspected of threatening and/or causing physical harm to a student, instructor and/or staff member and/or their property or property of the College.

2. A student is reasonably suspected of violating Sub Paragraphs 14, 25, 31, 32, 35 or 40 of the above Rule.

Any student alleged to have violated one or more of the foregoing shall be contacted by the associate provost or designee, if reasonably possible, and request that the student come in to share his/her side of the story in advance of their consideration of whether or not the suspension should be imposed. However, because such conduct threatens bodily harm, life and/or property, if the student cannot be reached or does not properly respond to the request, the associate provost or designee may recommend suspension if they reasonably suspect that any of the above violations have occurred. If the student does not come in and share his/her side of the story and the associate provost or designee still reasonably suspects that any of the above violations have occurred, the associate provost or designee may recommend suspension. If the suspension is approved by the provost or designee, or the President or designee, the suspension will be imposed.

When deemed appropriate, the associate provost or designee may, as an alternative to this Rule or in conjunction with this Rule, recommend that an evaluation be done pursuant to Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-4.333.

Any student suspended pursuant to the foregoing shall be notified of the suspension and shall comply with the directed suspension. Notification may be by personal delivery or by regular mail to the student's last known address. The student shall be entitled to an informal preliminary hearing within three (3) working days after the suspension at which time the provost or designee will conduct an informal preliminary hearing to determine whether or not there is trustworthy information to support the student's violation and/or continued suspension. At the hearing, the associate provost or designee shall offer evidence and/or witnesses to the threat, or other proscribed conduct. The student shall be entitled to offer their side of the story including any other evidence and/or witnesses. The provost or designee shall promptly determine whether or not to continue their suspension. The suspension shall continue to be in effect during the time the matter is being considered by the provost or designee.

If the provost or designee determines that there is no trustworthy information to support the violation, the student shall be reinstated and shall be permitted to make up any coursework or testing that was missed as a result of the suspension. If the provost or designee believes that continuing the suspension is not appropriate, but that the student should be subject to further investigation and consideration for discipline, the suspension will be lifted and the matter referred to the associate provost or designee for further investigation and action as may be appropriate under Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-4.35. If the provost or designee determines that the suspension is supported by trustworthy information and was appropriate, and continues to be appropriate, the provost or designee shall direct that the suspension continue and the matter be promptly referred to the Disciplinary Board for a full hearing in accordance with Board of Trustees' Rule 6Hx23-4.35. The student shall be notified of the provost's or designee's determination by personal delivery or mail to the student's last known address.

On sites where there is no provost and/or associate provost, the President shall designate the person(s) to undertake the duties of the provost and/or associate provost under this Rule.